Nick2cd Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 I came to Columbus to attend the woodworking show (will be heading there in a couple hours!!!). My wife came with me and we are staying at one of her all time favorite shopping areas called the Easton Town Center. While in a store called Anthropology, I spot an old beat up work bench that they are using to display clothes. It had a couple of vises with some missing hardware and a strong breeze would have knocked this thing over. I put a bit of lateral pressure on it and the entire structure swayed and flexed. The part I found most amusing was they had a price tag on it that read "French Work Table $2400". Someone will probably buy it.....just not me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Hi Nick, The old benches do seem very desirable as furniture in the own right. While doing some research for my own design I found quite a few like this up for auction on antique auctioneer websites. Is perhaps the bench in your photo perhaps more continental than classically French? Looks really spindly! For another $2400 or so you could do the crazy roubo build . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapid Roger Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Obviously it is called a French work table because it could go down on you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Enjoying the humor! On the flip side, is the instability due to partial assembly? There are wedged through tenons that usually are used to allow for knock down later using only a mallet. I do not think it worth the price unless it is truly antique but if the tenons and wedges were cut right it is possible a few taps of a mallet would draw the design together. Big IF... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 I think whoever built that may not have known what he was doing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe I've ever seen a shoulder vise on the FRONT of a bench before. Explain that one. And what's with the rails between the legs and the slab? The legs should be mortised into the slab, IMO, and I think that's how it's traditionally done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 I learned this morning in another thread that this is a known Scandinavian design. I was unsure whether to challenge the French label as today is the first I have researched Scandinavian vise design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 That's a new one on me, too. Never seen that before. Someone should explain the benefits of that design, because I can't figure it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 http://lumberjocks.com/projects/56298 No time to watch the videos right now but this looks promising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Watch the video and be impressed. Short story, he supports the shoulder vise for use in dovetailing long boards or performing other end grain functions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted March 2, 2013 Report Share Posted March 2, 2013 Just as C Shaffer it does seem normal for German or Scandinavian bench to have a shoulder vice. Anyone out there worked from one similar to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.