21st-Century Workbench
This hybrid design holds work any which way you want it to. Good design is little more than selective thievery. This workbench is a good example of that. A combination of features from several [...]
21st-Century Workbench Leg Joints
It’s hard to separate woodworking from history. Most of the skills we need and tools we use come from earlier times when everyday items that are now mostly plastic or cardboard were made of [...]
LED Perfect for Workbench Light
Our shop has a lot of things in common with our readers’ shops, especially those who work in basements or abandoned coal mines. The overhead lighting leaves a lot to be desired. I’ve [...]
21st Century Workbench Sketchup Model
This is an accurate model of the workbench designed and built by Senior Editor Robert W. Lang.
21st-Century Workbench, Advantage No. 27
When most people ask about the split top in my workbench, it is in regard to the removable tool trays. Do they fill up with junk? Yes, but it’s a piece of cake to pick one up, take it to …
The Great Tool Tray Debate
One of the great controversies of modern times, right behind “what’s the best media to sharpen tools on?” and “why can’t/won’t somebody make great tools for [...]
Bench Class Wrap-up
Days four, five and six of the 21st Century Workbench class at Kelly Mehler’s School of Woodworking found me too beat to blog. Building a workbench in six days is a challenge, and as work [...]
Bench Class Day 3 – Going With the Flow
Signing up for a woodworking class, like the one I’m teaching this week at Kelly Mehler’s School in Berea, Ky., is a lot like going on a cruise. When you tackle a big project at home, [...]
Bench Class Day 2 – Tricks Up Our Sleeves
Woodworking is a solitary pursuit, and one of the benefits of taking a class (or teaching one, for that matter) is the interaction and sharing of ideas that takes place. Good ideas and techniques [...]
Building a Bunch of Benches, Day One
Days that begin with moving more than a half-ton of lumber don’t often end up being considered “Great!” but today was an exception. After some introductions and a quick tour of [...]
Off to Build a Bunch of Benches
One of the common questions I was asked at last weekend’s Woodworking in America conference was “where’s your bench?” My schedule was full with SketchUp and [...]
21st Century Workbench-Hamster Bed Modification & Class Announcement
In the year and a half since I built my bench I’ve been very happy with it, my only real regret is that I didn’t make it earlier. It’s solid, suits my needs and easily holds [...]