Making a Watchmaker's Bench

[Tmuir]

14 hours ago, SparkyLB said:

 

What is the finish on the Jarrah top?  That's an attractive bench.

Nothing special, after planing I finsihed it with a random orbital sander up to 1000 grit and then applied an oil based marine varnish.

This is my general work bench in my workshop, it is used for pretty much everything other than hammering and sawing, although usually its covered in parts of what ever I have disassembled in my workshop.

I love that picture of the tree gent over by the wind.

When you get out to the farming areas we have trees bent over and gnarled like that by the wind, but nothing as dramatic as that tree.

I have a few Jarrah trees growing in my back yard, but they are a slow growing tree and because of this they are not 'farm grown' all Jarrah comes either from land clearing or old growth forest and so is becoming harder to find quality jarrah for reasonable prices.

My house was built in the early 1980s and its 90% made of Jarrah, all beams are Jarrah, the outer cladding is jarrah as are the skirting boards and kitchen cupboards.

The salvage value of the wood in my house in a few more years will be more than the house is worth.

[SparkyLB]

Yes Spectre6000, we saw more than a few of those. Thanks for answering a two year-old question. That was a first-time sight. 

[MechanicMike]

Kudos to you for making your own bench, and a mighty fine one at that. That's most definitely heirloom quality. And it's yours. One-of-a-kind. I love woodworking. Just don't have the tools or time anymore. Did you cut your roll trench the width of your bench top? Ever entertain making yourself a butcher block top? The patterns are endless and fun to make and when finished, are stunning. Just think, long after we exit the "great experiment," your bench will still be here, hopefully with all its history and stories. 200 years from now "Antiques Roadshow!" That thing is bombproof too! Bravo!

[MechanicMike]

I don't even have a bench yet. You wouldnt believe what I use for a bench...I think I posted a pic of it in here somewhere...

[AshF]

I'm working on our pool table.  The wife isn't happy.

[MechanicMike]

39 minutes ago, AshF said:

I'm working on our pool table.  The wife isn't happy.

Might still have ya beat. Two old closet folding doors stacked on 6 of the wife's plastic tubs, 3 a side. Hate to post this but it's what I can afford for now. And it works. An old cork board, and a great art pad for $1.99. Someday I'll get a bench..

[SparkyLB]

Fear not, Mike.  The bench doesn't make the man.  John Lennon can do things with playschool guitar that some guys can't with a $13,000 Fender Strat or Gibson Les Paul. 

Your tucked-away watch corner looks inviting and seems as though that's where the magic happens. 

Edited July 16, 2020 by SparkyLB
Fender doesn't make a Stat.

[SparkyLB]

On 7/15/2020 at 9:43 AM, MechanicMike said:

Kudos to you for making your own bench, and a mighty fine one at that. That's most definitely heirloom quality. And it's yours. One-of-a-kind. I love woodworking. Just don't have the tools or time anymore. Did you cut your roll trench the width of your bench top? Ever entertain making yourself a butcher block top? The patterns are endless and fun to make and when finished, are stunning. Just think, long after we exit the "great experiment," your bench will still be here, hopefully with all its history and stories. 200 years from now "Antiques Roadshow!" That thing is bombproof too! Bravo!

Thanks for the kind words.  My roll trench is about 6" from either end.  I did it with a router and the sides were already in place when Tmuir mentioned the idea.  I've looked at endless 3-D patterned cutting board made from end grain hardwoods on YouTube. Funny you should say, when I was making the drawers, I numbered the backs with a small and discreet number.  The numbers were penciled in, and the thought did go through my mind that after I was gone, someone would surely see those numbers and wonder about the maker.  You say "great experiment," Floyd says "Great Gig In The Sky."   

[MechanicMike]

5 hours ago, SparkyLB said:

Fear not, Mike.  The bench doesn't make the man.  John Lennon can do things with playschool guitar that some guys can't with a $13,000 Fender Strat or Gibson Les Paul. 

Your tucked-away watch corner looks inviting and seems as though that's where the magic happens. 

it really is my happy peaceful place. Is it too ironic that I lose time in there? or maybe 'forget' is a better word....

[SparkyLB]

On 7/12/2020 at 6:01 AM, Tmuir said:

Nothing special, after planing I finsihed it with a random orbital sander up to 1000 grit and then applied an oil based marine varnish. . . . . . . . .

 

It's a wonder how much depth you achieve with 1000 grit, done with a random orbital.  That varnish looks like it's an inch thick. 

[Tmuir]

Yes I was very pleased with the finish the varnish gave, being it was an oil based varnish made for marine applications it is quite a thick varnish and it did get 2, possibly 3 coats with light sanding between coats. The modern water based varnishes might be easier to work with but they just don't give as nice a result as the oil based varnishes.

[SparkyLB]

Here are the two sides.  The left panel attaches to the left drawer encasement, causing the encasement to move inwards 3/4".  Same with the right, but opposite.  Front-to-back they will match the table top "depth." The back will be another two of these panels, joined at the center; matching the width of the table top left-to-right. 

Edited July 26, 2020 by SparkyLB

[spectre6000]

That's some interesting grain on those side panels. What is that?

[SparkyLB]

That is 5 mm veneer. It came in a 4’ x 8’ sheet. It’s held cabinet-front style in Rabbeted oak strip.  

Edited July 26, 2020 by SparkyLB

[spectre6000]

Do you know the species? Looks like a roll veneer, but with an odd axis to get the growth rings all the way across like that.

[SparkyLB]

Perhaps my terminology is wrong.  Veneer would mean SOME real wood on the surface, yes?  I think this is manufactured with the pattern applied--perhaps dyed?  I'm not sure.  It's a bit fuzzy and I dare not sand it or apply finish.  If you're familiar with this stuff, maybe you can tell me what it's called.  

Edited July 27, 2020 by SparkyLB

[spectre6000]

No, you're right. It's veneer. Veneer usually comes in two flavors: book matched and rotary cut (I said rolled above). The former involves cutting thin slices off a log, and lining them up side by side, typically accordion style so that the lines meet up and form a nice pattern. The latter involves taking a long and putting it on a giant spit with a giant apple peeler-like cutting device, and the veneer is peeled off in one large sheet. It occurred to me when you used the word manufactured (not that it has anything to do with it, that's just what triggered the thought), there's been a trend in recent years toward stacking a billion layers of plywood on top of one another to form a continuous face of plywood sides. I'm sure there's a name for it, but I don't know what it is. This may be a veneer version of that aesthetic. Hard to tell from the photos though. I googled a little, and there is also rift and quarter sawn veneer. The latter is not common, and while it sounds like it's usually oak, this isn't that. Might be rift sawn though, as that would account for the grain being so straight and regular. I've never seen a product like that at any of the local suppliers, but wood is a pretty regional thing, and I don't look at sheet goods very often so it would have been easy for me to miss. My money is on the rift sawn oak veneer. Looks really good with the trim. The strong horizontal lines give it a bit of a modern vibe.

[SparkyLB]

Thanks, spectre6000.  I'm just a bit confused regarding the fuzziness of it.  If you closed your eyes and ran your hand over it it almost feels like a very stiff carpet with a 1/16" pile, if that makes sense.  I agree, though.  It is certainly easy on the eyes. 

Since the rest of the desk has a few coats of very thin poly, I'm going to test a small, unused portion of this stuff and see how it takes a coat.  My guess is it would be disastrous; but we'll find out.  The sample guinea pig will not be part of the bench. 

Edited July 27, 2020 by SparkyLB

[SparkyLB]

I meant to post this a week ago.  My original desktop fell victim to a mistake or two, and the 48" planks ended up being 43" after all was done.  When I realized this would make the drawer encasements too close together for my liking, I decided to bite the bullet and make a new one. 

The old one is pictured here.  I live in West Palm Beach, FL.  If anyone would like this top (roughly 20" front to back); you're welcome to have it.  If you're close you can come and pick it up.  If you want it enough to pay for shipping, I'll send it anywhere in the US.  I'm not going to use it.

Thanks, all. 

[spectre6000]

4 hours ago, SparkyLB said:

Thanks, spectre6000.  I'm just a bit confused regarding the fuzziness of it.  If you closed your eyes and ran your hand over it it almost feels like a very stiff carpet with a 1/16" pile, if that makes sense.

Scraper. Alternatively, sandpaper. Do not just put finish on fuzz, no es bueno!

Depending on what it is and how the grain is oriented, if you set your block plane for a SUPER fine cut, you may even be able to clean it that way.

Edited July 27, 2020 by spectre6000

[SparkyLB]

Almost all complete. Everything dry fit, nothing fastened together. As mentioned above, I’ll have to re-contour the retaining walls. I’ll also finish the top so it somewhat matches the drawers. When it’s complete I’ll post the last picture. 
 

I’m happy with the semi-finished product. I certainly learned a lot. 

 

In case it went unread, look up a few posts about the free work surface.

 

[SparkyLB]

For those who saw Snatch, "Got anything to declare?" "Yeah, don't go to London."  No offense to my friends in the UK.  It's a line from a movie. 

For those who want a watchmaker's bench, "Pay whatever it costs and have done with it!"  Now that it's done, I can say I have fond memories of dozens of hours in the garage.  Really, I do.   

[ThrobinsonCrusoe]

For those who saw Snatch, "Got anything to declare?" "Yeah, don't go to London."  No offense to my friends in the UK.  It's a line from a movie. 
For those who want a watchmaker's bench, "Pay whatever it costs and have done with it!"  Now that it's done, I can say I have fond memories of dozens of hours in the garage.  Really, I do.  [emoji4] 

Its a triumph!

I always say thats its only cheaper to do something yourself if you don't value your time [emoji1787]

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