MAKE A CLASSIC WOODWORK BENCH
Why a cabinetmaker’s bench? The bench has a fundamental role within any workshop, and we feel the higher the quality of the bench, the more care will be taken in its use. Consequently this will reflect in the work being carried out.
A true and flat surface acts like a datum for your work. Combine this with flexible and effective ways of holding your work and a rock-solid support structure that positions the work surface at the correct height for your endeavours and you have a multifaceted holding system for fine woodworking. Here is the perfect foundation for careful and accurate work.
The benches at the Centre for Fine Woodworking are based around the classic European/American cabinetmaker’s bench, which combines a broad, heavy wooden surface with two vices. Originally, the side or shoulder vice was simply a screw, usually made of wood set in an L-shaped structure, allowing the screw to apply pressure to the side of the main bench.
My own bench, which I made in 1982 — having dragged all the hardware back from Denmark in my backpack — has this feature, and I love it dearly for its
