Before I delve deeper in to the subject of workbench design I’d first like to draw attention to one of the unsung heroes of my workshop. My Saw Donkey’s (as I like to call them) are my more humble yet resilient version of a saw horse. Alongside a well designed...
We’ve had many enquiries recently about whether or not we will be selling the Shaft System for our Pin Less Leg Vice entirely on its own. At the moment the shaft is used in my workbenches and sold for your own installations as a kit together with one of our wooden...
Whenever I’ve taken my workbenches out to a show I’ve always enjoyed lovely feedback and appreciation. One line that I can guarantee will come up at least a dozen times though is “it’s too beautiful to use!”. You’ll think I’m mean but it’s always that line that leaves...
This is just a quick post today to say that we’ve been having a great response to the new 'Little John Workbench' and we would like to thank you for all of the support. Update: At the present time we're not building any workbenches for sale, however we have many...
The Veritas Inset vice is a real gem which is why I chose it for our Little John Bench. There’s nothing excessive about it and its qualities lie in its simplicity; simple in design and simple to use. Compared to the wagon vices we're now more familiar with this one...
The nailed together ‘boarded’ furniture of my previous post remained in use for many hundreds of years and it’s this continued popularity that makes us feel that its worth attention even today. Early, surviving chests were built for settings such as a church or castle...
Following from my last post on the Dug-Out Chest I’m going to look now at how furniture construction moved forward to become closer to something we might use today. As the most common item of furniture used in the Middle Ages I’m using the chest as an example. Boarded...
The design for our Medieval cupboard was put together rather quickly. We didn’t have a specific example in mind to take measurements from and instead we choose dimensions by its intended use - a compact wall cupboard for storing small household items. So if it isn’t a...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__xvIIDT2CA&feature=youtu.be This is my final look at this year’s European Woodworking Show and to finish up I’ve brought together some clips from all around the event. There’s a great variety of woodworking skill and crafts to be...
Before we had the design for the cupboard finished I knew that the timber would have to be oak. It’s my favourite timber to work with so it usually is my first choice and for this piece of furniture it’s certainly in keeping with what was most commonly used in the...
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No, you don’t. As a hand tool woodworker you are fully self sufficient without a bandsaw. At least as long as there's tea in the pot. But if there's one machine that can aid the hand tooler the most, this would be it. When I shunted out my machines at the close of the...
The day is Sunday, at least it is as I write this. The sun is also really shining. It’s also my first day off in quite some time. I’m sat with my notebook on a bit of beach that may as well be Mars. I come here quite regularly to write, think, sing? And in the...
I'm in a unusual position for a learner. I can observe Richard working, then pick up his tools and try for myself. I know the tools work well, and you could envy that. But the thing is, it takes away the one excuse that all novices need. I can't blame my tools. When...