Comments on: Building a French-style Workbench: Day 2

By: KC Kevin

KC Kevin — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:18:38 +0000

I’ve been through a bench building class with Chris and Kelly. Ibuprofen and brown liquor should have been apart of the required tools list for the class.

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Fri, 20 May 2011 04:07:13 +0000

Josh,

Good question. I actually didn’t log my hours for that project (I just checked). If I had to guess, I would say that it was 60 hours or so. Maybe less. I actually didn’t feel like it was a chore to go all hand tools on that project for the most part. Some things were a drag. But it actually went pretty fast.

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Fri, 20 May 2011 04:04:15 +0000

Emile,

Festool and Felder tools don’t make you faster. But blending hand tools and machinery sure does.

I found that what really speeds up bench building is a planer and a drill press, and mine are both Grizzly.

By: Emile

Emile — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:52:04 +0000

Hummm, does the Felder-n-Festool filled workshop help with the 40 hours ?!

By: Megan Fitzpatrick

Megan Fitzpatrick — Wed, 18 May 2011 22:05:27 +0000

Believe it or not, you can send us an e-mail and we’ll answer. Contact info for all the editors is listed on the “About Us” page (there’s a link at the very bottom of the home page). And, our phone numbers and e-mail addresses are in every issue of the magazine on the masthead (usually page 8 or 10).

By: funkyspacecowboy

funkyspacecowboy — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:51:59 +0000

Chris,

You mention 40 hours or so for a French bench, I assume that’s the time to build with hand and power tools? Do you recall how long it took you to build the one you did by hand with the slab of cherry for the top? Just curious mainly.

I had about 120 hours into my French style bench working entirely by hand, but at least a third of that was spent in jury rigging my old crappy bench into supporting the three 12/4 ash beams that became the bench top.

Cheers,

Josh

By: mbred

mbred — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:29:46 +0000

I think I’m gonna like this magazine. New to it, I am. Sorry to post this here, as it doesn’t have to do with this project. Somehow I guess I am overlooking it. If I have a question about something,anything, where do I ask, if it isn’t about a blog in progress. I see where you post questions readers have asked, but can’t find where to do it.
Thanks

By: griffithpark

griffithpark — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:38:22 +0000

The crosscut tables on Kelly’s tablesaws are serious business.

My last class at Kelly’s was in March. These videos really have me missing the experience.

Chcuk

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Wed, 18 May 2011 12:13:45 +0000

I’ve tried it many ways. We don’t have a beam saw, so nix that option.

All of the crosscut saws we’ve used do a fairly poor job. The blade deflects in the material. And it is a slow, nibbling process.

By: BJKavanaugh

BJKavanaugh — Wed, 18 May 2011 04:51:20 +0000

Thank you for taking the time to document each day. Hopefully by Friday you will have shamed me into finally finishing my own.