Comments on: New Workbench from Lie-Nielsen Toolworks

By: katiedobe

katiedobe — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 14:05:51 +0000

Well first off I love Lie Nielsen so don’t want to sound like I don’t. I like the bench but really Chris it sounds like you are being paid to promote something that you don’t really believe. I know you aren’t being paid.
I have built your Roubo with a beefy leg vise. I also have your second bench book, (lol at the big kitchen table bench), and read it fully. In my humble opinion, I think they have it about 90% right but what they got wrong is really wrong, to my taste. No overhang on the left end of the bench. I find that area of overhang a great place to have. But the largest glaring piece that is missing is the leg vise. Man what a holding monster that device is. I don’t think anyone has improved on that since it was invented. So why not use it now? I think it is because they want to sell their chain driven hardware and they think it is best for that use. But I think they should offer the bench with a leg vise configuration option. At that point I think they would have a nice bench for sale. Glad to see them trying.

By: carheir

carheir — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 01:45:28 +0000

Not speaking entirely from a $$$$ standpoint. I just think that for the money, Benchcrafted has a better product. That’s my opinion and you have yours.

By: kevin65kk

kevin65kk — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:29:20 +0000

At a total weight of 250lbs, this seems somewhat light. I have seen many a bench like this one move and sway with any of the primary woodworking task, sawing, chiseling and especially planing. It seems like some simple diagonal supports would end the rock’in but you never see any built into this style bench, why?

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 06:34:43 +0000

They actually are modifying the vise handles this week so there is a low profile. I’ve run into the handles a couple times myself this week.

Thomas Lie-Nielsen said it should be fixed this week.

Chris

By: abt

abt — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 03:15:27 +0000

Great looking bench. It’s so tempting as I’m getting ready to build a bench. I just priced 8/4 beech today, so I can see that between the vice hardware and the wood, the price point is on target. But I did want to build my own…hmmm….

By: Howard Lobb

Howard Lobb — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 22:56:17 +0000

I have tried this bench at a show here on the westcoast ,,, the only thing I would change is the handles on the vises especialy the tail vise ,,, from the ball too madallions that would not stick up past the top of the bench ,,, simple sollution and all in all it’s a beauti and I find no fault in the price.

By: Deke

Deke — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:19:07 +0000

You guys realize this thing comes with about $700 of vices. I was just quoted on a bundle of hard maple for a roubo at $1200. There is your LN bench right there. You can tell something is well thought out when the price hurts but not enough to say no.

By: aschaffter

aschaffter — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:54:36 +0000

I didn’t see the new bench on the LN website, not in the bench or “what’s new sections. The $2750 price cited by other posters was for a different bench.

It looks like a great bench. The top may be a bit too thick for Gramercy and similar holdfasts to grip securely, it is can be supplied with round dog holes.

I would like to see melding of new and old- how about the new Hovarter threadless lead screw (oxymoron?) leg and face vises on one of these benches?

By: BillT

BillT — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Looks to me like movement should not be too much of an issue. First, it looks like the top is attached to the end stretchers with a couple lag screws placed sort of near the center-ish – which would allow lateral movement towards the front and back. Second, hard maple does not move quite as much as, say, oak or cherry. Third, it appears that the individual boards in the lamination have been rotated so that any expansion will mostly be in the vertical direction. So the top should be quite stable horizontally, and to the extent it does expand, it will get slightly taller.

Leastways, that’s what it looks like to me.

By: BillT

BillT — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:18:25 +0000

Those would have to be some seriously beefy couch cushions.