wscrivens

My bench kind of "grew" over the years from a simple table build of construction-grade lumber. In its current incarnation, it is 4' wide x 2' deep with an 8" tray at the back. The size is due to space limitations. The top is 3 layers of 3/4" MDF plus a bottom lamination of 3/4" plywood (the original bench top). The front edge is 3 pieces of 1 x 3 oak laminated and bored for bench stops, and the end vise is entirely shop-made, and uses the screw from an old machinist's vise. There is an outlet strip under the front edge which I find very useful for power tools and battery chargers.
The drawers are full-extension, rated at 120 lbs. each.

There's a photo at http://www.gate.net/~walts/IMG_5694.JPG

Walt

I used Minwax Wipe-on Poly for a cabinet I made for my wife:
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1639288?&si=cherylquilts

The cart is oak and oak plywood, and I put on 3 coats of the finish, sanding after the first coat with 220 and then used 400 grit after the second and third. I ended up with 3 coats of paste wax.

I'm really happy with the results. This is a great product.

Walt

Beautiful work!

Some "how-to" information would be wonderful; maybe a short article for the magazine, next fall???


Walt

I've been working in wood as an amateur for well over a half-century. Many of my tools were my father's, and like him, most of my woodworking has something to do with wooden boats.

I've been terribly dismayed over the past decade or so to see what I have to call the "Yuppifying" of woodworking, and Woodcraft has been leading the charge. It has become almost impossible to find reasonably priced, good quality tools for the amateur woodworker. I've learned first-hand over the years (since I didn't listen to my father) that it doesn't pay to buy "cheap" tools - they don't produce consistent, accurate work, and they don't stay sharp. OTOH, there is no way I could justify paying $400 for a plane or $300 for a shop vacuum. Professional woodworkers need to evaluate the cost of a tool over its lifetime; frequently it makes sense to pay twice as much for a given tool if it will last three times as long in the shop, or will allow them to produce better work more easily. Most amateurs don't face that dilemma, since we don't use tools enough to wear them out and we aren't getting paid for our time.

If Woodcraft is offering good quality plans at reasonable prices, more power to them. I look forward to an in-depth review; just glancing at the catalog it looks like Wood River is a good compromise price-wise. I'm always skeptical about Chinese quality, but face it, nearly all of today's computers are manufactured there, and while I wouldn't have looked twice at a Honda car in 1970, today I wouldn't buy anything else.

From what I've read, companies like Lie-Nielsen and Veritas are targeting the high-end, wealthy, amateur woodworker. Sadly the result has been to erect insurmountable price barriers for the less well-to-do beginner.

I don't bear any animosity for the high-end manufacturers, but I am glad to see some (hopefully good quality) tools available for "the rest of us"

Walt