The Practical Workshop: A Woodworker's Guide to Workbenches, Layout & Tools

518 Pages·2017·49.21 MB·English

by  Christopher Schwarz

The Practical Workshop
A Woodworker’s Guide to Workbenches, Layout & Tools
By Christopher Schwarz & the Editors of Popular Woodworking
CINCINNATI, OHIOM
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Contents
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INTRODUCTION
GETTING STARTED
Chapter One
Your First Toolkit
Chapter Two
Butterfly Sawhorse
Chapter Three
Simple Sawbench
WORKBENCHES
Chapter Four
Under-$250 Workbench
Chapter Five
Knockdown English Workbench
Chapter Six
Bench Deadman
Chapter Seven
Moxon’s Ingenious Bench Vise
Chapter Eight
Flattening Your Workbench’s Top
Chapter Nine
Upgrade Your Workbench
Chapter Ten
Rules for Workbenches
WORKBENCH GALLERY
SHOP SETUP
Chapter Eleven
Placing Machinery
Chapter Twelve
One-Weekend Router Table
Chapter Thirteen
Ultimate Miter Saw Stand
Chapter Fourteen
Drill Press Table
Chapter Fifteen
Swinging Outfeed Table
Chapter Sixteen
Shooting Boards
STORAGE
Chapter Seventeen
Wall-hung Tool Racks
Chapter Eighteen
Practical Shop Cabinet
Chapter Nineteen
Arts & Crafts Tool Cabinet
Chapter Twenty
Traveling Tool Chest
Chapter Twenty-One
Router Cabinet
Chapter Twenty-Two
Roy Underhill’s Nail Cabinet
Chapter Twenty-Three
Saw & Plane Till
Chapter Twenty-Four
German Work Box
Chapter Twenty-Five
$30 Lumber Rack
Introduction
As the editor of a woodworking magazine, I got to see some of the most
incredible (and humble) workshops all over the planet. Human nature being what
it is, it’s easiest to remember the workshops that were nicer than my house. I’ve
visited several shops where the woodworker had a couple thousand square feet
visited several shops where the woodworker had a couple thousand square feet
of organized space, wood storage that was accessed by a remote crane and a
library room dedicated solely to reading books and watching woodworking
videos. I don’t begrudge the woodworkers who build their dream shops. Every
one of them earned their shops with hard work, determination and inspiration.
But I am here to tell you that the quality of the furniture that comes out of a shop
is entirely independent of the physical space in which it was created. All the
proof you need is to learn a little bit about Rob Millard, a professional Ohio
furniture maker who specializes in Federal-era pieces (look him up on the
internet), and works in a basement space that doesn’t even really look like a
shop. Most of his tools and machines are portable home-center stuff. His bench
is unremarkable. And the white cinder-block walls look more like a prison than a
space to build pieces that make your heart soar. But that’s exactly what he does.
If you are looking for a book that will help you build the ultimate dream shop,
this is not the book you are looking for. If you are looking for the shortest and
most effective way to set up shop so you can get to the good part – making
furniture – then read on.
A Tradition of Practicality
For the last 20 years, Popular Woodworking Magazine has focused on offering
workshop projects that are grounded in the “get-it-done” tradition you would
find in professional workshops from the 18th century to the present day.
Yes, you need a good bench because it will make your life easier. But you
don’t need a French polished beauty that represents a tour de force of your
woodworking skills. That fancy bench won’t work any better than the basic
benches used in production shops during the last 300 years. And so in this book
we present two bench designs that can be built quickly using common framing
lumber. These aren’t slap-together designs you’ll outgrow. They are based on
hundreds of years of careful refinement by people who ate or starved based on
their productivity. We also present the basic “appliances” that will make your
work at your bench a bit easier. Again, these aren’t for jig lovers – they are