Hi Mark,
Given how sore I am today, I think I could use the practice even if it’s not twisted. Gotta build up those planing muscles.

Hi Scott,

I wish I could just use the bottom as the top, but I concentrated most of the knots on the bottom side, and the board in question twisted such that on the top it’s high and the bottom it’s low, so it’d be the same problem on both. But I’m sure I’ll get it all worked out. This board is to be the very back of the bench, so I’m not too worried about it, as the other surfaces are all mostly parallel and I can probably fill it in.

As for the crazed look, that’s a combination of joy at finally being able to start on a real project and overheating, as the shop gets almost no air circulation from the big swamp cooler we use there. I wish I had more time to get this all done, but I’ll keep going when I can manage and hopefully start making some of the furniture I want before too much longer. Just gotta keep telling myself that I’ve got plenty of time to get it all done and be more patient.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Haven’t been able to work on the bench tops too much this week, but I have them mostly planed (still a good deal of twist to remove). It seems like the wood is twisting more after I plane it, so I guess I’ll just wait a week or two before I try to plane it all square for assembly. Not sure what else I can do.

I’m also posting a plan I drew up showing the overall size/shape of the bench. My plan is to get a 6″ Milwaukee vise from here: http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/dept/TL/item/MS-HVISE/Milwaukee_Small_Woodworking_Vise_-_Made_in_USA

I am also planning to use a combination of holdfasts and a Veritas bench dog in place of a tail vise. I should be able to plane and glue up the legs and aprons and well boards over the next week while I wait for the tops to finish twisting on me so I can move onto joinery and putting it all together.

Hi Mark,
I will rearrange a bit and put the wood down flat when I get home tonight. Thanks for the tip. 🙂

Made some good progress today. Got the first A-frame set of two legs all built with mortises and tenons. They are sloppy, some of the joints have a lot of gaps I plan to fill with wedges and glue later, but the whole thing is square and solid, so I’m sure it will make a fine workbench. Chiseling away in a shop with no AC takes a lot out of you, but I just have one more set of legs, the apron dadoes and it’ll be time for assembly and use. All the laminating is done except for attaching the aprons to the benchtop pieces, which should be pretty easy to do.

I am super excited to keep practicing and getting better. My mortises were already looking better from just the four I made, and I’m hoping the next set of legs will have less gaps and be cleaner in general.

The pics show all the laminated pieces (not all totally planed or cut square yet, but I’m getting there), the finished set of legs just before glue-up, and my first mortise ever. I’m amazed I have been able to do all this in such a short time. Thanks again to Paul and everyone else who makes this site such a great resource for learning real woodworking.

Got a chance to work for a couple more hours last night, and cut three of the remaining four mortises. I’m feeling like I actually know what I’m doing now. The heavier mallet I used this time made the work much easier. Just gotta keep at it until it’s done and in my apartment.