Refurbished bench top with a new lease of life
I couldn't avoid it any longer: my workbench needed help. It had been looking the worse for wear for a while and something needed to be done. I have to admit that I hadn't been taking as much care of it as I should have, so its decline had accelerated in recent months. It was time to take remedial action.
Before refurbishment: needing a little TLC
Quick refurb
This type of…
PART 2
The tool tray
To form the ends of the tool tray recess, I cut two lengths of 50 x 155mm beech at 45° on one end, and glued them to the rear of the bench-top. I then glued a 25 x 100mm plank of beech across these blocks to form the rear of the tool tray; two pieces of 20 x 10mm beech fitted under the top on either side of the recess provided a lip to support the trays 4mm MDF bottom.
…
Some 20 years ago, when I first became seriously interested in woodworking, I began by making furniture for the house. Money was tight, so I used melamine-covered chipboard held together with dowels and screws, and worked on a cheap copy of the famous Black & Decker workmate in a cold, damp single garage at the end of the garden. My early skills, on the other hand, came from my father, who was a cabinetmaker and later a carpenter too, so my…
Paolo Pisani takes a look at this wonderful natural wood surface property, which involves a shift in colour depending on lighting or observation direction
...After
Before and...
My workshop used to be a stable block and I thought that trying to insulate the whole area effectively would be an impossible task. So I just insulated and heated one of the 11ft square loose boxes and tried to work on smaller projects in the winter. This year I had some larger commissions and needed to work through the cold weather. I then had a little accident. I was planing the edge square on some…
When it came to sourcing timber for a new project, rather than paying a visit to his local timber merchant, Gareth Jones turned to the offcuts pile, using various bits to make a range of tool racks
Peter Vivian finally gets around to a weekend project that’s been on his to-do list for 12 years – making a new Mission-style case for an Amberley clock, which features a lovely eight-day Smiths Westminster chime movement
Make time for organisation
While I was working, there was never enough time to set up or maintain a workshop. Since leaving the rat race, however, I’ve finally been able to convert my garage into a proper workshop which has been a source of enormous satisfaction. Apart from the luxury of being able to manoeuvre easily and find everything when I need it, I’ve realised that organisation + self-discipline = efficiency. It’s…
If you’re looking to make an outdoor project that’s not only straightforward but uses readily available timber, Geoff Ryan’s handy outdoor table, which can be tailored to meet individual requirements, is sure to fit the bill
