Without a doubt, this is one of the most rewarding things I've ever made - and appreciate it every time it gets used. I enjoy building shop furniture and using it as a chance to try new things. It serves as a constant reminder you are capable while also reminding you what could have been done better.
I have made a few work benches through the years but always wanted a true, overly elaborate, intricate two-toned workbench I could beat the crap out of. I decided to do it with the support of a loving wife (lumber alone was well over the cost of a sturdy steal bench with wooden top from any number of dealers).
I was excited to start with complete rough lumber and learned a lot about planning, managing waste, and what is involved with hardwood.
After working through it with the beginner tools I had on hand, and then going back to pine and aspen for a few projects, I realized hardwood is actually really hard - duh. Burning, dull blades, and splitting are to be expected but to learn something, you need to actually work through it.
It took about a year as a side project and the project continued to justify itself - making a bench without a bench is a pain. It involved moving saw horses around, make-shift holdings, and caused my truck to sit outside for many stormy nights.
A work bench is like a mallet - seen as a right of passage for wood workers and opportunity to test new ideas. All of my shop furniture is an opportunity. Woodworking is and was a hobby so I don't mind dedicating 99% of my time to it.
The single most important accessory is a hearty vice. I was amazed at how badly I wanted a vice while building the bench and can attest that any flat surface will do, but a clamping surface is invaluable.
Planning
Going in I knew I wanted a few things - deadman slide, leg vice, end vice, dog holes, two tone lumber. As time progressed I used it to try metal/epoxy inlays and massive sliding dovetails. From the extensive research I did before and during - I wanted it as long as possible but wide enough I could reach the other side. I also wanted a split top with an insert that could act as a stop or be flat (this required some planning). Importantly, it had to be solid and heavy.
I researched lumber and spent my free time reading about the nuances involved. I found what I thought I'd like and made it up as I went. I choose Beach because it is stable without sap and Sapele becuase it was available, stable, and has enough character to stand out.
As I do with most projects, I made things up as I went. The legs have their shape because I decided not to strip extra material from the middle board - why not have the only non-tenon be wider for more support? The bottom is two toned because I didn't have enough of a single color.
I also had a list of refining touches I had built from research
Leather on one side of each vice
Leather on hold fasts
Putting these on as the last step was very rewarding.
New things to try
Complete project from rough lumber (nothing dimensional)
HUGE dovetails (too large for hand tools but targeting similar accuracy)
HUGE through tenons
Sliding dovetails
Sliding deadman with a custom key to remove
Inlayed wood / metal / epoxy
Get more acquainted with hand tools and what trade offs exists
Lessons learned
Planning fails sometimes. For the mobile wheels, I simply didn't think about having them sit perpendicular to the length until it was almost done. Then, I imagined myself tripping on them and didn't like the look. This involved me getting squirrly with a hand router and chisel because the wheel braces were too wide for the legs and screws would split the wood. Extra time was spent carving into my new bench but I like the way they sit much better now.
