Workbench for a museum

1/15/06, 11:18 PM #1

Jack Guzman from Maine
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Workbench for a museum

Jack Guzman from Maine

>One of my clients that I do renovations for is also the director of the local museum.It is a museum village with alot of buildings containing artifacts from the 1800s.One of these is a long building called the carpentry shop.In it are old woodworking machinery ,hand tools and related items.Every year craftsmen come to the museum to do demonstrations.This summer an instructor from the Windsor chair institute showed chairmaking,a tool restorer showed some of his tools, I got talked into doing a couple hand cut dovetail demos and will be doing other stuff this year.There were also other events that I can't remember right now.

The problem is that all this has to be done on makeshift tables.A piece of wood over an antique piece of machinery was used for one.I did my demos in another building that had a decent bench in it but I had to move a whole display of stuff to use it.That building is too small and cluttered to be good for working displays.So,the director asked me to build a bench for use in the carpentry shop building.It has to be versatile so it can accomodate a wide variety of uses.

I decided before I started planning that I would see what kind of ideas I can get from the broad wisdom of this forum.

I won't start building until spring so I have time to plan.

So,anyone with any ideas,please share them. The only thing I have come up with so far is to make it comfortable for a relatively tall person and build a movable platform for shorter workers.

Thanks---Jack

- - -

I am a carpenter by trade.Also a handyman/Jack -of-all-trades.I work around my neighborhood mostly helping people keep up their old houses.I have a fairly large woodworking shop in my house where I work with both hand and power tools. At the moment I'm focusing on Windsor chairs building.I will build most anything if needed. I'm always learning,adapting,changing trying to broaden my woodworking skills.I work mostly with hand tools in my shop but will use power if it is a better way to get the desired result. My wife,Donna,and I live in the woods of Maine with our dogs,cats,and birds. We have 5 grown kids and six grandchildren. Woodcentral has been central to my growth as a woodworker. I pass through this place every day.

Re: Workbench for a museum

1/16/06, 9:48 AM #2

paul womack
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Re: Workbench for a museum

paul womack

>Hmm. Off the top of my head, I'd suggest a 3" thick softwood, laminated top, a "normal" q/r vise, lotsa' 3/4 hols for holdfasts (or gadgets from LV), a coach-bolted-to-the-leg planing stop, and using big (e.g. 8") stretchers with wedged tusk-tenons to give a rack-resistant but collapsible base for storage.

BugBear

Re: Workbench for a museum

1/16/06, 11:52 AM #3

Jack Guzman from Maine
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Re: Workbench for a museum

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Good ideas.I think the bench will be a permanent fixture so it won't need to be stored but making it possible to break it down may be appreciated sometime in the future.---Jack

- - -

I am a carpenter by trade.Also a handyman/Jack -of-all-trades.I work around my neighborhood mostly helping people keep up their old houses.I have a fairly large woodworking shop in my house where I work with both hand and power tools. At the moment I'm focusing on Windsor chairs building.I will build most anything if needed. I'm always learning,adapting,changing trying to broaden my woodworking skills.I work mostly with hand tools in my shop but will use power if it is a better way to get the desired result. My wife,Donna,and I live in the woods of Maine with our dogs,cats,and birds. We have 5 grown kids and six grandchildren. Woodcentral has been central to my growth as a woodworker. I pass through this place every day.

Re: Workbench for a museum

1/16/06, 3:38 PM #4

Pete Ducklow
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Re: Workbench for a museum *LINK*

Pete Ducklow

>Since the bench is for a museum with artifacts from the 1800s, why don't you build a traditional Shaker style workbench. Then it could be considered part of the exhibit as well as functional.

http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot274.shtml

Re: Workbench for a museum

1/16/06, 3:56 PM #5

paul womack
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Re: Workbench for a museum

paul womack

>.I think the bench will be a permanent fixture so it won't need to be stored

Wow! Most museums have more stock than space, so space is normally at a heacy premium.

BugBear

Re: Workbench for a museum

1/16/06, 10:23 PM #6

Jack Guzman from Maine
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Re: Workbench for a museum

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I like that design.I may use elements from it.This has to be useable for different functions.---Jack

- - -

I am a carpenter by trade.Also a handyman/Jack -of-all-trades.I work around my neighborhood mostly helping people keep up their old houses.I have a fairly large woodworking shop in my house where I work with both hand and power tools. At the moment I'm focusing on Windsor chairs building.I will build most anything if needed. I'm always learning,adapting,changing trying to broaden my woodworking skills.I work mostly with hand tools in my shop but will use power if it is a better way to get the desired result. My wife,Donna,and I live in the woods of Maine with our dogs,cats,and birds. We have 5 grown kids and six grandchildren. Woodcentral has been central to my growth as a woodworker. I pass through this place every day.

Re: Workbench for a museum

1/16/06, 10:31 PM #7

Jack Guzman from Maine
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Re: Workbench for a museum

Jack Guzman from Maine

>This museum "Willowbrook Village Museum" is a large piece of property.It contains around 30 buildings.Some quite large in area.The carpentry shop building is long.Probably close to 100 feet with a central walkway and display space on both sides.---Jack

- - -

I am a carpenter by trade.Also a handyman/Jack -of-all-trades.I work around my neighborhood mostly helping people keep up their old houses.I have a fairly large woodworking shop in my house where I work with both hand and power tools. At the moment I'm focusing on Windsor chairs building.I will build most anything if needed. I'm always learning,adapting,changing trying to broaden my woodworking skills.I work mostly with hand tools in my shop but will use power if it is a better way to get the desired result. My wife,Donna,and I live in the woods of Maine with our dogs,cats,and birds. We have 5 grown kids and six grandchildren. Woodcentral has been central to my growth as a woodworker. I pass through this place every day.

Re: Workbench for a museum

1/17/06, 5:11 PM #8

George Makowski
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Re: Workbench for a museum

George Makowski

>Jack, It sounds as if you might be looking for a design to match a late XIX-early XX c. setting. If so, I recommend taking a look at the Ten-Speed Press reprints of woodworking manuals from that period edited by Hasluck and by Jones. They show a variety of benches and clamping systems based on the professional practice of the day. One of the benches (a portable bench) is adapted and shown with construction details in one of Roy Underhill's books.

Some of the literature on woodworking Sloyd also has bench designs, specifically for children 10 and up. These might be a nice touch if you have any hands-on sessions for children and would be accurate to the period.

I have three of the Ten-Speed Press books and will mail you photocpoies of the pertinent sections if you like. Please ping me off line if that would help.

George in AL

Re: Workbench for a museum

1/17/06, 7:28 PM #9

ThomD
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Re: Workbench for a museum

ThomD

>From what you are saying it sounds as though the bench should be authentic and versatile. What about the benches they use at Williamsburg? They seem to be big tops with double screw face vise, and tail vises. Pretty simple to make, and while the bases don't seem to be knockdown. one could probably come up with either a hardware or wedged system that would allow disassembly. A proper top is heavy, so portability will be difficult.

Any cabinet shop should have a proper bench. Double screw vises are pretty versatile and would handle both dovetails and chairs nicely.

Re: Workbench for a museum

1/17/06, 9:40 PM #10

Jack Guzman from Maine
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Re: Workbench for a museum

Jack Guzman from Maine

>I'll look into those benches. I have never seen them. Portability and knockdown are not necessary,just something I'll incorporate if it can be done with the design I come up with.---Jack

- - -

I am a carpenter by trade.Also a handyman/Jack -of-all-trades.I work around my neighborhood mostly helping people keep up their old houses.I have a fairly large woodworking shop in my house where I work with both hand and power tools. At the moment I'm focusing on Windsor chairs building.I will build most anything if needed. I'm always learning,adapting,changing trying to broaden my woodworking skills.I work mostly with hand tools in my shop but will use power if it is a better way to get the desired result. My wife,Donna,and I live in the woods of Maine with our dogs,cats,and birds. We have 5 grown kids and six grandchildren. Woodcentral has been central to my growth as a woodworker. I pass through this place every day.

Workbench for a museum

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