GG’s

Let me know if you can use this link to see the last three photos which I just
added to an existing album:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/146046409@N.../albums/72157709882113236

Scroll to the last three photos.

I bought the antique workbench and a Richards-Wilcox quick-acting woodworker’s
vise at an Industrial Auction.  ( Just the Richards-Wilcox vise, not that huge
bench to which it was mounted!!! )

The bench has a wooden screw on each of the front and end vises. They move
smoothly.

In an attack of “Auction Fever,” I paid too much for the bench. There was a
three-way last-minute bidding war; when I placed my last bid, I was fairly
certain that I would not get the bench, but I did.

The bench has a generous coating of water-based contact cement overspray on the
legs and the sides of the top. This peels off fairly easily but will require
some hours.  It’s “rubbery,” for lack of a better term.

It’s also too low for me by about 4”.  I intend to put trestle feet between the
front & back legs.

What say, fellow Galoots?

John Ruth







Sent from my iPhone

I was able to see the photos, that's a lovely bench. It's good to see
it saved from an ignominious utilitarian fate.

	Gary Katsanis
Albion New York, USA

	-----------------------------------------From: "John Ruth" 
To: "oldtools@s..."
Cc: 
Sent: Monday June 1 2020 10:03:04PM
Subject: [OldTools] Newly-Acquired Joiner’s Bench

GG’s

 Let me know if you can use this link to see the last three photos
which I just added to an existing album:

 To read the FAQ:

 OldTools@s...

Yes it came through.  Looks like a fine bench and will clean up nicely

Ed Minch

On June 2, 2020, at 6:43 AM, gtgrouch@r... wrote:

> ...saved from an ignominious utilitarian fate. 

Gary Katsanis Albion New York, USA 

Gary,

That is such a nice turn of phrase.  I may ask Wifey to make a needlepoint with
it to hang over my assemblage of secondary, tertiary and otherwise extra Galoot-
Tools.  :)

Tim
Trying to convince Wifey that it is OK for me to social distance from the Honey-
Do list.

GG’s

The bench was previously in a modern 6,000 sq. ft. custom cabinetmaking shop
whose owner was retiring.  The bench had belonged to his maternal grandfather.

The long narrow dovetails in the tail vise are what “did it” for me.  That, and
the two original dogs and the beautiful wooden vise screws.

It seems to have a history of respectful modifications. The bottom shelf is T&G
bead board with white paint on one side, but not on the cut ends.  The sides
also look like they were added after the base was built.

The top surface needs almost no attention, as it was always kept covered.

( The previous owner suggested that the water-base contact cement would come off
easily with Lacquer Thinner. Has anyone got any experience with this technique?
)

The very bottoms of the legs look like the bench once spent quite a bit of time
on a dirt floor; they have that “slightly decayed and then shortened” look.
Later, the legs were extended with a sandwich of particle board squares held to
the end grain by long drywall-style screws. ( And, it’s still too low for me! )

Upon examining the bench, a friend remarked that the right front leg is slightly
tapered, being 1/4 wider in both dimensions at the bottom.

There are the broken remnants of wood-on-wood slides for a full-width drawer,
the drawer being MIA.  ( Note to Galoots everywhere: drawers which might get
inadvertently filled with heavy tools are best made narrow, and in any width
they must be strong! )

Just a couple of months ago, i removed a 12” oak tree from my yard with the help
of friends.  Had I cut the pieces longer, I might have been able to get 4” stock
out of them that could have become trestle feet.

John Ruth

John wrote at the bottom of this post.
And then I wrote, ain’t hind sight grand?
 Best, Spike

Sent from the seat of my pants