The case for oiled workbenches
· 3 min read
Good furniture should last longer than the person who made it. I altered my mind about workbenches twice while writing this.
First steps
The quarter-sawn part is seldom the hard part; consistency is. Hand tools are slower, quieter and strangely calming. The joint fit on the third attempt, which is about average. Most of the work happens before any cutting starts. I wrote most of this on a quiet Tuesday morning.
It took me five attempts to see the pattern. What surprised me most was how little equipment it needed. If something here is unclear, that is on me, not you. The workbench is the first project and never the last. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about joinery.
Small things
There is a version of this that is much more complicated. This is not that version. I like hand planes that shows the marks of how it was made. Below are a few jottings, roughly in the order I worked out them.
I altered my mind about shavings twice while writing this. I keep coming back to chairs, chiefly because it rewards patience. I design on paper first, then let the wood change my mind. The first three weeks were chiefly about unlearning.
The first twelve weeks were chiefly about unlearning. The trick, if there is one, is to leave enough room for mistakes. Here is what altered, and what stayed exactly the same. If you only take one thing from this, make it the part about walnut. In November the light changes, and so does the work.
- Do less designing a chair, more cutting dovetails
- Give planing boards a full spring
- Revisit shavings after a week
Where it started
Little, repeatable steps beat big plans almost every time. I wrote most of this on a quiet Thursday morning. A sharp chisel is safer than a dull one, and much more pleasant. I like shavings that shows the marks of how it was made.
Between finishing and designing a chair, the second one taught me more. It took me four attempts to see the pattern. Some of this will be self-evident; some of it took me years.
- Revisit chairs after a week
- Stop before you are tired
- Give planing boards a full summer
- Ask someone at the sawmill
What changed
Looking back, the simple approach was the right call. Nothing here requires a block plane, though it does make things easier. There is no single right way to approach cutting dovetails, but some ways are kinder than others.
Oil finishes are forgiving, easy to repair and age beautifully. None of this is new, and that is partly why it works. I like walnut that shows the marks of how it was made. I wrote most of this on a quiet Monday morning. I would rather do one thing carefully than five things quickly.
I am still not sure I have it right, but it is closer. The best advice I got was simply to slow down. Somewhere between the timber yard and home, the notion finally made sense.
hand planes