Getting a grip.

Getting a Grip.

Well, I've got the space, and I've a got a workmate - that's enough to get my started. I think I actually picked up the workmate at some end-of-line sale for about £15. So really my set up costs have been minimal so far. I am now faced with the question of what to do with my freedom? I can build anything I like - so I scoured the internet for inspiration. It seems like traditionally the first project an apprentice might be asked to build would be a mallet, though being that tools are pretty cheap these days, many modern woodworkers are building small pieces of furniture out of a stable sheet material like plywood.

Ultimately, no matter what I decided I would build first, step one was always:

secure your work piece. 

 Now sure, I have the workmate, which does have a couple of screws running through it - I even have a simple pattern vise. I can hold any work piece that will fit between the jaws or dogs of these, though realistically, the workmate wobbles around too much. The simple solution would be to get a proper workbench. 

Getting a workbench represents a significant problem for me - having a quick scout around, commercial benches seem to fall in one of three categories. I've grabbed a page out of Google shopping search to illustrate my point, other benches are available.

Other workbenches are available.

So in order top to bottom. First, we have a nice bench, looking into it properly it might be a little small for me (as 95% of benches will be, makes no sense commercially to mass produce a bench for 6'5" giants.) but nothing a couple of blocks can't sort. It has a couple of vices, storage - lovely. £350 this will cost, before shipping it out to me.

Second we have this blue aluminium hunk of junk. "low cost solution" it brags! The cheek! £131 for a couple of bits of mdf and some thin steel rods. I've built these for work before, and they suck. "Disposable" is what I would call them. Especially at that price point!

Finally - we have a "real" bench, but I'm balking at the £350 price tag on the first bench, let's not even get me started on a £1400 bench - cripes! Obviously I can't just buy a bench. It's ludicrous money - I mean, the bench would probably cost me more than the rent on the garage in a year! It's clear I'm going to have to build one.

Let's look into that...

Secure your work piece.

 - Elabs, James.