In 1816, the second edition of Manuel du Tourneur by L.E. Bergeron (1737-1805) was published (A Manual for Turner’s) [1,2]. In it Bergeron describes a workbench: “our préparer les bois, la pièce essentielle , dans un laboratoire, est, sans contredit, l’établi de menuisier à l’allemande.“, or German joiner/carpenter’s bench.
He describes a bench which has a second presse or vise – a box A which is attached to the bench by means of a rail. The screw B, moves the box back and forward. There is a bench stop at D. The space E is used to hold a piece vertically. Bergeron suggests cabinetmakers use the end vise to saw joints such as tenons, and press small parts after gluing. The second vise is the parallel press, F, for gripping long and wide pieces. The movable “foot”, G, supports long parts held by the leg-vise.
This bench is interesting because of the off-set right-rear leg, an artifact of the end-vice not commonly seen in benches. It required a curved end-rail, which makes the bench quite aesthetically pleasing.
Hard to know what to add this year, it has been an interesting year, but one where most companies tried to keep up with restocking rather than develop new tools and gadgets. I guess we learned about the “elephant in the room” when in comes to global supply chains. Anyways, what’s for Christmas this year?
If you like trees (and let’s face it who doesn’t) then a great read is The Trees that Made Britain, by Archie Miles. It’s an exploration of the species that influenced the culture, myths and fabric of the nation.
Interested in *really* old tools? Then try one of the replica tools or books from Daegrad Tools in Sheffield England. They manufacture tools from the Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, and Medieval periods for use in living history,
Do lot’s of wood shaping? What about a hand stitched cabinet maker’s rasp from B&B Artigiana, Italy. (C$79.99).
Veritas Replica Recessed Bench Stop – Made by Veritas, this is a new replica inspired by Millers Falls #56 Bench Hook, but made better. (C$69)
I use pencils a lot, particularly for any type of woodworking… and where there are pencils there are sharpeners. I love the brass sharpeners by German companies Möbius and DUX.
Take a simple side-clamping honing guide, and evolve it, and what do you get? The Veritas Side-Clamping Honing Guide is everything one would expect from Veritas. (C$49.50)
It is rare to find a book written about modern makers. Saws, Planes, and Scorps by David Heim provides an insight into woodworking toolmakers from across the globe. (C$27.50)
Sometimes it is the really small things that make a difference. The tiny Veritas layout block, an L-shaped gauge block has six measurements on it: 1/8″,1/4″, 3/8″ 1/2″,3/4″and 1″. Also available in metric (C$9.95)
Need things to be at a right angle? There are a bunch of good options out there for clamping squares, but a good US made option is the 90° assembly braces (C$44.50).
There is no doubt that the Industrial Revolution changed the way crafts like woodworking were performed. It pushed the construction of tools from local cottage industries, or by craftsmen themselves to large scale tool manufacturers. It is possible that benches were still one of the outliers throughout the early years of the Victorian era. By the late 1800s, tool catalogs had become commonplace, and by the Edwardian era started to include larger items such as tool cabinets and workbenches. The presence of these benches likely homogenized the form of workbenches found in many workshops in Britain.
Richard Melhuish& Sons. Co. No.767
There were also changes in the way certain things were built. For example much of the architectural detailing within houses such as trim, and doors, which once had to be done by hand, were now manufacturer in machinery-driven factories. This reduced the need for benches which were 10-12 feet in length, and like the Nicholson bench, more suited to these particular tasks. If we look at British tool catalogs in the early 1900s, the benches offered have a decidedly European influence. Many of the tool sellers not only sold tools of others, but also manufactured their own tools.
Buck No.697
Buck No.700
Consider the benches above from a 1912 “Catalogue of Tools and Machines for Woodworkers”, by J.Buck, which had been established in London since 1759. They offered a London-made No.697, cabinet makers bench, which ranged in size from 4-7 feet, and 2-3-3/4” in thickness. The benches came with a twin vice, or “instantaneous vice”. They also offered the No.700, an improved cabinetmakers and carpenters bench made from red beech, 4-8 feet in length. The No.701 was the same bench, except with steel screws and slides. A standard 6’ No.697 was 26/-, whereas the same size as a No.700 was 65/-. (65 shillings in 1912, is about £380 in 2021), a No.701 80/-.
Richard Melhuish& Sons. Co. No.764
Richard Melhuish& Sons. Co. No.765
A similar 1905 catalog (No.15) from Richard Melhuish & Sons, Co. (est. 1828), also of London. The No.764 “Pattern Work Bench” was 5-6ft in length , and 20” wide. The base was enclosed for tool storage, and the bench had both an end vice, and a front vice of the new type – the “Instantaneous Vice”, an early form of quick release vice. Their cabinet makers bench, No.765 was made of solid beech and offered in lengths of 4-7 feet. They also offered a special No.767 pattern-work bench. It had metal stops for clamping using the end-vice, and vices with wrought iron square-thread bench screws. It’s claim to fame might have been that it could be deconstructed in 2 minutes.
The “instantaneous” vice(from Melhuish catalog)
The “instantaneous” vice was the same in both catalogs, with only the wording changed. It was made by Entwisle & Kenyon. The Buck catalog described it as the “Lightning” joiners vice, and it came in three sizes: 7½, 9, and 10½”. Buck also sold “Sudden Grip” and “Screw all the Way” vices. There was also an instantaneous vice made by Smith, Marks and Company and sold by Thomas Syer, London.
From the Edwardian period onwards, mass produced benches likely became the norm, largely due to economies of scale, and the addition of new vices. By the 1920s the European style cabinet makers bench had almost become the standard.
working by hand 