At the International Woodworking Fair Gary Blum, a planemaker, introduced a new design of workbench. Well, its not really fair to call it new. Blum has updated the bench with Baltic Birch plywood and bronze bushings.
The bench looks like the English-style workbench immortalized in Peter Nicholsons Mechanics Companion of the 19th century. It’s basically a torsionbox on top of some stiff leg.
The top of Blums ingenious bench is also a torsion box made from 3/10 cm Baltic birch plywood throughout , the front apron is actually a sandwich of two layers of Baltic birch. The bench can be removed from the top of the torsionbox by using a set red-oak legs, stretchers and bolts. The legs are angled out to give the bench a firm stance.
Weighing in at about 109 kg, the bench is 61 cm deep and 6 long, though Gary says he will make the bench 7 or 8 long upon request. The user also can specify the height of the bench.
Blum used Jorgensen pipe clamps to create the bench’s face and end vises. This is the most innovative aspect of the bench.
Blum constructed a twin-screw vise in the face-vise position by attaching two pipe clamps to bronze bushings at 46 cm centers. The clamps press against the benchtop’s front edge a large, removable wooden chop. You might be wondering if pipe clamps have enough throw to be useful as a woodworking vise. They don’t. Pipe clamps can be used to clamp very thick material.
Blum used a similar clamping system to clamp the bench’s end, but he also included a dog system to the end vise. This allows you to clamp panels onto your benchtop and allow for dogs between them.
The base model of the bench will cost about Longer versions will cost more.
I got to work with the bench for about 15 minutes today and was very impressed. The bench is solid and the torsion boxes will keep the top flat and rigid (except if you put it outside in the rain).
Blum is the perfect choice for woodworkers who are looking for an English-style solid bench. Its a heck of a deal at that price.
