We’re headed for the home stretch in our bench making class. Everyone has their trestles glued up and are finishing up fitting the stretchers to them. Once the stretchers fit, we mortise them for a wedge, then cut and fit our wedges. Finally we can attach the top and vise. I love how this through wedge mortise pulls everything together so solidly. It’s completely knock down but it’s a joint not a bolt holding your bench together. It just feels right to do things this way.
The scope of this bench project is deceiving. This is the sort of project we’ve all run into. It looks pretty simple and straightforward. Should have it done, you say to yourself, in just a few days. Then you get into it and it opens up into a new world of big joints and heavy timbers, hard wood and dull tools. It’s a bunch of work, but the satisfaction will comes from completing a job this large. And having a bench that will last your lifetime and beyond.
Shavings 