Project course - Moravian-Style Workbench
The most critical component of a wood shop isn’t a fancy saw or a giant drill press — it’s your workbench. Everything you do in your shop needs to be done somewhere. And while there are as many opinions on workbenches as there are woodworkers, the Moravian-style workbench is a solid choice for anyone of any skill range. This workbench sports a compact design, all the features you’re likely to need, and can even break down in minutes for storage and transport — all while being something you’ve built and can be proud of.
Naturally, Mr. Sawdust is going to put his own spin on this. Would you expect anything else?
In this course, you’ll be flexing your skills with both hand tools and power tools to create a bench that will be a workhorse for decades. The fun part? You get to decide whether you want to build it with the classic, Moravian-style knockdown base for a classic aesthetic and added portability, or you can build it to be put atop a Noden Adjust-A-Bench base, which will allow you to modify the height of the table according to your needs, while still enabling you to knock down the workbench if you need to.
Unlike a typical Moravian bench, there is no face vise, which compromises your ability to freely move around the table — if you were enrolled in the Moxon vise class, you will have the option to incorporate that vise to keep the vise flush to the sides of the bench. (If you missed that class, don’t worry — we will be running that class again soon.) This build also includes a Hovarter wagon vise, and the option of a 5’, 6’, or 7’ bench top. This project will be constructed out of hard maple.
Given the size and weight of the finished product, please make sure you have the means to bring it to your shop with you at the conclusion of the course. When the course is over, you will not only have a workbench upon which you can make your next masterpiece, but the knowledge required to build this critical piece of your kit.
This course will run on Saturday mornings, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, starting on July 13th, 2024, and will run for 18 weeks. Given the length of this course, and the fact that it is running over the summer, it will be okay if you have to miss a class or two — we can make them up without an issue. This later start date will also allow you time to complete your mandatory beginner courses — you can enroll in those courses here.
Please note: The multiple options involved in making this table your own would make it difficult or impossible to book the course online. As such, we will be hosting a group meetup on Saturday, May 4th at 9:00 AM for interested parties to discuss the options. If you want to attend with no cost or obligation to enroll in the course, please reach out to Wally directly. Alternately, if you can’t make this meetup, please reach out to discuss what options you want to use in your build. You can call him at (908) 619-2555, or email him at mrsawdustschool@gmail.com. However, we anticipate most configurations of this workbench will fall between $2,800 and $3,300 for wood, hardware, and instruction.
This course is subject to the Booking, Attendance, and Cancellations policy.