What do you have for a workbench?

[WHX?? 48,828]

Don't exactly want to be throwing greasy old motors on that one Cas! What's with the keg or old wine barrel in a couple of those pics!?!?

Seriously we have a wood working bench similar to that I use as a kitchen island & cabinets at the cabin.  We use the vise for holding the french fry cutter! Have to get some pics.

 

[bottjernat1 2,190]

On 8/12/2018 at 9:01 AM, Shynon said:

Wonder what it looks like today

Hello dr. shynon! I would feel like im going for a check up! Nice work bench!

[formariz 11,987]

1 hour ago, WHX22 said:

Don't exactly want to be throwing greasy old motors on that one Cas! What's with the keg or old wine barrel in a couple of those pics!?!?

Seriously we have a wood working bench similar to that I use as a kitchen island & cabinets at the cabin.  We use the vise for holding the french fry cutter! Have to get some pics.

 

I actually worked on motors on top of it at one time. Just had to be protected but that operation and anything mechanical has moved into another separate shop all by itself.

 

The keg and barrels are from my wine making. I also run a still in there occasionally. Not on those photos but I also make barrels. Many family members were coopers so I was fortunate to also learn that trade.I just do it for my own use and not very often.

 

This is not the first bench I made here.When I first moved here 38 years ago, I made a Scandinavian style bench that I used for the longest time until I sort of outgrew it. For a time as this one was being built over a period of time the two were used  since my oldest son since he was about 8 also worked here along with me. This one was built about 19 years ago with improvement constantly being made even up to now. Ill post photos of that but I have to scan them since that was before the digital era.

 

Many people use these old benches for as furniture. They actually go for a substantial amount of money. It is good to see them being put to good use rather than being scrapped. I am sure they were as important to their original users as mine is to me.

[formariz 11,987]

6 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

A work of art....

Thank you . Just another tool, although a very important one.

4 hours ago, wallfish said:

Very nice! Well thought out. Love the wood gutter tool holder idea to go with it too.

Thanks John. Yes I also love the gutter. A neighbor had them removed from the house because he called some roofer to repair them and the guy had no idea what to do and wound up selling him new aluminum gutters. When I saw it they were already down, I couldn't believe it. So I asked if I could have them and brought them home happy a a pig in the stuff as the roofer is looking at me like I was some kind of an idiot (which many times I am). One was dedicated immediately for the bench and I still have more here. I am a big recycler  so that goes right up with it.

[wallfish 17,011]

I've been known to boil some mash too. Just did it in very small batches at a time but I'd be interested to know what you're using for a still. I'd like to build a reflux still. Plenty of instructions out there on the net.

 Just so we're not getting too far off topic, it will sit on my workbench when it's operating.

[formariz 11,987]

1 hour ago, wallfish said:

I'd be interested to know what you're using for a still

Just put your seat belt on.Its coming soon. Just got to make sure feds are not looking. And yes it does go on the bench.

[formariz 11,987]

@wallfishSo here is the other attachment for the bench.

First one is a regular pot still made for me by a friend. I use that one mostly for distilling Grappa since it is mostly solids. Easier to load and empty with the large mouth (just like me). Its about 20 gallons.

The reflux still is made to fit in a standard keg's opening. I have a couple of these. Real simple design and easy to operate. Produces real high proof alcohol. Sometimes I use it also to double distill grappa that is going to be used to make Port wine so it loses a bit of the strong character and taste it has.Tower is entirely filled with stainless or copper wool.Copper is better but harder to get. I discard it once I am not going to use it right away for cleanness.

I used to have a really large one made from an industrial stainless pasteurizer with built in water jacket and integrated burner. I got rid of it because it was just too large (50Gallons) and not easy to store (hide).

 

[wallfish 17,011]

3 minutes ago, formariz said:

Tower is entirely filled with stainless or copper wool.Copper is better but harder to get. I discard it once I am not going to use it right away for cleanness.

NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember reading you can use marbles for the reflux tube. That way you can clean them. It's been a while since since playing around with that stuff but always enjoyed it.

[formariz 11,987]

1 minute ago, wallfish said:

NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember reading you can use marbles for the reflux tube. That way you can clean them. It's been a while since since playing around with that stuff but always enjoyed it.

I used the marbles but inevitably I always dropped them and they are not a good thing to step on. Copper wool ads a totally different character to the spirits.

 

[wallfish 17,011]

9 minutes ago, formariz said:

Copper wool ads a totally different character to the spirits.

bring some this year

[WHX?? 48,828]

Guess I shouldn't opened the can of worms about the keg! 

Note the tool trough and the vice just to my left.

See if I can get some clear pics of the bench Cas maybe you can tell  me more about it.

Sure does make a nice kitchen centerpiece! 

Edited April 2, 2019 by WHX22

[formariz 11,987]

49 minutes ago, wallfish said:

bring some this year 

Sure thing.

[formariz 11,987]

40 minutes ago, WHX22 said:

Guess I shouldn't opened the can of worms about the keg! 

Note the tool trough and the vice just to my left.

See if I can get some clear pics of the bench Cas maybe you can tell  me more about it.

Sure does make a nice kitchen centerpiece! 

If one starts to look very close all kinds of canned worms show up.

I already think I know what you have there just by what I see in the photo. I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised. You probably have no idea what you have there. It looks like an Emmert. Now you sparked my curiosity.

Does it look like this on the front?

Edited April 3, 2019 by formariz

[WHX?? 48,828]

Here they come Cas

[WHX?? 48,828]

Maybe too nice for what we are using it for?

[formariz 11,987]

Awesome bench. Its not an Emmert but it is a YOST, the equivalent of the Emmert Pattern makers vise. Its even rarer than the Emmert. That is a $1000.00 vise in case you are not aware of it. You seem to be missing the tilt bracket on it which is common. Are you aware of everything that vise does? You also have a relatively rare bench stop in it.

[WHX?? 48,828]

No I was not aware of that Cas thanks for the info. So you are telling me to quit clamping the French Fri cutter in it?  This was left to us by our dad but we are nowhere near the woodsmith of your grade or his so though it would be good to be used as is which it is very nice.

 My sister had aquariums on it and I chewed her @$$ severly for that.

We figured the bench stop was for cleaning fish up against?!?!  Kidding... building inspector told us since it was an island we had to put an outlet in it ......told him to pack sand. 

[formariz 11,987]

Well your Dad definitely had to know his stuff. That vise is not something you come across every day. It was designed for use by pattern makers. It rotates 360 degrees as you probably know. It has a metal working set of jaws on the other side and it swings over completely to be top of bench. Front jaw also tilts to hold an irregular shaped object. It weighs about 120Lbs. It is rarer than the Emmert because not as many were made. Real nice. Pretty valuable vise.

Edited April 3, 2019 by formariz

[WHX?? 48,828]

Sister said it was given to Dad by an older gent when Dad was 18 care to age it then? He died about 11 years ago and was 62. 

Nobody else we talk to knows nothing about it but sounds like you are on your game about them .All i know is I bust a nut moving it around!. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by WHX22

[formariz 11,987]

@WHX22Yost vises are still made today but they have nothing to do with what you have there except for the name. They are very hard to date precisely since they are not as well documented as the Emmerts and had a short run. Patent for that vise was granted sometime in 1908 to Gilmore Yost. He was an employee of Emmert.Curiously enough the patent had been applied one year prior to that which was exactly one year after Joseph F Emmert died (respect). That was the event that started that company.  Gilmore Yost's name is also present in some of Emmerts' patents. The vises have some real similarities. Gilmore passed away in 1919 . It is not clear up to when those vises were manufactured but I would not put it much past 1920 since in 1919 the year he died he was granted patents while then working already for the Columbia Hardware Company in Cleveland so his company no longer existed.

 

I  have collected and used Emmert vises for over 25 years now . There is a site called The Iron Hand about Emmert vises. It is owned by my friend Carl Matthews. Many of the vises shown on that site are owned by me.

 

[WHX?? 48,828]

Nice slice of history there...

[Bill D 1,926]

 Got some new benches.  All 1/4 inch steel.  Weigh about 400 pounds each.  I got these awhile ago but haven't had a chance to upload pics until now.  Bill

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

This is my second workbench my oldest son and I built together a couple months ago. It is built just like the first one, only shorter so I could mount my bench top drill press at a comfortable height to use.

[Stormin 9,981]

 Well not as nice and tidy as you lads, but it does me.

 

9" hollow concrete blocks. Built up in three tiers. Four 3" x 6" x 12ft spars topped with two stainless steel sheets.

 

All materials came from where I used to work. Demolished wall. Very large machinery packing case and the stainless was part of a wrong order.

 

 

Below an ex hospital bed. Again free. Rescued before it was consigned to a scrap skip.

 

Really handy multi use. Lift, welding table. Also for working on engines etc and all sorts of other things.

 

 

 

[Oldskool 6,644]

I always had a crappy bench so I built this a few years ago. 8'-6" long 3ft deep top is 1/4 plate an 8ft truck tool box under it. The vise is mounted on a plate that slides into a 2" trailer hitch and behind on the wall is a piece of 16ga so sparks would catch the wall on fire. The metal top is great for tacking stuff to when welding.