I completed construction of a traditional sawbench this weekend based on a plan from Chris Schwarz in the new “Popular Woodworking Hand Tool Essentials” book. I made the bench out of scrap construction grade 2×10 material with plywood braces. I drilled a hole in the top for my Gramercy Tools holdfast. It was a quick and easy project (except for cutting my thumb on my flush-cup handsaw while cutting the hardwood pegs…just because the saw is a hand tool does not mean that it is not really sharp!)
I like the design and utility of the bench. Its primary feature is that it is 20″ high, a very good height for using traditional western saws. Not too high, not too short. The “V” in one end of the top allows a thin workpiece to be supported on both side of a cut.
I will be using this bench to experiment with a couple of old Disston saws that I recently purchased on eBay. Eventually, I want to learn to sharpen hand saws, but that is a project for later.
Like this:
Like Loading...
About mattsanf
Matt Sanfilippo is the Chief Partnership Officer (CPO) for the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Co-Director of its Engineering Research Accelerator. In this role, Matt coordinates and enables strategic and sponsored research opportunities across the college, and stewards the development of proposals for major research opportunities along strategic themes. Additionally, he enables collaboration among the college's research institute/center executive directors, and industrial and government relations personnel in the pursuit of opportunities with industry, federal and state governments. Before becoming CPO for the College, Matt was the Senior Executive Director for Research Initiatives, the Executive Director of CMU's SII (Smart Infrastructure Institute) and ICES (Institute for Complex Engineered Systems), and Associate Director of PITA (Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance) and RAMP (Research for Advanced Manufacturing in Pennsylvania).
Before CMU, Matt was Managing Director of Applied Technology for Michael Baker Corporation, an engineering and energy services firm. Matt managed Baker's technology division including Geographic Information System (GIS), software and web development, multimedia, virtual reality, visualization, Global Positioning System (GPS), mapping and surveying services. Before joining Baker, Matt was an Innovation Director for Redleaf Group, a Venture Capital/Operating Company focused on information security, supply chain and mobility solutions. While at Redleaf, Matt managed technical due diligence for seed-stage investments and coordinated relationships between Redleaf and their partner companies. Prior to Redleaf, Matt was CIO of GZA GeoEnvironmental Technologies, an infrastructure engineering firm, and operations manager for their Internet start-up that focused on web-technologies for health and safety and manufacturing metrics.
Matt is on the board of Larson Design Group (LDG), past Chairman of the Board for the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, current board member of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation (PHLF), current Vice President of the Sewickley Heights Gun Club (SHGC) and former member of the Information Sciences and Technology Advisory Board for the Pennsylvania State University Beaver. Matt is also former Vice President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association of Internet Professionals and former Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Baker Combined Charity of Pennsylvania.
A Learning Adventure in the Workshop 
Hi Matt,
Have you had a chance to use this? What do you think now that it has been in the shop for a while? And do you think one is enough?
Cheers!
Hi Karl,
I have used it and I like it a lot. It is a strong design and can take a beating.
I think that one is enough. I use a different design (folding) for saw-horses to save space, and reserve this for cutting, etc.
Matt
Thanks. I’d been planning to build one of these in the near future.
BTW: I’m back to blogging after an extended absence. Thanks for having me listed in your interesting sites!
Thanks Matt. I’m planning to build one of these in the near future.
BTW: I’m back to blogging after an extended break (mostly because the shop was in such bad shape). Thanks for having my on your list of interesting sites!