Hello everyone.
Sharing some photos of my bench, made it this summer, with local white ash and beech (cut some years ago in the forest nearby)
Along with some tools i made, hammer handles, engraving ball, lead block and chasing tools.
(Later i’ve put a cloth under the bench to recover the filings)
I’ve made a few mistakes maybe you’ll see them 
Have a nice day.
Great looking working area…but…I’d position the rolling mill turned around to right of your bench. The reason is you’ll be getting the handle bashed into your body… non-stop!..;( Just my opinion!
Gerry! On my Teaching iPhone!
Hi and thanks for the advice 
For now the handle itself did not really annoy me, but truth is the whole rolling mill did, it gets in my elbow’s way many times. Since it’s a very cheap one and the rolls already cracked a bit, I plan to buy a new (better) one as soon as I can afford it, this time I won’t put it directly on the bench but on a separate place next to it
Have a nice day!
Pierre.
I like it Pierre. Benches are personal as I have learned over time. Layout and space in particular. My questions would be:
Does it work well for you?
Do the windows create any problems for you?
Is the top thick enough and do you have rebound issues when hammering?
One of the things I enjoy about our work is that it is constant modification. I think it looks great.
Don Meixner
Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Droid
Hi and thanks for your comment
To answer your questions :
-It works great for me, apart from the small gap between the two planks of the top (sometimes small tools fall through, someday i’ll take out the screws and put it back in place the right way)
-The window does create a small problem sometimes, when there’s too many sun i have to close the curtains, but that was the only place I could put it. On the other hand, when the sun’s not right in front of the window I get a lot of daylight, which is nice to work with in my opinion.
-The top is 3 centimeters thick, since it’s hardwood it does not move or bend when hammering. To absorb noise and vibrations, i’ve put some rubber pads (made out of an inner tire piece) between the top and the base (and also between the tiny anvil and a wooden block, plus another one between that block and the bench, by doing so, hammering is much less noisy)
To forge tools and my ingots before rolling them i’ve got a lift-shaft weight cast-iron block as an anvil outside on the balcony, so i’m not hammering really hard on the bench.
Have a nice day
Pierre.
Pierre,
Right now my shop is 5’ x 7’ and my mill is on my bench. But I have put an addition on my house for a new shop if much greater size. Photos to follow in a few weeks.
Don
Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Droid
For now i’m living in a small apartment in a big town so my bench is in the same room we sleep but we plan to move out to the countryside as soon as we can. That day hopefully i’ll have a dedicated room to work in
Pierre.
Sounds great Pierre.
Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Droid
Hi Pierre,
I remember you writing before that your father has a wood working business, so its natural that you have made this jewellers bench according to the traditional design.
Especially as your so limited in space and living accommdation.
I look forward to heaing when you finally get the space to do what you want without your current limitatons. To give you an idea, I attach some pictures of my working area , which is just one space I have here. In another building I have all the big machenery with 250 ton coining presses and 100 ton drop hammers.
Hi Ted.
What a beautiful place to work in, I love the big vise and the anvils.
I remember your kind words and advices when I started engraving. Truth is I did not make much progress in this branch (I made myself a cheap engraving vise, though, but I still have to spend some time practicing) but I’ve learned many other techniques this year, even managed to sell some pieces
(For now i’m learning another techniques related to gravers : bead setting, which is quite hard in my opinion compared to other setting techniques, but hopefully i’ll be able to set some stones this way someday)
Before making this bench, I had only the top part resting on metallic trestles, it was moving all the time and many of my tools were underneath it in plastic bags, today it’s a pleasure to work on a stable bench at the right height !
Have a nice day.
Pierre.
Hi Pierre,
Thought youd like the workplace! Ive lots of vices and anvils put by as trade items, along with lots of r mills and fly presses and other tools. Some 200 prs of differnt pliers. Collected over the yrs at flea markets and car boots.
Just scrapped 100 kgs of epns spoons and forks. Just dont have the time to convert into cuffs.
.As you may recall I keep on ranting to all the bench jewellers on this forum about widening their range of products, as you know,
