by Michael Pekovich To set up a thoughtful, easy-to-work-in shop, woodworkers need advice that is hard-won, hard-working, and tested against other workshops, plus our most brutal assessor: time. Michael Pekovich’s new “Benchwork” ticks all the correct boxes. In fact, there are few people alive today who could successfully write a book such as this. During Mike’s long tenure at Fine Woodworking magazine, he’s visited workshops all over the world run by efficient and thoughtful artisans. Their brightest ideas about tools, storage, workbenches and wall cabinets flowed into Mike’s Connecticut workshop, where he builds furniture for the magazine and customers. And after many years of refining his current space, Mike took a deep breath and decided to redesign his workbench, tool cabinet, tool chests and shop fixtures. “Benchwork” is the result of Mike’s thoughtful approach to creating a shop that is efficient, practical, and (like his furniture) beautiful. Each bit of wisdom – such as his approach to hand planing without a tail vise – is considered and explained. Mike acknowledges that others work differently, and he offers sound suggestions for those who prefer a tail vise. But he also explains his methods so completely that you’ll understand both his reasoning and arguments against it. That’s because “Benchwork” is not about convincing you to work like Mike. It’s written with only one idea in mind: To help you make deeply informed decisions about the tools, benches, cabinets, and chests in your workspace. With the help of this book, you’ll get to skip many of the mistakes and missteps of beginning woodworkers. You’ll design and outfit chests and cabinets that more experienced woodworkers would struggle with. (How do you begin breaking up the space for your tools in a cabinet or a chest? What’s the best way to store a chisel or a spokeshave?) And you’ll become the recipient of the years and years of knowledge and experience that Mike has gathered from other woodworkers and his own time at the bench. Even if you are happy with the current state of your shop, “Benchwork” can help make it better. Maybe you need a chest for traveling to classes. Or a shooting board for miters, Or you’ll get snagged by the wisdom of the bench risers that Mike has been using for years. “Benchwork” is the workshop book the craft needs. Table of Contents Foreword5 Introduction8 Hand tools •Assembling a collection of tools •Essential chisels •The block plane is a good first plane •Where to begin with bench planes? •Planes for joinery •Tools for shaping •Handsaws •Filling out your kit 46 Benchwork •The unsung heroes of hand work •Shooting board is a shop staple •A pair of saw hooks •A shooting board for miters •Layout kit for dovetails •Give your work a lift •A nicer set of bench risers •Lock it down •Clamp-on vise for wide parts 94 Workbenches •Workbenches that work •Can’t I just buy a bench? •A bench worth building •Start with a solid foundation •Top off your bench •Finish the bench with a drawer case 154 A Place for Every Tool •Tool storage sets the tone •A shop centerpiece •Getting off the ground •King-size twin •Plane till and gallery •Making a home for tools 196 Storage on the Go •A tale of two chests •Case joinery •A frame-and-panel lid •Pinned-rabbet drawers •Wrapped cord handles •Add a lock for the lid •Outfitting a tool chest •A minimalist tool chest •A useful tote Afterword About the Physical Book"Benchwork" is 8.5" x 11", hardbound and 280 pages. It is printed on #80 matte coated paper. Its signatures are sewn and secured with fiber tape. All that is wrapped in heavy cotton-covered boards and a tear-resistant dust jacket.
