Well, I’ve been keeping busy in the shop, although I’ll just update you on the fabulous new (used) Ulmia Cabinetmakers Bench I scored via Craigslist. It is just over 8′ in length, equipped with both a traditional tail vise and a substantial face vise, tool tray, and is constructed of luscious European Beech. It had a noticeable hump down the center, and had the original waxy finish (suggesting it had never been trued). I scraped the finish from the benchtop, and trued the top within a reasonable tolerance. I also pulled apart the trestle base and re-glued the doweled joints to eliminate racking. I don’t have any pictures of its new location in the shop, but I’ll say that it is inspiring to have excellent work surfaces!

In other news, I have lots of walnut neck blanks cut, Adirondack Spruce tops on order, and molds are coming together for L-OO and Jumbo models, and I’ve just acquired a bending iron.

I’m playing mandolin and guitar in a fun duet, singing old country songs with powerful harmonies; we’re calling ourselves The Coupe Duet. Check us out at https://www.facebook.com/coupe.duet . We’ll playing this month at the Olympia Old Time Festival, February 13-16th, 2014.

This beautiful, Craigslist-scored Ulmia Cabinetmakers Bench, has now been moved to the south wall where it doesn’t occupy my entire space.

The bench must be flattened and trued side-to-side, and end-to-end. Hello Jointer plane!