Sjobergs Workbench with Carved Front Drawers

This is a Sjobergs elite 2500 workbench With some added carved drawer fronts. The workbench is well designed and it seemed like it would be too much time vs. money to make the bench. When you look at some of the custom benches craftsmen have made for themselves it's almost a sin to buy one pre made. My hats off to all those who sacrificed their precious time and made their own bench. It was my plan to stay busy with woodworking projects and buy a ready made bench since It was just too difficult to scrounge the time. Though the bench was a great deal, purchased on sale at Woodcraft Store in Rochester NY. The Sjobergs drawers for the Elite workbench didn't seem like as good a deal. Having guilt already fro not building my own bench I decided that I would make drawers that would be sized more to my liking. I prefer thinner tool drawers that are not taking up lot of room when you fill them with thinner tools like scales, bits and chisels the like. Off I set to make my special drawers with a little flair to set this bench aside from others.

The completed install. Messy at times but the show must go on.

After the plan for three columns of drawer each being five drawers high was decided. The carcass for the drawers was then constructed from 1/2" Baltic birch ply. Available at Pittsford Lumber in Rochester.

To make the carved drawer fronts; the drawer faces were first all cut from two matched pieces of some vintage tiger maple. Thanks to my uncle Ron Martinelli for handing down this wood that was probably cut in the early 70's. After installing the front in the sequential order. The chest placed on its back so the fronts could be carved at one flowing motion. roughed in with a chain disk on a mini grinder, smoothed with a carbide face grinder and then hand detailed with carving tools and finally some sanding

No fancy dovetails here. The drawers are all just a simple rabbet dado which offers more than enough strength and longevity. The Baltic birch drawer parts are easy to work with and maintain repeatability when making fifteen drawers. It was a challenge to get all the drawer hung on their slides in tight quarters and then get all the drawer faces installed where the gap stayed aligned.

The carcass is finished in plain black lacquer. The drawers are sealed with two coats of lacquer.

The carved drawer fronts are Aniline die, Oil and Varnish.

Full extensions slides are the only way to go, especially if you have 18" deep drawers and want to find something near the back!  The simplistic aluminum drawer pulls, chose for two reasons. Ease of installation unto a non uniform surface, and not to obscure the carved top design.

To install the pulls the drawers were all counterbored to the lowest point on the drawer front plane. The forstner bit cuts into the curved surface with little problem and the depth stop on the drill press keeps the counterbore the same depth on all fifteen drawers. The through holes for the pull screws can now be through drilled into the drawers and install the pulls. They all sit on the same plane and are not pitching around. 

Bill Martinelli
www.woodhorn.com

For some High Class workbench designs, modifications and information. Check out

http://www.workbenchdesign.net/index.html