Nicholson

Cutting list

Finished sizes, in millimetres, tenons included. Leave yourself length to square the ends, and tick each part as you cut it.

Notes and sources

Departures and checks

• Schwarz calls his 1829 mm bench a little small, and a short, light bench moves under the plane. Nicholson and Ellis both build 10 to 12 ft.
• Schwarz later wrote that he wished he had joined the lower rails and legs with a full mortise and tenon in place of notches and screws.

General notes

1. 1

   Note 1. Height. The sources disagree. Nicholson: benches are of various heights, to accommodate the height of the workman, but the medium is about 2 ft 8 in (813 mm). Ellis gives a common height of 28 in (711 mm). Schwarz finds most benches between 28 and 36 in and measures from the floor to where his little finger joins his hand. Sellers, who works mostly at the vise, builds 38 in (965 mm) for a man of 5 ft 10 in and says to make it an inch high and cut it down after trying it.

   • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
   • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
   • Paul Sellers, Workbench FAQs. In Sources
   • Our arithmetic from the figures cited.
2. 2

   Note 2. Length. Nicholson gives ten or twelve feet and Ellis 10 to 12 ft, for joiners working long stock. Schwarz's knockdown bench of 2014 is 6 ft (1829 mm), which he calls a little small; his 2006 bench is 8 ft.

   • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
   • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
   • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
3. 3

   Note 3. Width. Nicholson gives about 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) and Ellis 27 in (686 mm). The knockdown bench is two 2x12s, 22-1/2 in (572 mm), and Schwarz holds that an 18 to 20 in bench is stable enough for handwork. He calls the 27 in of his 2006 bench wider than usual.

   • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
   • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
   • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
4. 4

   Note 4. Top thickness. Nicholson makes the front plank 1-1/2 to 2 in thick (38 to 51 mm) and the planks behind it 1 to 1-1/4 in. Ellis has a 1-1/2 in front board and two 1 in boards behind. The knockdown bench is 2x stock throughout, and Schwarz's 2006 top is drawn 1-1/4 in. The old benches Richard Arnold found have tops of about 5/8 in, thinner than this plan goes.

   • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
   • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
   • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, A Workbench Time Capsule, 2014. In Sources
5. 5

   Note 5. Planks in the top. The knockdown top is two 2x12s glued edge to edge. Ellis uses three 9 in boards, ploughed, tongued and glued. Maguire leaves his planks unglued with gaps between and nails them down. Nicholson does not say how the planks meet. The bench is meant for wide boards. A class that glued its panels from 6 in stock spent two of five days at it.

   • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
   • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
   • Core77, Yea or Nay? The Plank-Topped English-Style Workbench. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, When the Nicholson Bench is Not a Time Saver, 2015. In Sources
6. 6

   Note 6. Second layer under the top. Schwarz found a single layer of yellow pine too springy and added a second under his 2006 bench. It is fitted last, cut to fill the opening exactly, after the top is flattened. Nicholson and Ellis stiffen the thin top with bearers instead. Sources disagree on what the doubled top comes to: the drawing makes it 3 in, Schwarz's book lists 2-1/4 in.

   • Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, Workbench Tour No. 3: The English Joiner's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
   • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
7. 7

   Note 7. Bearer divisions. Nicholson: the length between the leg frames is divided into three or four equal parts by bearers, their upper sides flush with the upper edges of the side boards. He gives no section; the 2 by 3 in bearer drawn here is Ellis's. Schwarz's 2006 drawing spaces them 17, 17, 14-5/8 and 17 in.

   • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
   • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
8. 8

   Note 8. Apron depth. Ellis gives the only section in an old trade text: two 9 by 1 in boards, front and back alike. The knockdown bench uses a 2x12 (11-1/4 in), an old bench Haydon examined has 12 in and Schwarz's 2006 bench 12-1/4 in. Sellers built with 9 in and found it less sturdy, though it worked. Nicholson gives no figure.

   • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
   • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
   • G. S. Haydon & Son, English Workbench. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
   • Paul Sellers, Workbench FAQs. In Sources
9. 9

   Note 9. Apron thickness. Ellis: 1 in. Schwarz's 2006 drawing: 1-1/4 in. The knockdown bench: 1-1/2 in, the thickness of a 2x. One build to Maguire's pattern used 1-3/4 in stock, a secondhand report.

   • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
   • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
   • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
   • "nabs", English Workbench Build (UK Workshop thread and The Small Workshop blog), 2017. In Sources
10. 10

    Note 10. Clipped corners. Both of Schwarz's benches clip the lower corners 4 in by 4 in at 45 degrees. A bench to Siemsen's pattern leaves them square, by one builder's report. Nothing was found in Nicholson or Ellis on the corners.

    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
    • Wesley Works With Wood, My Naked Woodworker Bench, 2016. In Sources
11. 11

    Note 11. Leg frames. Nicholson couples each pair of legs with two rails; Ellis frames 3 by 4 in deal legs together. In both the apron is let in so it finishes flush with the leg. Schwarz's knockdown bench gets the same notch by gluing a long and a short board, and adds a top plate, a top stretcher, apron spacers (an idea he credits to Siemsen) and glue blocks so the frames locate themselves.

    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown Nicholson Workbench, Day 1/2, 2014. In Sources
12. 12

    Note 12. Leg width. Nicholson: legs not less than 3-1/2 in square. Ellis: 3 by 4 in deal. The knockdown leg is a 2x6 on the face, 5-1/2 in.

    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
13. 13

    Note 13. Leg thickness. The knockdown leg is two 2x boards, 3 in. Ellis gives 3 by 4 in and does not say which way round. Nicholson asks for 3-1/2 in at least. One build to Maguire's pattern used 4x4 posts, a secondhand report.

    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
    • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • "nabs", English Workbench Build (UK Workshop thread and The Small Workshop blog), 2017. In Sources
14. 14

    Note 14. Leg rake. The sources disagree and both forms are traditional. Nicholson's plate reads as plumb, though it is a small perspective engraving and that is a judgement; the knockdown bench is plumb. Ellis sets the legs on the rake, the better to withstand the thrust of the planing, and gives no angle. Schwarz raked his 2006 legs 20 degrees after vintage benches he had seen, and later wrote that it did not make the bench more stable in use.

    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
    • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
15. 15

    Note 15. Legs in from the end. Nicholson's plate sets the legs in from both ends and gives no figure. On the knockdown bench it is 8 in (203 mm): the 4 in clip, a 2-1/2 in glue block and the 1-1/2 in top stretcher. Schwarz's 2006 drawing gives 22 in, but along the top, from the vise end to the inner corner of the raked leg. At his 20 degrees, with his apron and the leg drawn here, that puts the outer edge 297 mm (about 11-3/4 in) from the end at the apron's lower edge. Less than 8 in would put the leg in the clipped corner.

    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
    • Our arithmetic from the figures cited.
16. 16

    Note 16. Lower rail above the floor. Ellis: the bottom cross-bearers should be about 9 in above the floor. He does not say to which edge; measuring to the lower edge is our reading. The knockdown drawing does not dimension it and scales at about 4 in.

    • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
17. 17

    Note 17. End rail width. The knockdown bench uses a 2x6, 5-1/2 by 1-1/2 in. Neither Nicholson nor Ellis gives a rail section.

    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
18. 18

    Note 18. Shelf. Nicholson: the rails at the ends are covered with boards. Ellis has a bottom board. Neither gives a thickness or says what, if anything, lies under the boards between the rails; running them the length of the bench in one span is our reading. On the knockdown bench the shelf is optional: two boards cut from 1x10, battened together and resting loose on a lip screwed to each rail.

    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
19. 19

    Note 19. End rails to legs. The sources disagree. Nicholson dovetails two rails into the legs and does not say what kind of dovetail. Ellis uses mortise and tenon joints, glued and wedged. Schwarz drawbored his 2006 frames, notched and screwed the knockdown ones, and later wrote that he wished he had used a full mortise and tenon there too.

    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
20. 20

    Note 20. Fastenings. Nicholson says only that the parts are fixed. Screws are the best attested: Ellis fixes the sides with screws and the top in pelleted holes, and Haydon's old bench has heavy slotted screws with the heads showing. Nails are Storb's own judgement of period practice, and he cites no period source for it; Maguire nails his top because nails flex as the boards move. The knockdown bench bolts, and Schwarz notes it would wobble if the bolts were not kept snug.

    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
    • G. S. Haydon & Son, English Workbench. In Sources
    • Christopher Storb, A New Bench for Germantown. In Sources
    • Core77, Yea or Nay? The Plank-Topped English-Style Workbench. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
21. 21

    Note 21. Vise. Nicholson's bench screw drives a jaw parallel to the side board, with a guide to stop it turning. He puts the screw behind the fore legs and the guide before the bench hook, so the two straddle the fore leg. Ellis wants the screw not less than 2-1/4 in diameter and the guide about 12 in from it at the same level. Cherubini calls Nicholson's vise simple and ineffectual. Leg vises with parallel guides are on the old benches Arnold found; they work because apron and leg are flush. Siemsen and the knockdown bench do without a vise.

    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • George Ellis, Modern Practical Joinery, 1902, ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. In Sources
    • Adam Cherubini, Nicholson Bench (Arts & Mysteries), 2008. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, A Workbench Time Capsule, 2014. In Sources
    • G. S. Haydon & Son, English Workbench. In Sources
    • Mike Siemsen, The Nicholson Bench for Starters..., 2014. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources
22. 22

    Note 22. Holes in the front apron. Nicholson: the leg and the side board are pierced with holes, so as to admit of a pin for holding up the other end at various heights. His plate shows columns of three holes with a descending diagonal run between them; he gives no spacing. Schwarz marks two rectangles on a 6 ft apron and three on an 8 ft one, with six holes equally spaced on each diagonal. The rectangle sizes are ours. Holes must miss the second layer under the top.

    • Peter Nicholson, The Mechanic's Companion, 1812, Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). In Sources
    • Lost Art Press (ed.), Sect. 2. The Bench. Pl. 12. Fig. 12 (transcription of Nicholson with the plate), 2014. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing), 2006, drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. In Sources
    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
23. 23

    Note 23. Holdfast holes in the top. Schwarz bores one row about 3 in from the back edge, every 10 to 16 in to suit the reach of the holdfast, and a second row about 6 in in front of it. The drawing leaves placement to the builder and warns that the holdfast must clear the side panel. A Gramercy holdfast needs a top 1-3/4 in thick or more, which is why a thin top wants the second layer below it.

    • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
    • D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing), 2014. In Sources
    • Christopher Storb, A New Bench for Germantown. In Sources
    • Tools for Working Wood, Gramercy Tools holdfast (product page). In Sources
24. 24

    Note 24. Hole diameter. The knockdown bench is bored 3/4 in for Gramercy holdfasts. Schwarz now prefers 1 in holes. No source gives a peg size other than these two.

    • Christopher Schwarz, Knockdown English Workbench, 2015. In Sources
    • Tools for Working Wood, Gramercy Tools holdfast (product page). In Sources
    • Christopher Schwarz, The Anarchist's Workbench, 2020. In Sources

Sources cited on these sheets

• Peter Nicholson. The Mechanic's Companion, 1812. Joinery, sect. 2, "The Bench", pl. 12 fig. 12, pp. 87-89 (1832 edition read). https://archive.org/details/gri_33125001407291
• George Ellis. Modern Practical Joinery. Batsford, 1902. ch. III, "Workshop Appliances", pp. 27-29, figs. 91, 92, 94. https://archive.org/details/india.history.resource.100246
• Christopher Schwarz. The Anarchist's Workbench. Lost Art Press, 2020. https://blog.lostartpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AWB_Consumer_June-2020_v5.pdf
• Paul Sellers. Workbench FAQs. https://paulsellers.com/paul-sellers-workbench-faqs/
• D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz. Nicholson Knock-down Work Bench (three-sheet measured drawing). Lost Art Press, 2014. https://blog.lostartpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/kd-nicholson-bench-lost-art-press.pdf
• Christopher Schwarz. Download Free Plans for the English-style Workbench (with measured drawing). Popular Woodworking, 2006. drawing Nicholson-Sheet-3-A. https://popularwoodworking.com/article/download-free-plans-for-the-english-style-workbench
• Christopher Schwarz. Knockdown English Workbench. Popular Woodworking, 2015. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/knockdown-english-workbench/
• Christopher Schwarz. A Workbench Time Capsule. Lost Art Press, 2014. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/06/17/a-workbench-time-capsule/
• Core77. Yea or Nay? The Plank-Topped English-Style Workbench. https://www.core77.com/posts/46428/Yea-or-Nay-The-Plank-Topped-English-Style-Workbench
• Christopher Schwarz. When the Nicholson Bench is Not a Time Saver. Lost Art Press, 2015. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2015/07/25/when-the-nicholson-bench-is-not-a-time-saver/
• Christopher Schwarz. Workbench Tour No. 3: The English Joiner's Workbench. Lost Art Press, 2020. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2020/04/09/workbench-tour-no-3-the-english-joiners-workbench/
• G. S. Haydon & Son. English Workbench. https://www.gshaydon.co.uk/blog/english-workbench
• "nabs". English Workbench Build (UK Workshop thread and The Small Workshop blog), 2017. https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/english-workbench-build.106594/
• Wesley Works With Wood. My Naked Woodworker Bench, 2016. https://wesleyworkswithwood.wordpress.com/2016/10/10/my-naked-woodworker-bench/
• Christopher Schwarz. Knockdown Nicholson Workbench, Day 1/2. Lost Art Press, 2014. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/08/16/knockdown-nicholson-workbench-day-12/
• Christopher Storb. A New Bench for Germantown. https://chrisstorb.substack.com/p/a-new-bench-for-germantown
• Adam Cherubini. Nicholson Bench (Arts & Mysteries). Popular Woodworking, 2008. https://popularwoodworking.com/arts-mysteries/nicholson-bench
• Mike Siemsen. The Nicholson Bench for Starters.... Lost Art Press, 2014. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/05/24/the-nicholson-bench-for-starters-also-beginners-newbies-and-novices/
• Lost Art Press (ed.). Sect. 2. The Bench. Pl. 12. Fig. 12 (transcription of Nicholson with the plate), 2014. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/05/23/%C2%A7-2-the-bench-pl-12-fig-12/
• Tools for Working Wood. Gramercy Tools holdfast (product page). https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/MS-HOLDFAST.XX
• Christopher Schwarz. Materials & Tools for the Knockdown Nicholson Workbench. Lost Art Press, 2014. https://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/09/18/materials-tools-for-the-knockdown-nicholson-workbench/
• William Fairham. Woodwork Joints. Evans Bros, c. 1920. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/21531
• Richard Maguire. The English Workbench (chapter summaries). The English Woodworker. https://www.theenglishwoodworkerjournal.com/category/the-english-workbench/

Order of work

Tick each step as you finish it. The letters are the marks of the parts it works on, as on the drawing and the cutting list. The sources are given in full on sheet 3.

1. 1

   Let the boards settle, then cut them to length

   Stack the boards in the shop and let them settle. Wide, thin boards cup if they are worked wet. Choose the clearest, straightest stock in the pile, crosscut every part and joint the edges. Leave the top and aprons over length to trim after assembly.

   Without a moisture meter, give them a couple of weeks before you work them, Schwarz says.

   ABChristopher Schwarz, 2015 · Christopher Schwarz, 2014 · Christopher Schwarz, 2020

2. 2

   Glue up the top

   Glue the planks edge to edge. Ellis ploughs and tongues the joints as well. This is where wide boards save the most time. A class that glued its panels from narrow stock spent two of five days at it.

   BChristopher Schwarz, 2015, Knockdown English Workbench · George Ellis, 1902 · Core77 · Christopher Schwarz, 2015, When the Nicholson Bench is Not a Time Saver

3. 3

   Clip the aprons and fix the spacers

   Saw the 45 degree clip on each lower corner of both aprons. Glue and screw a spacer to the inside of each apron, centred in the length. Its ends will locate the legs.

   ADChristopher Schwarz, 2015 · Christopher Schwarz, 2014 · D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, 2014

4. 4

   Make the legs

   Glue a long board to a short one for each leg, feet flush. The step at the top of the short board is the shoulder the apron will sit on.

   FIChristopher Schwarz, 2015 · D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, 2014 · George Ellis, 1902 · Richard Maguire

5. 5

   Join each pair of legs into an end frame

   Saw and chisel a notch for each rail in the end-facing edge of the legs, then glue and screw the rails in. Fit the top plate between the legs under where the top will lie, and screw the top stretcher across the outside of the frame without glue.

   Schwarz came to regret the notches on his knockdown bench: "I wish I had joined the lower stretchers and legs with a full mortise-and-tenon joint instead of notches and screws."

   FGHIJPeter Nicholson, 1812 · George Ellis, 1902 · Christopher Schwarz, 2020 · Christopher Schwarz, 2015

6. 6

   Fix the aprons to the frames

   Stand the frames up, set an apron on its shoulders and bore through apron and leg for the bolts, counterboring for the heads and washers. Then the other apron. Glue a block inside each apron end, tight against the frame, so the frame is held between block and spacer.

   AEFIChristopher Schwarz, 2015 · D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, 2014 · George Ellis, 1902

7. 7

   Plane the base into one plane

   Plane the upper edges of the aprons, the tops of the frames and any bearers until a straightedge touches them all.

   AHJChristopher Schwarz, 2015

8. 8

   Fit the top and fix it down

   Plane the underside of the top where it bears until it sits without rocking, then bore through the top and the top plates and bolt it down.

   BChristopher Schwarz, 2015 · Richard Maguire · George Ellis, 1902 · Core77

9. 9

   Flatten the top and true the front apron

   Plane the top flat. Then square the front apron to it and clean it up. It is a working surface as much as the top is.

   ABChristopher Schwarz, 2015 · Richard Maguire

10. 10

    Add the second layer

    Cut a panel to fit the opening under the top between the frames exactly, then glue and screw it up from below.

    CChristopher Schwarz, 2015

11. 11

    Cut the planing stop mortise and fit the stop

    Chop the mortise through the top and plane the stop until it moves only under the mallet.

    BLChristopher Schwarz, 2015 · Peter Nicholson, 1812

12. 12

    Bore the holes and fit the vise

    Set out and bore the apron holes, keeping clear of the legs and of anything under the top. Bore the holdfast holes in the top square to the surface, where the holdfast will clear the apron below. Fix the crochet to the front apron at the fore end: lag screws in the two holes nearest the planing stop, since a bolt there would block the stop's travel, and one bolt through the apron to a mounting plate let into its inside face.

    AKChristopher Schwarz, 2015 · Richard Maguire · D. R. Hill, after Christopher Schwarz, 2014