Building the Portable Moravian Workbench

Build this historic, sturdy and portable workbench using hand-tool techniques. This bench is designed from an 18th-century Moravian workbench found in the Old Salem community of North Carolina. The step-by-step instruction is comprehensive enough for beginners, and you'll learn:

• To build the knock-down bench using through (and wedged) mortise-and-tenon joinery and lap dovetails
• How to construct a traditional wood screw face vise
• Important tips on wood selection, layout and hand-tool use

This workbench is a great opportunity to improve your hand-tool skills as you build a bench you'll use and appreciate for years to come.

About the Host

Will Myers is a hobbyist woodworker living in northwest North Carolina. He works primarily with hand tools though admits to using power tools for rough dimensioning. He is an instructor at Roy Underhill's The Woodwright's School in Pittsboro, N.C.