Have you heard of this bench?

[Charlie Buchanan]

OK, it's a home-made bench that I recently updated by adding a Veritas twin screw vise after years of juggling two separate screws in the end vise. The twin screw works sooooo much better. I got done and looked at the flimsy Veritas label they supplied and remembered a souvenir nameplate I picked out of the junk pile 35 years ago. Don't know whether the Lee Valley lawyers or the Mergenthaler lawyers will be upset. I hope not.

 

[Mike Davis]

Looks like a hefty bench, may not need lead to hold it down.

 

[Hmerkle]

So... does that mean that it is a "press" not a vise?

 

[Charlie Buchanan]

Mike, You're right about that-- I dispensed with the lead pot a while back. Shop stays a lot cooler.

 

[Charlie Buchanan]

So... does that mean that it is a "press" not a vise?

Good one!

 

[nn4jw]

So what type of bench is this? Is it moveable?

 

[Charlie Buchanan]

So what type of bench is this? Is it moveable?

The bench plan was in FWW issue #167 Tools and Shops 2004. It is moveable but heavy. I can lift the light end and kick a furniture dolly under the stretchers if i have to move it. But it hasn't moved in several years. The trestle is Yellow Pine, the top is ash and the vises and skirt are maple.

 

[Mike Davis]

I think he meant to say is it a movable type bench. :rotflm:

 

[nn4jw]

Too subtle?

 

[Mike Davis]

Well, considering Linotype is not movable type, perhaps.

 

[Hmerkle]

The sad part is that I am not a graphic arts person, but do know what a linotype is (jacka$$ of all trades - master of none!)- and made the connection immediately - Charlie's application of the nameplate is so good someone not familiar might just ask if there is a twin screw vise made by Linotype!!!

 

[MarkE]

Hey. I didn't know Linotype made a twin screw vise. Where can I get one?

 

[Charlie Buchanan]

Too subtle?

Yeah, that one went right over my head. Didn't even hear the buzz.

 

[nn4jw]

Yeah, that one went right over my head. Didn't even hear the buzz.

Sorry Really, I liked your bench and the upgrade to the vise.

 

[Mike Davis]

At this point I have to admit my wife has a masters degree in hand printing and binding books from UofA. That's where we met and I hung out with the class a bit. I also worked in an ad agency near Atlanta for a few years where I did page layout, darkroom up to plate making and some photography. Also helped run a hidelburg for a few months, but never ran a Linotype machine.

 

[Charlie Buchanan]

At this point I have to admit my wife has a masters degree in hand printing and binding books from UofA. That's where we met and I hung out with the class a bit. I also worked in an ad agency near Atlanta for a few years where I did page layout, darkroom up to plate making and some photography. Also helped run a hidelburg for a few months, but never ran a Linotype machine.

I never operated a Linotype either but spent many late nights watching the workings from a respectful distance as press time approached. I worked at The Winston-Salem Journal as a photographer before and during the time that the Linotypes were being hauled away in some cases to smaller newspapers in other cases to the parts bin. They were marvels of 19th century mechanical ingenuity. So in a way a workbench for hand tool woodworking is an appropriate place for the old nameplate.

 

[StephenK]

My background is in gravure printing, but I got the jokes

I read somewhere that before the Linotype was invented, newspapers were never more than 8 pages. I'll argue that they still aren't...

 

[mark2]

anyone have a box of halftone dots?

 

[nn4jw]

anyone have a box of halftone dots?

I only have some of the black ones left. I've been in a dither about what to do with them.

 

[jazzflute]

All I have to say to that is:

[h=1]etaoin shrdlu[/h]K