My aim is not to simply teach you to make furniture,
but to reveal and inspire the artist inside of you! ~ Tom
AS SEEN HERE
“There is a no more competent instructor who is so genuinely concerned and interested in the progress of others than Tom.” ~ Mike D.
CHECK OUT THESE EPIC RESOURCES
Live on Thursday Nights
Shop Night Live streams Thursdays at 8:00 pm ET. Episodes offer a variety of project driven demos, and/or shared techniques, tips, and tricks. Can’t watch live? All episodes are viewable at our YouTube channel.
Online Courses and Full-size Plans
Our Courses and Plans are like a Virtual Apprenticeship with Tom. They make you feel like you’re right there working in the shop with him. Together, you make it happen all the way through the finishing process!
A Making Community
Have access to Tom and other like-minded woodworkers via a private Forum, plus a number of other Member benefits. Move into The Neighborwood, it’s a stellar community, hands down — the Best Neighbors… check it out!
Join Us for a Live Online Course!
Current Course Access
Tom regularly hosts Online Courses which are recorded LIVE so you have the option of asking questions as the sessions progresses, step-by-step through the build. Watch live or later, the Course sessions you purchase are available to you watch at your convenience, indefinitely. There’s no limits to your access.
And because all the sessions are archived a viewable anytime, it’s never too late to join in. You can easily catch up. Sessions are 60-90-min each and can be viewed live or later. Click the image at left for details on the current LIVE project build.
But wait… here’s a GREAT DEAL you need to know about: We have a membership community called The Neighborwood which offers you access to ALL our Courses, at any time, as long as you’re a Neighbor, Experience a discount on the Full-size Plans, and several other benefits as well. Click for more details.
CLICK THE YELLOW CIRCLE TO VIEW EACH TOPIC BELOW
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The most important piece of equipment in your shop might just be your workbench. A workbench should be the trustworthy anchor of your workshop, strong and efficient at holding your work in all types of situations. But with so many options for vises and design, you want your bench to have the style and features best suited for the kind of work you will be doing.
As a longtime furniture maker, Tom designed this rock solid Epic Workbench from experience to optimize your advantage when tackling all kinds of furniture making situations. The versatile workbench will feature several effective options for holding work, a fast action leg vise, a fast action wagon vise, and numerous holdfast locations.
In this course, Tom will walk you, step by step, through the process for building his classic workbench, with its stout and sturdy elements, assembled primarily with traditional pegged mortise and tenon joinery. In addition to being beefy and stable, the bench top can be removed and the base can be disassembled for easier moving. This will be the last workbench you will ever need, likely lasting for generations.
NOTE: In the course Tom will use soft maple and cherry for the Epic Workbench build. Naturally you are free to choose whatever materials you prefer for making your own, and several good material options will be discussed as well.
Dimensions: 27” W x 84” L x 34” H
Course topics include:
- Design considerations and process
- Material selection and preparation
- Techniques for laying out and cutting large mortise and tenon joinery
- Methods for assembling and gluing up the workbench base
- Gluing up multiple boards and making the laminated tabletop
- Methods for cutting large half-blind dovetails
- Router jig techniques for cutting the rectangular dog holes
- Techniques for installing vise hardware
- Finishing options and techniques
What are my purchasing options?
Purchase the Course and Plans Bundle for $117 – or purchase separately by clicking the Sign me up button below. Or you may want to consider the BEST DEAL, which is to move into The Neighborwood, our membership community, for as little as $17/mo, and you’ll get full access, not just to this Course, but ALL Courses — past, present and future, as long as you’re a Neighbor! Click HERE for more information on that.
Can't watch live?
No worries, catch up later at your convenience. Even if you don’t plan to build the piece with Tom, or ever for that matter, there are always worthy tips, tricks and techniques you’ll capture along the way. And if you decide to build it later…as long as you’re in The Neighborwood, you’ll have access to the sessions!
“Tom’s generosity in sharing a lifetime of woodworking skills is why I tune in weekly for Shop Night Live. It feels like I am in Tom’s shop and learning directly from him.” ~ Evan M.
“What I like most about fine woodworking is the power to say something beautiful without words. I can’t believe I get to do this every day. I love being in the shop, breathing spicy aromas of freshly sawn wood, absorbed in the process as raw materials are shaped into something useful and beautiful.” ~ TOM McLAUGHLIN
Click below for Tom’s story
