Restoration of an antique Work Bench.

This will keep you guys, ( & gals ) interested for months to come as it will be a long-term project for me,- something to work on during the coming summer evenings when, ( hopefully ) there's not much else to do, and there's nothing of interest on the, " idiot box !! ":D

Received the old work bench at," the right price," ( Freebie ) some time ago, and it has sat in my backyard for the last year or so slowly, degreasing itself by natural means of the sun & heavy rain. Yes, sounds silly I know, to some, but the effects of the sun, & heavy rain do have quite a dramatic effect on removing grease and grime from old pieces of furniture over a period of time, which in turn saves me heaps of scrubbing with the appropriate cleaners, along with a few choice descriptive words along the way.:U

Have taken a few photos to show you what I am taking on,- no doubt some of you will, " Throw your hands up in despair, " or, perhaps even consider me to be a, " total idiot,' to take on such a dilapidated ancient work bench, which going by its current general appearance looks like it has been around since, " Noah's Day " :!:!

Personally,- I enjoy a challenge, especially when the original item is a piece of junk to most peoples eyes.

Roger

Something about Sadomasochism springs to mind here ;)

Best of luck to ya!

Looks like you're up for some fun and games Roger with this old fella:oo:, will be following with interest.:D

Ah, Yes, I realize the old bench will be a long-term, " fun, & games," job. Had some interesting challenges over the years with contract jobs brought in by others, therefore in comparison, this one is relatively simple, but I still expect some, " fun, & games, " along the way. ( when I find the appropriate location, or section, I will be putting up several classic, " I-did-it-myself, " disasters which people have brought to me over the years to try to fix, as in, " T-R-Y " to fix )

Currently waiting on a customer to come and collect his bar base from my second workshop, ( neighbour's shed ), so I can move the old bench in, and make a start on it. Yep,- have a helpful neighbour who owns an old holiday house directly alongside my place, and since they are seldom there, I have permission to use their shed, which helps heaps, as my shed is a bit cramped for space when it comes to big things like this old bench.
Roger

I wish I could still find things like that up in Sydney- it'll come up fantastic!
I've got two tables weathering in the backyard that wouldn't look half as good if they weren't there....

Thats a bewdy Roger! Can't wait to see how it comes up.
OG.

I'd like to see the finished bench too, thank you....

Just got the old bench into my workshop this afternoon and was about to dismantle it, when a local lady walked in and said,- " I want to buy that as it is !! "
I stood there totally, " stunned, " for a minute or two, so she repeated the words, " I want to buy that as it is !! "
Result,- $50. CASH in hand,- and her husband is coming in the farm ute in the morning to pick it up.

As for me, I am still getting over the shock !!
I think I will survive and live to fight for another day:U:U

Although am a bit lost for words,
Roger

aww... was looking forward to the titilating agony of watching someone else's trials and tribulations. Still, well done on the $50, but frankly I think she got a bargin ;)

Cheers
OG

I got the $50. but the Old Workbench is STILL here. I know the lady's first name, but not her surname, also don't have her phone number either, nor do I know where she lives,- anyway IF she or her husband don't come back to collect it within a week or so, I'm putting the $50. as a, "donation, " towards the materials cost of restoring the old Antique Wookbench. It's called, " bugger them, " or something like that,- besides I also would like to see the old bench cleaned up & restored, and NOT rotting away in some farmyard somewhere.
Make good sense to you guys ??
Roger

I Still have the $50, AND the old work bench too. Haven't seen or heard from the buyer since the afternoon the woman called in, so am putting the $50, " Donation," towards the material cost of fixing up the old work bench, which should happen shortly within the next few weeks, especially now that Daylight-saving begins this weekend, and with the days also getting l-o-n-g-e-r I can spend more hours out in the workshop making sawdust, ( or should that read, " making Sanding Dust ???? " )
Just framed a collection of old bevelled-edge secondhand mirrors for a client,- not as easy as it should be especially when one old mirror had, ( best described as ), an outward bowed edge,- just to be different,- and difficult :! ( Murphy's law at work ??????????? :U )
Roger

I reckon that by the time you've finished this it will be like the old janitors broom, 'It's had 7 heads and 3 handles - but it's still the same broom as when he was a lad!'.

So? What ended up happening? Did she come back to put the old girl in a boutique restaurant and charge mega bucks for people to eat off of it? Did you keep it and restore it?
Personally I could not part with any of my three workbenches. Two have sentimental value and one was a rescue from the elements.There should be a post on here about one.I couldn't part with them let alone for $50.:no:

Still got it. It is now in my second shed, ( neighbour's empty carshed,-got a nice " arrangement," with them as they live in Adelaide ), "burried," under a heap of other things. Any flat surface round here suffers the same fate,- things get put on top of things.
Went to the local dump, ( Waste Transfer Station ) the other day with a trailerload of Genuine Junk, to find someone had thrown out a lovely old turned-legs Hall Table which has seen better days. After parting with $10. the old Hall Table is now in my workshop !!
Roger