Main Workbench

The workbench is two 1" slabs of flake board glued and screwed. That sandwich is then bound with pine strips then heavily varnished with Zar, a good-wearing polyurethane. The bench stands on 2X4 legs, and is also bracketed to the wall. The little rail shelf just above the bench is the handiest thing! It keeps all the tools I use constantly. The big overhead light is an old dentist light.

Under the rail shelf, I keep tobacco tins with the fixtures and components for each dulcimer I'm working on at the moment. Taped to the can is a label defining the leading particulars of each job, so I can see at a glance. On the rail shelf in front of the left window are dial calipers, machinist squares in various sizes, rulers, and bench stones. In the center are more short rulers, plenty of pencils, scissors, pens, erasers, a pencil sharpener, tape rules, etc. And in front of the right window are all the knives and chisels I use constantly. Further to the right, under the rail shelf is the apparatus for dealing with hide glue. And to the right, on the rail, are various nail files and nail finishing sanding sticks. They are quite handy in getting around the curved areas of the instruments. I use more and more manicure abrasives!