Bench, work place and a small chair

The carpenter’s bench holds wood firmly in the needed position. Its main part is a worktop on legs; the top has holes for fixing the work, and a recessed part holds tools. The vice has a screw mechanism: turning the screw brings the jaws together, loosening moves them apart. The bench height must suit the pupil’s height, otherwise the arm tires and tools slip. Do not over-tighten the vice because the wood gets crushed; protect the bench top from cutting, chopping and extra hammer blows, which is why a backing board is put under the work. Preparing a tool begins with checking that the handle is tight and the ring and blade are intact; a tool with a cracked or loose handle is not used. Sharpening a blade is done only by the teacher or a master, since a dull tool needs more force and slips and cuts. At the work place the tools are laid out conveniently with sharp ends turned away from the worker, there is nothing extra on the bench, and shavings are cleared with a brush, not by hand.