My Ongoing Workbench Project

[diggerop]

Another possible use: I used threaded rod in the base of the workbench I built years ago. (And still use today.) My intent was firstly to eliminate racking and secondly to facilitate quick and easy assembly and disassembly as I had a boat re-building project on the go and would move all of my woodworking gear down to the boatyard evrey time I had a week to spare, then back home when I needed to go back to work. It worked really well.

The stretchers are dowelled but not glued to the uprights. There is a channel routed on the inside of each stretcher to house the rod, which then passes through the uprights and has a nut and washer on each end, (recessed.) The URL below shows a *very* rough sketch, which might explain it a little more clearly

[Hoosierpopi]

Placement, regardless the number of rods, should (and I suspect you've thought of this) take into consideration the clamping dog holes, vise parts, planned or intended.

.

[ed_h]

Bill--

Though I used to use rods as you describe, I haven't for many years now because I came to believe they were unnecessary. Even as an alignment aid, there are easier ways.

Here's a workbench I made a few years ago. No rods, and it's held up well.

[Han]

ed_h wrote in news:4f8d2a27-aa3b-4ecc-9c9e- [e-mail]:

Let me be the first to say "Beautiful!"

[Steve Turner]

Well since "beautiful" is already taken, let ME be the first to say "Awesome!" :-)

[Bill]

decided against using the threaded rods for the reasons you mentioned.

Bill

[Luigi Zanasi]

Since I can't use beautiful and awesome, I'll just say WOW!

Luigi

[Larry Jaques]

On 11 Oct 2009 01:08:10 GMT, the infamous Han scrawled the following:

I'll second that. I like the shop-built metal bits, too. Classy!

[Bill]

Okay, now lets consider that we have the 7' by 30" beast of a bench top. Since it is going to be made from glued 2" by 8" SYP lumber, ripped in half, it will still be over 3" thick after it has visited the drum sander.

What sort of VISES should we put on this? 7" quick-release for a front vise? bigger?

Tail-vises (screws?) seem tougher. Is this benchtop going to maintain the tolerances for which this makes sense?

Frankly, getting these installed properly seems like a challenge, since accuracy is do important.

I've been trying to "read-up" on vises but it tain't easy. Some of them come with no screws or directions too, from what I've read. I should probably go back to "The Workbench Book"...

I'm open for suggestions though. I'm finding that building a "small factory" isn't too easy--and not too cheap either! ; )

Thanks, Bill

[Lew Hodgett]

Yes and Yes.

Funny you should ask.

The WoodSmithShop just built a work bench, mounted a vice, then added dog holes.

the schedule in your area.

It may still be running.

Lew

[Larry Jaques]

On Fri, 6 Nov 2009 01:36:01 -0500, the infamous "Bill" scrawled the following:

Yeah, and adorn it with hardwood inserts. Once you get woodworking, you'll determine if you need a large front vise after all.

Sure. Just put a coat of finish on all surfaces of the top, top and bottom. That will help ensure that it doesn't warp on you.

Um, vises don't really maintain tolerances, per se. They're work holders. Just make sure they're installed in-plane and are solid.

Yes and no. You can work with a skewed vise, butcha better be aware that it is skewed. Just take your time and check your work with squares. It just takes time.

Very good idea.

Cha CHING! You got that right. But lots of us cheapas^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hfrugal woodworkers have accomplished things. Find out where you can skimp on tools to save up for the expensive ones. I buy Harbor Freight bar clamps for an eighth of what Jorgy wants, and IMNSHO, they're just as usable.

Hang in there, Bill. It gets easier once you get over the sticker shocks. Use your creativeness to overcome that.

-- "To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." -- Thomas Jefferson

[diggerop]

There are some strategies you can adopt to reduce the cost of materials. Mine is buying at auctions, - liquidations, deceased estates, surplus inventory, etc. Using a few basic strategies, it's often possible to buy for a fraction of retail cost. It has served me very well. My last lumber purchase was about 5 years ago, - I ended up with over 6 tons of structural pine and Jarrah for about AUD$300. (That would have been about US$180 back then.) That's way less than firewood price. Still got about 2 years supply left. My advice to those new to auction buying is as follows:

1/. Attend at least 2 or 3 auctions without buying. This gives you a better idea of how they are conducted and a general idea of the prices being fetched. 2/. When you do feel confident enough to bid, make sure you have established a maximum amount that you are prepared to go to. Stick to that. Absolutely! If your limits are below the market, revise them and wait for the next auction. Never change them while the auction is in progress. 3/. Research. Know what you are bidding on. Once it is knocked down to you, you have no recourse. (That's how it operates here in Oz, don't know about where you are.) I once bid on some cans of paint that I had no intention of buying, but they were so cheap I put my hand up. There were about ten 4 litre cans of white paint in a stack. I got them for $1 each. When I went to collect them, I found they were a display sample and there was over 100 cans of the stuff! It was all listed in the catalogue but I hadn't researched it. (Paint anyone?) 4/. Be prepared to bid against the dealers, - they are buying to re-sell and you are competing with them. This means you are going to be buying in bulk, but in general, very cheaply. The average Mom and Pop can't handle the bigger lots, so it's basically you and the dealers. They basically set the prices. Your task is to make a nuisance of yourself. Make no secret of the fact that you are merely after one or two bulk lots and then you will be satisfied. If a lot is within your price range, make a bid just before it is knocked down. One bid only. If a dealer really wants it, he will have to raise his bid. Do this with any lot that falls within your parameters. This will get the attention of the dealers. If you don't end up with anything, you will have cost the trade bidders the price of 2 bids (Yours and theirs that they were forced to increase.) Over time, chances are that they will get annoyed enough to let you have a couple of lots just to see what you will do. Then you can go away happy. (This might take an auction or two to achieve.) 5/. Be prepared to handle what you have bought. How will you transport it? Where will you store it? Have you got the workshop facilities to turn it into what you want? 6/. Most important of all, - have a really good story to tell your wife as to why you have just arrived home with half a lumber yard in tow. : )

diggerop

[Bill]

My wife will be happy as long as I don't want to talk about it. When we go to Lowes, Menards, Harbor Freight, she waits in the car with a book. Did I mention she doesn't want to talk about it?--no matter how great a deal it was, or what I want to do with it. I could be planning to build an ark for God, wouldn't matter. ; )

Bill

[upscale]

Sound like a fine wife... just as long as she doesn't do the same thing to you.

[Bill]

Following Lew's suggestion, I plan to rip some SYP 2 by 8 lumber in half, glue the resultant pieces together with the factory cut side down, and sand the down side to make a workbech top. It will thus be approximately

7.25/2 > 3.5 inches thick.

The Rockler 9" quick-release vise has drawn my attention. However it has a maximum top thickness of 2.75" inches. Since it's important to me to have the vise level with the top I have been contemplating a good way to cut the necessary "dado". What makes this tricky is that the best side is on the opposite site of the side that needs to be cut!

One thought would be to put a nice board adjacent to the top and use it as support for the router. This might work fine for up to a few inches. Alternately, I could just cut it and shim it as necessary. My other ideas seem to break down because the surface I wish to cut on may not be flat or level. Always willing to listen to ideas...

--------

I've also been thinking about binding the benchtop with some hardwood. I was thinking that this might look good and it may add structural integrity to the front vise (the rear jaw being seated in hardwood rather than SYP). Is this latter point a valid concern?

Thank you for listening! Bill

[Bill]

...

I was thinking of the possibility of using a "bridge". How deep can plunge routers route (Dewalt 618)?

Bill