I bought a used workbench yesterday. Its a small size (52" x 22") but its heavy as heck - made out of hard maple with a 2 1/4" top. It has dog holes running from front to back to complement the front vise. I want to add an end vise and drill some dog holes to work with it. I'd like to drill the holes as close to the front of the bench as I can.
What's the minimum distance from edge of the bench for dog holes? Remember its 2 1/4" hard maple.
Bob Davis Houston, Texas
A good rule of thumb when drilling holes in most materials is never let the edge of a hole be closer to an edge than the diameter of the hole.
"BillyBob" wrote in news:Ykfce.1297$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net:
In line with the dog on the top of the vise? Is this a trick question?
Patriarch, still thinking you're a fortunate one to have scored all that stuff for $150...
No its not a trick question. I've got a choice of vices and placement of the vises. I failed to mention that the stretcher on which the benchtop is mounted is 1 1/2" from the edge and its about 2" thick. I don't want to drill into the stretcher, so I have to place the dog holes in front of or behind the stretcher. I suppose I could drill them just in front of the stretcher. That would leave me about 5/8" of wood between the dog holes and the front edge.
Yeah it was definitely a find. If anybody is interested in an old BIG lathe, the seller has one that he will sell someday. Its made in the late
1800's and six feet long. He had it powered with a variable speed DC motor going through an old ford auto transmission.Bob
I work with 99% hard Maple, and it's, well... hard. Your question is going to really depend on whether you're just getting your vise snug, or whether you're the sort that really likes to crank things down as hard as you can. If you've got a fairly light touch, I'd personally feel more than comfortable with about 5/8" for hard maple. If you like to tighten things until they're about to break (and some guys just do- it's not a judgement call,) you may want more than that.
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Are you sure that that's not going to create an excessive point stress somewhere else that causes the whole bench to fall apart?
Thanks for the input. I'm comfortable with what you suggested. I am definitely not the "crank it down" type of guy. I learned a long time ago that if you have to crank it down, then you're overcompensating for something that's wrong or poorly implemented.
Bob
The vise and the dogs will be mounted to the benchtop and nothing else. Therefore the stress will be imposed entirely on the top and its a question of whether the top can take it. That was why the question about location of dog holes. As I look closely at the construction of the bench, I may not even have room for a end vise and certainly not a traditional tail vise. I may be relegated to using the Veritas wonder dog.
That's ok. I'm viewing this as my first "trial" bench to learn what I like and don't like. Its lightyears ahead of having no bench.
Bob
Actually I was zinging Prometheus for shooting from the hip when he just chastised someone else for doing so.
Ah yes, the joys of youth....
H
You reeled me in hook, line and sinker! :-)
Bob
Pardon?
Hell, I don't know- I suppose if you're using a cheater bar to tighten your vise and then banging on the workpiece, it could. But I rather doubt that in any case. That's an awful lot of maple to "just fall apart"
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Ah, ok- you're making more sense now. *Sheepish grin*
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