Work Bench

Thank you Bob.

Reply to
Leon
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Have to agree ,Thats what I used ,two laminated together would make a very substantial bench top.

Reply to
Kevin(Bluey)

"Leon" wrote in news:VWW3l.10766$x%. snipped-for-privacy@nlpi070.nbdc.sbc.com:

I remember seeing some discussion about it here on the wRECk. Maybe that'll give you a starting point for further searches?

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

innews:VWW3l.10766$x%. snipped-for-privacy@nlpi070.nbdc.sbc.com:

The problem I see is you'd need a knob sticking out. If you want to hand plane something you need to set the dog below the surface of the stock. Unless you made your stop really long with the knob at the back end it would be in the way, and that would effectively reduce the length of your bench. Plus in the course of resurfacing the top eventually you'd get to where you had to remove it and make the slot deeper, even if you started with it recessed a bit.

-Kevin

Reply to
LEGEND65

Plus, I don't want anything that is making up bench top to be harder than any tool I'm using on it. Even aluminum can put a good ding in a freshly sharpened chisel.

And no foam, either. :-p

Reply to
-MIKE-

Personally, The only clear surface in my shop that I can use for furniture assembly is my table saw and small parts of the floor. If you really need a flat surface, really flat and really stable, then you need to build a torsion box with plywood on both sides and an optional easily replaceable hard board top.

My work benches all have 2x6 tops made out of cheap, construction grade

2x's. They look good (like wood) and are strong enough for anything I've ever done. My main workbench is 30 years old, and has been used to build fine furniture, junk furniture, repair electric motors, rebuild gas engines, sharpen chain saws and about every other task one can come up with over a life time. I look at all the fancy "cabinet makers" work benches with the 3" hard wood tops, tool trays and what not and I shake my head... If I made one of these things I'd be afraid to use it, and besides, they generally have no storage in them and I would never build a bench, work bench, tool stand etc. without storage. I don't really care how big your shop is, you need more storage.

Is my main bench top beat up? Damn right it is, but it looks better to me than the day I built it. I planned on having to refinish or replace it periodically, but no way, no how. This is cheap, soft construction grade pine. Whats nice about that is I was never afraid to use it, I could always replace it easily and cheaply if I wanted too, just never found the need.

I might add I haven't seen much of the top in a few years, it is habitually covered in "stuff" If my memory is working, you are the guy that posted a picture of your bench in a once in a blue moon semi-uncluttered condition?

Reply to
Jack Stein

I don't know if this is going thru twice or not as my ISP connection went berzerk once I sent the message.

Could htis be the plans you may have seen for a benchtop with T-slots?

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seems somewhat intriqing to me but I am also afraid of the top that is made entorely of MDF. I was wondering if a piece or two of MDF sandwiched between pieces of plywood would be better for a top.

I can see where the T-slots could be extremely helpful and you wouldn't get the wear teh dog holes would probably cause in the MDF but I am afraid there may be other problems specific to the T-slots that may even be worse then screwed up dog holes....

ray

Reply to
busbus

Thats what I made my first bench out of but I ripped the things into

2x2's and glued them up. Still going strong after 30 years but that was my very first wood working project. I've since learned it's much better to use 2 x 6's as they are about as cheap, easier to find higher quality boards than the studs, and glue up is simple and fast.
Reply to
Jack Stein

Thanks Jack, I keep you comments in mind. The torsion box idea might be a good alternative. On the other hand I am not afraid of using a bench. ;~) Few of my tools or equipment look pristine. If I posted a picture of my bench it was a steel automotive work bench. Other than that I have a B&D work table about 3' square that I have had for almost 30 years. I would really like to remove the steel top from my current bench and hang it on the back side of a mobile "wooden" work bench so that I could fold it up and make my work surface area larger if needed.

Reply to
Leon

I picked up a 3'6" exterior solid core plain door at a contractor's garage sale for a few bucks. Works great. Has a tempered masonite type finish.

Chuck P.

Reply to
Pilgrim

Yup, eliminating that little bit of stooping saves a back-ache later in the day. I also picked up room for another shelf under the bench just by raising it a few inches, and there's no such thing as too much storage space.

Reply to
DGDevin

I think the people who install t-tracks in a bench don't do much hand tool work.

That's not a knock, we all have our favorite methods, but an observation.

Reply to
B A R R Y

Not to mention how stored items help keep a bench in place!

Reply to
B A R R Y

Of course. Some nails were found in advance of the cut, some were found during it. The former were removed with a great sense of satisfaction. The remainder not so much.

Reply to
TD Driver

Exactly, loading up those shelves really stabilized a fairly small bench. I even used that to rationalize buying some heavy tools to put on the shelves. ;~)

Reply to
DGDevin

Did the same thing, 2x4's on edge, but I drilled holes through each every

18" and used long all thread and torqued them together.. That was 25 years ago, still going strong

Phisherman wrote:

Reply to
evodawg

I'm not going to get rid of my dogholes, but I very well might add a row or two of T-trak as an adjunct.

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

I guess I don't see the point, IF one already has the clamps and everything to go with dog holes.

Reply to
-MIKE-

Dogholes provide clamping every N inches - 6" on my bench. T-traks provide clamping anywhere (linearly).

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

Well, think about it some more. Any size or shape dog of any material (wood, plastic, aluminum) can be mounted to a small shoe that rides in the bottom of the T slot, with a setscrew through the shoe to clamp the dog. There's no need for the T-slot to be accompanied by a stick-up bolt, of the metalwork milling holddown style.

How about a dovetail slot instead of T slot? It doesn't need metal parts, and a wedged dovetail dog would be easy to build.

Reply to
whit3rd

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