Workbench Design (revised) w/SketchUp

[Steve]

Oh, it's not too bad, once you lose the feeling in your fingers... I couldn't wait to assemble my bandsaw.

Whereabouts in Indiana, neighbor?

[Bill]

South of Indianapolis, not too far outside the I-465-loop. How about yourself?

Bill

[Bill]

The wood doesn't even like it when it's that cold, and there's that much snow! Fortunately, we seem to be entering grass growing season again--40 degrees at night though.

Bill

[Bill]

There was a time when that was my SOP! I made a "box hockey" game like that in my youth that was pretty popular among my friends. It had two hinges and folded up like a suitcase--it opened to 6 or 7 feet long and had a hole on each end ("goal") and a tunnel in the middle.. I'm sure I used nothing but a coping saw--and surely no more sandpaper than absolutely necessary. Painted it and the two plywood paddles black. The paddle that looked worse (remember that coping saw) was the good shooter...who would have known. I forget what we used for a puck. I made fancier stuff, a lamp, cutting board, bird feeder, etc. in HS, but the hockey game was surely my most enjoyed project. My mom is still using the cutting board daily after 30 years. but I've inquired enough to realize it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to her that it was handmade--it just works well. Yep, the hockey game was "sport"!

Bill

[Bill]

I'm going to try cutting them by hand first (following what I can do drilling with a DP). Thanks for the heads up... I did some reading about mortisers tonight. "My name is Bill and I think I have a machine problem...." : )

Bill

[Lew Hodgett]

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Just another good reason to have a plunge router.

Lew

[alexy]

room under the stretchers to be able to easily sweep out. You will probably end up with a shelf resting on those stretchers, and if the bottom is too low, it will be a PITA to clean under. DAMHIKT! Yours look to be high enough, but at least think about that and maybe mock something up before finalizing the design.

Wasting away wood to create this seems a shame. Why not just laminate a pad of the same wood as the trestle foot at all four ends, possibly routing a cove at the interior end before glue-up if you want that look.

[Bill]

Hmmm...Thinking along those lines makes a plunge router seem even more essential, at least for most of my current needs, than a drill press.

Thank you, Bill

[Swingman]

For the template in that picture, showing one method of routing a curved pattern in the feet, you will need router bits you can use with templates/patterns.

With router bits, only buy one when you need it for a particular job and you will soon have an arsenal of bits that are useful for what you do, instead of buying in "sets" and ending up with a drawer full of router bits you never use.

Here's an example of a flush trim patter bits:

?page=16976Try to get a couple of the longest you can find. You'll notice that one has the bearing close to the shank, one close to the end. Both will do the same job, but one will be handier for certain applications than the other.

If you do any work where you need to repeat curves and profiles in projects, get both, and buy the best you can afford. Cheap router bits will ruin a lot of expensive wood.

Amana is a good brand also, with some of the ones I have still going strong after more than a decade of use:

the 1/2" shank bits work the best with flush trim/pattern bits, with less chatter and a smoother cut.

[Bill]

I think you are right about the shelf, and you certainly have an fine out-of-the-box idea on an approach to get the sort of result I was after on the feet!

Thank you, Bill

[Bill]

Yes, I already decided to go that route (buying what I need, and avoiding cheap bits). I followed your links below and I was surprised to see a double bearing bit (don't think I've seen one before). I'm sure I could learn a thing or three more just browsing Amana's site. I read most of Bill Hylton's book ("Woodworking with the Router")a few years ago. Thank you for your suggestions!

Bill

[Bill]

Man, A lot o' bits.. Great diagrams! -Bill

[Upscale]

A double bearing bit has a number of advantages and is usually cheaper than two single bearing bits. As well as being able to remove the upper or lower bearing for a specific routing purpose, you can usually buy bearings of different diameters which lets the router bit cut different profiles.

[Bill]

Wow, Some very-cool possibilities (that were not obvious, at least not to me). Thanks!

[Steve]

North of Indianapolis, not too far outside the I-465 loop. Wanna come up and help unload a SawStop?

[Lew Hodgett]

------------------------------------------- That's puts you within spittin distance of the "Pyramids".

Lew

[Steve]

WIth a good headwind, true.

[Lew Hodgett]

"Steve" wrote:

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After a couple of rusty nails, all things are possible.

Lew

[Bill]

I had to look it up. An office complex--with a name like that, I thought it might be something more "romantic"...

[ed_h]

Bill--

I like your design. Here's a bench with a very similar design I made a couple of years ago: