previous thread. Please ignore.
Ed
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
Workbench Design (revised) w/SketchUp
Loading thread data ...
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
Ed, Thank you for resending! Great looking bench! Is it as solid as it looks (any racking?)? What was the nature of the joinery that you used for the vertical trestles? Sharp side vise!!
Best Bill
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
I'll be lucky if mine comes out half as well...
Best, Bill
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
The bench is very solid and weighs a ton (not really). I have to drag it around occasionally, and no sign of racking.
Joinery on the legs to feet are double mortice and tenon. Stretchers are mortice & tenon. Cross pieces at the top of the legs are saddle joints. The trestles are set into recesses under the top and fastened with large screws in slots. Breadboard ends are traditional stopped tongue & groove (I guess you couls also call it a wide, short mortice & tenon).
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
Thank you! That sounds pretty close to the way Garrett Hack did it on his bench that I read about. Both of you folks had the advantage of having cut M&T joints before...I'll be practicing first!!! I ordered a DeWalt 2.25 Router (w/plunge and fixed base) this week to help out. I'll be looking up "saddle joint" in the next 5 minutes as that term is unfamiliar to me! Thank you for sharing these details with me.
Best, Bill
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
Congratuations on your new SawStop! I'm not good for much more than 100 pounds, but I could help you just about anytime after May 1, if you haven't already got it installed by then. Just give the word.
Bill
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
Cross pieces at the top of the legs are saddle joints. The trestles are set into recesses under the top and fastened with large screws in slots.
If I understand, then you already described what you mean by "saddle joints" above.
It appears that Mr. Hack affixed a board on one of both sides of each trestle top and used screws, of course, to affix the top. It sounds like your "recesses" are more like shallow mortises. Both designs sound solid (and better than I would have designed on my own). Hopefully, I'll be able to build a bench that can pass the "nickel test". ; ) I intend to start "production" in less than 2 weeks.
During the last few years I've been studying woodworking, but this will be my first real woodworking project since HS, when I last had access to some "shop space". I should probably practice my M&T joinery on some twobyfours, huh?
Bill
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
On Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:02:37 -0700 (PDT), the infamous ed_h scrawled the following:
-- "I think you very well may see a revolution in this country and it will not be a revolution to overthrow the government," he said. "It would be a revolution to restore government to its constitutional basis." --Rob Weaver on VoA, 4/19/10
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
milled, and dried on our property.").
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
Bill ... I can't wait to see how yours turns out!
I am definitely envious of these incredible workbenches folks in here have made. Really even too pretty to use. I wish I had enough room for one. However I am hoping to come up with a very small version for my woodcarving but I doubt I can make it look as good as these.
`Casper
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
In this context, this is what i meant by a saddle joint:
formatting link
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
Bill--
In this context, this is what i meant by a saddle joint:
formatting link
you, the picture is worth 1000 words. Mr. Hack used a double M&T joint. Your saddle joint looks easier to "fine tune" should the trestle tops need "leveling", should the wood warp for instance ; ) Thank you for the idea.
Bill
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
"corner bridle joint".
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
An excellent joint, but one caveat you need to consider: this is one joint that you will want to "pin", as it does not resist racking forces as well as a mortise and tenon joint.
After glueup, simply drill a couple of holes through the joint and drive appropriately sized wooden dowels (with glue on them) through the joint. Depending upon the size, two will usually do.
With a "corner bridle joint", this will give you much more resistance to racking forces.
That said, don't let this dissuade you from using the joint, as it is indeed excellent for your application.
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
Swingman,
TYVM for your suggestions! Your comments about the joint and the racking forces make a lot of sense.
Bill
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
"Swingman wrote: ,
After taking such care to get to this point, I might be surprised if one should merely screw the top to the top trestles. Of course there is about 20 linear inches on each top trestle available for screws!
Some options which allow for a removable top seem to be:
1) Screw the top trestles to the top 2) Screw the top trestles to the top and also "block them in" (add support around the top trestles by also screwing in wooden blocks around them) 3) Bolt the top trestles to the top (w/inset bolt) 4) Bolt the top trestles to the top (w/inset bolt) and bolt the support blocks! (no fooling around)(2) is definitely an improvement over (1), right? (4) looks like a "maintenance upgrade", if ever required.
Bill
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
I routed shallow pockets in the bottom of the table top to receive the tops of the trestles. The horizontal pieces at the top of the trestles had short slots milled in them for biggish screws to pass through and into the top. The slots allow for expansion and contraction of the top.
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
What you do depends upon whether you need to take seasonal expansion of the top into account.
Just another of many options that you have:
Most of the time I use figure eight fasteners for attaching any tops to aprons, or trestle bases, because the top can be easily removed, and they do take seasonal expansion into account.
Might be different with your workbench, depending upon how much strength you feel you need if you are going to move it around.
I generally advise against using the tops of tables/furniture as a carrying handles if they're fastened with figure eight fasteners, but the more you use, the stronger it would be (say eight, two on each side of each trestle.
Although not a workbench, that's what I did with this trestle table, and that top weights in at at well over 100lbs:
formatting link
said, my shop workbench top (not a traditional design but gets the same type use) is not even fastened to the under carriage except with key blocks, and it has never moved unless it was taken off on purpose for transport.
If you feel something like the figure eight fasteners will do the job for you, you do have to take care that they are aligned so that seasonal movement is indeed taken into account.
- Vote on answer
- posted
14 years ago
I routed shallow pockets in the bottom of the table top to receive the tops of the trestles. The horizontal pieces at the top of the trestles had short slots milled in them for biggish screws to pass through and into the top. The slots allow for expansion and contraction of the top.
The "routed pockets" and expansion slots are both good ideas! Your bench should give you plenty of great service!!
Bill