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35K views 152 replies 40 participants last post by  Lazyman 
#1 ·
Quit thinking and relocate your donkey!

Okay, I've been determined to do a blog series on some project but they've all gotten away without being documented. But, I'm gonna document this build because I've been planning it for so long that it deserves some posterity!

This won't be a quick build given my limited shop time so don't expect daily updates and a wrap-up in a week. But, we'll get there so come along for the ride if you like.

I've wanted a new bench for a couple of years. I built one in my garage before I really started woodworking for general use. Don't get me wrong, it's served it's purpose and I'm glad I built it before I really understood what I needed/wanted in a bench because it was a cheap and quick build. 4Ă—4 legs with 2Ă—4 stretchers and a sheet of 3/4" plywood topped with leftover 3/4" oak flooring. I added dog holes and an end vise last year which was a big help. But the front corner sags so bad I have to shim the end of anything going "to the dogs". The bench is stout and heavy enough but the top has flex and is far from flat. It's too wide, too tall and is useless for clamping anything on edge.

So I started planning a new bench over a year ago. My design has undergone several incarnations until the current one which has been mostly unchanged for the past few months. I want it to be solid and usable first and foremost. Chris Schwarz' books have been a real help as have all the threads and project posts on this site that I've spent hours pouring over.

But, other projects and life have gotten in the way… until now. I told my wife that after I finish the 2 projects currently underway, I'm not taking anymore on until I build a bench. We'll see how well that goes ;-) But the stars have aligned… not only have I dedicated the immediate future to the build but I've acquired my material. I had all but given up on finding some good bench material at a good price and had resigned myself to using SYP ripped down and laminated. Don't misunderstand, the material is a proven good material for a bench, just not what I was envisioning. And then I found these (which are shown stickered up in my garage/shop waiting to be bent to my will):

Tire Automotive tire Wheel Road surface Vehicle


I found an ad on Craigslist for some 8/4 Walnut that was a great price so I went to look at it. When I got there, this guy had more lumber than most lumber yards. There were 2 barns full of stickered lumber. A garage full, piles covered with tarps everywhere. All wood he had felled and had milled over 3 decades. So, I passed on the 8/4 Walnut 'cause it wasn't dry but I mentioned I would be starting a bench soon and asked if he had any hard maple. All his maple was 4/4 so I skipped that too. So when I was about to leave empty handed, he asked if I'd be interested in some oak for my bench. I said "sure", if it's dry, the right size and the right price. So he walked me over to a pile and pulled the tarp back to reveal 80-100 BEAUTIFUL (in my eyes at least) oak 8X4s 12' long that he had milled over a decade ago to build a sauna, which he'd given up on by now. "How much" I says. "How's $25 a piece?" he says. Well that's $.70 per bf. So, they're in my garage. 5 should be plenty for the bench but he's got plenty more if I need 'em :p. I also ended up with a 3X10 slab of Walnut that's been drying for 4 years that he gave me for dirt cheap 'cause it's about 1/2 sapwood. I plan to use it for my vice chops and maybe border the oak with it, we'll see.

So I have the time. I have the material. I have my design. Time to relocate my donkey! (I stole that quote from LJ Brian Noel ;-P)

Next time, I'll give a little detail on my design and how I arrived at it.

Thanks for stopping by!
 

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#2 ·
Quit thinking and relocate your donkey!

Okay, I've been determined to do a blog series on some project but they've all gotten away without being documented. But, I'm gonna document this build because I've been planning it for so long that it deserves some posterity!

This won't be a quick build given my limited shop time so don't expect daily updates and a wrap-up in a week. But, we'll get there so come along for the ride if you like.

I've wanted a new bench for a couple of years. I built one in my garage before I really started woodworking for general use. Don't get me wrong, it's served it's purpose and I'm glad I built it before I really understood what I needed/wanted in a bench because it was a cheap and quick build. 4Ă—4 legs with 2Ă—4 stretchers and a sheet of 3/4" plywood topped with leftover 3/4" oak flooring. I added dog holes and an end vise last year which was a big help. But the front corner sags so bad I have to shim the end of anything going "to the dogs". The bench is stout and heavy enough but the top has flex and is far from flat. It's too wide, too tall and is useless for clamping anything on edge.

So I started planning a new bench over a year ago. My design has undergone several incarnations until the current one which has been mostly unchanged for the past few months. I want it to be solid and usable first and foremost. Chris Schwarz' books have been a real help as have all the threads and project posts on this site that I've spent hours pouring over.

But, other projects and life have gotten in the way… until now. I told my wife that after I finish the 2 projects currently underway, I'm not taking anymore on until I build a bench. We'll see how well that goes ;-) But the stars have aligned… not only have I dedicated the immediate future to the build but I've acquired my material. I had all but given up on finding some good bench material at a good price and had resigned myself to using SYP ripped down and laminated. Don't misunderstand, the material is a proven good material for a bench, just not what I was envisioning. And then I found these (which are shown stickered up in my garage/shop waiting to be bent to my will):

Tire Automotive tire Wheel Road surface Vehicle


I found an ad on Craigslist for some 8/4 Walnut that was a great price so I went to look at it. When I got there, this guy had more lumber than most lumber yards. There were 2 barns full of stickered lumber. A garage full, piles covered with tarps everywhere. All wood he had felled and had milled over 3 decades. So, I passed on the 8/4 Walnut 'cause it wasn't dry but I mentioned I would be starting a bench soon and asked if he had any hard maple. All his maple was 4/4 so I skipped that too. So when I was about to leave empty handed, he asked if I'd be interested in some oak for my bench. I said "sure", if it's dry, the right size and the right price. So he walked me over to a pile and pulled the tarp back to reveal 80-100 BEAUTIFUL (in my eyes at least) oak 8X4s 12' long that he had milled over a decade ago to build a sauna, which he'd given up on by now. "How much" I says. "How's $25 a piece?" he says. Well that's $.70 per bf. So, they're in my garage. 5 should be plenty for the bench but he's got plenty more if I need 'em :p. I also ended up with a 3X10 slab of Walnut that's been drying for 4 years that he gave me for dirt cheap 'cause it's about 1/2 sapwood. I plan to use it for my vice chops and maybe border the oak with it, we'll see.

So I have the time. I have the material. I have my design. Time to relocate my donkey! (I stole that quote from LJ Brian Noel ;-P)

Next time, I'll give a little detail on my design and how I arrived at it.

Thanks for stopping by!
This is exciting, Kenny. And it sounds like you found a honey hole for future wood buying too!
 

Attachments

#3 ·
Quit thinking and relocate your donkey!

Okay, I've been determined to do a blog series on some project but they've all gotten away without being documented. But, I'm gonna document this build because I've been planning it for so long that it deserves some posterity!

This won't be a quick build given my limited shop time so don't expect daily updates and a wrap-up in a week. But, we'll get there so come along for the ride if you like.

I've wanted a new bench for a couple of years. I built one in my garage before I really started woodworking for general use. Don't get me wrong, it's served it's purpose and I'm glad I built it before I really understood what I needed/wanted in a bench because it was a cheap and quick build. 4Ă—4 legs with 2Ă—4 stretchers and a sheet of 3/4" plywood topped with leftover 3/4" oak flooring. I added dog holes and an end vise last year which was a big help. But the front corner sags so bad I have to shim the end of anything going "to the dogs". The bench is stout and heavy enough but the top has flex and is far from flat. It's too wide, too tall and is useless for clamping anything on edge.

So I started planning a new bench over a year ago. My design has undergone several incarnations until the current one which has been mostly unchanged for the past few months. I want it to be solid and usable first and foremost. Chris Schwarz' books have been a real help as have all the threads and project posts on this site that I've spent hours pouring over.

But, other projects and life have gotten in the way… until now. I told my wife that after I finish the 2 projects currently underway, I'm not taking anymore on until I build a bench. We'll see how well that goes ;-) But the stars have aligned… not only have I dedicated the immediate future to the build but I've acquired my material. I had all but given up on finding some good bench material at a good price and had resigned myself to using SYP ripped down and laminated. Don't misunderstand, the material is a proven good material for a bench, just not what I was envisioning. And then I found these (which are shown stickered up in my garage/shop waiting to be bent to my will):

Tire Automotive tire Wheel Road surface Vehicle


I found an ad on Craigslist for some 8/4 Walnut that was a great price so I went to look at it. When I got there, this guy had more lumber than most lumber yards. There were 2 barns full of stickered lumber. A garage full, piles covered with tarps everywhere. All wood he had felled and had milled over 3 decades. So, I passed on the 8/4 Walnut 'cause it wasn't dry but I mentioned I would be starting a bench soon and asked if he had any hard maple. All his maple was 4/4 so I skipped that too. So when I was about to leave empty handed, he asked if I'd be interested in some oak for my bench. I said "sure", if it's dry, the right size and the right price. So he walked me over to a pile and pulled the tarp back to reveal 80-100 BEAUTIFUL (in my eyes at least) oak 8X4s 12' long that he had milled over a decade ago to build a sauna, which he'd given up on by now. "How much" I says. "How's $25 a piece?" he says. Well that's $.70 per bf. So, they're in my garage. 5 should be plenty for the bench but he's got plenty more if I need 'em :p. I also ended up with a 3X10 slab of Walnut that's been drying for 4 years that he gave me for dirt cheap 'cause it's about 1/2 sapwood. I plan to use it for my vice chops and maybe border the oak with it, we'll see.

So I have the time. I have the material. I have my design. Time to relocate my donkey! (I stole that quote from LJ Brian Noel ;-P)

Next time, I'll give a little detail on my design and how I arrived at it.

Thanks for stopping by!
"which are shown stickered up in my garage/shop waiting to be bent to my will):"

Good luck on bending those things but they sure will be an awesome bench. Heavy too!
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Quit thinking and relocate your donkey!

Okay, I've been determined to do a blog series on some project but they've all gotten away without being documented. But, I'm gonna document this build because I've been planning it for so long that it deserves some posterity!

This won't be a quick build given my limited shop time so don't expect daily updates and a wrap-up in a week. But, we'll get there so come along for the ride if you like.

I've wanted a new bench for a couple of years. I built one in my garage before I really started woodworking for general use. Don't get me wrong, it's served it's purpose and I'm glad I built it before I really understood what I needed/wanted in a bench because it was a cheap and quick build. 4Ă—4 legs with 2Ă—4 stretchers and a sheet of 3/4" plywood topped with leftover 3/4" oak flooring. I added dog holes and an end vise last year which was a big help. But the front corner sags so bad I have to shim the end of anything going "to the dogs". The bench is stout and heavy enough but the top has flex and is far from flat. It's too wide, too tall and is useless for clamping anything on edge.

So I started planning a new bench over a year ago. My design has undergone several incarnations until the current one which has been mostly unchanged for the past few months. I want it to be solid and usable first and foremost. Chris Schwarz' books have been a real help as have all the threads and project posts on this site that I've spent hours pouring over.

But, other projects and life have gotten in the way… until now. I told my wife that after I finish the 2 projects currently underway, I'm not taking anymore on until I build a bench. We'll see how well that goes ;-) But the stars have aligned… not only have I dedicated the immediate future to the build but I've acquired my material. I had all but given up on finding some good bench material at a good price and had resigned myself to using SYP ripped down and laminated. Don't misunderstand, the material is a proven good material for a bench, just not what I was envisioning. And then I found these (which are shown stickered up in my garage/shop waiting to be bent to my will):

Tire Automotive tire Wheel Road surface Vehicle


I found an ad on Craigslist for some 8/4 Walnut that was a great price so I went to look at it. When I got there, this guy had more lumber than most lumber yards. There were 2 barns full of stickered lumber. A garage full, piles covered with tarps everywhere. All wood he had felled and had milled over 3 decades. So, I passed on the 8/4 Walnut 'cause it wasn't dry but I mentioned I would be starting a bench soon and asked if he had any hard maple. All his maple was 4/4 so I skipped that too. So when I was about to leave empty handed, he asked if I'd be interested in some oak for my bench. I said "sure", if it's dry, the right size and the right price. So he walked me over to a pile and pulled the tarp back to reveal 80-100 BEAUTIFUL (in my eyes at least) oak 8X4s 12' long that he had milled over a decade ago to build a sauna, which he'd given up on by now. "How much" I says. "How's $25 a piece?" he says. Well that's $.70 per bf. So, they're in my garage. 5 should be plenty for the bench but he's got plenty more if I need 'em :p. I also ended up with a 3X10 slab of Walnut that's been drying for 4 years that he gave me for dirt cheap 'cause it's about 1/2 sapwood. I plan to use it for my vice chops and maybe border the oak with it, we'll see.

So I have the time. I have the material. I have my design. Time to relocate my donkey! (I stole that quote from LJ Brian Noel ;-P)

Next time, I'll give a little detail on my design and how I arrived at it.

Thanks for stopping by!
I have no complaints about the hardwood dealers in Houston, but I have yet to find any odd-ball scores like that around here. Maybe you have to be further removed from major demand centers.
 

Attachments

#5 ·
Quit thinking and relocate your donkey!

Okay, I've been determined to do a blog series on some project but they've all gotten away without being documented. But, I'm gonna document this build because I've been planning it for so long that it deserves some posterity!

This won't be a quick build given my limited shop time so don't expect daily updates and a wrap-up in a week. But, we'll get there so come along for the ride if you like.

I've wanted a new bench for a couple of years. I built one in my garage before I really started woodworking for general use. Don't get me wrong, it's served it's purpose and I'm glad I built it before I really understood what I needed/wanted in a bench because it was a cheap and quick build. 4Ă—4 legs with 2Ă—4 stretchers and a sheet of 3/4" plywood topped with leftover 3/4" oak flooring. I added dog holes and an end vise last year which was a big help. But the front corner sags so bad I have to shim the end of anything going "to the dogs". The bench is stout and heavy enough but the top has flex and is far from flat. It's too wide, too tall and is useless for clamping anything on edge.

So I started planning a new bench over a year ago. My design has undergone several incarnations until the current one which has been mostly unchanged for the past few months. I want it to be solid and usable first and foremost. Chris Schwarz' books have been a real help as have all the threads and project posts on this site that I've spent hours pouring over.

But, other projects and life have gotten in the way… until now. I told my wife that after I finish the 2 projects currently underway, I'm not taking anymore on until I build a bench. We'll see how well that goes ;-) But the stars have aligned… not only have I dedicated the immediate future to the build but I've acquired my material. I had all but given up on finding some good bench material at a good price and had resigned myself to using SYP ripped down and laminated. Don't misunderstand, the material is a proven good material for a bench, just not what I was envisioning. And then I found these (which are shown stickered up in my garage/shop waiting to be bent to my will):

Tire Automotive tire Wheel Road surface Vehicle


I found an ad on Craigslist for some 8/4 Walnut that was a great price so I went to look at it. When I got there, this guy had more lumber than most lumber yards. There were 2 barns full of stickered lumber. A garage full, piles covered with tarps everywhere. All wood he had felled and had milled over 3 decades. So, I passed on the 8/4 Walnut 'cause it wasn't dry but I mentioned I would be starting a bench soon and asked if he had any hard maple. All his maple was 4/4 so I skipped that too. So when I was about to leave empty handed, he asked if I'd be interested in some oak for my bench. I said "sure", if it's dry, the right size and the right price. So he walked me over to a pile and pulled the tarp back to reveal 80-100 BEAUTIFUL (in my eyes at least) oak 8X4s 12' long that he had milled over a decade ago to build a sauna, which he'd given up on by now. "How much" I says. "How's $25 a piece?" he says. Well that's $.70 per bf. So, they're in my garage. 5 should be plenty for the bench but he's got plenty more if I need 'em :p. I also ended up with a 3X10 slab of Walnut that's been drying for 4 years that he gave me for dirt cheap 'cause it's about 1/2 sapwood. I plan to use it for my vice chops and maybe border the oak with it, we'll see.

So I have the time. I have the material. I have my design. Time to relocate my donkey! (I stole that quote from LJ Brian Noel ;-P)

Next time, I'll give a little detail on my design and how I arrived at it.

Thanks for stopping by!
Man you're all set so get er done. LOL
 

Attachments

#6 ·
Quit thinking and relocate your donkey!

Okay, I've been determined to do a blog series on some project but they've all gotten away without being documented. But, I'm gonna document this build because I've been planning it for so long that it deserves some posterity!

This won't be a quick build given my limited shop time so don't expect daily updates and a wrap-up in a week. But, we'll get there so come along for the ride if you like.

I've wanted a new bench for a couple of years. I built one in my garage before I really started woodworking for general use. Don't get me wrong, it's served it's purpose and I'm glad I built it before I really understood what I needed/wanted in a bench because it was a cheap and quick build. 4Ă—4 legs with 2Ă—4 stretchers and a sheet of 3/4" plywood topped with leftover 3/4" oak flooring. I added dog holes and an end vise last year which was a big help. But the front corner sags so bad I have to shim the end of anything going "to the dogs". The bench is stout and heavy enough but the top has flex and is far from flat. It's too wide, too tall and is useless for clamping anything on edge.

So I started planning a new bench over a year ago. My design has undergone several incarnations until the current one which has been mostly unchanged for the past few months. I want it to be solid and usable first and foremost. Chris Schwarz' books have been a real help as have all the threads and project posts on this site that I've spent hours pouring over.

But, other projects and life have gotten in the way… until now. I told my wife that after I finish the 2 projects currently underway, I'm not taking anymore on until I build a bench. We'll see how well that goes ;-) But the stars have aligned… not only have I dedicated the immediate future to the build but I've acquired my material. I had all but given up on finding some good bench material at a good price and had resigned myself to using SYP ripped down and laminated. Don't misunderstand, the material is a proven good material for a bench, just not what I was envisioning. And then I found these (which are shown stickered up in my garage/shop waiting to be bent to my will):

Tire Automotive tire Wheel Road surface Vehicle


I found an ad on Craigslist for some 8/4 Walnut that was a great price so I went to look at it. When I got there, this guy had more lumber than most lumber yards. There were 2 barns full of stickered lumber. A garage full, piles covered with tarps everywhere. All wood he had felled and had milled over 3 decades. So, I passed on the 8/4 Walnut 'cause it wasn't dry but I mentioned I would be starting a bench soon and asked if he had any hard maple. All his maple was 4/4 so I skipped that too. So when I was about to leave empty handed, he asked if I'd be interested in some oak for my bench. I said "sure", if it's dry, the right size and the right price. So he walked me over to a pile and pulled the tarp back to reveal 80-100 BEAUTIFUL (in my eyes at least) oak 8X4s 12' long that he had milled over a decade ago to build a sauna, which he'd given up on by now. "How much" I says. "How's $25 a piece?" he says. Well that's $.70 per bf. So, they're in my garage. 5 should be plenty for the bench but he's got plenty more if I need 'em :p. I also ended up with a 3X10 slab of Walnut that's been drying for 4 years that he gave me for dirt cheap 'cause it's about 1/2 sapwood. I plan to use it for my vice chops and maybe border the oak with it, we'll see.

So I have the time. I have the material. I have my design. Time to relocate my donkey! (I stole that quote from LJ Brian Noel ;-P)

Next time, I'll give a little detail on my design and how I arrived at it.

Thanks for stopping by!
Wow, nice score! Looking forward to the blog
 

Attachments

#7 ·
Quit thinking and relocate your donkey!

Okay, I've been determined to do a blog series on some project but they've all gotten away without being documented. But, I'm gonna document this build because I've been planning it for so long that it deserves some posterity!

This won't be a quick build given my limited shop time so don't expect daily updates and a wrap-up in a week. But, we'll get there so come along for the ride if you like.

I've wanted a new bench for a couple of years. I built one in my garage before I really started woodworking for general use. Don't get me wrong, it's served it's purpose and I'm glad I built it before I really understood what I needed/wanted in a bench because it was a cheap and quick build. 4Ă—4 legs with 2Ă—4 stretchers and a sheet of 3/4" plywood topped with leftover 3/4" oak flooring. I added dog holes and an end vise last year which was a big help. But the front corner sags so bad I have to shim the end of anything going "to the dogs". The bench is stout and heavy enough but the top has flex and is far from flat. It's too wide, too tall and is useless for clamping anything on edge.

So I started planning a new bench over a year ago. My design has undergone several incarnations until the current one which has been mostly unchanged for the past few months. I want it to be solid and usable first and foremost. Chris Schwarz' books have been a real help as have all the threads and project posts on this site that I've spent hours pouring over.

But, other projects and life have gotten in the way… until now. I told my wife that after I finish the 2 projects currently underway, I'm not taking anymore on until I build a bench. We'll see how well that goes ;-) But the stars have aligned… not only have I dedicated the immediate future to the build but I've acquired my material. I had all but given up on finding some good bench material at a good price and had resigned myself to using SYP ripped down and laminated. Don't misunderstand, the material is a proven good material for a bench, just not what I was envisioning. And then I found these (which are shown stickered up in my garage/shop waiting to be bent to my will):

Tire Automotive tire Wheel Road surface Vehicle


I found an ad on Craigslist for some 8/4 Walnut that was a great price so I went to look at it. When I got there, this guy had more lumber than most lumber yards. There were 2 barns full of stickered lumber. A garage full, piles covered with tarps everywhere. All wood he had felled and had milled over 3 decades. So, I passed on the 8/4 Walnut 'cause it wasn't dry but I mentioned I would be starting a bench soon and asked if he had any hard maple. All his maple was 4/4 so I skipped that too. So when I was about to leave empty handed, he asked if I'd be interested in some oak for my bench. I said "sure", if it's dry, the right size and the right price. So he walked me over to a pile and pulled the tarp back to reveal 80-100 BEAUTIFUL (in my eyes at least) oak 8X4s 12' long that he had milled over a decade ago to build a sauna, which he'd given up on by now. "How much" I says. "How's $25 a piece?" he says. Well that's $.70 per bf. So, they're in my garage. 5 should be plenty for the bench but he's got plenty more if I need 'em :p. I also ended up with a 3X10 slab of Walnut that's been drying for 4 years that he gave me for dirt cheap 'cause it's about 1/2 sapwood. I plan to use it for my vice chops and maybe border the oak with it, we'll see.

So I have the time. I have the material. I have my design. Time to relocate my donkey! (I stole that quote from LJ Brian Noel ;-P)

Next time, I'll give a little detail on my design and how I arrived at it.

Thanks for stopping by!
You lucky Dog. Great score.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
Quit thinking and relocate your donkey!

Okay, I've been determined to do a blog series on some project but they've all gotten away without being documented. But, I'm gonna document this build because I've been planning it for so long that it deserves some posterity!

This won't be a quick build given my limited shop time so don't expect daily updates and a wrap-up in a week. But, we'll get there so come along for the ride if you like.

I've wanted a new bench for a couple of years. I built one in my garage before I really started woodworking for general use. Don't get me wrong, it's served it's purpose and I'm glad I built it before I really understood what I needed/wanted in a bench because it was a cheap and quick build. 4Ă—4 legs with 2Ă—4 stretchers and a sheet of 3/4" plywood topped with leftover 3/4" oak flooring. I added dog holes and an end vise last year which was a big help. But the front corner sags so bad I have to shim the end of anything going "to the dogs". The bench is stout and heavy enough but the top has flex and is far from flat. It's too wide, too tall and is useless for clamping anything on edge.

So I started planning a new bench over a year ago. My design has undergone several incarnations until the current one which has been mostly unchanged for the past few months. I want it to be solid and usable first and foremost. Chris Schwarz' books have been a real help as have all the threads and project posts on this site that I've spent hours pouring over.

But, other projects and life have gotten in the way… until now. I told my wife that after I finish the 2 projects currently underway, I'm not taking anymore on until I build a bench. We'll see how well that goes ;-) But the stars have aligned… not only have I dedicated the immediate future to the build but I've acquired my material. I had all but given up on finding some good bench material at a good price and had resigned myself to using SYP ripped down and laminated. Don't misunderstand, the material is a proven good material for a bench, just not what I was envisioning. And then I found these (which are shown stickered up in my garage/shop waiting to be bent to my will):

Tire Automotive tire Wheel Road surface Vehicle


I found an ad on Craigslist for some 8/4 Walnut that was a great price so I went to look at it. When I got there, this guy had more lumber than most lumber yards. There were 2 barns full of stickered lumber. A garage full, piles covered with tarps everywhere. All wood he had felled and had milled over 3 decades. So, I passed on the 8/4 Walnut 'cause it wasn't dry but I mentioned I would be starting a bench soon and asked if he had any hard maple. All his maple was 4/4 so I skipped that too. So when I was about to leave empty handed, he asked if I'd be interested in some oak for my bench. I said "sure", if it's dry, the right size and the right price. So he walked me over to a pile and pulled the tarp back to reveal 80-100 BEAUTIFUL (in my eyes at least) oak 8X4s 12' long that he had milled over a decade ago to build a sauna, which he'd given up on by now. "How much" I says. "How's $25 a piece?" he says. Well that's $.70 per bf. So, they're in my garage. 5 should be plenty for the bench but he's got plenty more if I need 'em :p. I also ended up with a 3X10 slab of Walnut that's been drying for 4 years that he gave me for dirt cheap 'cause it's about 1/2 sapwood. I plan to use it for my vice chops and maybe border the oak with it, we'll see.

So I have the time. I have the material. I have my design. Time to relocate my donkey! (I stole that quote from LJ Brian Noel ;-P)

Next time, I'll give a little detail on my design and how I arrived at it.

Thanks for stopping by!
I can tell you one thing…..You made out like a bandit on scoring that wood….If all turns out ok, you'll have one heck of a bench….A shop has to have a good solid, level bench to to get accurate layouts, cuts, and glue ups…
 

Attachments

#9 ·
My (almost) Final Design... maybe... sorta

Well I'm back. In this entry, I'll be showing you my design and going over why I made some of the decisions that I did and why I'm still kinda floundering on a couple more. So, on with it!

Here's a view of my 3D model. As you can see it's very similar to a split top Roubo.

Table Furniture Outdoor table Rectangle Outdoor furniture


I tried to decide for months whether or not to put a tool tray in and whether or not to make it a split top. I ultimately decided that I definitely need a tool tray. There is always a tote full of tools on my bench that is consistently in my way. I started really paying attention to, and evaluating, my work habits and a tool tray is absolutely something I want.

More on that in a moment…

Now how about a split top? Nope. Never really liked the gaping chasm between the 2 pieces. My bench is used for assembly as well as everything else (including wrapping gifts at Christmas) so, I want a solid, continuous piece for the top. So where does the tool tray go?

As you can see in the model, there are actually 2 "holes". I intend to use one for a chisel/saw type holder and the other as a tool well. Both will be removable and can be flipped over to be flush with the bench top in the event that becomes necessary (although I doubt it will). Between the 2 "holes" and on each end will be oak pieces glued to the rest of the top. So it's still continuous all the way across. I'm also going to fix it so the chisel-type holder can be pulled up slightly to act as a planing stop.

Here are the measurements:
Rectangle Parallel Design Pattern Drawing


Everything will be made from the Oak beams I showed in the first entry of this blog except I'm considering bordering the top with some 4/4 Walnut just to make it purrdy ;-P I expect to finish out the beams at 3.5 X 7.5, maybe a little more but I drew it up at those dimensions. I like having the 7.5" wide legs but decided to laminate another inch onto the front to make them 4.5" deep. It gives better proportions and allows me to cut the mortises for the long stretchers with a dado stack before lamination. In fact, with this design, the only mortises I'll have to chop will be the ones for the short stretchers. And believe me, that's more than enough for my tastes.

Speaking of joinery, the stretchers will all be joined to the legs with drawbored M&T, blind on the shorts and through on the longs. I keep waffling on the joinery for the top though. I like the look of the through mortise and dovetail but I'm also not sure I want the exposed endgrain on the top. I'm also considering just a large blind mortise for each leg. Still am not positive one way or the other but I'm leaning toward the tenon/dovetail as shown.

There will be a shelf on the bottom that will house a small bank of drawers. I know Chris Schwarz just cried a little but I simply need them. I have stuff on a shelf under my bench now that simply has no place to go in my small shop. I'll set them back about 6" from the front and leave 8-12" clearance from the bottom of the top. That way they won't interfere with clamping of any sort.

There will be a simple end vise on the right side that will span the full width and dog holes as shown. You can see the cutouts for leg vise hardware on the front left leg. I put the cutouts in the model so I wouldn't put my stretchers in the way. I don't think I need a sliding deadman but can add one later if I change my mind.

So that's where I'm at. Whaddya think?

Next time, I should be underway on getting those big-assed beams cut to rough length and surfaced!
 

Attachments

#10 ·
My (almost) Final Design... maybe... sorta

Well I'm back. In this entry, I'll be showing you my design and going over why I made some of the decisions that I did and why I'm still kinda floundering on a couple more. So, on with it!

Here's a view of my 3D model. As you can see it's very similar to a split top Roubo.

Table Furniture Outdoor table Rectangle Outdoor furniture


I tried to decide for months whether or not to put a tool tray in and whether or not to make it a split top. I ultimately decided that I definitely need a tool tray. There is always a tote full of tools on my bench that is consistently in my way. I started really paying attention to, and evaluating, my work habits and a tool tray is absolutely something I want.

More on that in a moment…

Now how about a split top? Nope. Never really liked the gaping chasm between the 2 pieces. My bench is used for assembly as well as everything else (including wrapping gifts at Christmas) so, I want a solid, continuous piece for the top. So where does the tool tray go?

As you can see in the model, there are actually 2 "holes". I intend to use one for a chisel/saw type holder and the other as a tool well. Both will be removable and can be flipped over to be flush with the bench top in the event that becomes necessary (although I doubt it will). Between the 2 "holes" and on each end will be oak pieces glued to the rest of the top. So it's still continuous all the way across. I'm also going to fix it so the chisel-type holder can be pulled up slightly to act as a planing stop.

Here are the measurements:
Rectangle Parallel Design Pattern Drawing


Everything will be made from the Oak beams I showed in the first entry of this blog except I'm considering bordering the top with some 4/4 Walnut just to make it purrdy ;-P I expect to finish out the beams at 3.5 X 7.5, maybe a little more but I drew it up at those dimensions. I like having the 7.5" wide legs but decided to laminate another inch onto the front to make them 4.5" deep. It gives better proportions and allows me to cut the mortises for the long stretchers with a dado stack before lamination. In fact, with this design, the only mortises I'll have to chop will be the ones for the short stretchers. And believe me, that's more than enough for my tastes.

Speaking of joinery, the stretchers will all be joined to the legs with drawbored M&T, blind on the shorts and through on the longs. I keep waffling on the joinery for the top though. I like the look of the through mortise and dovetail but I'm also not sure I want the exposed endgrain on the top. I'm also considering just a large blind mortise for each leg. Still am not positive one way or the other but I'm leaning toward the tenon/dovetail as shown.

There will be a shelf on the bottom that will house a small bank of drawers. I know Chris Schwarz just cried a little but I simply need them. I have stuff on a shelf under my bench now that simply has no place to go in my small shop. I'll set them back about 6" from the front and leave 8-12" clearance from the bottom of the top. That way they won't interfere with clamping of any sort.

There will be a simple end vise on the right side that will span the full width and dog holes as shown. You can see the cutouts for leg vise hardware on the front left leg. I put the cutouts in the model so I wouldn't put my stretchers in the way. I don't think I need a sliding deadman but can add one later if I change my mind.

So that's where I'm at. Whaddya think?

Next time, I should be underway on getting those big-assed beams cut to rough length and surfaced!
I love my under bench drawers, just sayin'. Let the Anarchist cry if he must.
 

Attachments

#13 ·
I'm getting to the beginning...

I was actually at the beginning last weekend. I was all excited to get out to the shop and start cutting these beasts down to rough lengths and go to work with the scrub plane. And then…

Well, I've been kinda amassing a bunch of crap over the last few years. I have wet grinders, antique table saws, old hand saws, bench vises, scroll saws, 'bout 1/2 dozen electric motors and a ton of miscellaneous crap that I've just kinda been piling up in whatever empty floor space I could see that wasn't in my way. It got a bit out of hand.

When I went to start cutting my timbers down, I realized WTF am I going to work on these 12' behemoths? So I had to do a little self-flagellation and make myself purge and reorganize my shop before allowing myself to start the new bench :-((

Anyway, just wanted to update that I haven't started yet. Hopefully within 2 weeks I can make the shop respectable and get to it!

In the meantime, I'm gonna solicit some advise:

My original plan for milling my beams was to cut to rough lengths, scrub one face "flat enough" and take a couple of light passes through the planer to "joint" the opposite face (beams are too wide for my 6" jointer). Then plane to thickness and joint one edge square on the jointer. Then I intended to stand the beams on the jointed edge and run them through the planer to get finished width. Well, my planer can only do 6" vertically and these guys are 8" wide. I can hand plane them but I don't want to. I have trouble getting stuff flat, square and parallel all at the same time (pick 1, 2 if you're lucky). Also, hand planing 60' of white oak is a lot of work and I'm lazy.

So how do I get these guys to final width? I'm leaning towards doing it in 2 passes on the table saw and then hitting it with a jointer plane to clean it up. I could do it on the bandsaw but I think it would bring my little 10" benchtop BS to its knees in a pool of tears. Hoping you guys have a magic bullet for me on this one.
 
#14 ·
  1. Ask if you can use the planar at the high school wood shop.
  2. Build a quick and dirty router planar. Set the beam to be flattened across two sawhorses or on the floor, maybe shim to make level. Use two jointed 2 by 8 rails clamped to the side of the beam. Get a router with 1/2 collet and a bottom cleaning bit. (On sale from MLCS). (I got a router and router controller from HF.) Build a track using two angle irons to slide the router back and forth between. The track rides on the rails. A couple of passes it will be flat in no time and you will be covered in sawdust. Flip to do the backside. Later after the legs are on you may want to smooth and flatten the top with hand planes, but it may not be necessary. Build something nice for you girlfriend out of the no-longer need rails.
 
#18 ·
Breaking Wind

You guys thought I'd forgotten about the blog didn't you? Well never fear, here is yet another exciting and timely entry! ;-)

Due to some family issues the last month, I've had very limited shop time. I finally got a chance to get started this weekend. So, I cut the first beam to rough length and went to work flattening it. I scrubbed one face until it looked flat enough and ran it through the planer taking light passes to flatten the opposite face. I was feeling good about my progress, until I put a straight edge on the freshly-planed surface :-( Even with a 48" straight edge on the 82" timber, I could detect a bow. Well, the back side was obviously not completely flat, I didn't think it would need to be! I mean these timbers are 4" thick, I thought light passes would prevent the planer from bending them too much. Think again!

Now, I have a jig I made to joint wide faces in the planer. It works a trick but, it's only 60" long. I could make a longer one but, that means buying a full sheet of ply and I don't really want to. So it was time to learn to flatten, REALLY flatten long timbers using hand planes. I have spent a fair amount of time learning to use my planes and think I've gotten pretty proficient, on small stuff. Turns out, these big, long, well-seasoned, hard-assed white oak beams are a whole different animal.

I flipped the timber back to the other side and stretched a chalk line over the length to identify the high spots and scrubbed them down cross-grain. Then, using a 24" straight edge, I went down the beam a section at a time and worked diagonal to the grain with a jack plane. I had to sharpen my iron twice. Time for a Hock iron to go on my Christmas list to fit the #5. Finally I had it pretty close to flat (if a bit rough) down the full length. So then, I used the straight edge across the width and worked the jack with the grain to flatten the cup. Okay, it took me 2 hours so far but, I'm feeling pretty good again that I've got this tiger by the tail. I ran the jointer plane down the beam until I got full width shavings for the most part across the whole timber. Whew!

I pulled my chalk line again. Thumbs up! Laid the straight edge across the width and went down the length. Check! Woo-hoo, back to the planer. Let's slay some electrons! 2-1/2 hours of hand planing oak wore my butt out. So I laid the timber across my tablesaw while I checked my planer setting and turned on the DC. I went to pick it up and when I laid hands on it, it wobbled :-( Must just be a chip under it… Nope. But it's flat damnit! It's flat along the length and across the width! It CAN NOT BE ROCKING!!! So, I did the only rational, level-headed thing any grown man would do. I threw something, cursed, curled up in a fetal position in the floor and cried.

Well after an hour or so of that, it turned out that no matter how many tears I shed or how vulgar my language, the beam still rocked on the table saw. Well, stretching my chalk line across the diagonals showed a twist that I hadn't detected previously. Normally, my jointer or my jointing jig for the planer will take care of a little twist so I've never really dealt with it intimately.

I wrapped up for the day. I had plans that evening and I was tired and frustrated. So, yesterday I went back bright-eyed and bushy tailed and decided that given the # of these timbers I have, I need to be methodical. First order of business being to flatten one face with hand planes. And not just sorta flatten but really flatten. Chalk line and straight edges take care of most of the work but what about the twist? Well, recently there was a forum post about making winding sticks and I've seen several online over the years but never saw the need for them with power tools. I was up for a side-project and a little gratification anyway so yesterday was spent making a pair.

I read Paul Seller's blog post on making winding sticks and a couple of the Schwarz's blogs about them. After getting a feel for how to go about it, I decided to just start working and "wing" the design as I went.

I started by looking for a straight-grained, stable piece of wood that was long enough. I thought I had some QSWO but I was mistaken. I did have a 22" piece of Jatoba left over from some other projects that appeared to be my best bet. It was straight-grained and clear but it had a knot near one end. I figure the knot will be stable enough for this project and if it goes to acting-up in the future, I'll just cut the sticks down to a shorter set.

I started by four-squaring the 5/4 stock and then laid out a rip line on one end that looked right to rip the stock into 2 pieces. The profile of the pieces ended up being roughly as shown:

Rectangle Parallel Slope Diagram Font


I ripped the angle on the bandsaw and planed the angled faces smooth. I then re-checked and flattened and squared any distortion from the rip and made sure the two pieces were the same height and that the tops and bottoms were parallel. I also took great pains to be certain that the tops and bottoms were truly flat so I can use them as straight edges as well. After that was done, I did some inlays.

Now there are several different types of inlays and some advocate no inlays at all. I felt that contrasting inlays would be helpful in use and decided on the type Chris Shwarz suggested. Sellers' are basically the same but the two short ones he uses are dovetail-shaped. I could see absolutely no good reason for that so I didn't do it. I laid in a strip of Walnut along the full length of one stick and two short pieces of Ash on the other. I also noticed that everyone puts their inlays on the angled faces. No one said why and it didn't make sense to me. Seems to me that it was better to use the flat vertical faces since I knew they were parallel to one another so that's what I did.

Table Furniture Cabinetry Computer desk Desk


I liked Paul Seller's idea of adding a small dowel dead center of each stick to help position them so they're balanced on a board. So, I marked the center line of one of the sticks and marked up 3/4" from the bottom. I used some carpet tape on the angled faces and stuck the sticks together to drill them to be sure I got the holes precisely lined up and drilled a 1/4" hole through both. DUH… now I had a hole 3/4" from the bottom of one and from the top of the other. So, they got 2 dowels on the centerline, 3/4" down from top and up from bottom. While they were stuck together, I also drilled 3/8" holes for dowels to "nest" the sticks together when stored and 1/4" hanging holes on each end.

I inserted Walnut dowels on the stick with the Walnut inlay and maple dowels on the one with Ash inlays. I wicked super glue from both sides to keep the dowels in place and flushed them up with a block plane.

Table Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


I laid out an angle on each end and cut it just 'cause I thought it looked good in the examples I looked at online. Finally, I put a slight back bevel on the tops with a block plane to be sure that the edges with the inlays were the high-points. I scraped the faces and sanded everything with 220 paper lightly and put a couple coats of BLO/Poly/MS mix on them. I checked this morning and everything is still square and flat. So yay, a little bit of success for the weekend! I'll put a coat of paste wax on next time I'm in the shop and start trying to work the twist out of the timber I've started on. Below are the sticks nested together.

Wood Wood stain Tool Hardwood Plank


I must say, I've never thought I needed any winding sticks. But I put these guys on my timber just to see how effective they were and they showed me the obvious twist that I completely missed with my chalk-line and straight edges. The extra length really exaggerates any errors and the contrasting inlays really make it easy to see even when lighting isn't ideal. I hate to be putting off workbench work to do little side projects but, I really think this was a day well-spent.

Probably no shop time this week but I'm planning to be in the shop all next weekend breaking wind!

Now, for you guys' input… I gave you a rough run-down of my procedure for flattening these faces with my handplanes. But it's a fairly new process to me, at least at this scale. How do you Galloots tackle it? I'd love to do this more efficiently so will greedily consume any suggestions your have.

Thanks for reading!
 

Attachments

#19 ·
Breaking Wind

You guys thought I'd forgotten about the blog didn't you? Well never fear, here is yet another exciting and timely entry! ;-)

Due to some family issues the last month, I've had very limited shop time. I finally got a chance to get started this weekend. So, I cut the first beam to rough length and went to work flattening it. I scrubbed one face until it looked flat enough and ran it through the planer taking light passes to flatten the opposite face. I was feeling good about my progress, until I put a straight edge on the freshly-planed surface :-( Even with a 48" straight edge on the 82" timber, I could detect a bow. Well, the back side was obviously not completely flat, I didn't think it would need to be! I mean these timbers are 4" thick, I thought light passes would prevent the planer from bending them too much. Think again!

Now, I have a jig I made to joint wide faces in the planer. It works a trick but, it's only 60" long. I could make a longer one but, that means buying a full sheet of ply and I don't really want to. So it was time to learn to flatten, REALLY flatten long timbers using hand planes. I have spent a fair amount of time learning to use my planes and think I've gotten pretty proficient, on small stuff. Turns out, these big, long, well-seasoned, hard-assed white oak beams are a whole different animal.

I flipped the timber back to the other side and stretched a chalk line over the length to identify the high spots and scrubbed them down cross-grain. Then, using a 24" straight edge, I went down the beam a section at a time and worked diagonal to the grain with a jack plane. I had to sharpen my iron twice. Time for a Hock iron to go on my Christmas list to fit the #5. Finally I had it pretty close to flat (if a bit rough) down the full length. So then, I used the straight edge across the width and worked the jack with the grain to flatten the cup. Okay, it took me 2 hours so far but, I'm feeling pretty good again that I've got this tiger by the tail. I ran the jointer plane down the beam until I got full width shavings for the most part across the whole timber. Whew!

I pulled my chalk line again. Thumbs up! Laid the straight edge across the width and went down the length. Check! Woo-hoo, back to the planer. Let's slay some electrons! 2-1/2 hours of hand planing oak wore my butt out. So I laid the timber across my tablesaw while I checked my planer setting and turned on the DC. I went to pick it up and when I laid hands on it, it wobbled :-( Must just be a chip under it… Nope. But it's flat damnit! It's flat along the length and across the width! It CAN NOT BE ROCKING!!! So, I did the only rational, level-headed thing any grown man would do. I threw something, cursed, curled up in a fetal position in the floor and cried.

Well after an hour or so of that, it turned out that no matter how many tears I shed or how vulgar my language, the beam still rocked on the table saw. Well, stretching my chalk line across the diagonals showed a twist that I hadn't detected previously. Normally, my jointer or my jointing jig for the planer will take care of a little twist so I've never really dealt with it intimately.

I wrapped up for the day. I had plans that evening and I was tired and frustrated. So, yesterday I went back bright-eyed and bushy tailed and decided that given the # of these timbers I have, I need to be methodical. First order of business being to flatten one face with hand planes. And not just sorta flatten but really flatten. Chalk line and straight edges take care of most of the work but what about the twist? Well, recently there was a forum post about making winding sticks and I've seen several online over the years but never saw the need for them with power tools. I was up for a side-project and a little gratification anyway so yesterday was spent making a pair.

I read Paul Seller's blog post on making winding sticks and a couple of the Schwarz's blogs about them. After getting a feel for how to go about it, I decided to just start working and "wing" the design as I went.

I started by looking for a straight-grained, stable piece of wood that was long enough. I thought I had some QSWO but I was mistaken. I did have a 22" piece of Jatoba left over from some other projects that appeared to be my best bet. It was straight-grained and clear but it had a knot near one end. I figure the knot will be stable enough for this project and if it goes to acting-up in the future, I'll just cut the sticks down to a shorter set.

I started by four-squaring the 5/4 stock and then laid out a rip line on one end that looked right to rip the stock into 2 pieces. The profile of the pieces ended up being roughly as shown:

Rectangle Parallel Slope Diagram Font


I ripped the angle on the bandsaw and planed the angled faces smooth. I then re-checked and flattened and squared any distortion from the rip and made sure the two pieces were the same height and that the tops and bottoms were parallel. I also took great pains to be certain that the tops and bottoms were truly flat so I can use them as straight edges as well. After that was done, I did some inlays.

Now there are several different types of inlays and some advocate no inlays at all. I felt that contrasting inlays would be helpful in use and decided on the type Chris Shwarz suggested. Sellers' are basically the same but the two short ones he uses are dovetail-shaped. I could see absolutely no good reason for that so I didn't do it. I laid in a strip of Walnut along the full length of one stick and two short pieces of Ash on the other. I also noticed that everyone puts their inlays on the angled faces. No one said why and it didn't make sense to me. Seems to me that it was better to use the flat vertical faces since I knew they were parallel to one another so that's what I did.

Table Furniture Cabinetry Computer desk Desk


I liked Paul Seller's idea of adding a small dowel dead center of each stick to help position them so they're balanced on a board. So, I marked the center line of one of the sticks and marked up 3/4" from the bottom. I used some carpet tape on the angled faces and stuck the sticks together to drill them to be sure I got the holes precisely lined up and drilled a 1/4" hole through both. DUH… now I had a hole 3/4" from the bottom of one and from the top of the other. So, they got 2 dowels on the centerline, 3/4" down from top and up from bottom. While they were stuck together, I also drilled 3/8" holes for dowels to "nest" the sticks together when stored and 1/4" hanging holes on each end.

I inserted Walnut dowels on the stick with the Walnut inlay and maple dowels on the one with Ash inlays. I wicked super glue from both sides to keep the dowels in place and flushed them up with a block plane.

Table Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


I laid out an angle on each end and cut it just 'cause I thought it looked good in the examples I looked at online. Finally, I put a slight back bevel on the tops with a block plane to be sure that the edges with the inlays were the high-points. I scraped the faces and sanded everything with 220 paper lightly and put a couple coats of BLO/Poly/MS mix on them. I checked this morning and everything is still square and flat. So yay, a little bit of success for the weekend! I'll put a coat of paste wax on next time I'm in the shop and start trying to work the twist out of the timber I've started on. Below are the sticks nested together.

Wood Wood stain Tool Hardwood Plank


I must say, I've never thought I needed any winding sticks. But I put these guys on my timber just to see how effective they were and they showed me the obvious twist that I completely missed with my chalk-line and straight edges. The extra length really exaggerates any errors and the contrasting inlays really make it easy to see even when lighting isn't ideal. I hate to be putting off workbench work to do little side projects but, I really think this was a day well-spent.

Probably no shop time this week but I'm planning to be in the shop all next weekend breaking wind!

Now, for you guys' input… I gave you a rough run-down of my procedure for flattening these faces with my handplanes. But it's a fairly new process to me, at least at this scale. How do you Galloots tackle it? I'd love to do this more efficiently so will greedily consume any suggestions your have.

Thanks for reading!
Marvelous. I also need to make a set.

-Madts.
 

Attachments

#20 ·
It's Knot So Bad

I HAD come to enjoy hand planing immensely. The tool itself is brilliant and elegant in it's simplicity and effectiveness. Restoring old planes and fettling them is a relaxant for me. I delight in taking a smoother and bringing a board to a finish that is flatter and feels smoother to the touch than one that has been sanded. I enjoy taking a jack or a router and curling off whisper thin shavings until an edge shows dead square to its reference face and there's no sliver of light below my straight edge.

I'm sure in time, those feelings will return.

There are many, some of whom may be reading this, who are purely unplugged woodworkers. Who take their raw stock to final dimensions with the wonders known as hand planes. I am not one of them.

I spent all weekend, a total of 15-20 hours, working on my bench. I spent at least 10 of those hours hand-planing or sharpening plane irons. I am SORE. I do not like hand planing any more. What do I have to show for an entire weekend? 2 beams glued together to form the front slab of my top. That's all.

WHINING COMPLETE

Okay, that was a bit dramatic but, not untrue :-/ I did spend more time hand-planing this weekend than ever before. It's mostly because flattening large timbers is new to me and it was a learning experience. It became an exercise in frustration because I really wanted to get these things flat. I want my bench to be as flat as I can possibly get it and I know that the flatter it is at glue up, the easier and truer it will be at final flattening. I'm still learning and I'm completely embarrassed about how long it took me to do it but, I am encouraged that the last beam I did took much less time and came out flatter than the first.

I flattened a face on each beam and then thicknessed them with the power planer. I can tell you that not all of the soreness I now suffer was a result of hand-planing. Running 8' long 4Ă—8 beams of white oak through a lunchbox planer by oneself over-and-over is not for the faint of heart! But, I ended up with 2 acceptable flat beams at about 3-3/8" thick so the ends justified the means:)

I said in an earlier post that I was going to joint my glue-edges on my power jointer. Well, I was working alone and running them through the planer cured me of that thinking. Much easier to take a small tool to a big workpiece than a big workpiece to a big tool. So I jointed the edges with handplanes as well. That was satisfying. It went well and I got good edges in a reasonable amount of time.

Just a side-note, as much for my future reference as anything. (A) It takes less time to remove an iron, sharpen it, reset it and get back to work and finish the job than it does to try to finish the job with an iron that's even moderately dull. (B) A little paraffin wax "squiggled" on the bottom of a jack or jointer plane GREATLY reduces the sliding friction and gives much greater control over the cut.

The good news is that I did get some tangible progress and I'm getting pretty excited ;-)

So here she is, the first completed portion of my bench when I quit for the evening yesterday:

Table Asphalt Shade Wood Tree


I got started on a couple of other beams but after some scrub-planing, realized that they weren't the best choices for the top. So, at least I have a bit of a jump on surfacing the timbers for the legs and stretchers. I found the wood wasn't as clear as I initially thought but is still good enough for my bench and fantastic for what I paid for it. One beam is horribly checked.

Road surface Wood Asphalt Automotive tire Tints and shades


I knew the end was unusable but didn't realize that the checking runs pretty deep and about half way up the timber. I don't think I'll need it for the bench so I'll rip the edges off and use them elsewhere (maybe a stand for my new lathe?)

So, why the "Knot…" in the title? There are a few small, tight knots in this lumber but so far nothing I'm concerned about. I don't mind a few knots showing in the top, in fact, I think it gives character. But after surfacing, I did find this one big one that's kinda messy and it's on the side I'm making the top. You can see it here on the board closest.

Table Furniture Plant Wood Road surface


So here's you guys' homework. By the way, y'all failed miserably on the last post. No one commented with a magic recipe for painlessly and effortlessly surfacing these timbers with handplanes ;-p But, my question for this week is how to handle this knot. My thinking is to use a burr in my dremel and remove all the punky wood from it then fill it with epoxy. I'm also thinking I'll mix some stain into the epoxy so it doesn't look like a big booger got stuck in my bench. Got a better way to handle it? I've filled knots with epoxy before but never anywhere visible and never on a working surface. If my method is good, will regular old 2-part epoxy work and can I just mix some oil-based stain in until I get the color I want? Or do I need to get some kind of special epoxy for a knot this big?

So, next up is surfacing and thicknessing one more plank this size and one smaller one to make the spacers that will form the "slots" for the tool wells. Then I'll be able to finish the glue-up to complete the top and move on to the legs. I said in an earlier post that I wasn't sure about the joinery for the legs to the top. I think I've decided on blind mortises. Tight on the front legs with elongated mortises on the back to allow for movement. As classy as the through tenon/dovetail is, I just don't want the exposed end-grain in the top.

Thanks for checking in and sound off in the comments on how you'd handle my knot and with any other suggestions or criticisms you have!
 

Attachments

#21 ·
It's Knot So Bad

I HAD come to enjoy hand planing immensely. The tool itself is brilliant and elegant in it's simplicity and effectiveness. Restoring old planes and fettling them is a relaxant for me. I delight in taking a smoother and bringing a board to a finish that is flatter and feels smoother to the touch than one that has been sanded. I enjoy taking a jack or a router and curling off whisper thin shavings until an edge shows dead square to its reference face and there's no sliver of light below my straight edge.

I'm sure in time, those feelings will return.

There are many, some of whom may be reading this, who are purely unplugged woodworkers. Who take their raw stock to final dimensions with the wonders known as hand planes. I am not one of them.

I spent all weekend, a total of 15-20 hours, working on my bench. I spent at least 10 of those hours hand-planing or sharpening plane irons. I am SORE. I do not like hand planing any more. What do I have to show for an entire weekend? 2 beams glued together to form the front slab of my top. That's all.

WHINING COMPLETE

Okay, that was a bit dramatic but, not untrue :-/ I did spend more time hand-planing this weekend than ever before. It's mostly because flattening large timbers is new to me and it was a learning experience. It became an exercise in frustration because I really wanted to get these things flat. I want my bench to be as flat as I can possibly get it and I know that the flatter it is at glue up, the easier and truer it will be at final flattening. I'm still learning and I'm completely embarrassed about how long it took me to do it but, I am encouraged that the last beam I did took much less time and came out flatter than the first.

I flattened a face on each beam and then thicknessed them with the power planer. I can tell you that not all of the soreness I now suffer was a result of hand-planing. Running 8' long 4Ă—8 beams of white oak through a lunchbox planer by oneself over-and-over is not for the faint of heart! But, I ended up with 2 acceptable flat beams at about 3-3/8" thick so the ends justified the means:)

I said in an earlier post that I was going to joint my glue-edges on my power jointer. Well, I was working alone and running them through the planer cured me of that thinking. Much easier to take a small tool to a big workpiece than a big workpiece to a big tool. So I jointed the edges with handplanes as well. That was satisfying. It went well and I got good edges in a reasonable amount of time.

Just a side-note, as much for my future reference as anything. (A) It takes less time to remove an iron, sharpen it, reset it and get back to work and finish the job than it does to try to finish the job with an iron that's even moderately dull. (B) A little paraffin wax "squiggled" on the bottom of a jack or jointer plane GREATLY reduces the sliding friction and gives much greater control over the cut.

The good news is that I did get some tangible progress and I'm getting pretty excited ;-)

So here she is, the first completed portion of my bench when I quit for the evening yesterday:

Table Asphalt Shade Wood Tree


I got started on a couple of other beams but after some scrub-planing, realized that they weren't the best choices for the top. So, at least I have a bit of a jump on surfacing the timbers for the legs and stretchers. I found the wood wasn't as clear as I initially thought but is still good enough for my bench and fantastic for what I paid for it. One beam is horribly checked.

Road surface Wood Asphalt Automotive tire Tints and shades


I knew the end was unusable but didn't realize that the checking runs pretty deep and about half way up the timber. I don't think I'll need it for the bench so I'll rip the edges off and use them elsewhere (maybe a stand for my new lathe?)

So, why the "Knot…" in the title? There are a few small, tight knots in this lumber but so far nothing I'm concerned about. I don't mind a few knots showing in the top, in fact, I think it gives character. But after surfacing, I did find this one big one that's kinda messy and it's on the side I'm making the top. You can see it here on the board closest.

Table Furniture Plant Wood Road surface


So here's you guys' homework. By the way, y'all failed miserably on the last post. No one commented with a magic recipe for painlessly and effortlessly surfacing these timbers with handplanes ;-p But, my question for this week is how to handle this knot. My thinking is to use a burr in my dremel and remove all the punky wood from it then fill it with epoxy. I'm also thinking I'll mix some stain into the epoxy so it doesn't look like a big booger got stuck in my bench. Got a better way to handle it? I've filled knots with epoxy before but never anywhere visible and never on a working surface. If my method is good, will regular old 2-part epoxy work and can I just mix some oil-based stain in until I get the color I want? Or do I need to get some kind of special epoxy for a knot this big?

So, next up is surfacing and thicknessing one more plank this size and one smaller one to make the spacers that will form the "slots" for the tool wells. Then I'll be able to finish the glue-up to complete the top and move on to the legs. I said in an earlier post that I wasn't sure about the joinery for the legs to the top. I think I've decided on blind mortises. Tight on the front legs with elongated mortises on the back to allow for movement. As classy as the through tenon/dovetail is, I just don't want the exposed end-grain in the top.

Thanks for checking in and sound off in the comments on how you'd handle my knot and with any other suggestions or criticisms you have!
Two ways to address the knot that I can think of, and one of them you've mentioned: fill it. 'With what' offers a range of options. I mixed sawdust w/ glue to create the fill for a couple of the voids in my benchtop, a solution that works just fine.

The other patch method is just that: a wood patch. If you have material left over, a piece that's as thin as 1/2" to 3/4" can be used. Simply make the patch, outline it on the benchtop w/ your marking knife, then get busy chiseling to a depth that allows the patch to sit a bit proud. Plane flat, Bob's your Uncle.

My .02, and worth half what you paid for it. :) Good luck!
 

Attachments

#27 ·
Do these sticks make my slab look flat?

Oh dear… What is he doing? Is this the second entry in a single week? Yes, yes it is :)

I got a couple of free hours last night so decided to sneak in a little bench work. I decided I was going to flatten the slab I glued up over the weekend. But wait, aren't you supposed to wait until the bench is done to flatten it? Well, yes. And I didn't completely flatten it, that will be when I finish the build. But, my thinking is that this is the bulk of my top. Once I dimension one more timber, I'll glue it with some spacers to this slab. The render below shows the final top with the lighter pieces being what's left to be added.

Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Wood stain


So, I think flattening this now and leaving the rest slightly proud at final glue up will allow me to just plane the back down flush and give better flatness than flattening the whole thing at once. Then, I'll do a final "shave" with a jointer plane followed by a smoother to finish it off in earnest.

So, here is how I flattened it…

It was fairly flat to begin with but, the middle was a bit high after glue-up. I would have much preferred the middle to be a little low but, it was what it was.

The front section seemed to be the better reference to start with so I laid a straight edge across the slab making sure it was contacting the front edge and marked with a pencil everywhere it touched. This left marks showing all the high points that needed to be planed down.

Watch Wood Gesture Wood stain Flooring


Before I marked out with the straight edge, I ran my jack down the glue line a few swipes to even the 2 pieces up. Then I worked in 24" sections marking lines and working straight across the grain with the plane.

Wood Flooring Hardwood Bumper Varnish


I took me a little less than an hour to get it flattened across the width. At that point, it made sense to check for twist so that I could straighten it out before the next round of planing. So, out came the winding sticks I made in a previous entry. I am soooooo glad I took an afternoon to make those guys! I laid one across the right side to use as a reference and starting at the far end, checked the wind and marked the high spots. It's hard to get a good picture of the sticks in action but I think this one shows the obvious twist at the far end.

Wood Floor Flooring Audio equipment Hardwood


It turned out that there was little-to-no twist along the majority of the slab. It started with a little bit about 36" from the far end and got progressively worse up to the end. I marked the high side with "H" being a lot of twist and "h" being just a little.

Brown Wood Table Flooring Floor


Rather than straightening the twist going cross-grain, I decided to just work it out during the next stage which was working at 45 degrees to the grain with the jack plane. When I got to the twisted section, I just took an extra pass on the high side of the slab on each pass.

Hand tool Wood Tool Hardwood Knife


I worked down the full length of the slab in one direction and then worked down it again in the direction perpendicular. I continued to do so until I was taking shavings at almost every point on the slab.

One thing worth mentioning: After the first 2 passes, I found I was actually creating a "hump" in the middle. It was slight but it was there. I had to really focus on making sure all of the pressure was on the front of plane at the beginning of the cut, even pressure on front and back during the middle of the cut, and all of the pressure on the back at the end of the cut. Even slight pressure on the tote at the beginning of the cut caused me to be cutting "uphill" and any pressure on the knob at the end caused "downhill" cutting. It was almost like I had to try to cut a hollow in the center to end up with a flat cut. 2 more passes pretty well evened out the "hump" I had formed.

It took me about 45 minutes and 8 passes (4 in each direction) to get consistent shavings down the full length of the slab. Then I switched to my jointer plane and repeated the process.

Wood Outdoor furniture Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


It's surprising how much different the feel of the jointer is than the jack. The extra 8" really makes a difference. I was getting full shavings with the jack but, it took a couple of passes before I was peeling shavings all the way across with the jointer.

It's also worth noting (as I think I did in the last entry) that parrafin wax is probably the greatest substance on earth ;-) I didn't apply any initially and the extra size on the jointer really adds a lot of friction. I was getting a bit tuckered after the first 2 passes. I rubbed a little wax on the sole and it was like Chevy Chase's sled in "Christmas Vacation".

3 passes in each direction did the trick with the jointer. It only took 20 minutes or so since the jack plane had done the heavy lifting.

I went back down the full length spot-checking across the width with the straight edge and took a couple swipes in a few spots to flatten a hump in the center. Then I put the winding sticks back on.

Wood Audio equipment Table Gas Engineering


It was pretty good. Still a little twist at the far end. The 2 knots make it kind of hard to get a real good, consistent swipe across the width in that area. I may try to straighten it out but, it's pretty minor and that section will be on the front left of the bench which is where I keep my layout tools so most likely I'll just leave it as-is.

I don't have a real good way to gauge the flatness length-wise. Checking in sections doesn't show any obvious issues and eyeballing it looks darned-near perfect. I wish I had a reliable, long straight-edge but a 48" drywall square is as good as I have and it ain't great. I'm probably being overly-anal about it anyway. If it's flat enough that I can't detect a problem, It's a pretty safe assumption that it's flat enough to suit its purpose.

So, now the front slab of my benchtop is flat. I'm glad I went ahead and did it, it instills some confidence to know that I can get it done with hand planes 'cause I wasn't at all sure I was capable to start with. It just took a little reading about how other people do it and developing my own methodical approach though and now my worries about that part of the build are greatly alleviated. Now if I could just say the same about chopping mortises in this wood…

The best part about last night's exercise is that these were all the tools I used to flatten it:

Wood Workbench Automotive tire Table Automotive design


No cords on any of them!
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Do these sticks make my slab look flat?

Oh dear… What is he doing? Is this the second entry in a single week? Yes, yes it is :)

I got a couple of free hours last night so decided to sneak in a little bench work. I decided I was going to flatten the slab I glued up over the weekend. But wait, aren't you supposed to wait until the bench is done to flatten it? Well, yes. And I didn't completely flatten it, that will be when I finish the build. But, my thinking is that this is the bulk of my top. Once I dimension one more timber, I'll glue it with some spacers to this slab. The render below shows the final top with the lighter pieces being what's left to be added.

Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Wood stain


So, I think flattening this now and leaving the rest slightly proud at final glue up will allow me to just plane the back down flush and give better flatness than flattening the whole thing at once. Then, I'll do a final "shave" with a jointer plane followed by a smoother to finish it off in earnest.

So, here is how I flattened it…

It was fairly flat to begin with but, the middle was a bit high after glue-up. I would have much preferred the middle to be a little low but, it was what it was.

The front section seemed to be the better reference to start with so I laid a straight edge across the slab making sure it was contacting the front edge and marked with a pencil everywhere it touched. This left marks showing all the high points that needed to be planed down.

Watch Wood Gesture Wood stain Flooring


Before I marked out with the straight edge, I ran my jack down the glue line a few swipes to even the 2 pieces up. Then I worked in 24" sections marking lines and working straight across the grain with the plane.

Wood Flooring Hardwood Bumper Varnish


I took me a little less than an hour to get it flattened across the width. At that point, it made sense to check for twist so that I could straighten it out before the next round of planing. So, out came the winding sticks I made in a previous entry. I am soooooo glad I took an afternoon to make those guys! I laid one across the right side to use as a reference and starting at the far end, checked the wind and marked the high spots. It's hard to get a good picture of the sticks in action but I think this one shows the obvious twist at the far end.

Wood Floor Flooring Audio equipment Hardwood


It turned out that there was little-to-no twist along the majority of the slab. It started with a little bit about 36" from the far end and got progressively worse up to the end. I marked the high side with "H" being a lot of twist and "h" being just a little.

Brown Wood Table Flooring Floor


Rather than straightening the twist going cross-grain, I decided to just work it out during the next stage which was working at 45 degrees to the grain with the jack plane. When I got to the twisted section, I just took an extra pass on the high side of the slab on each pass.

Hand tool Wood Tool Hardwood Knife


I worked down the full length of the slab in one direction and then worked down it again in the direction perpendicular. I continued to do so until I was taking shavings at almost every point on the slab.

One thing worth mentioning: After the first 2 passes, I found I was actually creating a "hump" in the middle. It was slight but it was there. I had to really focus on making sure all of the pressure was on the front of plane at the beginning of the cut, even pressure on front and back during the middle of the cut, and all of the pressure on the back at the end of the cut. Even slight pressure on the tote at the beginning of the cut caused me to be cutting "uphill" and any pressure on the knob at the end caused "downhill" cutting. It was almost like I had to try to cut a hollow in the center to end up with a flat cut. 2 more passes pretty well evened out the "hump" I had formed.

It took me about 45 minutes and 8 passes (4 in each direction) to get consistent shavings down the full length of the slab. Then I switched to my jointer plane and repeated the process.

Wood Outdoor furniture Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


It's surprising how much different the feel of the jointer is than the jack. The extra 8" really makes a difference. I was getting full shavings with the jack but, it took a couple of passes before I was peeling shavings all the way across with the jointer.

It's also worth noting (as I think I did in the last entry) that parrafin wax is probably the greatest substance on earth ;-) I didn't apply any initially and the extra size on the jointer really adds a lot of friction. I was getting a bit tuckered after the first 2 passes. I rubbed a little wax on the sole and it was like Chevy Chase's sled in "Christmas Vacation".

3 passes in each direction did the trick with the jointer. It only took 20 minutes or so since the jack plane had done the heavy lifting.

I went back down the full length spot-checking across the width with the straight edge and took a couple swipes in a few spots to flatten a hump in the center. Then I put the winding sticks back on.

Wood Audio equipment Table Gas Engineering


It was pretty good. Still a little twist at the far end. The 2 knots make it kind of hard to get a real good, consistent swipe across the width in that area. I may try to straighten it out but, it's pretty minor and that section will be on the front left of the bench which is where I keep my layout tools so most likely I'll just leave it as-is.

I don't have a real good way to gauge the flatness length-wise. Checking in sections doesn't show any obvious issues and eyeballing it looks darned-near perfect. I wish I had a reliable, long straight-edge but a 48" drywall square is as good as I have and it ain't great. I'm probably being overly-anal about it anyway. If it's flat enough that I can't detect a problem, It's a pretty safe assumption that it's flat enough to suit its purpose.

So, now the front slab of my benchtop is flat. I'm glad I went ahead and did it, it instills some confidence to know that I can get it done with hand planes 'cause I wasn't at all sure I was capable to start with. It just took a little reading about how other people do it and developing my own methodical approach though and now my worries about that part of the build are greatly alleviated. Now if I could just say the same about chopping mortises in this wood…

The best part about last night's exercise is that these were all the tools I used to flatten it:

Wood Workbench Automotive tire Table Automotive design


No cords on any of them!
Looks like you got your exercise for the day. Looking good!
 

Attachments

#31 ·
Brief update and vise opinion solicitations

Geeze, I'm really on the ball with this blog huh? Well, unfortunately the pace of my blog updates pretty well matches the pace of my bench build :-( A LOT of family (and just general life) crisis the past couple months have severely limited my shop time. And, I comitted to the toolswap going on so I've had to keep up with that too. Soooo, the bench has kinda taken a bit of a back seat.

While my shop time is still limited, it is solely focused on my bench now, so I've made some progress. Basically I have the top finished and F-L-A-T. I still need to give it a good pass with a smoother but I bought a 50" precision straight edge and made my winding sticks and can say that with the exception of one corner, the entire benchtop is probably within .015" deviation of being planar. The front left corner has a small dip of maybe .030" but since I don't use that corner for planing or assembly, I decided it was best to leave it rather than continue to remove material.

I got much better at flattening after the debacle of flattening the front portion! I decided to leave as much material as possible and ended up with the back 1/2 of the bench being 3/8" thicker than the front! I could have planed it down in the electron-eater but I figured that's just some extra mass and since it's behind the tool wells, there's nothing lost by it being thicker than the front. I'll just have to remember it when I cut the legs to length :-/

I'll add another post later with pics of current progress. I cut it to length and squared the ends up yesterday using a circular saw and router with a straight edge guide.

Table Wood Sewing machine Gas Machine tool


Then I milled up a couple of pieces of 3Ă—10 Walnut to make the end cap and end vise chop.

Table Wood Wood stain Workbench Tool


Now, I have agonized the last couple of months over my end vise. I use my end vise a lot. I like the idea of a wagon vise though for planing thin stock. But, I just can't live without my end vise. Then I saw this vise by Texcaster:

Wood Gas Hardwood Wood stain Plank


Well, for a while, I thought the heavens had opened up and a light had been shined down to illuminate my path to Vise Nirvana. It was a little extra work but doable. It had an end vise with slightly reduced capacity and a wagon vise. It is like a tail vise but without the sagging corner so many seem to encounter. It seemed perfect. And it probably is. BUT…

The end vise on my old bench is just simple hardware, a big, beefy chop that runs most of the full depth of the bench and my Widdleracker to help with racking. Very simple, very basic, very easy. And I absolutely have loved it just like that. Sure a quick release would be nice and a twin screw vise like the Veritas would be easier than the Widdleracker. But I really just don't want to change it. At all. Ever.

So I'm not. I think I would find occasional use for a wagon vise but I'm not convinced enough to go mucking up something I know works well for me.

So I'd pretty much given up on the wagon. But then I thought, why not on the back on the other end? I don't like unnecessary "fluff" and I'm going to have my endvise and a leg vise. But, if I put some sort of a simple wagon vise on the back left corner of the bench, it would be out of the way and there when I need it. I'm thinking of a wedge-based one like Shipwright's
that wouldn't require any hardware and wouldn't have anything sticking out of the end of the bench. The only reason I want it is because recently I've had to hand plane some 1/8" and 1/4" stock and using the dogs in my end vise just doesn't support the full length enough. Of course, that bench is severely out-of-flat so maybe just having a good flat bench will rectify the situation?

So anyway, what do you think? Is a third vise only used rarely on the back left corner of the bench a good idea or a bad one? Got any other ideas on how to hold thin stock for hand planing that doesn't involve adding a wagon vise?

Thanks for any advice you may have! It's not holding up construction or anything but it's something I'd like to iron out in my mind before I get to a point where working on the bottom of the bench is a PITA in case I need to do so.

I'll try to keep up with this blog a little more often ;-P
 

Attachments

#32 ·
Brief update and vise opinion solicitations

Geeze, I'm really on the ball with this blog huh? Well, unfortunately the pace of my blog updates pretty well matches the pace of my bench build :-( A LOT of family (and just general life) crisis the past couple months have severely limited my shop time. And, I comitted to the toolswap going on so I've had to keep up with that too. Soooo, the bench has kinda taken a bit of a back seat.

While my shop time is still limited, it is solely focused on my bench now, so I've made some progress. Basically I have the top finished and F-L-A-T. I still need to give it a good pass with a smoother but I bought a 50" precision straight edge and made my winding sticks and can say that with the exception of one corner, the entire benchtop is probably within .015" deviation of being planar. The front left corner has a small dip of maybe .030" but since I don't use that corner for planing or assembly, I decided it was best to leave it rather than continue to remove material.

I got much better at flattening after the debacle of flattening the front portion! I decided to leave as much material as possible and ended up with the back 1/2 of the bench being 3/8" thicker than the front! I could have planed it down in the electron-eater but I figured that's just some extra mass and since it's behind the tool wells, there's nothing lost by it being thicker than the front. I'll just have to remember it when I cut the legs to length :-/

I'll add another post later with pics of current progress. I cut it to length and squared the ends up yesterday using a circular saw and router with a straight edge guide.

Table Wood Sewing machine Gas Machine tool


Then I milled up a couple of pieces of 3Ă—10 Walnut to make the end cap and end vise chop.

Table Wood Wood stain Workbench Tool


Now, I have agonized the last couple of months over my end vise. I use my end vise a lot. I like the idea of a wagon vise though for planing thin stock. But, I just can't live without my end vise. Then I saw this vise by Texcaster:

Wood Gas Hardwood Wood stain Plank


Well, for a while, I thought the heavens had opened up and a light had been shined down to illuminate my path to Vise Nirvana. It was a little extra work but doable. It had an end vise with slightly reduced capacity and a wagon vise. It is like a tail vise but without the sagging corner so many seem to encounter. It seemed perfect. And it probably is. BUT…

The end vise on my old bench is just simple hardware, a big, beefy chop that runs most of the full depth of the bench and my Widdleracker to help with racking. Very simple, very basic, very easy. And I absolutely have loved it just like that. Sure a quick release would be nice and a twin screw vise like the Veritas would be easier than the Widdleracker. But I really just don't want to change it. At all. Ever.

So I'm not. I think I would find occasional use for a wagon vise but I'm not convinced enough to go mucking up something I know works well for me.

So I'd pretty much given up on the wagon. But then I thought, why not on the back on the other end? I don't like unnecessary "fluff" and I'm going to have my endvise and a leg vise. But, if I put some sort of a simple wagon vise on the back left corner of the bench, it would be out of the way and there when I need it. I'm thinking of a wedge-based one like Shipwright's
that wouldn't require any hardware and wouldn't have anything sticking out of the end of the bench. The only reason I want it is because recently I've had to hand plane some 1/8" and 1/4" stock and using the dogs in my end vise just doesn't support the full length enough. Of course, that bench is severely out-of-flat so maybe just having a good flat bench will rectify the situation?

So anyway, what do you think? Is a third vise only used rarely on the back left corner of the bench a good idea or a bad one? Got any other ideas on how to hold thin stock for hand planing that doesn't involve adding a wagon vise?

Thanks for any advice you may have! It's not holding up construction or anything but it's something I'd like to iron out in my mind before I get to a point where working on the bottom of the bench is a PITA in case I need to do so.

I'll try to keep up with this blog a little more often ;-P
Swaps been over for awhile now slacker…..I need an update.
 

Attachments

#33 ·
Chisels be Cryin'

OMG, I am horrible with this blog huh?

Swaps been over for awhile now slacker…..I need an update.

- ki7hy
Fair enough ;-P I really hadn't made any progress since the last update other than getting the end vise installed and drilling my dog/holdfast holes until last week. I did have a couple of days last week that I got good time and I got my legs all milled and got the tenons cut. So now I'm marking out and cutting my mortises. At the rate I'm going, I'll be done with them by the next Summer Olympics.

So, I promise a full update soon complete with pics but for now, I need some advise…

Up until now, any M&T joints I've done have been either done using the drill press or router table to do most of the work and then clean up with chisels. Well, that ain't happenin' with this benchtop. At first, I thought I'd just rough out the bulk of the waste with a forstner and hand drill. Ha Ha. Tried my cordless and corded drill. Too much for them. For reference, my legs are 3.5" x 6.5" and tenons are about 2" x 4" and are 2" long. So my mortises need to be 2Ă—4 and ~2-1/16 deep.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Hardwood Art


So then I figured, I'll just do this like a big ole' bad ass macho man and chop the whole thing. Yeah, I'm neither bad assed nor macho evidently. Not that I can't get it done this way but what you see in the pic above is roughly 1/4" deep and my chisel hates me…

Well, not the chisel so much. It's an old Witherby 1/2" mortise chisel and it's doing admirably. Problem is the handles! I bought the chisel last summer and turned an ash handle for it but this is the first time I've really pounded the sucker. Well that ash split right down the middle not long in. It happens, probably just bad luck on the turning blank I used. So I grabbed a piece of scrap hickory and turned another handle real quick so I could get back at it. Well, when I got to the point in the pic above, a big chunk broke out of that handle too! Not sure what the deal is. I'm using a wooden mallet. Anyway, I turned another handle yesterday from cherry but on this one, I put a stack of leather washers on the business end. It looks really nice so I hope it holds up!

Back to matter at hand though. How should I make these mortises? I have a brace but have never had much luck getting good, clean, straight holes using an auger and it would be a lot of work roughing out all 4 mortises with a 1" auger bit anyway.

My thinking now is to make a jig and use my plunge router and a guide bushing to cut to size/depth then just pare the corners with a chisel. Problem is I don't have a bottom cleaning bit that's long enough so I'll have to buy a new bit.

Better ideas? PLEASE?! Maybe chopping with a bigger bench chisel would be better than the smaller mortise chisel? I'll play around and see what works. Just a new process for me and I don't want to be at it for a month so I'm hoping some of y'all with more experience can throw me a bone!
 

Attachments

#34 ·
Chisels be Cryin'

OMG, I am horrible with this blog huh?

Swaps been over for awhile now slacker…..I need an update.

- ki7hy
Fair enough ;-P I really hadn't made any progress since the last update other than getting the end vise installed and drilling my dog/holdfast holes until last week. I did have a couple of days last week that I got good time and I got my legs all milled and got the tenons cut. So now I'm marking out and cutting my mortises. At the rate I'm going, I'll be done with them by the next Summer Olympics.

So, I promise a full update soon complete with pics but for now, I need some advise…

Up until now, any M&T joints I've done have been either done using the drill press or router table to do most of the work and then clean up with chisels. Well, that ain't happenin' with this benchtop. At first, I thought I'd just rough out the bulk of the waste with a forstner and hand drill. Ha Ha. Tried my cordless and corded drill. Too much for them. For reference, my legs are 3.5" x 6.5" and tenons are about 2" x 4" and are 2" long. So my mortises need to be 2Ă—4 and ~2-1/16 deep.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Hardwood Art


So then I figured, I'll just do this like a big ole' bad ass macho man and chop the whole thing. Yeah, I'm neither bad assed nor macho evidently. Not that I can't get it done this way but what you see in the pic above is roughly 1/4" deep and my chisel hates me…

Well, not the chisel so much. It's an old Witherby 1/2" mortise chisel and it's doing admirably. Problem is the handles! I bought the chisel last summer and turned an ash handle for it but this is the first time I've really pounded the sucker. Well that ash split right down the middle not long in. It happens, probably just bad luck on the turning blank I used. So I grabbed a piece of scrap hickory and turned another handle real quick so I could get back at it. Well, when I got to the point in the pic above, a big chunk broke out of that handle too! Not sure what the deal is. I'm using a wooden mallet. Anyway, I turned another handle yesterday from cherry but on this one, I put a stack of leather washers on the business end. It looks really nice so I hope it holds up!

Back to matter at hand though. How should I make these mortises? I have a brace but have never had much luck getting good, clean, straight holes using an auger and it would be a lot of work roughing out all 4 mortises with a 1" auger bit anyway.

My thinking now is to make a jig and use my plunge router and a guide bushing to cut to size/depth then just pare the corners with a chisel. Problem is I don't have a bottom cleaning bit that's long enough so I'll have to buy a new bit.

Better ideas? PLEASE?! Maybe chopping with a bigger bench chisel would be better than the smaller mortise chisel? I'll play around and see what works. Just a new process for me and I don't want to be at it for a month so I'm hoping some of y'all with more experience can throw me a bone!
Kenny - Can you not bore a series of holes with a 1/2" or 5/8" auger bit and then use your 1/2" mortise chisel to clean up … or for that matter an 1-1/2" bench chisel (??) ... looks like you are trying to take out too much waste at once … baby steps my friend, baby steps!
Font Rectangle Fashion accessory Wood Drawing
 

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#63 ·
One Day I Might Finish this Beast!

Man, it seems like each big project takes twice as long as the previous one. Aren't build times supposed to go down as you get more experience? ;-P

In all seriousness, this bench is taking FOREVER it seems. But it's due to much more limited shop time than I've enjoyed in the past. I have learned to be okay with that and cherish the time I have alone with the smell of wood, the "thwack" of my mallet on the chisel and the solid "thunk" when I know that chisel has gone as deep as it cares to go in that particular spot. I am really exercising my hand tools. Not only because I want to become more proficient with them but because I find that with less time in the shop, I much prefer that there be no saws, routers, dust collectors etc… running. I still love my little electron eating tailed babies, but I love my silent children as well and more so at times :)

I recently picked up a couple of planes I've been on the hunt for for a LONG time. Millers Falls #10 and #15 (Stanley 4.5 and 5.5 sizes). Man what I've been missing!! Particularly the #10 is a huge help. If I were relegated to a single hand plane, I now think this wide-bodied smoother would be the one:

Plane Scrub plane Smoothing plane Block plane Rebate plane


I also picked up a Stanley 140 a while back to tune tenons. It's okay but I think I'll find it more useful on smaller stock. With tenons this large, I find I'm constantly bloodying my knuckles. It's a super fellow for end grain though so even if I don't come to adore the rabbet part, the skewed iron was worth the investment.

So back to the bench… I know I promised a pictorial update. And I'll deliver ASAP but, I have it flipped upside down now to fit the legs and it's a B E A S T when I have to flip this sucker over by myself! As soon as I get the last 2 legs fit, I can cut and fit the stretchers then I'll flip her back over and take some shots.

I finished fitting the M&T joints for the back legs and have the front left leg fit. I'm really trying to tune it so it's perfectly flush to the front of the bench and perfectly square to the top since I'll be installing a leg vise there. Here is where I'm at:

Window Wood Hardwood Wood stain Building


I read somewhere that your joint should be just tight enough that you have to drive the tenon in with your hat. Well, it's about right :) My problem is that I squared the top and the front edge but I didn't square up the bottom to the front. Of course, not thinking, what did I do? Chopped the mortise square to the bottom which meant the leg ended up about 1 degree out of plane with the front. No biggie, I chiseled the front wall of the mortise down with a little undercut and glued a thin spacer to the back wall and I have a nice tight joint again that's flush with the front edge. Now, the problem is that the back shoulder seats and there's a small gap of ~1/32" at the front. It's not terribly noticeable, the joint is solid and with the bottom of the bench not being truly flat, it's unlikely I'll ever get it tuned perfectly and I'm worried that repeatedly putting the tenon in and out will loosen the fit.

Should I leave the gap? Put a little tinted epoxy in it? Tune it until it's perfect? Remember, there will be a leg vise here so it won't really be visible. I just don't want that gap to allow a little bit of movement in the joint that will, over the years, cause a problem. FWIW, I don't think I'm going to glue the tenons into the mortises but I think I'll cross pin them with 2 dowels through each tenon. Why not glue them? Well, in case I have to move, I want to be able to pull the top off and move this sucker! The way I'm planning, I can drill the dowels out and do so. Then I would glue it at the next house and tell my wife that we can never move again because I can't take it apart any more.

As another little tooling aside, I recently bought a chisel lot off the 'bay and one of them was a 1 inch "Fulton Special" bench chisel. It's a big beefy fellow that has nice weight and balance. I thought it was going to be perfect for chopping these 2" mortises. That's him in the middle below as purchased.

Table Wood Tool Wood stain Hardwood


So I lovingly flattened his bottom and ground a 25 degree bevel then honed a 30 degree on the front half of it. Then I turned him a lovely new cherry handle with some leather washers on the end to cushion the blows that I would deal him. Then I put him to work.

Well about 1/2" down into the mortise…

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Bad spot in the material right? No sweat. I finished out that mortise with another chisel and then I ground the Fulton back square and re-shaped and honed the bevel. Started on the next mortise and…

Wood Hardwood Tableware Wood stain Natural material


So are these Fultons to be avoided? Is it just this one? It's as if it was hardened but not tempered. It's not particularly hard to grind or hone on diamond stones but it seems to shatter like glass.

I know what you're thinking, it's the user. It may very well be but, I've chopped the mortise fine with another chisel. And you know what kinda chisel it is?

Hand tool Wood Tool Table Office ruler


Yep, an Aldis one. I bought it at the grocery store! After hearing and reading Paul Sellers recommendation, when I happened upon them in the store last year, I had to try them out. I must say, they are great. I have been using them as beaters rather than primary chisels but this one has really impressed me. I've done 3 of these 2Ă—4 mortises 2 inches deep with it (other than the little bit the Fulton did between breaks) and haven't had to do anything more to the edge than a few swipes on a leather strop.

So, long story short, if you have the opportunity, pick up a set or two of them things if you find them in your local Aldis. IIRC, I paid $8 for the set of 4.

Well, there you have it… a little update. I still owe a pictorial one and I will deliver soon! Please chime in below if you have any thoughts about how I should handle the small gap on my leg vise leg shoulder or if you have any experience with the Fulton Special bench chisels.

Until next time, thanks for checking in!
 

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#64 ·
One Day I Might Finish this Beast!

Man, it seems like each big project takes twice as long as the previous one. Aren't build times supposed to go down as you get more experience? ;-P

In all seriousness, this bench is taking FOREVER it seems. But it's due to much more limited shop time than I've enjoyed in the past. I have learned to be okay with that and cherish the time I have alone with the smell of wood, the "thwack" of my mallet on the chisel and the solid "thunk" when I know that chisel has gone as deep as it cares to go in that particular spot. I am really exercising my hand tools. Not only because I want to become more proficient with them but because I find that with less time in the shop, I much prefer that there be no saws, routers, dust collectors etc… running. I still love my little electron eating tailed babies, but I love my silent children as well and more so at times :)

I recently picked up a couple of planes I've been on the hunt for for a LONG time. Millers Falls #10 and #15 (Stanley 4.5 and 5.5 sizes). Man what I've been missing!! Particularly the #10 is a huge help. If I were relegated to a single hand plane, I now think this wide-bodied smoother would be the one:

Plane Scrub plane Smoothing plane Block plane Rebate plane


I also picked up a Stanley 140 a while back to tune tenons. It's okay but I think I'll find it more useful on smaller stock. With tenons this large, I find I'm constantly bloodying my knuckles. It's a super fellow for end grain though so even if I don't come to adore the rabbet part, the skewed iron was worth the investment.

So back to the bench… I know I promised a pictorial update. And I'll deliver ASAP but, I have it flipped upside down now to fit the legs and it's a B E A S T when I have to flip this sucker over by myself! As soon as I get the last 2 legs fit, I can cut and fit the stretchers then I'll flip her back over and take some shots.

I finished fitting the M&T joints for the back legs and have the front left leg fit. I'm really trying to tune it so it's perfectly flush to the front of the bench and perfectly square to the top since I'll be installing a leg vise there. Here is where I'm at:

Window Wood Hardwood Wood stain Building


I read somewhere that your joint should be just tight enough that you have to drive the tenon in with your hat. Well, it's about right :) My problem is that I squared the top and the front edge but I didn't square up the bottom to the front. Of course, not thinking, what did I do? Chopped the mortise square to the bottom which meant the leg ended up about 1 degree out of plane with the front. No biggie, I chiseled the front wall of the mortise down with a little undercut and glued a thin spacer to the back wall and I have a nice tight joint again that's flush with the front edge. Now, the problem is that the back shoulder seats and there's a small gap of ~1/32" at the front. It's not terribly noticeable, the joint is solid and with the bottom of the bench not being truly flat, it's unlikely I'll ever get it tuned perfectly and I'm worried that repeatedly putting the tenon in and out will loosen the fit.

Should I leave the gap? Put a little tinted epoxy in it? Tune it until it's perfect? Remember, there will be a leg vise here so it won't really be visible. I just don't want that gap to allow a little bit of movement in the joint that will, over the years, cause a problem. FWIW, I don't think I'm going to glue the tenons into the mortises but I think I'll cross pin them with 2 dowels through each tenon. Why not glue them? Well, in case I have to move, I want to be able to pull the top off and move this sucker! The way I'm planning, I can drill the dowels out and do so. Then I would glue it at the next house and tell my wife that we can never move again because I can't take it apart any more.

As another little tooling aside, I recently bought a chisel lot off the 'bay and one of them was a 1 inch "Fulton Special" bench chisel. It's a big beefy fellow that has nice weight and balance. I thought it was going to be perfect for chopping these 2" mortises. That's him in the middle below as purchased.

Table Wood Tool Wood stain Hardwood


So I lovingly flattened his bottom and ground a 25 degree bevel then honed a 30 degree on the front half of it. Then I turned him a lovely new cherry handle with some leather washers on the end to cushion the blows that I would deal him. Then I put him to work.

Well about 1/2" down into the mortise…

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Bad spot in the material right? No sweat. I finished out that mortise with another chisel and then I ground the Fulton back square and re-shaped and honed the bevel. Started on the next mortise and…

Wood Hardwood Tableware Wood stain Natural material


So are these Fultons to be avoided? Is it just this one? It's as if it was hardened but not tempered. It's not particularly hard to grind or hone on diamond stones but it seems to shatter like glass.

I know what you're thinking, it's the user. It may very well be but, I've chopped the mortise fine with another chisel. And you know what kinda chisel it is?

Hand tool Wood Tool Table Office ruler


Yep, an Aldis one. I bought it at the grocery store! After hearing and reading Paul Sellers recommendation, when I happened upon them in the store last year, I had to try them out. I must say, they are great. I have been using them as beaters rather than primary chisels but this one has really impressed me. I've done 3 of these 2Ă—4 mortises 2 inches deep with it (other than the little bit the Fulton did between breaks) and haven't had to do anything more to the edge than a few swipes on a leather strop.

So, long story short, if you have the opportunity, pick up a set or two of them things if you find them in your local Aldis. IIRC, I paid $8 for the set of 4.

Well, there you have it… a little update. I still owe a pictorial one and I will deliver soon! Please chime in below if you have any thoughts about how I should handle the small gap on my leg vise leg shoulder or if you have any experience with the Fulton Special bench chisels.

Until next time, thanks for checking in!
I have both a Stanley 4.5 and a MF 10, and these are almost always the planes I grab first for smoothing. I do think the MF 10 is a little better, but I have only have the one sample so its hard to say if thats because of the particular two that I have or if its true in general. I often hog off the high spots a 5.5 that has a cambered blade. It is only by willpower that I don't spend all day in the shop juts making shavings for only the joy of planning.

I am surprised by the fulton breaking as it did. It must have been hardened poorly. Send it back to the manufacture for a replacement. LOL. I have two sets of the aldis, I may make some skew or dove tale chisels out of them or just use them for chopping.
 

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#66 ·
Home Stretch Baby!

Okay, so let's say this blog sucks, at best. Or at least the author sucks at keeping it updated. It's just hard when I squeeze in an hour here and there and next thing I know, it's almost done and I haven't taken any pictures :-0

But, I said I was going to blog the build so I'm not giving up no matter how sporadic the updates!

I got a lot of shop time this weekend and made great progress on the bench. I still have it upside down but the day when I can flip it over is in sight :)) I finished mortising all the legs into the top a while back. I also installed my end vise prior to that but I don't believe I ever took a picture. Well, here's the bottom of it:

Wood Floor Flooring Workbench Hardwood


Over the last week I got all of my stretchers milled and got the short ones mortised in.

Wood Interior design Building Floor Flooring


Yesterday evening I wrapped up the weekend by getting one of the long stretchers mortised in.

Tire Wood Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive tire


So when I went to bed last night I was feeling pretty good. Only 2 more mortises to chop then my bench will be functional! I need to make some drawbore pins and drive them in but I can do that after it's upright. On the plus side, I did, by some fluke, end up with really good, tight M&T joints so even just dry fit it's pretty rock solid. I figured once I have it upright, I'll fit a shelf in and install my leg vise then I can make storage to go underneath when time permits.

But I woke up this morning and cursed a little. It dawned on me what a PITA it would be to install the leg vise with the bench on it's feet. Boring the hole for the screw will be much better on the drill press but that could be done with a brace and bit. But the mortise for a parallel guide is a different story. I am definitely doing the bulk of that work with the drill press! I am so sick of chopping mortises that I'm tempted to throw all my chisels away so I'll have a good excuse to never do another one. Only kidding of course. Sort of.

So, that's the state of the never-ending bench build. I should get the last stretcher finished up and do a final dry-fit this week. Then I'll get the leg vise under way. Hopefully it'll be a painless process but we shall see.

Until next time I make any significant progress…
 

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#67 ·
Home Stretch Baby!

Okay, so let's say this blog sucks, at best. Or at least the author sucks at keeping it updated. It's just hard when I squeeze in an hour here and there and next thing I know, it's almost done and I haven't taken any pictures :-0

But, I said I was going to blog the build so I'm not giving up no matter how sporadic the updates!

I got a lot of shop time this weekend and made great progress on the bench. I still have it upside down but the day when I can flip it over is in sight :)) I finished mortising all the legs into the top a while back. I also installed my end vise prior to that but I don't believe I ever took a picture. Well, here's the bottom of it:

Wood Floor Flooring Workbench Hardwood


Over the last week I got all of my stretchers milled and got the short ones mortised in.

Wood Interior design Building Floor Flooring


Yesterday evening I wrapped up the weekend by getting one of the long stretchers mortised in.

Tire Wood Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive tire


So when I went to bed last night I was feeling pretty good. Only 2 more mortises to chop then my bench will be functional! I need to make some drawbore pins and drive them in but I can do that after it's upright. On the plus side, I did, by some fluke, end up with really good, tight M&T joints so even just dry fit it's pretty rock solid. I figured once I have it upright, I'll fit a shelf in and install my leg vise then I can make storage to go underneath when time permits.

But I woke up this morning and cursed a little. It dawned on me what a PITA it would be to install the leg vise with the bench on it's feet. Boring the hole for the screw will be much better on the drill press but that could be done with a brace and bit. But the mortise for a parallel guide is a different story. I am definitely doing the bulk of that work with the drill press! I am so sick of chopping mortises that I'm tempted to throw all my chisels away so I'll have a good excuse to never do another one. Only kidding of course. Sort of.

So, that's the state of the never-ending bench build. I should get the last stretcher finished up and do a final dry-fit this week. Then I'll get the leg vise under way. Hopefully it'll be a painless process but we shall see.

Until next time I make any significant progress…
Great work Kenny!

That's one stout workbench.
 

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#80 ·
Still Plugging Along

Well, it's been a bit and most of my shop time the past several weeks has been spent working on Father's Day gifts and my contribution to the current LumberJocks Tool Swap. Those are both wrapped up and out of the house though and I had a long weekend with some pretty good shop time so I got quite a bit done. In fact… I AM ALMOST DONE!

First thing I did since the last entry was to finish up all the M&T joints for the long stretchers. Here is the final dry-fit of the whole big beautiful baby :)

Wood Shelf Workbench Hardwood Toolroom


After getting this far, I was so excited to get it flipped over that I almost neglected to cut the through mortise for the parallel guide for my leg vise. Thankfully I thought about it and hogged out the waste on the drill press and cleaned it up with a chisel before I got too far. I could have chopped it out after the bench was assembled but it would have been a MUCH bigger PITA. As luck would have it, I got some blowout on the front side of the mortise ;-( No biggie though, the chop will hide it most of the time and it's not enough to affect function.

Wood Building Wall Hardwood Wood stain


After that, I thought the best way to go about it would be to drawbore the short stretchers into the legs while it was assembled dry and leave the long stretchers free. This way I have 2 independent leg assemblies which will make it easier to take everything apart and re-assemble it right side up.

I had decided I definitely wanted my drawbore pegs to have good contrast with the oak. I was going to use a stick of Ironwood I have squirreled away but I've never worked with it and I was afraid it would be too brittle. So instead, I chose a chunk of Purpleheart that was the right length and that should provide all of the pegs I need. I sawed it into several blanks just over 1/2" square and turned the pegs on the lathe.

This was the first time I've used drawbored joints and I was surprised at how firmly it really locks the joints down! I have no glue in there at all and I don't have any fear of the joints being able to rack or twist at all. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well the pegs drove home. I had one that exploded but it was already driven in far enough that the joint was firmly locked down so hurray!

Wood Fixture Floor Wood stain Hardwood


I'm very pleased with how the Purpleheart pegs look in the oak too. I'm not taking any precautions against UV so it won't stay purple long but even the dark brown that it goes to when exposed to light will still be visually pleasing in the oak. I left them all slightly proud and I'll go back with a flush cut saw and chisel and trim them all once the final assembly is done.

Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring Hardwood


I didn't go into detail on drawboring. But if anyone is curious, look up Chris Schwarz's blogs on it or look at his workbench books. I know he details it in at least one if not both of them.

My process for the drawbored joints was:

  1. Drill 1/2" holes through the mortises going at least 2" through the back side.
  2. Fit the tenons in and use a transfer punch to mark the hole center.
  3. Remove the tenon and drill 1/2" hole through ~3/32" closer to the shoulder than the transfer punch center mark.
  4. Turn pegs to 1/2" and taper last 1 or 1.5" down to about 5/16" diameter.
  5. Rub a block of paraffin wax on all but the last 1" or so before driving peg in. Alternatively, used wood glue instead of wax if desired.
  6. Drive pegs home.

Not difficult at all but sure results in a rock-solid joint.

I didn't take any pics yet so I'll save it for the next blog but I'm currently working on the leg vise. I got the chop roughed out yesterday and made the parallel guide. I installed the guide in the chop and clamped it up to the leg. I was in the process of boring through both for the screw when I ran out of time. So, that's where I'm at now…

I'll do another post on the leg vise when I get it finished up. Thanks for checking in!
 

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#81 ·
Still Plugging Along

Well, it's been a bit and most of my shop time the past several weeks has been spent working on Father's Day gifts and my contribution to the current LumberJocks Tool Swap. Those are both wrapped up and out of the house though and I had a long weekend with some pretty good shop time so I got quite a bit done. In fact… I AM ALMOST DONE!

First thing I did since the last entry was to finish up all the M&T joints for the long stretchers. Here is the final dry-fit of the whole big beautiful baby :)

Wood Shelf Workbench Hardwood Toolroom


After getting this far, I was so excited to get it flipped over that I almost neglected to cut the through mortise for the parallel guide for my leg vise. Thankfully I thought about it and hogged out the waste on the drill press and cleaned it up with a chisel before I got too far. I could have chopped it out after the bench was assembled but it would have been a MUCH bigger PITA. As luck would have it, I got some blowout on the front side of the mortise ;-( No biggie though, the chop will hide it most of the time and it's not enough to affect function.

Wood Building Wall Hardwood Wood stain


After that, I thought the best way to go about it would be to drawbore the short stretchers into the legs while it was assembled dry and leave the long stretchers free. This way I have 2 independent leg assemblies which will make it easier to take everything apart and re-assemble it right side up.

I had decided I definitely wanted my drawbore pegs to have good contrast with the oak. I was going to use a stick of Ironwood I have squirreled away but I've never worked with it and I was afraid it would be too brittle. So instead, I chose a chunk of Purpleheart that was the right length and that should provide all of the pegs I need. I sawed it into several blanks just over 1/2" square and turned the pegs on the lathe.

This was the first time I've used drawbored joints and I was surprised at how firmly it really locks the joints down! I have no glue in there at all and I don't have any fear of the joints being able to rack or twist at all. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well the pegs drove home. I had one that exploded but it was already driven in far enough that the joint was firmly locked down so hurray!

Wood Fixture Floor Wood stain Hardwood


I'm very pleased with how the Purpleheart pegs look in the oak too. I'm not taking any precautions against UV so it won't stay purple long but even the dark brown that it goes to when exposed to light will still be visually pleasing in the oak. I left them all slightly proud and I'll go back with a flush cut saw and chisel and trim them all once the final assembly is done.

Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring Hardwood


I didn't go into detail on drawboring. But if anyone is curious, look up Chris Schwarz's blogs on it or look at his workbench books. I know he details it in at least one if not both of them.

My process for the drawbored joints was:

  1. Drill 1/2" holes through the mortises going at least 2" through the back side.
  2. Fit the tenons in and use a transfer punch to mark the hole center.
  3. Remove the tenon and drill 1/2" hole through ~3/32" closer to the shoulder than the transfer punch center mark.
  4. Turn pegs to 1/2" and taper last 1 or 1.5" down to about 5/16" diameter.
  5. Rub a block of paraffin wax on all but the last 1" or so before driving peg in. Alternatively, used wood glue instead of wax if desired.
  6. Drive pegs home.

Not difficult at all but sure results in a rock-solid joint.

I didn't take any pics yet so I'll save it for the next blog but I'm currently working on the leg vise. I got the chop roughed out yesterday and made the parallel guide. I installed the guide in the chop and clamped it up to the leg. I was in the process of boring through both for the screw when I ran out of time. So, that's where I'm at now…

I'll do another post on the leg vise when I get it finished up. Thanks for checking in!
Ken you have put a massive amount of work in on this and it is looking good. This is going to be a great bench!
 

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#94 ·
Leg Vise

Well, over the past week, I did manage to get the leg vise mostly done. At least as "done" as I'm going to until the final assembly is done.

I had already cut the mortise for the parallel guide before drawboring the leg. So next thing I did was to make the parallel guide and cut my chop to rough shape. The guide is made from a piece of cherry and the chop is the same gnarly Walnut I used for my end vise. I cut a blind mortise in the chop for the guide and drilled and pinned it with some Jatoba scraps. I marked the location for the vise screw and drilled a 2" hole on the drill press.

Wood Table Interior design Workbench Hardwood


Next, I clamped the chop in position on the leg. I used a thin shim at the bottom of the chop to give it a slight toe-in at the top.

Window Wood Floor Hardwood Flooring


Then I used the 2" hole as a guide and bored through the leg with a Forstner bit.

Wood Window Interior design Flooring Floor


(I have no idea what happened in this^picture. I swear those 2 holes are aligned!)

The hardware I'm using is a tail vise screw from Lee Valley. It's a 1-1/8" screw so why did I bore it out at 2"? Because I don't want any slop in this guy so I want to insert some bushing/bearings that will keep it aligned and steady.

My original plan was to make bearings from some UHMW stock I have. But then I picked up some Lignum Vitae on clearance a couple weeks ago and decided to use it instead. So I turned a piece long enough to make 2 bearings to 2" diameter on my lathe then bored through it with a 1" drill. Then I used one of my new carbide inserted tools that LJ ki7hy made me in the recent tool swap to bore it out for a good fit on the vise screw.

Automotive tire Gas Wood Engineering Auto part


After that, I cut the bushings to length and then did a fit up with the vise hardware and bushings in place. Forgot to take pics, sorry. Once I was happy with everything, I clamped the chop down and marked the position of the vise nut on the leg and the screw collar on the chop and took it apart.

Next, I chiseled out a recess for the collar on the chop to let it in so the handle doesn't stick out as far.

Wood Shelf Wood stain Hardwood Audio equipment


Then installed the nut on the leg.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Audio equipment Electrical wiring


Rather than installing the Lignum bearings permanently, I just drove a small finish nail in each one to prevent them coming out of the bores. I waxed the bearings with paraffin.

Brown Wood Grey Fixture Wood stain


Again, I forgot to take pics but the last thing I did was another fit up to make sure everything was still aligned properly. It was! :) Now I'm working on finish-shaping the chop and sanding/scraping it and the guide. I left the chop a couple inches long. Once I get the bench assembled, I'll cut it off to ensure it's flush with the top of the bench and put some cork or leather on the face.

So, the leg vise is pretty much done. I still want to finish drilling out the rest of my dog/holdfast holes before I flip it all over and put it together. I've also decided that my end vise has too much slop in it so I'll probably re-mount it before it's all said and done. But that's definitely no emergency and not high on my priority list ;-p

So, there ya' have it… I'm a leg man now! Hopefully the next blog will have pictures of a right-side-up, fully assembled workbench in it!
 

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#95 ·
Leg Vise

Well, over the past week, I did manage to get the leg vise mostly done. At least as "done" as I'm going to until the final assembly is done.

I had already cut the mortise for the parallel guide before drawboring the leg. So next thing I did was to make the parallel guide and cut my chop to rough shape. The guide is made from a piece of cherry and the chop is the same gnarly Walnut I used for my end vise. I cut a blind mortise in the chop for the guide and drilled and pinned it with some Jatoba scraps. I marked the location for the vise screw and drilled a 2" hole on the drill press.

Wood Table Interior design Workbench Hardwood


Next, I clamped the chop in position on the leg. I used a thin shim at the bottom of the chop to give it a slight toe-in at the top.

Window Wood Floor Hardwood Flooring


Then I used the 2" hole as a guide and bored through the leg with a Forstner bit.

Wood Window Interior design Flooring Floor


(I have no idea what happened in this^picture. I swear those 2 holes are aligned!)

The hardware I'm using is a tail vise screw from Lee Valley. It's a 1-1/8" screw so why did I bore it out at 2"? Because I don't want any slop in this guy so I want to insert some bushing/bearings that will keep it aligned and steady.

My original plan was to make bearings from some UHMW stock I have. But then I picked up some Lignum Vitae on clearance a couple weeks ago and decided to use it instead. So I turned a piece long enough to make 2 bearings to 2" diameter on my lathe then bored through it with a 1" drill. Then I used one of my new carbide inserted tools that LJ ki7hy made me in the recent tool swap to bore it out for a good fit on the vise screw.

Automotive tire Gas Wood Engineering Auto part


After that, I cut the bushings to length and then did a fit up with the vise hardware and bushings in place. Forgot to take pics, sorry. Once I was happy with everything, I clamped the chop down and marked the position of the vise nut on the leg and the screw collar on the chop and took it apart.

Next, I chiseled out a recess for the collar on the chop to let it in so the handle doesn't stick out as far.

Wood Shelf Wood stain Hardwood Audio equipment


Then installed the nut on the leg.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Audio equipment Electrical wiring


Rather than installing the Lignum bearings permanently, I just drove a small finish nail in each one to prevent them coming out of the bores. I waxed the bearings with paraffin.

Brown Wood Grey Fixture Wood stain


Again, I forgot to take pics but the last thing I did was another fit up to make sure everything was still aligned properly. It was! :) Now I'm working on finish-shaping the chop and sanding/scraping it and the guide. I left the chop a couple inches long. Once I get the bench assembled, I'll cut it off to ensure it's flush with the top of the bench and put some cork or leather on the face.

So, the leg vise is pretty much done. I still want to finish drilling out the rest of my dog/holdfast holes before I flip it all over and put it together. I've also decided that my end vise has too much slop in it so I'll probably re-mount it before it's all said and done. But that's definitely no emergency and not high on my priority list ;-p

So, there ya' have it… I'm a leg man now! Hopefully the next blog will have pictures of a right-side-up, fully assembled workbench in it!
I THINK we need to have a workbench swap …....Kenny gets my name ....I will PM you my size Kenny ….. LMAO cant wait to see it finished…....... looks tough and sturdy…........ probably drive a rig on it LMAO :<))
 

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#101 ·
Still Upside Down... But Better

Had a little bit of time this week and got a few things done. I didn't get the bench right-side-up… yet. But, I'm ready to now! WOO-HOO!

First thing I did after the last update was to finish drilling out my dog/holdfast holes. I did the row closest to the edge with 4" spacing. The other row is on 12" centers. I didn't want to "Swiss Cheese" it too much so the second row is spaced to ensure my 8" holdfasts can get anywhere on the bench. I can always drill more holes later if needed. Once I got that done, I figured it would be a good idea to go ahead and put finish on the bottom of the top so I don't have to contort myself to reach it later.

Table Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


Next was the leg/short stretcher assemblies. I decided I would go ahead and do final finishing on them before assembling the bench. I used a flush cut saw and my 140 block plane to flush up all the drawbore pegs:

Hand tool Wood Tool Table Hardwood


Then I made a final pass with a smoother on the faces:

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Table


And scraped some of the nasty spots in this tough old oak:

Hand tool Wood Tool Hardwood Metalworking hand tool


Then I put finish on those parts as well.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Engineering Flooring


I didn't take any pics but I also planed/scraped the long stretchers but didn't put finish on them yet.

So, I can flip her over and finish pegging everything just anytime now! Hopefully I'll have a couple of hours and some help one evening this week. In the meantime, I still need to turn a few more drawbore pegs, mill/cut some wood for the bottom of the tool wells, make some French cleat for the back of the bench, make holders to go on the cleat and work on ledgers and boards to make the bottom shelf.

So, I still have a lot to do obviously. BUT the good news is that there's little left to do before the bench is fully-functional and in service :))) The rest of the stuff is all "fluff" that can be done as time permits.

Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully the next blog will show what actually looks like a workbench!
 

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#102 ·
Still Upside Down... But Better

Had a little bit of time this week and got a few things done. I didn't get the bench right-side-up… yet. But, I'm ready to now! WOO-HOO!

First thing I did after the last update was to finish drilling out my dog/holdfast holes. I did the row closest to the edge with 4" spacing. The other row is on 12" centers. I didn't want to "Swiss Cheese" it too much so the second row is spaced to ensure my 8" holdfasts can get anywhere on the bench. I can always drill more holes later if needed. Once I got that done, I figured it would be a good idea to go ahead and put finish on the bottom of the top so I don't have to contort myself to reach it later.

Table Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


Next was the leg/short stretcher assemblies. I decided I would go ahead and do final finishing on them before assembling the bench. I used a flush cut saw and my 140 block plane to flush up all the drawbore pegs:

Hand tool Wood Tool Table Hardwood


Then I made a final pass with a smoother on the faces:

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Table


And scraped some of the nasty spots in this tough old oak:

Hand tool Wood Tool Hardwood Metalworking hand tool


Then I put finish on those parts as well.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Engineering Flooring


I didn't take any pics but I also planed/scraped the long stretchers but didn't put finish on them yet.

So, I can flip her over and finish pegging everything just anytime now! Hopefully I'll have a couple of hours and some help one evening this week. In the meantime, I still need to turn a few more drawbore pegs, mill/cut some wood for the bottom of the tool wells, make some French cleat for the back of the bench, make holders to go on the cleat and work on ledgers and boards to make the bottom shelf.

So, I still have a lot to do obviously. BUT the good news is that there's little left to do before the bench is fully-functional and in service :))) The rest of the stuff is all "fluff" that can be done as time permits.

Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully the next blog will show what actually looks like a workbench!
I'll be over this week to flip it over. Good job.
 

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#105 ·
Not Much but Right-Side-UP!!

Not much to say but I am so excited I just had to post a quick update.

Yesterday I assembled the base with the long stretchers fit loosely.

Table Wood Hardwood Flooring Workbench


Then I wrestled the top onto it. Turned out to be pretty easy and I didn't need any help at all. Just slid it on the base and then went around tapping here and there until all the mortises fell on their tenons.

Table Wood Flooring Creative arts Floor


Then I drove in the drawbore pegs for the long stretchers and the base is done.

Wood Floor Flooring Plank Wood stain


Now I just have to pin the top to the front legs then I can re-mount the vises and tune them up.

Table Wood Stool Hardwood Gas


Stay tuned! :)))
 

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#106 ·
Not Much but Right-Side-UP!!

Not much to say but I am so excited I just had to post a quick update.

Yesterday I assembled the base with the long stretchers fit loosely.

Table Wood Hardwood Flooring Workbench


Then I wrestled the top onto it. Turned out to be pretty easy and I didn't need any help at all. Just slid it on the base and then went around tapping here and there until all the mortises fell on their tenons.

Table Wood Flooring Creative arts Floor


Then I drove in the drawbore pegs for the long stretchers and the base is done.

Wood Floor Flooring Plank Wood stain


Now I just have to pin the top to the front legs then I can re-mount the vises and tune them up.

Table Wood Stool Hardwood Gas


Stay tuned! :)))
Awesome!!!

Dude I have to go back and read about the split top. I can't remember your thought process on that part and why the holes seem so big?? It's looking awesome. Time to mount some hardware. It only gets even more exciting from here.
 

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#121 ·
Little More Progress, Nearly Done

Well, I got some time in the shop this weekend. I split it about 50/50 between my Beer Swap project and my bench. Just wanted to post a quick update on where I'm at.

Now that everything is assembled and pinned, it's time to get to work on the "fun"stuff… well mostly. First up was to get the end vise back on. Now, this is the one part of my build I'm not totally satisfied with. There's just too much slop in this hardware for a chop as long and heavy as the one I'm using.

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Plank


With the hardware being off center, the chop wants to lean to the long side. The fit between the guide rods and the bushings and bracket isn't tight enough to prevent it. For now, it's functional for sure. And it works well with the dogs so I'm going to leave it as-is until I finish everything else up and then come back to it. I figure I have a few options:
  • Shorten the chop up and make a Moxon for when I need to clamp up on wider things.
  • Make another front jaw with an attached "bracket" with tightly machined nylon bushings for the guide rods to prevent sagging. Problem with this is that it will reduce capacity.
  • Add an auxiliary guide rod on long end. Not sure how effective this would be.
  • Go with it for a while. If it's okay, great. If not, buy new hardware. This is the obvious solution if you're not a cheap-ass.

So, we'll see how that goes. For now, what you see is what you get. Next up was a final dry-fit of the leg vise before finishing it up. It turned out to work like buttahhhh… going in. But it would bind up coming out. When the screw started to move the chop out, it would tilt the chop and the parallel guide would bind. I had hoped if I was careful and precise during the build that I could get by with only the parallel guide. No such luck. So, I made a guide roller with parts from my "someday I might need one of these doo-hickeys" bucket and mounted it on the inside of the leg. Worked like a charm. I'm plum tickled pink with everything about the leg vise :)))

Wheel Tire Wood Automotive tire Gas


Once I knew I was happy with the function, I trimmed it flush with the benchtop, glued a piece of leather on the top, finished shaping/sanding it and slapped a couple of coats of BLO on.

Wood Automotive tire Gas Motor vehicle Machine


I'll consider that part complete for now. At some point, I'm probably going to modify it to use a handwheel but I'm holding off on that until I stumble across something really cool and unique at a junkyard or antique store.

Next thing is my Dawgs. I actually made a few of these a while back to use during the build but I wasn't sure I would use them as-is. But they've held up well and I think I'll make a couple more the same way. They seem to be solid and effective and most importantly, cheap ;-P

In the end vise, you can see holes above the hardware I cross drilled to the dog holes so I can put my finger in and slide them up.

Wood Plank Gas Hardwood Wood stain


The dogs are made using some brass bullet catches and leather from an old pair of shoes.

Wood Rectangle Table Wood stain Flooring


The ones used in the bench top shown above are made from Oak dowel from the big blue box store. The ones in the end vise shown below are made from some Ironwood I turned down on the lathe.

Furniture Table Wood Chair Wood stain


Next, I cut some plywood to go into the tool wells for now. I will make a thinner piece for the side nearest the end vise (3/4" ply is overkill and reduces the depth too much) and I plan to make an insert for the other well that will hold chisels, saws, layout tools etc. Just can't quite decide on the best design for that yet so for now, it's just getting a plywood bottom too.

Table Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


The final thing I got done was poking some holes in the leg opposite the leg vise for holdfasts. I got the Gramercy holdfasts for Christmas. I liked what I had read and for the price, thought they were an excellent value. I did have some issues when I tested them in the bench top with slipping. I could pull up with my hand and they would pop loose pretty easily. A little Googling turned up a FAQ page from Gramercy that recommended using some coarse sandpaper and sanding AROUND the shanks not up and down. I did so and, Bob's your uncle!

I drilled 3 holes through the leg starting at 8" down from the bench top on 8" centers. This lets me get anything from the floor to the top of the bench with a holdfast. I can always add holes if I find I need them for dogs or other accessories. But I'll wait until I need them before I poke them.

Wood Table Floor Wood stain Plank


So what's left? Well, like I said, the end vise isn't done. But, it's usable so I probably won't tackle the re-do for a while. As mentioned I need to make the final tool well inserts when I decide on a design. The leg vise is ready to rock as soon as my oil cures so I'll pop that back in place then. I have a few more bullet catches so I'll make a few more dogs and use them up too.

At present, my goal is to get finish on the rest of the bench. Before doing so, I need to remove an ass-load of pencil marks from the top. I thought I was going to just wipe it down with acetone but that didn't work so well. An eraser works but takes way too long. So, card scraper it is! Once I get all the pencil off, I'll put some finish on it and on the long stretchers.

As a side note, I'm thrilled with the stability of this air-dried Oak. I flattened the top back in the fall and when I finally got it flipped back over and installed last week, it's still flat except for the same low spot on the front left corner which I had identified back when I flattened it. There was also no twist in it. Hurray!

Once I get the finish on, I'll make some French cleat to go on the back of the bench and make some holders for tools I like to keep handy all the time. I want them modular and removable though for times when I need the full bench width plus some overhang for larger projects.

After that, a ship-lapped shelf for the bottom. Eventually there will be a bank of drawers down there but it's not necessary right now and after a year, it's about time I quit working on my bench and use it to make some things and justify its existence! ;-P

Thanks for dropping by. If you have any suggestions on the benchtop toolholding insert or ideas on how to tighten up the end vise, I'd love to hear them. Any other comments, critiques or suggestions are welcome as always!
 

Attachments

#122 ·
Little More Progress, Nearly Done

Well, I got some time in the shop this weekend. I split it about 50/50 between my Beer Swap project and my bench. Just wanted to post a quick update on where I'm at.

Now that everything is assembled and pinned, it's time to get to work on the "fun"stuff… well mostly. First up was to get the end vise back on. Now, this is the one part of my build I'm not totally satisfied with. There's just too much slop in this hardware for a chop as long and heavy as the one I'm using.

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Plank


With the hardware being off center, the chop wants to lean to the long side. The fit between the guide rods and the bushings and bracket isn't tight enough to prevent it. For now, it's functional for sure. And it works well with the dogs so I'm going to leave it as-is until I finish everything else up and then come back to it. I figure I have a few options:
  • Shorten the chop up and make a Moxon for when I need to clamp up on wider things.
  • Make another front jaw with an attached "bracket" with tightly machined nylon bushings for the guide rods to prevent sagging. Problem with this is that it will reduce capacity.
  • Add an auxiliary guide rod on long end. Not sure how effective this would be.
  • Go with it for a while. If it's okay, great. If not, buy new hardware. This is the obvious solution if you're not a cheap-ass.

So, we'll see how that goes. For now, what you see is what you get. Next up was a final dry-fit of the leg vise before finishing it up. It turned out to work like buttahhhh… going in. But it would bind up coming out. When the screw started to move the chop out, it would tilt the chop and the parallel guide would bind. I had hoped if I was careful and precise during the build that I could get by with only the parallel guide. No such luck. So, I made a guide roller with parts from my "someday I might need one of these doo-hickeys" bucket and mounted it on the inside of the leg. Worked like a charm. I'm plum tickled pink with everything about the leg vise :)))

Wheel Tire Wood Automotive tire Gas


Once I knew I was happy with the function, I trimmed it flush with the benchtop, glued a piece of leather on the top, finished shaping/sanding it and slapped a couple of coats of BLO on.

Wood Automotive tire Gas Motor vehicle Machine


I'll consider that part complete for now. At some point, I'm probably going to modify it to use a handwheel but I'm holding off on that until I stumble across something really cool and unique at a junkyard or antique store.

Next thing is my Dawgs. I actually made a few of these a while back to use during the build but I wasn't sure I would use them as-is. But they've held up well and I think I'll make a couple more the same way. They seem to be solid and effective and most importantly, cheap ;-P

In the end vise, you can see holes above the hardware I cross drilled to the dog holes so I can put my finger in and slide them up.

Wood Plank Gas Hardwood Wood stain


The dogs are made using some brass bullet catches and leather from an old pair of shoes.

Wood Rectangle Table Wood stain Flooring


The ones used in the bench top shown above are made from Oak dowel from the big blue box store. The ones in the end vise shown below are made from some Ironwood I turned down on the lathe.

Furniture Table Wood Chair Wood stain


Next, I cut some plywood to go into the tool wells for now. I will make a thinner piece for the side nearest the end vise (3/4" ply is overkill and reduces the depth too much) and I plan to make an insert for the other well that will hold chisels, saws, layout tools etc. Just can't quite decide on the best design for that yet so for now, it's just getting a plywood bottom too.

Table Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


The final thing I got done was poking some holes in the leg opposite the leg vise for holdfasts. I got the Gramercy holdfasts for Christmas. I liked what I had read and for the price, thought they were an excellent value. I did have some issues when I tested them in the bench top with slipping. I could pull up with my hand and they would pop loose pretty easily. A little Googling turned up a FAQ page from Gramercy that recommended using some coarse sandpaper and sanding AROUND the shanks not up and down. I did so and, Bob's your uncle!

I drilled 3 holes through the leg starting at 8" down from the bench top on 8" centers. This lets me get anything from the floor to the top of the bench with a holdfast. I can always add holes if I find I need them for dogs or other accessories. But I'll wait until I need them before I poke them.

Wood Table Floor Wood stain Plank


So what's left? Well, like I said, the end vise isn't done. But, it's usable so I probably won't tackle the re-do for a while. As mentioned I need to make the final tool well inserts when I decide on a design. The leg vise is ready to rock as soon as my oil cures so I'll pop that back in place then. I have a few more bullet catches so I'll make a few more dogs and use them up too.

At present, my goal is to get finish on the rest of the bench. Before doing so, I need to remove an ass-load of pencil marks from the top. I thought I was going to just wipe it down with acetone but that didn't work so well. An eraser works but takes way too long. So, card scraper it is! Once I get all the pencil off, I'll put some finish on it and on the long stretchers.

As a side note, I'm thrilled with the stability of this air-dried Oak. I flattened the top back in the fall and when I finally got it flipped back over and installed last week, it's still flat except for the same low spot on the front left corner which I had identified back when I flattened it. There was also no twist in it. Hurray!

Once I get the finish on, I'll make some French cleat to go on the back of the bench and make some holders for tools I like to keep handy all the time. I want them modular and removable though for times when I need the full bench width plus some overhang for larger projects.

After that, a ship-lapped shelf for the bottom. Eventually there will be a bank of drawers down there but it's not necessary right now and after a year, it's about time I quit working on my bench and use it to make some things and justify its existence! ;-P

Thanks for dropping by. If you have any suggestions on the benchtop toolholding insert or ideas on how to tighten up the end vise, I'd love to hear them. Any other comments, critiques or suggestions are welcome as always!
Looks great. Just like something a Hokie engineer would do. My wife laments that my work bench is our most expensive piece of furniture.
 

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