having just finished reading the Schwarz's Workbench design book before heading back into my shop to finish my daughter's Shaker style desk, I am seriously Jonesing for a real bench.
rather than go all-out Ruobo for my first real bench, I'm thinking of making a Moxon-ish dovetailing bench. it also needs to be a bench for sharpening with my new Brian Burns double bevel system ( http://www.lessonsinlutherie.com/doublebevelsharpeninghirez.html ).
I'm thinking 48" wide, 24" deep, 4×4 legs and the top at least 3" thick with dog holes for the Moxon vise and hold downs. 4×4 stretchers about 6" off the floor, maybe a shelf or two - if not a second shelf, then a deep drawer.
not sure about height yet, I think I should sketchup the Moxon vise first and test some heights for what feels most comfortable using countertops around the house, and even my lathe which is at a really nice height.
I'm another Russ who feels your pain. Not a day goes by that I don't long for a real bench. Most of my clamping operations are makeshift, securing my workpiece to whatever I can make work. It's oh so very sad.
I have recently starting using hand planes and I am finding it particularly difficult to get anything done as well since my bench is currently an old round kitchen table on a rolling platform. The major problem is that I am currently renting a town house and was hoping to move in the next year. No sense in building a giant bench just to have to rip it apart and start all over again in less than a year. Can't wait to have my own house and workshop!
I have two table saws and I am using one to clamp all my work to at the moment. Not the best, but it is something.
jointing 6' long 4×4s on a little benchtop jointer is part crazy and part gymnastics, cursing helps, but patience helps more. as tough as trueing the reference face is, squaring the second face is the real challenge. at times nearly all the weight was hanging off the end with all fingertip strength focused on keeping the ref face on the fence. but my little cast iron craftsman continues to impress.
felt like i was channeling Rob Cosman as i checked each piece with winding sticks (just some old plywood cutoffs and a sharpie with which i put a dashed pattern on the far stick). one timber had some twist which required some fancy jointing and a bit of hand planing
With two faces dressed and square, I made the remaining two parallel on my lunchbox planer, another tool that always impresses me. I kept their width as large as possible, just planing enough to have a good gluable face, the height I made consistent on each to minimize flattening work later. ended up about 3 5/16" thick
as you can see from the pics, two pieces have nice vertical grain, one fairly diagonal, I decided to go with the diagonal in the middle. used lots of titebond 3 and used all the clamps I could. the board on the right is the nicest and will be at the front of the bench, well half of it will, this will be cut in half and glued again, the finished top will be about 19" x 36"
I hav had these power press bar clamps for over a decade forgotten in a bin and used them for the first time today. they are nice! nicest pipe clamp I've ever used. what a shame they were discontinued after Irwin bought the company.
(aside: I'm not happy with Irwin, they've ruined Marples chisels)
I'm wondering if I can use these to make a Moxon vise? here's a quick sketch to be followed with a slow sketchup…
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