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Basement Workspace / V8 Mini Workbench

65K views 167 replies 24 participants last post by  rhybeka 
#1 ·
Moving South for the winter....

Admittedly I have lived in Ohio my entire life….and there are much colder places to live. Experiencing temps in the single digits with wind chills between -30 and -40 listening to the furnace barely kick off and being extremely thankful that the windows had been replaced so the majority of the heat would stay inside instead of escaping - showed me how much of a pipe dream it was that my little heater would be able to warm half of the garage well enough for me to work even on warmer days. Heating my workshop will not happen until I have a space of my own instead of the garage, so it will be a few more years.

I began mulling over the possibility of there being room in the unfinished side of our basement that I might be able to have a small work area for DIY projects, hand tool practice. I began muling over what kind of bench would meet all of my needs, be cheap enough to put together, fit my skill level, and hopefully not frustrate me too much. Enter Paul/SW with his mini V8 Bench. I'm getting ahead of myself though.

Last weekend I was able to get approval for the space to use to set up my area. It's about 5 feet from the water heater and furnace so it will be toasty warm in the winter and cooler months. The wall the bench will be on is about 64 inches long - so plenty long and wide enough. My plan currently is to install blocking on the metal studs and possibly some drywall (if I must), but I already have pegboard hanging across from the space that can be used. I'll need to run an extension cord for light and/or power. There is a small ceramic one bulb fixture near the pegboard (not even sure what you call them), but it doesn't throw enough light far enough. Any constructive input on the space/journey appreciated. Working through this from a newbie perspective so we'll see how this goes!

Building Wood Floor House Rectangle


Before :

Shipping box Gas Machine Box Plastic


After :

Wood Pipeline transport Gas Space Flooring
 

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#2 ·
Moving South for the winter....

Admittedly I have lived in Ohio my entire life….and there are much colder places to live. Experiencing temps in the single digits with wind chills between -30 and -40 listening to the furnace barely kick off and being extremely thankful that the windows had been replaced so the majority of the heat would stay inside instead of escaping - showed me how much of a pipe dream it was that my little heater would be able to warm half of the garage well enough for me to work even on warmer days. Heating my workshop will not happen until I have a space of my own instead of the garage, so it will be a few more years.

I began mulling over the possibility of there being room in the unfinished side of our basement that I might be able to have a small work area for DIY projects, hand tool practice. I began muling over what kind of bench would meet all of my needs, be cheap enough to put together, fit my skill level, and hopefully not frustrate me too much. Enter Paul/SW with his mini V8 Bench. I'm getting ahead of myself though.

Last weekend I was able to get approval for the space to use to set up my area. It's about 5 feet from the water heater and furnace so it will be toasty warm in the winter and cooler months. The wall the bench will be on is about 64 inches long - so plenty long and wide enough. My plan currently is to install blocking on the metal studs and possibly some drywall (if I must), but I already have pegboard hanging across from the space that can be used. I'll need to run an extension cord for light and/or power. There is a small ceramic one bulb fixture near the pegboard (not even sure what you call them), but it doesn't throw enough light far enough. Any constructive input on the space/journey appreciated. Working through this from a newbie perspective so we'll see how this goes!

Building Wood Floor House Rectangle


Before :

Shipping box Gas Machine Box Plastic


After :

Wood Pipeline transport Gas Space Flooring
It's a start, you will need light though first thing
 

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#3 ·
Moving South for the winter....

Admittedly I have lived in Ohio my entire life….and there are much colder places to live. Experiencing temps in the single digits with wind chills between -30 and -40 listening to the furnace barely kick off and being extremely thankful that the windows had been replaced so the majority of the heat would stay inside instead of escaping - showed me how much of a pipe dream it was that my little heater would be able to warm half of the garage well enough for me to work even on warmer days. Heating my workshop will not happen until I have a space of my own instead of the garage, so it will be a few more years.

I began mulling over the possibility of there being room in the unfinished side of our basement that I might be able to have a small work area for DIY projects, hand tool practice. I began muling over what kind of bench would meet all of my needs, be cheap enough to put together, fit my skill level, and hopefully not frustrate me too much. Enter Paul/SW with his mini V8 Bench. I'm getting ahead of myself though.

Last weekend I was able to get approval for the space to use to set up my area. It's about 5 feet from the water heater and furnace so it will be toasty warm in the winter and cooler months. The wall the bench will be on is about 64 inches long - so plenty long and wide enough. My plan currently is to install blocking on the metal studs and possibly some drywall (if I must), but I already have pegboard hanging across from the space that can be used. I'll need to run an extension cord for light and/or power. There is a small ceramic one bulb fixture near the pegboard (not even sure what you call them), but it doesn't throw enough light far enough. Any constructive input on the space/journey appreciated. Working through this from a newbie perspective so we'll see how this goes!

Building Wood Floor House Rectangle


Before :

Shipping box Gas Machine Box Plastic


After :

Wood Pipeline transport Gas Space Flooring
I have a small laundry room share /marquetry shop with bad lighting. I got a couple of magnetic base work lights from HF and then screwed metal electrical box cover plates to the walls and ceiling here and there to stock them on. It's not big general lighting but I can get adequate light wherever I need it. Cheap and simple.
Good luck with the bench.
 

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#4 ·
Moving South for the winter....

Admittedly I have lived in Ohio my entire life….and there are much colder places to live. Experiencing temps in the single digits with wind chills between -30 and -40 listening to the furnace barely kick off and being extremely thankful that the windows had been replaced so the majority of the heat would stay inside instead of escaping - showed me how much of a pipe dream it was that my little heater would be able to warm half of the garage well enough for me to work even on warmer days. Heating my workshop will not happen until I have a space of my own instead of the garage, so it will be a few more years.

I began mulling over the possibility of there being room in the unfinished side of our basement that I might be able to have a small work area for DIY projects, hand tool practice. I began muling over what kind of bench would meet all of my needs, be cheap enough to put together, fit my skill level, and hopefully not frustrate me too much. Enter Paul/SW with his mini V8 Bench. I'm getting ahead of myself though.

Last weekend I was able to get approval for the space to use to set up my area. It's about 5 feet from the water heater and furnace so it will be toasty warm in the winter and cooler months. The wall the bench will be on is about 64 inches long - so plenty long and wide enough. My plan currently is to install blocking on the metal studs and possibly some drywall (if I must), but I already have pegboard hanging across from the space that can be used. I'll need to run an extension cord for light and/or power. There is a small ceramic one bulb fixture near the pegboard (not even sure what you call them), but it doesn't throw enough light far enough. Any constructive input on the space/journey appreciated. Working through this from a newbie perspective so we'll see how this goes!

Building Wood Floor House Rectangle


Before :

Shipping box Gas Machine Box Plastic


After :

Wood Pipeline transport Gas Space Flooring
Well crud - the pics were right side up when I posted them! Yeesh :)

I have an extra one of those hanging fluorescent 2 footers out in the garage I believe I will be using - it just won't need to hang very low on a 7ft ceiling. I also have one of those retractable shop lights I could hang up to store it and use occasionally for more direct light. I think that should suffice mulling over mounting a power strip to the joist overhead or something but not that far yet.
 

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#5 ·
Moving South for the winter....

Admittedly I have lived in Ohio my entire life….and there are much colder places to live. Experiencing temps in the single digits with wind chills between -30 and -40 listening to the furnace barely kick off and being extremely thankful that the windows had been replaced so the majority of the heat would stay inside instead of escaping - showed me how much of a pipe dream it was that my little heater would be able to warm half of the garage well enough for me to work even on warmer days. Heating my workshop will not happen until I have a space of my own instead of the garage, so it will be a few more years.

I began mulling over the possibility of there being room in the unfinished side of our basement that I might be able to have a small work area for DIY projects, hand tool practice. I began muling over what kind of bench would meet all of my needs, be cheap enough to put together, fit my skill level, and hopefully not frustrate me too much. Enter Paul/SW with his mini V8 Bench. I'm getting ahead of myself though.

Last weekend I was able to get approval for the space to use to set up my area. It's about 5 feet from the water heater and furnace so it will be toasty warm in the winter and cooler months. The wall the bench will be on is about 64 inches long - so plenty long and wide enough. My plan currently is to install blocking on the metal studs and possibly some drywall (if I must), but I already have pegboard hanging across from the space that can be used. I'll need to run an extension cord for light and/or power. There is a small ceramic one bulb fixture near the pegboard (not even sure what you call them), but it doesn't throw enough light far enough. Any constructive input on the space/journey appreciated. Working through this from a newbie perspective so we'll see how this goes!

Building Wood Floor House Rectangle


Before :

Shipping box Gas Machine Box Plastic


After :

Wood Pipeline transport Gas Space Flooring
There are some fantastic LED strip lights and puck lights on the market now and are quite reasonably priced.
The puck lights over your work area would hardly affect your overhead clearence issues, and provide you with alot of light for there size.

Best Regards. - Grandpa Len.

Work Safely and have Fun.
 

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#6 ·
Moving South for the winter....

Admittedly I have lived in Ohio my entire life….and there are much colder places to live. Experiencing temps in the single digits with wind chills between -30 and -40 listening to the furnace barely kick off and being extremely thankful that the windows had been replaced so the majority of the heat would stay inside instead of escaping - showed me how much of a pipe dream it was that my little heater would be able to warm half of the garage well enough for me to work even on warmer days. Heating my workshop will not happen until I have a space of my own instead of the garage, so it will be a few more years.

I began mulling over the possibility of there being room in the unfinished side of our basement that I might be able to have a small work area for DIY projects, hand tool practice. I began muling over what kind of bench would meet all of my needs, be cheap enough to put together, fit my skill level, and hopefully not frustrate me too much. Enter Paul/SW with his mini V8 Bench. I'm getting ahead of myself though.

Last weekend I was able to get approval for the space to use to set up my area. It's about 5 feet from the water heater and furnace so it will be toasty warm in the winter and cooler months. The wall the bench will be on is about 64 inches long - so plenty long and wide enough. My plan currently is to install blocking on the metal studs and possibly some drywall (if I must), but I already have pegboard hanging across from the space that can be used. I'll need to run an extension cord for light and/or power. There is a small ceramic one bulb fixture near the pegboard (not even sure what you call them), but it doesn't throw enough light far enough. Any constructive input on the space/journey appreciated. Working through this from a newbie perspective so we'll see how this goes!

Building Wood Floor House Rectangle


Before :

Shipping box Gas Machine Box Plastic


After :

Wood Pipeline transport Gas Space Flooring
From the title, I thought you were going to migrate south with everything, but I see you are just going
a little distance towards a warmer climate. If your budget will allow it, one of those 4 ft T5 fluorescent
fixtures could easily light up that area. I would run a circuit or two from the breaker box if it was me, but
you might have to settle for a good extension cord and a power strip. Not that it is kosher, but they have
those plug things you can screw into your porcelain light fixture to plug in the fluorescent light. Have fun
and enjoy your new shop.
 

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#7 ·
Moving South for the winter....

Admittedly I have lived in Ohio my entire life….and there are much colder places to live. Experiencing temps in the single digits with wind chills between -30 and -40 listening to the furnace barely kick off and being extremely thankful that the windows had been replaced so the majority of the heat would stay inside instead of escaping - showed me how much of a pipe dream it was that my little heater would be able to warm half of the garage well enough for me to work even on warmer days. Heating my workshop will not happen until I have a space of my own instead of the garage, so it will be a few more years.

I began mulling over the possibility of there being room in the unfinished side of our basement that I might be able to have a small work area for DIY projects, hand tool practice. I began muling over what kind of bench would meet all of my needs, be cheap enough to put together, fit my skill level, and hopefully not frustrate me too much. Enter Paul/SW with his mini V8 Bench. I'm getting ahead of myself though.

Last weekend I was able to get approval for the space to use to set up my area. It's about 5 feet from the water heater and furnace so it will be toasty warm in the winter and cooler months. The wall the bench will be on is about 64 inches long - so plenty long and wide enough. My plan currently is to install blocking on the metal studs and possibly some drywall (if I must), but I already have pegboard hanging across from the space that can be used. I'll need to run an extension cord for light and/or power. There is a small ceramic one bulb fixture near the pegboard (not even sure what you call them), but it doesn't throw enough light far enough. Any constructive input on the space/journey appreciated. Working through this from a newbie perspective so we'll see how this goes!

Building Wood Floor House Rectangle


Before :

Shipping box Gas Machine Box Plastic


After :

Wood Pipeline transport Gas Space Flooring
I would suggest you consider one or more twin t-8 florescent bulb fixtures from your local big box. The ones I use were inexpensive, put out lots of light, have standard plugs making it simple to connect to your extension cord or to put a plug receptacle in your light fixture (or replace the fixture with one that has an outlet with light fixture), and simple to hang with provided chains.
Next would be a work bench. To keep cost down, you might find an used desk in a local garage sale or auction, use 2×4's to raise to a height that works for you and a sheet of mdf for a top. Then desk could provide a sturdy support and some storage.
Since your circuit breaker box is likely to also be in the basement then it would be a good step to add a 20 amp circuit with some outlets in your new work area. While this could be a diy project, if you don't have experience or understand wiring regulations then it would best be done by an electrician. Shouldn't be too costly either way. When they do this you might find adding a switch for the lighting very useful.
 

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#8 ·
Moving South for the winter....

Admittedly I have lived in Ohio my entire life….and there are much colder places to live. Experiencing temps in the single digits with wind chills between -30 and -40 listening to the furnace barely kick off and being extremely thankful that the windows had been replaced so the majority of the heat would stay inside instead of escaping - showed me how much of a pipe dream it was that my little heater would be able to warm half of the garage well enough for me to work even on warmer days. Heating my workshop will not happen until I have a space of my own instead of the garage, so it will be a few more years.

I began mulling over the possibility of there being room in the unfinished side of our basement that I might be able to have a small work area for DIY projects, hand tool practice. I began muling over what kind of bench would meet all of my needs, be cheap enough to put together, fit my skill level, and hopefully not frustrate me too much. Enter Paul/SW with his mini V8 Bench. I'm getting ahead of myself though.

Last weekend I was able to get approval for the space to use to set up my area. It's about 5 feet from the water heater and furnace so it will be toasty warm in the winter and cooler months. The wall the bench will be on is about 64 inches long - so plenty long and wide enough. My plan currently is to install blocking on the metal studs and possibly some drywall (if I must), but I already have pegboard hanging across from the space that can be used. I'll need to run an extension cord for light and/or power. There is a small ceramic one bulb fixture near the pegboard (not even sure what you call them), but it doesn't throw enough light far enough. Any constructive input on the space/journey appreciated. Working through this from a newbie perspective so we'll see how this goes!

Building Wood Floor House Rectangle


Before :

Shipping box Gas Machine Box Plastic


After :

Wood Pipeline transport Gas Space Flooring
Thanks for the advice guys! I was going to take another look at our electrical box to see if we have any room to spare. I don't think we do. After our basement remodel, the electrician said we would most likely need another box when we were ready to do more electric. Shame since it is tight next to the pegboard. I think I would be okay with just one light, and an outlet to charge batteries for my drill or run the shop vac. Not looking to have to do any cutting downstairs since I'm right close to the furnace. I'll still have to manage that outside unless it's handsaw and not too dusty. I can also run an extension cord from the gcfi outlet in the bathroom that's ~15 ft away if I must. @socrbent- going to give shipwrights mini v8 bench a shot. Already have the majority of the ply for it and it will fit my need. Thinking the height may be good - just need to make sure it'll be comfy for me to do hand work on
 

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#9 ·
slow starts

After getting the space somewhat cleared and reorganized, I cobbled together my tools and a work area-kinda. The plywood I'm using had already been cut to size for another storage project in my outside shop, so I'm hoping the majority of this is usable for this project.

Wood Gas Ceiling Building Composite material


Wood Netbook Audio equipment Gadget Electronic device


Wood Automotive exterior Automotive design Hardwood Wood stain


We shall see as I am trying to lay all of my pieces out by pencil first. Started cutting out some of the smaller pieces by jigsaw but they weren't as straight as I'd like soooo we'll see if they need to be recut. I went and rescued my circular saw and guides from the garage in hopes they will help. Onwards and upwards!
 

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#10 ·
slow starts

After getting the space somewhat cleared and reorganized, I cobbled together my tools and a work area-kinda. The plywood I'm using had already been cut to size for another storage project in my outside shop, so I'm hoping the majority of this is usable for this project.

Wood Gas Ceiling Building Composite material


Wood Netbook Audio equipment Gadget Electronic device


Wood Automotive exterior Automotive design Hardwood Wood stain


We shall see as I am trying to lay all of my pieces out by pencil first. Started cutting out some of the smaller pieces by jigsaw but they weren't as straight as I'd like soooo we'll see if they need to be recut. I went and rescued my circular saw and guides from the garage in hopes they will help. Onwards and upwards!
Good to see you getting started.
Try to get the cuts as close as you can. Little discrepancies have a way of adding up.
Good luck and PM me if you need help.
 

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#12 ·
Planning and slow starts

I finally got back to working on this task and wanted to break it down into multiple steps that I could possibly handle getting it all cut before our first snow (and we'll hope that isn't until December but who knows in OH?).

I'm a newbie woodworker though a few of the neighbors have seen my garage shop and think otherwise. I just smile and thank them for the compliment but tell them the learning process is far from over. So today I spent putting together circular saw jigs. It is becoming more and more apparent to me that I need a lot more practice handling tools right handed. I'm a lefty by nature but doing things the righty way is just awkward. I thought I was wise having Lowes cut my pieces for this jig but I didn't do a very good job labeling the factory edge when I got home with them a few weeks ago. I did my best to identify the factory edges and continue onwards. I had issues cutting the 2 inch guide strips properly. The motor housing on the left side of the circular saw made clamping the plywood difficult. At that point I probably should've stopped reading the directions and done what was easier and switched the saw around but I attempted to freehand cut the line and didn't do a great job. More practice for me. Anyway, once I have that done, and take a few practice passes on some scrap to make sure everything is good, I can get started on laying out and cutting the pieces for the workbench. Woohoo!
 
#13 ·
You can always screw the guide down if your clamps are in the way. The holes will in most cases not even show and the ones that do will be easily dealt with. As for the awkward part, just relax and take it slow. It will be easier than you think.
Good luck, I'll be following this blog. :)
 
#16 ·
yet another list...

I'm a list maker and a planner…which appears opposite of my nature to just get frustrated and jump in to 'just do it' some times. I've been working on slowing myself down for the past few years and have had some success with it. I definitely have in the workshop. It also helps me to break things down into smaller chunks that I can handle in a short period of time (since most of the time I only get an hour or two in the shop anyway - and that time will be dwindling since we will need to be parking a car in there by October) So here's the list I'm going to try to accomplish on this project by Sunday…. I'm thinking I'll have some questions on the dog holes and the bits but we'll see - I'll give it a go first :)

~~ Edited~~
I decided to go in a bit different direction with my list once finishing the 8ft jig yesterday

Mini-Me Workbench

Pre-work
1: create 8ft circular saw jig - Done! i think?
Wood House Floor Wood stain Flooring


2: Create 4ft circular saw jig - Done! just like the first

1: Rough cut large pieces first - Done!
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Flooring

Table Wood Saw Floor Wood stain


a. in case anyone is interested, I have both pieces of plywood sitting on sawhorses - as they have been for the past few months until I could get back to this. I separated them with a few 3/4 hardwood flooring scraps and made certain my blade was set to only cut just past the ply depth. My layout line was a bit odd - I checked that my square was square - but somehow my line was still ~1/8 off from one side to the other. I wasn't sure if warping would cause this or what. the jig took out the guesswork so it all worked out. it's as close as I'm going to get it - and that's darn close!

Brown Wood Hood Flooring Table


Next Steps:
a.Layout K,L,M,N,and P
b. Mark dog holes
c. Practice routing dog holes on scrap (½ or ¾ in straight bit?) with router jig
d. Route dog holes
SW's instructions: When you are done with the first five grooves, separate the long strips (K,L) from the short ones (M,N), and cut the remaining two grooves in the long strips only.
~*~Stop here and refer back to blog for next steps.
 

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#17 ·
yet another list...

I'm a list maker and a planner…which appears opposite of my nature to just get frustrated and jump in to 'just do it' some times. I've been working on slowing myself down for the past few years and have had some success with it. I definitely have in the workshop. It also helps me to break things down into smaller chunks that I can handle in a short period of time (since most of the time I only get an hour or two in the shop anyway - and that time will be dwindling since we will need to be parking a car in there by October) So here's the list I'm going to try to accomplish on this project by Sunday…. I'm thinking I'll have some questions on the dog holes and the bits but we'll see - I'll give it a go first :)

~~ Edited~~
I decided to go in a bit different direction with my list once finishing the 8ft jig yesterday

Mini-Me Workbench

Pre-work
1: create 8ft circular saw jig - Done! i think?
Wood House Floor Wood stain Flooring


2: Create 4ft circular saw jig - Done! just like the first

1: Rough cut large pieces first - Done!
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Flooring

Table Wood Saw Floor Wood stain


a. in case anyone is interested, I have both pieces of plywood sitting on sawhorses - as they have been for the past few months until I could get back to this. I separated them with a few 3/4 hardwood flooring scraps and made certain my blade was set to only cut just past the ply depth. My layout line was a bit odd - I checked that my square was square - but somehow my line was still ~1/8 off from one side to the other. I wasn't sure if warping would cause this or what. the jig took out the guesswork so it all worked out. it's as close as I'm going to get it - and that's darn close!

Brown Wood Hood Flooring Table


Next Steps:
a.Layout K,L,M,N,and P
b. Mark dog holes
c. Practice routing dog holes on scrap (½ or ¾ in straight bit?) with router jig
d. Route dog holes
SW's instructions: When you are done with the first five grooves, separate the long strips (K,L) from the short ones (M,N), and cut the remaining two grooves in the long strips only.
~*~Stop here and refer back to blog for next steps.
Moving forward is good
 

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#20 ·
Cut Lists and Aha moments....

I had about an hour and some to work in my shop last night and took full advantage. I got the first piece of plywood cut into large pieces, so I started laying out the internal pieces. I stopped after the second piece because the numbers I noticed were too hard to read on the print out. Glad I did since I got one of them wrong! I started cleaning up instead, and noticed my clamp rack (using that term loosely) was in disarray. I remembered seeing an idea somewhere recently (here maybe??) about hanging some form of clamp by its handle instead of by it's rod. I thought - that would work great for my little clamps! While I was doing that, I had the epiphany it would also work on my c-clamps.
Gas Machine Clotheshorse Room Fashion accessory

So cool - did that little project and got things cleaned up and ready for my next time in the shop. I also went inside and worked up a cut list for the plywood pieces since I can't seem to read them on the printouts I have. I've attached a link to it in my google docs in case others may find it handy. Feel free to take a look and let me know if I've gotten anything wrong - Lord knows I can fat finger anything!

-B
 

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#21 ·
Cut Lists and Aha moments....

I had about an hour and some to work in my shop last night and took full advantage. I got the first piece of plywood cut into large pieces, so I started laying out the internal pieces. I stopped after the second piece because the numbers I noticed were too hard to read on the print out. Glad I did since I got one of them wrong! I started cleaning up instead, and noticed my clamp rack (using that term loosely) was in disarray. I remembered seeing an idea somewhere recently (here maybe??) about hanging some form of clamp by its handle instead of by it's rod. I thought - that would work great for my little clamps! While I was doing that, I had the epiphany it would also work on my c-clamps.
Gas Machine Clotheshorse Room Fashion accessory

So cool - did that little project and got things cleaned up and ready for my next time in the shop. I also went inside and worked up a cut list for the plywood pieces since I can't seem to read them on the printouts I have. I've attached a link to it in my google docs in case others may find it handy. Feel free to take a look and let me know if I've gotten anything wrong - Lord knows I can fat finger anything!

-B
I'm on my iPad right now and don't have access to SU but didn't I include a cut list? I'm sure I did.
Are you having trouble reading numbers on the SU or just on your printout?
Anyway, looks like you've got it worked out. Keep me posted if you run into any mistakes. I did check carefully but …..
 

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#25 ·
Wanted: Splinter extractor

I made a bit of headway last Sunday and am just getting around to posting it. Used my cut list as a check list and got the majority of the pieces cut to length if not to final size. I ripped the pieces with A-D, but need to crosscut them to final length. I had to switch from my circular saw guide to my table saw because I think I have a bow in my one guide. Not sure how that happened but I'm hoping I didn't screw up too many pieces. I still need to get my shark guard better installed on my table saw - it's a bit wobbly due to weight right now. Any advice appreciated I probably won't get back to it for another week and some - I have a test in microeconomics on Thursday and a paper due on Monday. Maybe on a break I'll get to crosscut those pieces. I also have a cedar chest that needs some rehabbing before I'm willing to bring it into the house. Veneer removal is another thing I'm weak on so I better read up on my options. But I'm sure that's another blog series of some kind :)

I'll have to try pics later - seems it wants to post mine upside down!
 
#26 ·
small step forward, small step backward.

Just a quick note - and hope that my photos will be right side up this time. While waiting on some concrete to dry before I could continue on with my laminate flooring install, I returned to the shop to cut the remaining pieces to length.

Grille Wood Automotive tire Stairs Tire


I re-learned the valuable lesson as to why you mark what pieces were supposed to become as I didn't because I thought the cutlist would serve as a reminder - and it bit me today. Luckily I have extra ply from another project that can be used. I also think I'm about ready to cut the tops and bottom of the bench so we can see what's left over from that. I found I have two pieces - a J and K that need recut from when I found my circular saw issue as well. On another note, I should review my two new freud diablo blades - or add to the reviews already out there - they are both sweet!
 

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#27 ·
another baby step - cutting I and the tops

I suck at math. Ok - well maybe not suck, but I definitely have a weak spot when it comes to geometry. The basics and fractions I can manage but have to take my time when it comes to cutting radiuses or odd shapes. So I went and found a paper protractor online, printed, cut it out, and used it for my radii(?) on the 12 pieces of I. I think I did a pretty decent job - no I didn't use the can in the background - it wasn't big enough :D
Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Flooring Beige


I also finished cutting the tops and bottom down to size - well close - I'm slightly off :p so hopefully it's forgiving :)
Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Rectangle
 

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#28 ·
Mistakes...

I'm one of those folks who agonize over every detail when something happens, trying to overanalyze the whys,what's,how's, etc to completely reverse engineer why I made the mistake, the reasoning behind it, and engrain it into my memory so (hopefully) will never repeat it - or any semblance of it. Yeah - I have the catholic guilt to go with it and I'm not even catholic! Anyway… so I got some time in the shop this weekend to see where I am at. All my pieces are cut, straight and if anything possibly a 1/16 oversize. I did have to recut two pieces that were severely off due to my circular saw guide issue. I mosey'd over to Lowes and picked up some screws for my router plate top (since I seem to be missing all but two) and another sheet of ply - not like the remainder won't get used since I have at least two projects on the brain I could use it in (stay tuned to possibly a later blog). I had the forethought to have the panel saw guy rip them down to 2×4 sheets so they were much easier for me to maneuver and cut on the table saw. Immediately after I cut my two pieces (4 1/4 wide x whatever long) they curled into smiles. I'm guessing the stack of ply was left out in the weather. I contemplated screwing it down and continuing on, but it was time for me to stop so I stacked the remainder of the ply on top in hopes that when I returned, some of the curve had been worked out by the weight. I still need to decide what I'm using for the hardwood frame pieces and figure out how much that will run me. I'll take suggestions :) I need to go back and see what Mr. P has in the SU diagram as well. hopefully I'll be able to carve out a few hours to work out there this weekend as I'm sure I'll be reminded again that I need to be able to soon give up half of the garage. I also tried to fit the screws into the router/router plate - close but no cigar. Not quite sure what I'm going to do there. I was going to build a better base plate anyway but I wasn't planning on it being this soon.
 
#29 ·
Don't worry too much about the warp. All of the strips are braced by each other and will be held straight once the assembly is done. If they are leg pieces just arrange to have them face to face. If they are top pieces the half notch interlocks will hold them straight. The cool thing about this design is that you don't need good plywood.
PM me if you need specific help with it.
I didn't trim mine with hardwood at all. Mine is all plywood except for the vices themselves.
A hardwood facia around the table would be nice but you certainly don't need it.
 
#31 ·
another minor progress

I had a bit to putz in the shop today - had to finish cleaning out the 'other' side so our sedan could be parked in since apparently by the end of the week the weatherman said the S word. I should be used to hearing it every few years in Oct. in OH but I still gave the TV the stink eye since it means my shop days are getting numbered and I'm nowhere near finishing this bench. at least it's cut into pieces so I can assemble in the basement if we get to that point :) Anyway… Today I managed to scout out the proper size screws for my router sub plate and got that back on. I made some practice runs with the bit since I've never used anything that wasn't an edging bit - and I'm pretty much a noob at my router as well. I don't like the base - the adjustments are wonky but I also haven't spent enough time with it to be familiar. So the first pass to just see what it would do… reinforced why we use guides :)
Wood Table Rectangle Packing materials Wood stain


second attempt I used another scrap piece of ply as a guide and clamped it down - not bad but interferes a bit with the router handles.
Wood Rectangle Tool Wood stain Hardwood


Third time of course is the charm. Used the straight edge and the depth appears to be appropriate for half a circle. I did forget to take a picture from the side though - d'oh!
Wood Rectangle Beige Wood stain Table


The last thing I managed was to get my four pieces that get dog holes screwed down to a piece of scrap ply so they are ready for layout once I locate my directions at where to put them :D hopefully I'll get to that tomorrow night before our cold front moves through!
Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain Floor
 

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#32 ·
another minor progress

I had a bit to putz in the shop today - had to finish cleaning out the 'other' side so our sedan could be parked in since apparently by the end of the week the weatherman said the S word. I should be used to hearing it every few years in Oct. in OH but I still gave the TV the stink eye since it means my shop days are getting numbered and I'm nowhere near finishing this bench. at least it's cut into pieces so I can assemble in the basement if we get to that point :) Anyway… Today I managed to scout out the proper size screws for my router sub plate and got that back on. I made some practice runs with the bit since I've never used anything that wasn't an edging bit - and I'm pretty much a noob at my router as well. I don't like the base - the adjustments are wonky but I also haven't spent enough time with it to be familiar. So the first pass to just see what it would do… reinforced why we use guides :)
Wood Table Rectangle Packing materials Wood stain


second attempt I used another scrap piece of ply as a guide and clamped it down - not bad but interferes a bit with the router handles.
Wood Rectangle Tool Wood stain Hardwood


Third time of course is the charm. Used the straight edge and the depth appears to be appropriate for half a circle. I did forget to take a picture from the side though - d'oh!
Wood Rectangle Beige Wood stain Table


The last thing I managed was to get my four pieces that get dog holes screwed down to a piece of scrap ply so they are ready for layout once I locate my directions at where to put them :D hopefully I'll get to that tomorrow night before our cold front moves through!
Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain Floor
Each one better than the one before. By the time you cut the real ones they should be perfect. Sorry I took so long to answer your PM. I've been a little busy. :)
 

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#35 ·
frustration and more learning...

The other night I was finally able to get back out to the shop. I was excited about starting to get to some of the detail work on the pieces. Got the measurements transferred from the SU to the ply pieces, and set up my square to being my edge guide (mistake #1 but I thought it was a good idea at the moment). Even used a piece of scrap to remind me not to run the bit all the way through the L and K pieces I had screwed down.

Wood Varnish Flooring Rectangle Hardwood


so with this setup, I continued routing my bench dog holes. I should've stopped after I futzed the second one up but I didn't thinking well - maybe they can be salvaged.
Wood Line Hardwood Tints and shades Wood stain


So I continued on, and in essence of your time and mine, I'll condense the next bit. I finished routing the bench dog holes, and moved on to cutting the notches out. I thought the table saw would give me a better cut so I used it to cut out the notches on the ends. Then I flipped them over and noticed the blade had cut all the way through on the back side of the piece. Strange, but I realized since I'd been making through cuts on everything else it hadn't mattered until now.
Wood Flooring Automotive tire Hardwood Gas

Brown Wood Fixture Rectangle Wood stain


It was at this point I decided to cut my losses and start clean since I had enough material to do so. This time I was able to use Mr. P's way of laying out the pieces all on the same board and routing them that way - which was MUCH easier.

Wood Flooring Rectangle Floor Wood stain

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Toy


I was able to get them routed and cut into pieces. Unfortunately I realized a bit too late they may not be deep enough.Better than too deep I guess :) I stopped there since it was late and I was getting tired enough to make more mistakes. I figured I'd get back to it with a fresh set of eyes and coffee maybe even today. Staying warm in the shop is now an issue but hopefully I'll have a few more weeks to get this done!
 

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#36 ·
frustration and more learning...

The other night I was finally able to get back out to the shop. I was excited about starting to get to some of the detail work on the pieces. Got the measurements transferred from the SU to the ply pieces, and set up my square to being my edge guide (mistake #1 but I thought it was a good idea at the moment). Even used a piece of scrap to remind me not to run the bit all the way through the L and K pieces I had screwed down.

Wood Varnish Flooring Rectangle Hardwood


so with this setup, I continued routing my bench dog holes. I should've stopped after I futzed the second one up but I didn't thinking well - maybe they can be salvaged.
Wood Line Hardwood Tints and shades Wood stain


So I continued on, and in essence of your time and mine, I'll condense the next bit. I finished routing the bench dog holes, and moved on to cutting the notches out. I thought the table saw would give me a better cut so I used it to cut out the notches on the ends. Then I flipped them over and noticed the blade had cut all the way through on the back side of the piece. Strange, but I realized since I'd been making through cuts on everything else it hadn't mattered until now.
Wood Flooring Automotive tire Hardwood Gas

Brown Wood Fixture Rectangle Wood stain


It was at this point I decided to cut my losses and start clean since I had enough material to do so. This time I was able to use Mr. P's way of laying out the pieces all on the same board and routing them that way - which was MUCH easier.

Wood Flooring Rectangle Floor Wood stain

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Toy


I was able to get them routed and cut into pieces. Unfortunately I realized a bit too late they may not be deep enough.Better than too deep I guess :) I stopped there since it was late and I was getting tired enough to make more mistakes. I figured I'd get back to it with a fresh set of eyes and coffee maybe even today. Staying warm in the shop is now an issue but hopefully I'll have a few more weeks to get this done!
Hang in there, Becky! Maybe 1/2 caf/1/2 decaf?
 

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#40 ·
Heeeere doggie doggie doggie! Bench dogs - they just keep coming

This past Saturday the weather was nice enough for me to shuck off on my schoolwork, and I did enough of the yard chores the rest will keep until after winter is over. I meandered into the shop for a few hours to see if I could get the bench dog 'holes' routed. Luckily with having to recut M, N, and K I could leave them 'together' and get the holes routed much easier.
Wood Table Composite material Plank Hardwood


you can tell in this pic, the piece at the far back is my extra - trying to prevent the tearout from being too bad
Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


Not too shabby for my first pass - though I noticed once Had the first round done, my router was changing depth on me. between the collett loosening, or the base deciding to click down a notch, or both, I'm not quite certain.
Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Wood stain


But I didn't figure that out until after I'd cut them apart and had chance to test the holes. It hadn't occured to me to trim down until half the dog hole was in the plywood. Yes, I'm a tad slow on the upswing. i screwed all the pieces down to the ply underneath, took a few more passes and tested again. It got a bit frustrating since I
had to keep unscrewing things, but that's the price I pay :D

So take two it is!
Wood Flooring Drilling Wood stain Hardwood


M and N dryfit run looked and felt pretty darn good - may have to wax a few of the 'dogs' to make life a bit easier until the holes wear a bit.
Wood Building material Hardwood Wood stain Plank

Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor Hardwood


L and K required a bit more work. I know they aren't perfect but I'd hesitate to try shaving more off. I'd rather have them be a bit more of a tight fit than a loose fit, ya know?
Wood Plank Hardwood Wood stain Tradesman


So that's where I'm at. I'm ready to proceed on, but I have a paper, two homework assignments, and a midterm in my microeconomics class to do between now and next Tues (test night) I have to get to some of that before I can get to the shop. Not to mention the cool down tonight. I'll be breaking out my lined carhart bibs again if I can get out there on Saturday. As Mr. P says - thanks for checking in :) I know I'm turtle slow - but hopefully it keeps me from making too many newbie mistakes :) Oh - I also realized how handy a router rest would be. adding that to my shop projects list once I'm done with the bench :D
 

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#41 ·
Heeeere doggie doggie doggie! Bench dogs - they just keep coming

This past Saturday the weather was nice enough for me to shuck off on my schoolwork, and I did enough of the yard chores the rest will keep until after winter is over. I meandered into the shop for a few hours to see if I could get the bench dog 'holes' routed. Luckily with having to recut M, N, and K I could leave them 'together' and get the holes routed much easier.
Wood Table Composite material Plank Hardwood


you can tell in this pic, the piece at the far back is my extra - trying to prevent the tearout from being too bad
Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


Not too shabby for my first pass - though I noticed once Had the first round done, my router was changing depth on me. between the collett loosening, or the base deciding to click down a notch, or both, I'm not quite certain.
Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Wood stain


But I didn't figure that out until after I'd cut them apart and had chance to test the holes. It hadn't occured to me to trim down until half the dog hole was in the plywood. Yes, I'm a tad slow on the upswing. i screwed all the pieces down to the ply underneath, took a few more passes and tested again. It got a bit frustrating since I
had to keep unscrewing things, but that's the price I pay :D

So take two it is!
Wood Flooring Drilling Wood stain Hardwood


M and N dryfit run looked and felt pretty darn good - may have to wax a few of the 'dogs' to make life a bit easier until the holes wear a bit.
Wood Building material Hardwood Wood stain Plank

Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor Hardwood


L and K required a bit more work. I know they aren't perfect but I'd hesitate to try shaving more off. I'd rather have them be a bit more of a tight fit than a loose fit, ya know?
Wood Plank Hardwood Wood stain Tradesman


So that's where I'm at. I'm ready to proceed on, but I have a paper, two homework assignments, and a midterm in my microeconomics class to do between now and next Tues (test night) I have to get to some of that before I can get to the shop. Not to mention the cool down tonight. I'll be breaking out my lined carhart bibs again if I can get out there on Saturday. As Mr. P says - thanks for checking in :) I know I'm turtle slow - but hopefully it keeps me from making too many newbie mistakes :) Oh - I also realized how handy a router rest would be. adding that to my shop projects list once I'm done with the bench :D
Good progress Becky. If the holes are tight, you can run a drill through them after it's all finished. The holes will,be square to the top. That's the important thing.
if you will be using holdfasts, a little loose won't hurt.
 

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#43 ·
Next Step: Notches, Notches, Notches???

Mkay. So I suited up to spend some time in my shop - trying to get the workbench pieces finished so I can carry inside for downstairs assembly - or even better - get it all assembled and move it inside :D So I completed the dog hole routing the other day, and moved onto cutting the notches. I was able to get the notches cut in J,K.L,M,N the first round -

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Gas Hardwood Composite material Machine


Wood Flooring Hardwood Gas Wood stain


Apparently the tape measure 1 1/4 is different from the combination square's 1 1/4
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Gas Nail


I adjusted the blade height for the rest of the cuts to make sure it was more towards the 1 1/4 mark and continued on. I cleaned them out with a chisel as best as I could see, but I wish they would've come out a bit cleaner - That probably should've been my first sign something wasn't going quite to plan - buuut it didn't .
Wood Electrical wiring Gas Hardwood Wood stain

Wood Building Propeller Engineering Ceiling


So I finished those up and set them aside. I grabbed pieces O,Q,R, and both S's to put the end notches in at least the longer pieces. I was getting a bit frustrated with the Irwin blade I have on the circular saw (kinda funny since I just bought it and might have 20 cuts in with it, but it was burning and just being ornery) so I switched it back out for the dewalt blade I had in.
Wood Audio equipment Rim Automotive wheel system Auto part


notched the ends, and took them apart to start laying out the separate notches and noticed this from the previous blade:

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain Plank


debating on how to fix since I'm betting they may all be like this. Don't exactly want to make them any deeper either since they're already a tad deep. thoughts/ideas?
 

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#44 ·
Next Step: Notches, Notches, Notches???

Mkay. So I suited up to spend some time in my shop - trying to get the workbench pieces finished so I can carry inside for downstairs assembly - or even better - get it all assembled and move it inside :D So I completed the dog hole routing the other day, and moved onto cutting the notches. I was able to get the notches cut in J,K.L,M,N the first round -

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Gas Hardwood Composite material Machine


Wood Flooring Hardwood Gas Wood stain


Apparently the tape measure 1 1/4 is different from the combination square's 1 1/4
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Gas Nail


I adjusted the blade height for the rest of the cuts to make sure it was more towards the 1 1/4 mark and continued on. I cleaned them out with a chisel as best as I could see, but I wish they would've come out a bit cleaner - That probably should've been my first sign something wasn't going quite to plan - buuut it didn't .
Wood Electrical wiring Gas Hardwood Wood stain

Wood Building Propeller Engineering Ceiling


So I finished those up and set them aside. I grabbed pieces O,Q,R, and both S's to put the end notches in at least the longer pieces. I was getting a bit frustrated with the Irwin blade I have on the circular saw (kinda funny since I just bought it and might have 20 cuts in with it, but it was burning and just being ornery) so I switched it back out for the dewalt blade I had in.
Wood Audio equipment Rim Automotive wheel system Auto part


notched the ends, and took them apart to start laying out the separate notches and noticed this from the previous blade:

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain Plank


debating on how to fix since I'm betting they may all be like this. Don't exactly want to make them any deeper either since they're already a tad deep. thoughts/ideas?
I'll be watching for answers as I got nuthin' on a fix for you. I will say pick one measuring device and use it ONLY for the entire project! A tidbit I picked up on the site. (Did you have the new blade in correctly?) Keep on pluggin' away!
 

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#53 ·
puting the parts together

I got the rest of the slats marked out and cut this morning - resorting to the jig saw instead of the circular saw. Might've taken me longer but it seemed to work out better than the first go round :)
Wood Textile Wood stain Natural material Twig

So then I started the assembly process….
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Lumber


Building Wood House Wood stain Beam


and found out some of my joints apparently aren't quite deep enough - ? or somethings not quite right

Wood Floor Wall Hardwood Flooring


Wood Hardwood Building material Flooring Composite material


Wood Gas Electrical wiring Machine Engineering


I started to predrill for the holes and stopped, realized I was way too tired to cotinue and needed to fix the too tall issue first before continuing. Tomorrow it will be warm enough I can get back out there first thing so I guess I better get some schoolwork done :p
 

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#54 ·
puting the parts together

I got the rest of the slats marked out and cut this morning - resorting to the jig saw instead of the circular saw. Might've taken me longer but it seemed to work out better than the first go round :)
Wood Textile Wood stain Natural material Twig

So then I started the assembly process….
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Lumber


Building Wood House Wood stain Beam


and found out some of my joints apparently aren't quite deep enough - ? or somethings not quite right

Wood Floor Wall Hardwood Flooring


Wood Hardwood Building material Flooring Composite material


Wood Gas Electrical wiring Machine Engineering


I started to predrill for the holes and stopped, realized I was way too tired to cotinue and needed to fix the too tall issue first before continuing. Tomorrow it will be warm enough I can get back out there first thing so I guess I better get some schoolwork done :p
It's looking great, Becky. Nice organization.
 

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#59 ·
It's square!

I'll post pics later but I was able to rework a few of the stretcher pieces yesterday morning and got things squared up! Now, to determine the best way to screw the two together so I can get the dog holes bored out!

Ok, so I had a bit more time to work on this over the holiday weekend, even with my cousin visiting. I was able to get the dog holes bored out and it took me a bit but I finally figured out what Paul meant when he wrote about marking out the wagon vise.
Wood Textile Building Art Creative arts


Wood Building Wood stain Hardwood Tints and shades


Wood Table Wood stain Floor Hardwood


I decided to leave the top together and move forward onto the legs since the weather was going to rapidly cool off. I also took the time to clean up and sweep out the majority of the sawdust I'd been accumulating. I swapped my work area and my table saw so I could see what I was working on better…not enough light but I'm not willing to waste another light in there when I'm not staying in that space. That being done, the next step to starting on the legs was to cut out the 'rabbet' in two boards for part of one of the vices. I decided to try it out on a piece of scrap since the process was to be the same as when we cut the rabbets out for the stretchers and I didn't do so hot on that. This time around though, they came out pretty well decent! I was able to get them screwed together and to the point where Mr. P planes one edge to get them even. Unfortunately none of my planes are put together. I believe my #4 is sharpened but I'll need take a look at it or possibly locate a sureform or something.
 

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#60 ·
It's square!

I'll post pics later but I was able to rework a few of the stretcher pieces yesterday morning and got things squared up! Now, to determine the best way to screw the two together so I can get the dog holes bored out!

Ok, so I had a bit more time to work on this over the holiday weekend, even with my cousin visiting. I was able to get the dog holes bored out and it took me a bit but I finally figured out what Paul meant when he wrote about marking out the wagon vise.
Wood Textile Building Art Creative arts


Wood Building Wood stain Hardwood Tints and shades


Wood Table Wood stain Floor Hardwood


I decided to leave the top together and move forward onto the legs since the weather was going to rapidly cool off. I also took the time to clean up and sweep out the majority of the sawdust I'd been accumulating. I swapped my work area and my table saw so I could see what I was working on better…not enough light but I'm not willing to waste another light in there when I'm not staying in that space. That being done, the next step to starting on the legs was to cut out the 'rabbet' in two boards for part of one of the vices. I decided to try it out on a piece of scrap since the process was to be the same as when we cut the rabbets out for the stretchers and I didn't do so hot on that. This time around though, they came out pretty well decent! I was able to get them screwed together and to the point where Mr. P planes one edge to get them even. Unfortunately none of my planes are put together. I believe my #4 is sharpened but I'll need take a look at it or possibly locate a sureform or something.
Hooray! Party time!
 

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#61 ·
Square part 2 - the legs

got 1.5 hours to work in the shop tonight to enjoy the last of our 45+ temps. I think I'll be bringing the rest of the bench in to assemble in the basement but we'll see how this goes. So I worked on getting the leg with the vise in it put together. I had it screwed together but it wasn't squared. Frustrated, I took all the screws out and started from square one and layer one. Since part F starts the one side, I shimmed the other pieces up level and start putting the first layer together got that squared within an 1/8-1/4 and decided I could glue this layer together to have a solid, square base to work from so I started gluing and clamping.
Wood Hardwood Building Machine Engineering


Everything was going well for a good while - until…. I realized the one part was too high. Frantically tried pulling it apart - no go. Tightbond II had already started to bond. Was able to gently pry apart after I separated the pieces with a chisel. Dabbed a bit more glue on and reset the piece where it needed to go. Whew!

Wood Workbench Vise Gas Engineering


So I continued on from here and got a few more of the smaller pieces on. I'm out of small clamps and I figured the glue needed to set overnight. I cleaned up the runs as best I could and I'll check things out tomorrow once I can get home and back to it - still a bit surreal being completely done with school.

Wood Table Desk Engineering Art

Table Wood Desk Engineering Workbench


Ok - had a bit more time to work on this yesterday so a few more pics. Hopefully i fixed the one foot ok. I think I'll cut an extra C piece and attach it to the other side once the whole leg is together just in case.
So here's what I did last night - just one more layer but it's showing the vice spaces lining up pretty decently
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Tints and shades


Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Flooring


Brown Table Wood Rectangle Flooring


just a taaad bit off
Rectangle Wood Font Wood stain Hardwood


too much glue?? naaaah.
Table Tableware Wood Cuisine Ingredient


Table Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


Wood Bumper Machine tool Gas Workbench


Wood Gas Hardwood Plumbing valve Valve


Wood Musical instrument Flooring Hardwood Gas


And finito! I finished gluing the last ~2 layers last night and it is clamped up in the garage. I know the left side isn't lined up perfectly but I figure that shouldn't have anything to do with strength. I'll add some screws as well. A bit of sanding as well :) I moved the parts for the non-vice leg into the dining room along with the jug of titebond 2 I have left to use.
Wood Floor Flooring Workbench Tool


Wood Gas Hardwood Plank Tool


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain
 

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#62 ·
Square part 2 - the legs

got 1.5 hours to work in the shop tonight to enjoy the last of our 45+ temps. I think I'll be bringing the rest of the bench in to assemble in the basement but we'll see how this goes. So I worked on getting the leg with the vise in it put together. I had it screwed together but it wasn't squared. Frustrated, I took all the screws out and started from square one and layer one. Since part F starts the one side, I shimmed the other pieces up level and start putting the first layer together got that squared within an 1/8-1/4 and decided I could glue this layer together to have a solid, square base to work from so I started gluing and clamping.
Wood Hardwood Building Machine Engineering


Everything was going well for a good while - until…. I realized the one part was too high. Frantically tried pulling it apart - no go. Tightbond II had already started to bond. Was able to gently pry apart after I separated the pieces with a chisel. Dabbed a bit more glue on and reset the piece where it needed to go. Whew!

Wood Workbench Vise Gas Engineering


So I continued on from here and got a few more of the smaller pieces on. I'm out of small clamps and I figured the glue needed to set overnight. I cleaned up the runs as best I could and I'll check things out tomorrow once I can get home and back to it - still a bit surreal being completely done with school.

Wood Table Desk Engineering Art

Table Wood Desk Engineering Workbench


Ok - had a bit more time to work on this yesterday so a few more pics. Hopefully i fixed the one foot ok. I think I'll cut an extra C piece and attach it to the other side once the whole leg is together just in case.
So here's what I did last night - just one more layer but it's showing the vice spaces lining up pretty decently
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Tints and shades


Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Flooring


Brown Table Wood Rectangle Flooring


just a taaad bit off
Rectangle Wood Font Wood stain Hardwood


too much glue?? naaaah.
Table Tableware Wood Cuisine Ingredient


Table Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


Wood Bumper Machine tool Gas Workbench


Wood Gas Hardwood Plumbing valve Valve


Wood Musical instrument Flooring Hardwood Gas


And finito! I finished gluing the last ~2 layers last night and it is clamped up in the garage. I know the left side isn't lined up perfectly but I figure that shouldn't have anything to do with strength. I'll add some screws as well. A bit of sanding as well :) I moved the parts for the non-vice leg into the dining room along with the jug of titebond 2 I have left to use.
Wood Floor Flooring Workbench Tool


Wood Gas Hardwood Plank Tool


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain
Sweet…..
 

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#68 ·
Sexy Legs - Done! back to top

Yes, another placeholder post from yours truly. I was able to finish glue up on the second leg over the weekend. Had to improvise on a few clamps since it was too cold for glue to set outside.
Bottle Drink Food Carbonated soft drinks Cola


Now all that's left is to add some three inch screws to both legs, pretty them up a bit and voila!
Had to go back and cut the hole in the benchtop for the wagon vise. I picked up a HF trim router yesterday and tried out a straight bit in it to clean up the edges. came out alright - but definitely need more practice. I'll try to get some better pics once I get done at work today.

Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring Plywood
 

Attachments

#69 ·
Sexy Legs - Done! back to top

Yes, another placeholder post from yours truly. I was able to finish glue up on the second leg over the weekend. Had to improvise on a few clamps since it was too cold for glue to set outside.
Bottle Drink Food Carbonated soft drinks Cola


Now all that's left is to add some three inch screws to both legs, pretty them up a bit and voila!
Had to go back and cut the hole in the benchtop for the wagon vise. I picked up a HF trim router yesterday and tried out a straight bit in it to clean up the edges. came out alright - but definitely need more practice. I'll try to get some better pics once I get done at work today.

Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring Plywood
I see you have the Glue-Bot…. Love mine!!!

I do see one major issue with your glue up….
I'm a Mountain Dew man myself, so the Coke & Sprite just ain't right!!! ;^)
Skeereded ya…. didn't I???
 

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#73 ·
pulling it together - pt 1

Just a short one since it's a bit after 1am and I have to be up in a few hours. Since we're supposed to take a temp dip this week I was really pushing to get the assembly done. Well, it's getting there. Not a lot of pics unfortunately - my phone didn't make it out with me on Saturday. So I decided to try to speed things up by using pocket screws on the stretchers. So far, so good. I was able to get the tops fitted fairly decently but in newb style, I had to shim one of the short sides against a leg since I cut a bit too much. top and bottom stretchers and such are on. I missed a step on the lower top since I'd already cut the wagon vice in a previous step (it's what I get for not reading ahead) and started gluing the inner frame to the bottom piece. Luckily, I didn't get very far, so I can go back and glue and screw the bottom ply to the legs :) I think after that we may need to move it indoors otherwise the glue won't dry :)

Wood Building Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


Wood Wood stain Pet supply Hardwood Lumber
 

Attachments

#74 ·
pulling it together - pt 1

Just a short one since it's a bit after 1am and I have to be up in a few hours. Since we're supposed to take a temp dip this week I was really pushing to get the assembly done. Well, it's getting there. Not a lot of pics unfortunately - my phone didn't make it out with me on Saturday. So I decided to try to speed things up by using pocket screws on the stretchers. So far, so good. I was able to get the tops fitted fairly decently but in newb style, I had to shim one of the short sides against a leg since I cut a bit too much. top and bottom stretchers and such are on. I missed a step on the lower top since I'd already cut the wagon vice in a previous step (it's what I get for not reading ahead) and started gluing the inner frame to the bottom piece. Luckily, I didn't get very far, so I can go back and glue and screw the bottom ply to the legs :) I think after that we may need to move it indoors otherwise the glue won't dry :)

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Hey, I see a workbench…. hanging on the wall!!!

Good lookin' progress.
Carry on….
 

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#77 ·
Tiny update

so between graduation and feeling the winter blahs, I've been trying to move forward with getting the bench top in and the wagon vise in as well. Hopefully I havne't messed anything up that can't be fixed :D

Ok so, managed to get the frame inside, and now working on putting the top back together and glued/screwed together. I had the majority of the outside frame glued down before the holidays. Completed screwing this down with the #8×2in screws, and glued down the final pieces. I marked on the outside pieces the measurements where it should be hitting the legs for when I go to glue and screw it to the legs. Yes, empty cat litter pails make great storage and weight :D
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so moving on, I'd measured the wagon vise hole and such in the SU document, and then read Mr. P's directions. Hm. Per his directions, my hole is a bit big. Plus, it passes over a leg. it's been long enough I need to revisit the SU and take yet another look at how to proceed. I also need to pick up some hardwood :D
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#78 ·
Tiny update

so between graduation and feeling the winter blahs, I've been trying to move forward with getting the bench top in and the wagon vise in as well. Hopefully I havne't messed anything up that can't be fixed :D

Ok so, managed to get the frame inside, and now working on putting the top back together and glued/screwed together. I had the majority of the outside frame glued down before the holidays. Completed screwing this down with the #8×2in screws, and glued down the final pieces. I marked on the outside pieces the measurements where it should be hitting the legs for when I go to glue and screw it to the legs. Yes, empty cat litter pails make great storage and weight :D
Table Wood Art Desk Hardwood


so moving on, I'd measured the wagon vise hole and such in the SU document, and then read Mr. P's directions. Hm. Per his directions, my hole is a bit big. Plus, it passes over a leg. it's been long enough I need to revisit the SU and take yet another look at how to proceed. I also need to pick up some hardwood :D
Handwriting Rectangle Font Material property Parallel

Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Wood stain
That actually looks a bit small if anything ….. and it does pass over the leg so that's OK too. If the photo shows the end of the hole closest to the near end of the bench, the SU actually shows it as 3". The other end of the hole (closer to the far end of the bench) after the jog, is 2 1/4" wide. Whatever you have it isn't important because you can make the wagon vice parts to fit the hole. Let me know (photo?) exactly what you have for an opening in the bottom plywood and I'll let you know how to proceed.
 

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