Workbench #5: Making the foundation

I still keep the pace in building my workbench. Started to prepare legs and stretchers.
I cut the legs to final length and removed corner from top of the legs, that portion will support bench top. If you remember how bench top is done, you will understand how they will fit. For that I used my shop made tenoning jig.

and little bit closer.

I cut tenons in the small stretchers similarly

Checked if stretcher’s length is OK, it turned out as I wanted.

Started to work on mortises in bench legs. I used my drill press with forster bit to remove majority of material and the rest is done by chisel. I used Some wood block as a guide to make clean sides in the mortises.

I attached the guide with clamps.

I never used the guides before, but that time I thought they could help, because mortises are pretty large. I really like that technique and will use it in future.

I think I got it right ;-)

Next step is drill holdfast holes in legs. I decided to do it only in front legs. For now I plane to put my bench against a wall and I am not going to work at back side. Again, I used my drill press for that

It was not that straight forward as I expected. The forstner bit is 3/4” and chips clogged the drill pretty quickly and I have to get the drill out of the hole and stop drill press for cleaning.

It took me a while to finish the legs. Besides the bit is not long enough.

The rest I am going to finish with hand drill

I had little bit longer forstner bit than I used in drill press. I could not use it at first step, my drill press has pretty good range, but still not enough to use advantage of longer bit.

Even longer forstner bit is not long enough to complete the job and I did not have anything longer. But I found the solution

I did not drill all the way through to keep hole entry clean, but deep enough to mark center of the hole to work from other side.

Finally it is done

Now I decided to cut long stretcher to final size, I measured and cut first one. As soon I did that I realized that I forgot to add couple inches for short tenons. Aggrr… OK, I went out of my shop to drink some water and cool of from what I did. I am glad I did and I got the idea how to fix it. Loose tenon! I think that is right term. I got back to work. I used router for the work. Made a template.

and cut a mortise

Hmm, it came out pretty neat, huh?

The tenons are not long, because I am going to attach stretchers and legs with long bolts and the tenons are used for alignment only, they will not be glued.

Stay tuned.