# My Ultimate Workbench Build



## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

*Getting started...*

This workbench project, for me, has been a long time coming. Well, long as in a couple of years anyways. It kinda began when I finally realized that the piece of plywood on two saw horses wasn't quite cutting it as a woodworking bench. The mdf top on two collapsible metal legs wasn't much better, and althought its been my main work, assembly, and glue up table for the past two years, the granite top of my table saw is far from an ideal workbench either. 
So, slowly, I began accumilating some knowledge and materials, along with a pile of good intention, in my quest towards finally building myself a decent bench. I have decided (mostly) on what materials I will be using. I have decided (I think) on dimensions and overall design. And I have decided (partially) on what vises and holding abilities my bench will have. All this decision making is pretty typical of my woodworking. I plan and design a whole bunch before I get started, then, as I start, things change and get modified as I go. But for me, thats half the fun of it!

Unfortunately, I don;t have a fancy google sketchup picture to show you of what I want my bench to look like. I don't even have a hand drawn sketch of all my final ideas. Just some really rough sketches of a design that I have since changed. No, most of this project is in my head. But don't worry, I know how to access it any time I want, which lately has been often. And thats why it is finally time to get started on this thing.

I will show you a ton of pictures, of that I promise. But for now, if you'll bear with me, I'm gonna go off the top of my head to describe to you some of the features my bench will have. As this blog progresses, I will discuss in more detail why i chose some of the features I did.

*Size: *
This bench is truely going to be built to suit me, and I honestly believe in doing it this way because using these dimensions just works. The bench will be as long as I am tall, 6'0 (minus a hair). This also happens to be a persons reach from fingertip to finger tip with arms straight out. The bench will be as wide as my arm is long, 28" from armpit to fingertip with my arm straight out. Why build a bench that I can't reach across? And this bench will be as high as my table saw…. for no other reason than thats the height that I've found to be very comfortable to work at for pretty much everything over the past few years. Thats 35", and if I go off the body measurements, thats as long as my… oh nevermind. 

*Materials:*
I decided some time ago that I'm going to make this bench look as nice as I can, for as reasonable a cost as I can. I want solid hardwoods, and I want some nice contrasting woods. I decided on maple and walnut, mostly. I say mostly because while I bought the maple exclusively for this bench top, I also have some other woods that I've gathered over the last few years that I told my wife would be used on the work bench. So I kinda have to use them, but thats ok, cause some of it is nice. Oak will definitely be present, but not in the top. The top will be just maple and walnut, 3" thick.

*Design and holdfasts:*

I won't get too much into all the design elements yet, but for a rough idea, picture a French Roubo style bench, with the leg vise, and then add a Veritas Twin Screw Vise to the right side instead of a tail vise. Picture two rows of dog holes in the top, a sliding deadman on the front, and a bank of drawers underneath. On the back side, there will be space to hang my clamps, a place to hang a few hand saws on one side, and a few other storage considerations for bench accessories such as dogs and hold downs. The drawers on the right will house my commonly used bench tools: chisels (3 sets), hand planes, marking and measuring tools, ect. The drawers on the left will be much bigger and deeper, and will be a place to store smaller clamps, small exotic wood offcuts, and maybe some other goodies.

Well, thats all I'm gonna give ya in my first (ever!) blog entry. Stay tuned for my next one, in which I'll show you the beat up old barn beams that I'm gonna use for legs on this beast. Thanks for looking, and please let me know what you think and as always, feel free to ask me questions!

Ryan


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *Getting started...*
> 
> This workbench project, for me, has been a long time coming. Well, long as in a couple of years anyways. It kinda began when I finally realized that the piece of plywood on two saw horses wasn't quite cutting it as a woodworking bench. The mdf top on two collapsible metal legs wasn't much better, and althought its been my main work, assembly, and glue up table for the past two years, the granite top of my table saw is far from an ideal workbench either.
> So, slowly, I began accumilating some knowledge and materials, along with a pile of good intention, in my quest towards finally building myself a decent bench. I have decided (mostly) on what materials I will be using. I have decided (I think) on dimensions and overall design. And I have decided (partially) on what vises and holding abilities my bench will have. All this decision making is pretty typical of my woodworking. I plan and design a whole bunch before I get started, then, as I start, things change and get modified as I go. But for me, thats half the fun of it!
> ...


from the description you give, I look forward to seeing the finished result!


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

*Baby got legs!!!*

Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.

I didn't know when I bought these what kind of wood they were, but I did know that by the weight and heft of them, they were hardwood. Once I cut the rough ends off, I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of the beams is red oak, and the other is hard maple.

Here's what they looked like before and after jointing.




































































































As you can see, these things are pretty rough, even when cleaned up. They have checks, splits and cracks in them. They have nail holes, but fortunately no nails. I was careful to take my metal detector over them before doing anything to them. 
They are *roughly* 5 1/2" x 3 1/2" at this stage. I think if I get rid of *most* of the checking, I can save 5" x 3" legs. That may be ok, but here is what I'm considering. Laminating 1/4" walnut on all four sides of each leg. This will make it look MUCH nicer IMO, and give me some thickness back. But I haven't decided for sure on this yet and would love to hear your thoughts on this…

Ryan


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


It's an obvious choice for me to keep the splits and checks wherever they are. Square them up, select the best pair for the front then move forward. Wood that has character wins every time for me, and that applies double for wood in a workbench. Save the clear walnut for projects. Get those beams to 3 1/2×5 and get started on your top.

Good luck however you proceed, and keep posting, I'm ready to follow along!


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## ergeek (Jun 30, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


I'm with Smitty - leave them as is. It's a workbench, not furniture. As for the length, I was somewhat surprised when reading Chris Schwartz's book on how strongly he makes the point that the bench MUST NOT BE TOO TALL. In fact it's one of his 18 fundamental principles. He recommends the height be about where your pinkie intersects your hand. For me that's around 32" and that's what I'm building (I'm about your height). The reason for the low height is to allow your body to do the work when planing. I have found that on my current 36" bench my arms and shoulders get way too much work. I think he's right on this one. Something to consider.


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## ratchet (Jan 12, 2008)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


I'm with Smitty, forget the checks (or fill them with epoxy) and keep the added thickness. 
Character in a workbench is desirable, but weight and heft are ESSENTIAL.
Nice looking wood just the same.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


I'm with Smitty. The benches that leave my jaw dropped are the most well-worn and disfigured. You won't mind manhandling something that looks like it's been manhandled already. I think they're wonderful.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the input guys. I really appreciate it. PArt of my goal is a good looking bench, and those legs sure don't seem to fit the bill! BUT, I'm gonna finish planing them to final dimension and will go from there, not decide just yet. 
Hans, on the height issue. I may end up going a hair lower than 35", but not as much as 32" I don't think. I have read Schwartz' advise as well, and I've also read several other references that discuss the matter. Lon Schleining suggests standing with your arms beside you and then flattening your hands parallel to the floor. The height to your palms should be about ideal. That height for me is a hair under 35". But these are all general guidlines to start with. What I have to go on is what I know already, and that is that using my table saw top for the past 2 years as my workbench, it is just about right, but a bit high. My table saw is 35 1/2" from the floor, but its on a roller base. I'd like it about that heigh, minus a bit. Works for me.


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## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


I agree with the above comments. love that quarter sawn bit of oak on that one piece.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


Ryan, you can always put your bench on massive adjustable levelers. By your vision of the final aesthetic, they might horrify the eyes, but they'll give you an inch or two of adjustment room. I put these on my tiny bench (to be replaced) and even an inch helped my shoulders when handplaning. Just thinking outloud.


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## kenn (Mar 19, 2008)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


I agree with all of the above…leave the wood as it is and just square it up. It'll look great with a bit of BLO under your bench. Bench height is specific to the person and their work. With hand work, the lower height is easier on you. I'm 6' 4" and my bench is 35", but the length of your arms plays into the equation too. Good luck, we'll be following along with you.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


Leve it with checks, if you think it looks ugly fill it with epoxy, it will look awesome.


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## TheHarr (Sep 16, 2008)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


Ryan, forget pretty, I love walnut, but forget it for a workbench top. It is just not hard enough.
Consider sugar maple or birch. Hardness and duribility mattert. Walnut is softer than sugar maple,
it has a specific gravity of .064, see "World woods in colur" by William A. Linclon, by Stobart Davis Ltd, Stobart
House , Pontyclere. It took less time to pull this book off my shelf and find the page than it did for me
to walk down stairs for a beer. If walnut is all you got-use it. If you have a small expense choice, go for
the surgar maple. The oak timbers look pretty good. I just split a bunch of red oak for my stove to keep
warm this winter. I want to see your bench when your are done. Don't be shy, let it all hang out and give
us the pictures. We're all rooting for you. Make us proud.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


Thanks TheHarr. The top will be mostly hard maple, I'm using the walnut as some contrast wood only, there will be 4 stripes (2" thick each) of walnut in the top, each where the dog hole rows will be. 
I lucked out (big time) and was just offered some more oak timbers that should work for me to match the legs. I'll then save those maple posts for other parts on the bench… 
Stay tuned for more soon (hopefully)....


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## RoundestRock (Aug 3, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


Hey there Ryan! Thanks for stopping by to take a look at my bench today.

That joiner you have there is going to make like VASTLY better in building your bench. I hand planed mine. I will also never attempt that again.

You asked about the checks. I say keep them. In fact there are a number of such markings on my bench. You just don't see them due to placement and picture resolution. There are 3 things visitors are going to pick out about your bench in order: 1 - is the top flat? 2 - does it have a nice finish? 3 - is it solid? After that what you don't point out, they don't notice. And don't make the bench to pretty or you'll be afraid to use it.

A few pointers to help keep you moving… Top first, the rest is easy. You can always make it shorter latter. My bench took over 1000 hours just to build, and it was worth every second. The same will be true of yours.

Love that wood grain BTW.


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## TheHarr (Sep 16, 2008)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


To Ratche, or anyone who knows. You mentioned filling the holes with epoxy. I use this stuff all the time. Is there a specific type of epoxy you use for filling big cracks like this?


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## REK (Aug 30, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Baby got legs!!!*
> 
> Well today was the first day that I actually did any work on this bench. Some time ago (maybe 3 years?) I saw an ad in Kijiji for some wood that a lady was selling her in the city. Her dad had passed on and as a former woodworker, he had left a whole bunch of wood behind. By the time I saw the ad and got there, most of the good stuff was gone. I did get a few nice wide mahogany boards, and then a couple of old barn beams. The two big ones were 8' long and there were a few shorter pieces. Today, I cut those 8 footers down to use as the legs for my bench. I rough cut them to 37" long and then ran a face and an edge over the jointer. My planer is currently in the shop getting repaired, so the other face and edge will have to wait till I get it back.
> 
> ...


Yes fill them cracks…


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

*Some of this wood is pithing me off!*










Ah the pith. That very core of the tree, that for some reason, is remarkably unstable in use as lumber. The inclusion of the pith in some of the beams I have obtained all but ruins an otherwise solid thick chunk of wood. It really pithes me off.

All kidding aside. I can probably still make some good use out of these beams, even the ones with the pith in them, with some thought into my cuts.

I was contacted last week by an old woodworking acquaintance, Maxwell. He told me he saw my blog and he had some more beams for me that I might be able to use for my bench. I went and saw him and had a great visit. We chatted for about an hour about life, tools and wood. A great conversation by my measure. And then he gave me the wood, for free! Can't beat a visit like that. Thanks again Max! I really appreciate it.

So here is what I got from him:

5 Fir beams









4 hardwood beams









I started by cutting off an end slice of each beam, to see what kind of wood I was working with. I was quite surprised at the width of the growth rings on the fir!









The hardwood beams turned out to be two maple, a birch, and the last one (first one in the pic) is either oak or ash, I'm not 100% sure. 

















Before I mill lumber, especially rough old beams like this, I am careful to go aver them with a metal detector. 









Fortunately in all this wood, I only found one nail. There were some rusted remnants of washers in some of the larger holes you see, but those were either cut off completely, or are deep enough that they won't cause a problem with initial jointing. 









One of the longer maple beams was so badly twisted, that it wasn't even worth running over the jointer. It's such a badly warped beam because it is the pith of the tree. I guess it's pretty common to include the pith in rough grade beams like this, but it won't be included in my bench. So here is what I have after running one face and one edge over the jointer. 



























So that, plus the beams I showed in my last blog entry, will most likely all be used in some form or the other on this bench. I will be using hardwood for the legs for sure, most likely the oak, and maybe one or two of the maple. I'm gonna pick the best ones for the legs. The rest will likely be cut up for stretchers and other parts of this bench.

For the top, I bought some 10' maple boards, in 8/4 by 6.5" plus widths. They cost me $3.85/bft. That's not a bad price around here. The walnut boards you see here I had bought off a guy some time ago. I got those, and a bunch of other maple, oak, and pine, for $200. At the time I figured it to be about $1000 worth of lumber I got. Anyway, the walnut will also be use in the bench top. 



























And here it all is together!









I also have plenty of other wood on hand on my lumber rack. Some of it will also be used for parts on this bench. For example the 7.5" wide 8/4 oak board seen here may be used (in part) for the leg vise chop and/or sliding deadman. Essentially, I will decide what lumber to use for what parts, as I build them. The goal will be to use up as much of what I already have on hand first, before having to buy more. But, in some instances, I already know I will have to buy a few more boards, like some more 8/4 walnut for the twin screw end vise parts.



















Well that's about all I've got for you for now, thanks for looking and following along with me. And I apologize for the delays between blogs. Work and family life still take precedence, but I promise, this thing will progress!

Oh, and one more thing… in case your wondering what the heck this thing is going to look like: here is my fancy high tech, highly detailed plans and drawings for this bench. This is ALL I'll be working off of. Hopefully my work bench isn't as lop-sided as my drawing is!! Hahaha!!


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Some of this wood is pithing me off!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great blog.

Great drawing ! I'm thinking … Picasso ??

I'll eagerly follow along


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## gillyd (Feb 26, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Some of this wood is pithing me off!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very good pictures and very good explanation, I am following along as well.


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## bigike (May 25, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Some of this wood is pithing me off!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


very nice work that is a great haul of wood you got there I can only wish to ever get that much wood at one time.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

Boomr99 said:


> *Some of this wood is pithing me off!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ryan,

I just stumbled upon this series. Now I am all caught up and looking forward to watching your progress. Thanks so much for taking the time to tell your story.


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Some of this wood is pithing me off!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great blog post. Very detailed and informative. The center of a log always splits! It's the nature of the beast. When I saw logs for lumber, I cut a cant by slabbing the outside till I have a square blank as big as I can get it. Then I cut boards off to get the most beautiful wood (I carve gunstocks with most of my wood). When I'm cutting walnut or cherry, I cut the widest boards I ca from the top down to 2 or 3 inches from the center of the log, then flip it 180 degrees and take of boards till the cant is either 4 or 6 inches thick, Then I turn it 90 degrees and take off 4 or 6 inch boards till the cant is 4" X 4" or 4" X 4" depending on what I need. I use them to hold the lumber I'm stacking and I never have enough. I also use them as beams for building sheds, but never for furniture unless they have some spectacular feature like this bench. It's the center slab of a maple bench that was just too pretty to make into a beam to lay in the mud and hold stacks of lumber. 
-


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## jeffbranch (Feb 20, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Some of this wood is pithing me off!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I agree with Hal - nice post. I'll be watching your progress. I need a bench like what you are building.

Jeff

http://www.woodfever.net


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Some of this wood is pithing me off!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the comments and for following my blog guys! I appreciate it. Hal, thanks for the explanation. If you ever have a piece of nice figured wood that your just dying to put in the mail, I'll let you put my address on it if you like! 

I am hoping to start cutting the boards for the top to rough with (just over 3") sometime over the next few days. Then I can run them over my jointer as well. They are too wide to face joint with my 6" jointer as they are, so I'm going to rip them on the bandsaw first. I'm at a bit of a stand still in my shop with a lot of things while my planer is in for service.


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## garywebb96 (Jul 7, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Some of this wood is pithing me off!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


very nice work that is a great haul of wood you got there I can only wish to ever get that much wood at one time.

-Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop, http://[email protected]
Ditto to that Ike. A stack of maple and walnut like that, down here in FL, take out another mortgage.


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## ergeek (Jun 30, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Some of this wood is pithing me off!*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice job so far Ryan! Great blog - following with great interest.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

*A sneak peak at the top layout... maple and walnut in love!!*

Not only do I love maple and walnut, but I think they love each other too. They look so damn good together… they work well together, and they compliment each other beautifully. What more could a couple ask for?

Well tonight I managed a wee bit of shop time. Between my 4 hours of sleep last night, being up at 4:15 am, and dealing with a two year old and a four year old that don't play nearly as nice together as maple and walnut do, it wasn't much shop time. But it was enough to take all the rough lumber for the top and cut it to just over 3" widths. The boards were all over 6" in width to start. And while I can run boards wider than 6" on my 6" General jointer, it takes a lot of extra work and jigs to set up. So I figured I'd rip all the boards to just over 3" wide first, then they are much easier to handle on the jointer to get the nice square faces and edges I need.

So how does one tackle this task? Well, normally I do most of my ripping on the table saw. But with rough boards that haven't been dressed at all, this is a dangerous task. You run the risk of binding the blade, burning the wood, and the possibility of kickback, even with a riving knife in place. No, this task is much better suited to the bandsaw. I installed a 5/8" wide carbide tipped band, and set up a couple of support stands to help me with the long boards. Then, it was a simple matter of setting the bandsaw fence about 3 1/4" from the blade, and start ripping. With the bandsaw, and only 5/8" of blade in contact with the wood at any time, it matters far less that the boards may not have a flat face or edge to reference off the table or fence. As long as it's not too twisted and warped, you'll be just fine. 


















This will now allow me to run the boards over the jointer, and then through the planer, to get my nice flat surfaces ready for glue up. I'm not there yet though. For now, I just wanted to orient the boards how they will be glued up, to get a feel for the look of the top. Let me know what you think! The walnut boards will be where the dog holes lie. keep in mind, these boards have not been dressed at all yet! I just used two clamps to pull the ends together to take out some of the gaps for the sake of a picture. 



























The nominal width of the top right now is just over 29". That's a very wide top! But remember these boards need to be flattened still. I'm hoping to end up with a top that is between 27" and 28" wide when I'm done.










Thanks again for looking, and please take the time to comment! I really appreciate lots of input! Thanks guys and gals… until next time…


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *A sneak peak at the top layout... maple and walnut in love!!*
> 
> Not only do I love maple and walnut, but I think they love each other too. They look so damn good together… they work well together, and they compliment each other beautifully. What more could a couple ask for?
> 
> ...


I agree, there are few wood combos as sweet as maple and walnut. I look forward to seeing the finished product.


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## JackBarnhill (Mar 8, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *A sneak peak at the top layout... maple and walnut in love!!*
> 
> Not only do I love maple and walnut, but I think they love each other too. They look so damn good together… they work well together, and they compliment each other beautifully. What more could a couple ask for?
> 
> ...


I too like the combination of maple and walnut. I'm sure it will be a beautiful bench when finished.

Other than appearance, was there another reason you chose to use a combination of different woods for the top? Just curious in case I might learn something.


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## ergeek (Jun 30, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *A sneak peak at the top layout... maple and walnut in love!!*
> 
> Not only do I love maple and walnut, but I think they love each other too. They look so damn good together… they work well together, and they compliment each other beautifully. What more could a couple ask for?
> 
> ...


Sweet combo! So it looks like your top will be about 3" thick when complete?


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *A sneak peak at the top layout... maple and walnut in love!!*
> 
> Not only do I love maple and walnut, but I think they love each other too. They look so damn good together… they work well together, and they compliment each other beautifully. What more could a couple ask for?
> 
> ...


It's going to be glorious. That 5/8" carbide blade really stings the wallet, huh? They're so nice for resaw, though. I can't wait to see it together.


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## Cory (Jan 14, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *A sneak peak at the top layout... maple and walnut in love!!*
> 
> Not only do I love maple and walnut, but I think they love each other too. They look so damn good together… they work well together, and they compliment each other beautifully. What more could a couple ask for?
> 
> ...


If I wasn't so jealous right now, I'd say something nice, like: That's going to be a beautiful bench. i can't wait to see the end result. Instead, I'm just going to keep my mouth shut!


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *A sneak peak at the top layout... maple and walnut in love!!*
> 
> Not only do I love maple and walnut, but I think they love each other too. They look so damn good together… they work well together, and they compliment each other beautifully. What more could a couple ask for?
> 
> ...


Thanks guys!
Yes, the bench top should be right around the 3" thick mark when finished, may be a slight bit less, but not much I hope.

Jack, other than the visual appearance, there is no real benefit to choosing the two contrasting woods. Just choosing hard solid wood is important, but it could be any type.

Al, the carbide toothed blade is from Lee Valley, and not really a bad price at all I think. It works fantastic tho, cuts like butter! Mine is the 105" length and was $61.50. I highly recommend one!

Cory, thanks for (not) commenting!  I can't wait to see the end result too! Hahaha.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

*Joint, plane and repeat....*

Well, with the boards for the top cut to rough length and rough thickness, and the general layout for the top decided on, it's time to start squaring up the lumber and getting ready to glue the top all together. I started out with jointing one face and one edge flat and square on the 6" general jointer. I set up a roller stand to the exact height on both the infeed and outfeed side. It's time consuming, but squaring all the lumber is probably the single most important step in the process if you want to end up with a nice flat top.

After one face and one edge is treated, it's on to the planer where the other face is treated. Then, off to the table saw where the other edge is cut parallel to the first, and to the desired thickness, in this case, just a hair over 3" (3.10" to be exact). The boards are then ready for glue up.










Because the top is so wide, I decided to glue it up in three more manageable sections first. Each section consists of 5 boards and is approximately 9" wide. At 6' long, 9" wide and 3" thick, these sections would be hefty by themselves, but still manageable to run thru the planer to clean up the faces again. I used the granite top of my table saw as a flat point of reference for the sections. I used a length of MDF to ensure a long enough surface, and covered that with plastic to prevent glue squeeze out from getting everywhere.


















Once I had all three sections glued up, I used the 5 1/4 jack plane to knock off the glue chunks and high spots, to ensure a nice flate side to be down on the planer table.










I again made good use of the roller stands to make sure these heavy pieces were properly supported while running through the planer.



















Once the three sections were all planed to the exact same thickness (2.89" was what I ended up with) with perfectly flat face on both sides, it was time to join them together. This glue up was even more important to get even, as misaligning them even slightly would mean a lot of hand planing.










I used some maple boards on top of my saw horses to give a flater surface to work on. Even the table saw wasn't wide enough for this task. The ends were simple enough to align as I clamp them, so I decided on just a single caul in the middle to ensure the sections were alligned. I like to use duct tape on the cauls, to prevent gluing them to the surface. Glue won't stick to the duct tape very well, so they are very easy to remove. 









The final width of the top is 26 5/8". A bit shy of my goal to keep it between 27 and 28", but still a pretty wide top for a bench.



















Well thats about it for now… next time I start to hand plane the top with the #7 jointer plane, to get it perfectly flat and ready for use. In the mean time, I want to have you guys help me answer a question.

In choosing the material I have at hand for the legs (see previous blog entries) I am considering using the white oak for the front two legs (only have two of them) and maple for the other two. I could go with all maple legs, but two of the beams have the pith included and some pretty serious cracks in them. I think they are stable now, but don't really want to use those for the legs at all. My only other option is to use fir for all four legs, as I have enough of that, But I was kinda thinking I would stick with hard woods for the heft and stability. But another thing to consider is that material will be clamped against the front left leg with the leg vise, so maybe a softer wood is a better choice there?
So, which woods would you use for the legs, of my options? And is using a softer wood for the clamping surfaces a good idea? If thats the case, should I use fir for the end vise faces as well?

Thanks for looking, commenting, and answering my questions!


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## ergeek (Jun 30, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Joint, plane and repeat....*
> 
> Well, with the boards for the top cut to rough length and rough thickness, and the general layout for the top decided on, it's time to start squaring up the lumber and getting ready to glue the top all together. I started out with jointing one face and one edge flat and square on the 6" general jointer. I set up a roller stand to the exact height on both the infeed and outfeed side. It's time consuming, but squaring all the lumber is probably the single most important step in the process if you want to end up with a nice flat top.
> 
> ...


Hi Ryan,
Great progress! You've taken great care with your glue-up and its paid off in a very flat, solid top. I can't speak from experience, and I defer somewhat to Chris Schwartz's experience on choice of wood. He says softwood is just fine, as long as it's hefty enough to suit. The pieces you have certainly are that. The main reason I'm using ash in my bench is that it was the cheapest wood I could find. As for whether a softer wood is better for a clamp surface, I don't think it will matter much. The workpiece will be held flat against the leg so there are no hard edges there. With a leg vise, there will be racking, so the chop will sometimes be somewhat skewed to the piece and put more pressure on the corner of the work piece. Yet the chop will be hardwood - so in total it seems the leg wood choice isn't much of a factor.

How are you joining the legs to the top? Are you using through dovetail & tenon per Chris's book?

Regards
Hans


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *Joint, plane and repeat....*
> 
> Well, with the boards for the top cut to rough length and rough thickness, and the general layout for the top decided on, it's time to start squaring up the lumber and getting ready to glue the top all together. I started out with jointing one face and one edge flat and square on the 6" general jointer. I set up a roller stand to the exact height on both the infeed and outfeed side. It's time consuming, but squaring all the lumber is probably the single most important step in the process if you want to end up with a nice flat top.
> 
> ...


I'm enjoying this blog. I look forward to seeing the rest of your bench come together.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Joint, plane and repeat....*
> 
> Well, with the boards for the top cut to rough length and rough thickness, and the general layout for the top decided on, it's time to start squaring up the lumber and getting ready to glue the top all together. I started out with jointing one face and one edge flat and square on the 6" general jointer. I set up a roller stand to the exact height on both the infeed and outfeed side. It's time consuming, but squaring all the lumber is probably the single most important step in the process if you want to end up with a nice flat top.
> 
> ...


Thanks guys! I'm glad at least a few are still following this. 
Hans, in my book by Chris Schwartz (Workbenches: From Design and Theory to Construction and Use), Chris actually demonstrates his roubo bench build (the one on the cover) with pinned (drawborn) mortise and tennons to attach the legs to the top. I will be doing that, and likely making my own dowels for the pins out of walnut.

I know that some people add leather or cork to the faces of their vices, for a softer grip, and better grip, which is where my thinking was coming from with the softer wood. But I think your right in that it won't matter much. I'll probably stick with the hardwoods for the legs. Now it's just deciding which ones?


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## MGW (Jul 26, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Joint, plane and repeat....*
> 
> Well, with the boards for the top cut to rough length and rough thickness, and the general layout for the top decided on, it's time to start squaring up the lumber and getting ready to glue the top all together. I started out with jointing one face and one edge flat and square on the 6" general jointer. I set up a roller stand to the exact height on both the infeed and outfeed side. It's time consuming, but squaring all the lumber is probably the single most important step in the process if you want to end up with a nice flat top.
> 
> ...


Great job. I'm following!


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

*Planing, and chopping mortises...*

Well it's been a little bit since my last blog, but here is what I've been able to get done in the shop over the past little bit.

I last left with a freshly glued up top, and a question on what timbers to use for the legs. Well I decided to use the four maple beams I had for the legs. Even though two of them contain the pith, and some rather large cracks, I would rather have that then 3 different types of wood that looked only slightly better, so maple it is.

After the top was glued up, I trimmed the ends off to make them flat, square and even. I marked carefully to ensure I cut in the same spot from the top and the bottom. A misalignment here would mean doing it over again and loosing length to my benchtop. I set up a straightedge and used my circular saw for this task, taking several passes from each side to reach the desired depth. 


















Here is what it looks like after cutting all the way through. Some burning and some unevenness, but nothing I can't live with.










I used my skew angle block plane to clean up the ends. Planing the end grain of maple and walnut is a task and a half. I made sure that the ends remained square to the top as well.




























With that task done it was on to planing the top completely flat and even. Doing the sections with the planer before glue up certainly made things easier, butthere were still a few high spots to plane down and make everything nice and even. I used my newly aquired Stanley SW #7c jointer plane for this task.




























As you can see I am planing at a skew across the grain. This minimizes tearout on the changing grain direction of the maple and leaves a smoother finish.

That was a ton of work! But a nice result, some final smoothing once the top is assembled to the base and it will be ready for a finish. I decided to see how much this top weighed. I brought the bathroom scale down to the shop and then muscled the top onto it…










139 lbs!

The next task was to cut the legs to final length, and then cut the integrated tennons into the tops of them. I cut them completely on the table saw, first making the cross cuts with the panel sled. I have yet to make myslef a proper crosscut sled, so this is what I use for now. 









I then used the tennoning jig to cut the cheeks. 


















You can see in that second pic that the width of the leg is more than the capacity of the built in clamp on the tennoning jig, so I had to clamp it seperatly. Worked like a charm though and with a quick touch up with a shoulder plane I had very nice square tennons. 









Well every good tennon deserves a nice mortise, so on to that task. 
I marked out their locations carefully. I had to be extra careful to decide which leg went in which position, mark it, and then measure the tennon size. Why you ask? Well because each leg and each tennon is a slightly different size. I decided instead of making the legs all the same size, which would have amounted to the dimensions of the smallest timber, to leave them all as big as possible after cleaning up all faces. The largest leg then got positioned front left, where the leg vise will be. So accordingly, the mortises were all slightly different in sizes and marking them out was a careful task. Once marked, I used a forstner bit and a square piece of plywood (usually used for carcass glue ups) to make my mortise holes. 


















Once roughed out with the mortise bit and drill, I cleaned them up with chisel and mallet. Those are my lovely Ashley Isles chisels that my wife bought me for Christmas a few years back, and the mallet is one of two I made a while ago as well (see my projects page), my father has the other. And yes, I do beat on those chisels. The bubinga handles can take it. 


















With all four mortises and tennons done, it was time to test fit the legs in place. They all fit perfectly!!
Well, perfect enough for me anyway. 









I have more done already… but thats enough for one blog post. More to come soon…. Stay tuned!!


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Boomr99 said:


> *Planing, and chopping mortises...*
> 
> Well it's been a little bit since my last blog, but here is what I've been able to get done in the shop over the past little bit.
> 
> ...


It is coming along nicely. Thanks for sharing your progress.


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## DMIHOMECENTER (Mar 5, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Planing, and chopping mortises...*
> 
> Well it's been a little bit since my last blog, but here is what I've been able to get done in the shop over the past little bit.
> 
> ...


You do very nice work. I also can't help but notice how clean and orderly your shop is… even in the throes of your project build. Kudos.

DG


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *Planing, and chopping mortises...*
> 
> Well it's been a little bit since my last blog, but here is what I've been able to get done in the shop over the past little bit.
> 
> ...


this is an impressive undertaking. Looks really good though, and very solid. I'm curious how much you pay for maple and walnut up in Edmonton?


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Planing, and chopping mortises...*
> 
> Well it's been a little bit since my last blog, but here is what I've been able to get done in the shop over the past little bit.
> 
> ...


This is great! I love that the skew and the 7 featured so prominently. I'm amazed that both you and I prefer that style of mallet! My favorite mallet looks just like yours…squarish handle with a big palm swell. It's a joy to see these hand tools getting a workout.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Planing, and chopping mortises...*
> 
> Well it's been a little bit since my last blog, but here is what I've been able to get done in the shop over the past little bit.
> 
> ...


Thanks Rob and Al. 
Rob, I can get this nice clear 8/4 maple for about $3.80 / bf, and the walnut I used for the top I picked up for cheap from another woodworker who wasn't using it, but to buy it it about $5.60 / bf if I recall.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

*Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*

Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!

Well I will continue at any rate, as I'm sure somebody who cares will run across this someday. 

I decided after dry fitting the legs into their mortises to continue working on the underside while the top was upside down. This bench will have a sliding deadman for additional work support along the front length of the bench. This is a feature that I knew I wanted in my bench as soon as I saw one and figured out what it was for. So I decided to route the groove in the underside of the top that will house the deadman. I set it back from the front edge 3/4" and made it a hair over 3/4" wide. It extends from inside of leg to inside of leg.



















On the bottom side, the deadman will slide along a convex shaped track. It's actually bevelled at 45* on each side. Chris Schwartz recommends this method in his book because a groove would just collect dust and shavings and make it difficult to slide the deadman. I used a large piece of birch to make this lower front stretcher, with the integrated slide. It's fairly hefty to match the bench and have good support. It will be mortised into each leg.










With those two things done, I decided to next move on to the large sliding dovetails on the ends of the top. The left side of the bench will be just a decorative endcap, and the right side will also be the rear jaw of the twin screw vise. This would be my first attempt ever at a sliding dovetail!

To make this dovetail, I considered several modus operendi. But ultimately settled on buying the largest dovetail bit I could find, and tackling it with the router. I stood the bench top up on end, supporting it against my table saw and clamping it to the fence which I positioned right at the end and locked in place. It wasn't going anywhere. I clamped one of the Fir timbers that I had squared up to the opposite edge from the one I'd be working on, for extra support. Then, it was just a simple matter of taking light passes to hog away the material. As a quick tip, I actually started on my exit side of the cut, essentially doing a climb cut for the first 2 inches or so. Then I started from the proper end and routed the width of the top. This way, I avoided any tearout coming out of the cut. Did I mention that I've never done a sliding dovetail before??














































I was very happy with how smooth the cut was!










Here is the newly made ends for the bench top. It took about 2 hours to route all four cuts. 


















The next step, which I tackled today, was to make the matching caps for the ends. I started with lumber slightly over size and the used the dado blade on the table saw to hog out the bulk of the material. I then went to the router table and used the same router bit to route the mating part of the large sliding dovetail. Keep in mind, this is the first time I've EVER done a sliding dovetail!!




























Alright, so far so good! I get what I think will be a nice fit, according to careful measurements with my digital calipers. I rub some paste wax on the length of the wood that will be mated. but not before drilling some holes to pin the dowels through. I extend the holes (3/4" long hole for a 3/8" dowel) to allow for movement. This of course is a crutial step!



















And in case the fit is still a bit on the tight side, I have a coercion tool , courtesy of Garant.  









Well the fit was tight, and I did have to coerce the end cap into place…. hammer hammer hammer… DOH!!!



















Ummm… ya. Did I mention that this was my VERY FIRST atempt at a sliding dovetail????

Well I happen to have an extra piece of walnut the right size. So I redo the end cap. This time I made the end 3" or so fit tight, and routed the middle section out a bit wider. This way I figured that it would slide on easier but still look tight at the ends. It worked much better on my second attempt, and here is what I ended up with. keep in mind it still has to be planed flush with the top. But I'm pretty happy with it!!


















Well that where I'm leaving off. I'd like to hear some feedback from anyone looking at or following my blog as to how you think it's going, comments, critiques, questions, heck I'll even take verbal barrages of hatred and blasphemy if it means a comment or two… hahaha!!

Thanks for looking!


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## MichaelJames (Jan 20, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


Let's just say that I'm impressed. Great work and it's looking awesome….when it's done, you're going to have a tough time using it as a workbench and not a piece of furniture in your home.

If I ever attempt the same, I'm calling you.

MJ


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## BareFeet (Jun 20, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


LOVE the progress so far. You've got me thinking of a sliding dovetail for my up and coming bench. Where'd you get the bit?


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## kenn (Mar 19, 2008)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


I've been surprised at the lack of comments coming through lately, too. Nice job on your second sliding dovetail. I haven't tackled that joint yet. I think I would have planed the tail portion down a bit vs. your solution but it's 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. Nice looking bench.

Why didn't you mention what a [email protected]#$ it was to move that top aroung for the routing?

Keep going. Thanks for sharing.


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## KayBee (Jul 6, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


Sliding dovetails are a pain to get together. Wait, you know that now : ) What were you standing on to route the bench edge?


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## doordude (Mar 26, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


your dovetail looks hellishily great. but it looks like a lot of heavy moving and high wire work to get this accomplished
but you did it and looks great. this is the first blog i've seen about your build.
i just picked up popular woodworking mag. today. and in it, is an article about cutting big dovetails simular to what your trying to achieve. you should pick it up,August 2011 edition
i'm in the process of milling boards for my top,also good luck


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## redryder (Nov 28, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


I have to admit I have made my share of screw ups as in your split end cap and such mess ups hit the trash before anyone finds out. I like your honesty and persistence and the end result should be awsome…........


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## ergeek (Jun 30, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


Ryan, that's fantastic! loved the pics of the sliding dovetail issues - just another day in the life of a woodworker. If at first….
Question: why bother with the end cap at all? It looks great and I guess it will be the face for your end vise, but why not just use the board ends?

Thanks for the great post


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## ratchet (Jan 12, 2008)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


Nice! The walnut endcap turned out GREAT!\
Keep going.


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## Cory (Jan 14, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


Sorry I haven't posted a comment before now. Like many others, the summers mean less time to peruse posts and make comments. But, I'm enjoying your blog immensely. I'm about to embark on a similar workbench build, so I really appreciate the detail you're giving us and all the great pictures. Keep up the good work. I'll make it a point to drop a comment or two on the remaining posts!

Cory


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## MGW (Jul 26, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


Keep it coming! I want to get all of your ideas documented so that I can steal them for my workbench soon!
Thanks for the blog. As if the project isn't enough work, taking the time to document it for the rest of us must be a chore at times. Know that we appreciate it!


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


This is really coming out wonderfully. My heart sank when I saw that crack, after all that accurate routering. I'm sure you can salvage the piece for something else. This thing is awesome.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the great comments guys! It's really nice to know that someone is watching this blog.

Michael, call any time. 
Barefeet, thanks! the bit is from Lee Valley. It's the last item, with the 1.3" depth.

Kenn, thanks. And your right, it is a bit of a bear to move that top around by myself in the shop. But I get er done. The problem with planing the tail portion down is that you need a dovetail plane, which I don't have. You can buy them, but very hard to find an 8* one, which this dovetail is. I could have stopped and made my own, which I seriously considered, but didn't want to spend the time when there is another way to achieve the same result.

Kaybee, a number of years back my dad made me a set of saw horses, they come in very handy for things like that. 

ergeek, Good question. Why bother at all? The honest and simple answer is, because I wanted to and because I can. I want the bench to look awesome and be a reflection of the quality of my work. If someone comes to see my shop, I want them to notice the bench first and stare in disbelief when I tell them I built it. hahaha.!

To the rest who commented, thanks for the kind words and the encouragement! It is a ton of work to build this bench, but it's work that I enjoy. It is even more work to blog the whole thing, but I look at it this way. Plenty of other woodworkers out there have helped me, knowingly or unknowingly. I figure if this blog helps at least one or two people, then it's worth it. Besides that, when this bench is 50 years old, it might be nice to look back and see how it was built! That is if the internet still exists in an accessible form by then…. 
Cheers! and stay tuned for the next blog…


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## bigike (May 25, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


very nice I like the idea of the sliding dovetail as breadbord ends.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


the end cap looks really good, a nice touch that most would have avoided doing. I would have been sweating hard cutting the dovetail on the bench top knowing that if I messed it up I'd have to cut that section off.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


Thanks all. Rob, you are right, I was sweating pretty good at the fear of really messing it up.


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## Kv0nT (Jul 29, 2012)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


I think I would have just included the end cap during the final glue up. Have it be a solid piece with a dovetail cut out at both ends. Then only the front and back boards of the top have to have to be cut, and that has to be done before they're attached so if you mess up you only lose one $30 board, not all of them.


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## brwoodruff (Jan 30, 2014)

Boomr99 said:


> *Trials and tribulations in sliding dovetail end caps...*
> 
> Hmmm… well I posted blog entry #6 this morning, and as of this moment it shows 158 views, but not a single comment! I'm either boring you all with too much detail and my mindless blathering, or I just have such a small following on this blog that all two of you were busy today…. Haha!
> 
> ...


WOWOWOWOW. one of the bench benches I've seen. Thanks for sharing.


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## Boomr99 (Jul 1, 2009)

*Side panels and rails...*

Hey all! It's been a bit since I posted my last progress on this workbench, but thats not to say I haven't been working on it. Since the last time, I managed to do some more work on the legs to get them ready to accept the rails and panels for the sides of the bench. Remember those Douglas Fir posts that I posted I think in my first blog? Well I resawed a couple of those to use for the panels, really nice wood!



















The posts were thick enough to get 3 full 1" boards out of them, but not 4. So for these 1" thick panels, I used two bookmatched sets each. Gives it an interesting look I think. Once the panels were glued up, I sanded them flat and cut a rabbet at the bottom to fit in the rails. The legs themselves will act as the stiles.










Here are the rails cut with the groove to accept the panel. I cut the tennon on the ends. On the top rails, I cut another groove that will help hold it to the top with table top clips, one of the few metal components that will be on this bench. I put a nice roundover profile, not only because it looks nice but because less dust / shavings will settle on the lower rail that way.




























And here are the matching grooves and mortises on the inside of the legs to accept the panel and rails. 


















On the bottom of the leg on the right (this is the one that will have the leg vise) you see the large notch I cut to house the lower sliding guide for the vise. We'll see more about that later.

Here are the side panels assembled with the legs. At this point everything is just dry fit together. I will be gluing and drawboring all the peices together, except skipping the glue where it will cause issues with wood movement of course.



















The last thing I did was to cut a bevel on the bottom of each leg, around all four edges. Given it's heft, this bench won't be moving much, but when it does, I don't want to have wood splitting out on the bottom of the legs…. This prevents that, and gives it a nice visual touch too.










Well thats about all for now. I'd love to hear your comments, questions and critiques!
See ya next time!!


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## Biggame (Aug 13, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *Side panels and rails...*
> 
> Hey all! It's been a bit since I posted my last progress on this workbench, but thats not to say I haven't been working on it. Since the last time, I managed to do some more work on the legs to get them ready to accept the rails and panels for the sides of the bench. Remember those Douglas Fir posts that I posted I think in my first blog? Well I resawed a couple of those to use for the panels, really nice wood!
> 
> ...


Hi Ryan, your bench is coming along beautifully and I've enjoyed your attention to detail and your explanation to those of us who aren't at the level to undertake such a project yet. I look forward to seeing the next blog entry. Take care

Chris


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## steviep (Feb 25, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Side panels and rails...*
> 
> Hey all! It's been a bit since I posted my last progress on this workbench, but thats not to say I haven't been working on it. Since the last time, I managed to do some more work on the legs to get them ready to accept the rails and panels for the sides of the bench. Remember those Douglas Fir posts that I posted I think in my first blog? Well I resawed a couple of those to use for the panels, really nice wood!
> 
> ...


looks great Ryan! Thanks for keeping us updated.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Side panels and rails...*
> 
> Hey all! It's been a bit since I posted my last progress on this workbench, but thats not to say I haven't been working on it. Since the last time, I managed to do some more work on the legs to get them ready to accept the rails and panels for the sides of the bench. Remember those Douglas Fir posts that I posted I think in my first blog? Well I resawed a couple of those to use for the panels, really nice wood!
> 
> ...


Wow, this is really nice work. That DF really looks nice and you selected nice pieces. You've made some really nice cuts along the way. I'm guessing you have a quality dado stack. Very clean work.


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## Murdock (Aug 7, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Side panels and rails...*
> 
> Hey all! It's been a bit since I posted my last progress on this workbench, but thats not to say I haven't been working on it. Since the last time, I managed to do some more work on the legs to get them ready to accept the rails and panels for the sides of the bench. Remember those Douglas Fir posts that I posted I think in my first blog? Well I resawed a couple of those to use for the panels, really nice wood!
> 
> ...


This is looking great, I really enjoy looking at what others are doing with there workbenches as I am getting ready to build my own, hope to cut the first board this weekend in fact. Nothing of this caliber planned though, great work.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Side panels and rails...*
> 
> Hey all! It's been a bit since I posted my last progress on this workbench, but thats not to say I haven't been working on it. Since the last time, I managed to do some more work on the legs to get them ready to accept the rails and panels for the sides of the bench. Remember those Douglas Fir posts that I posted I think in my first blog? Well I resawed a couple of those to use for the panels, really nice wood!
> 
> ...


I love the roundover. Doug fir looking great, too. Nice work, great approach. If the bench finishes as nice as it's going so far, you'll love it. Heck, you'll love it anyway! Congrats on the progress.


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## ergeek (Jun 30, 2011)

Boomr99 said:


> *Side panels and rails...*
> 
> Hey all! It's been a bit since I posted my last progress on this workbench, but thats not to say I haven't been working on it. Since the last time, I managed to do some more work on the legs to get them ready to accept the rails and panels for the sides of the bench. Remember those Douglas Fir posts that I posted I think in my first blog? Well I resawed a couple of those to use for the panels, really nice wood!
> 
> ...


Hi Ryan,
Very nice pieces of fir for the panels. Looking forward to your vice installs.


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

Boomr99 said:


> *Side panels and rails...*
> 
> Hey all! It's been a bit since I posted my last progress on this workbench, but thats not to say I haven't been working on it. Since the last time, I managed to do some more work on the legs to get them ready to accept the rails and panels for the sides of the bench. Remember those Douglas Fir posts that I posted I think in my first blog? Well I resawed a couple of those to use for the panels, really nice wood!
> 
> ...


Cool !!!


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