# A Workbench's Progress



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*In the Beginning*

In the beginning were the catalogs, and in the catalogs were beautiful workbenches, and attached to the workbenches were not-so-beautiful prices.

Is there a single one of us that has looked at a catalog and not drooled over the incredible workbenches therein? Some may have unlimited funds, but I have trouble dropping a grand on a work surface. There are too many areas that have a greater demand on my hard-earned dollars. On the other hand, trying to edge-plane a board on a 6-foot folding "church dinner" table is counterproductive - the table and wood both take off across the floor at the first touch of a blade. Also, the height is definitely less than ideal for my 6' 4" frame. Backaches were the order of the day. There had to be something better that was still affordable.

I picked up a copy of Popular Woodworking's special issue on workbenches and shop cabinets, and compared designs. No single one was exactly what I was looking for, but many had features I wanted to incorporate, so I began to synthesize. I have an internal CAD system of sorts that lets me build projects in my head, so I considered my requirements:


A design that could be built out of common box-store dimension lumber.


Large front and end vises with wooden jaws and a bench dog system.


A sturdy base that would be rack-resistant, and allow me to add under-bench storage.


A working height that would be optimal for my height and work techniques.

I settled on a top made from dimension 2×4's glued together in an edge-up orientation. I would add a pair of inexpensive quick-release vise hardware sets from Woodcraft (the Chinese, not the German) mated to maple jaws. This would rest on a base again made using standard dimension lumber in some sort of sturdy configuration.

The base details could wait till later. The objective for now was the top. The next step was a trip to Home Depot.

More to come in the next installment.


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *In the Beginning*
> 
> In the beginning were the catalogs, and in the catalogs were beautiful workbenches, and attached to the workbenches were not-so-beautiful prices.
> 
> ...


Looking forward to the next installment. I have a commercial bench and hope to make another bench one of these days.


----------



## mot (May 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *In the Beginning*
> 
> In the beginning were the catalogs, and in the catalogs were beautiful workbenches, and attached to the workbenches were not-so-beautiful prices.
> 
> ...


I too have a commercial bench but feel I missed a right of passage not building one. I look forward to this series.


----------



## Mario (Apr 23, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *In the Beginning*
> 
> In the beginning were the catalogs, and in the catalogs were beautiful workbenches, and attached to the workbenches were not-so-beautiful prices.
> 
> ...


I look forward to seeing what you come up with. I am just starting to build mine now. I will be following a plan that I found on the internet.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *In the Beginning*
> 
> In the beginning were the catalogs, and in the catalogs were beautiful workbenches, and attached to the workbenches were not-so-beautiful prices.
> 
> ...


gravedigger: I got lucky. I came across a bowling center going out of business. I got 3 lanes (the maple end, I didn't want the fir.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *In the Beginning*
> 
> In the beginning were the catalogs, and in the catalogs were beautiful workbenches, and attached to the workbenches were not-so-beautiful prices.
> 
> ...


Karson,

Shucks, if it's free, I'd take the whole lot! The fir would make great tabletops or assembly areas.


----------



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *In the Beginning*
> 
> In the beginning were the catalogs, and in the catalogs were beautiful workbenches, and attached to the workbenches were not-so-beautiful prices.
> 
> ...


the beginning of a great series!! This will be fun - you do all of the work and we'll enjoy the benefits of watching it unfold


----------



## David (Jan 26, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *In the Beginning*
> 
> In the beginning were the catalogs, and in the catalogs were beautiful workbenches, and attached to the workbenches were not-so-beautiful prices.
> 
> ...


Robert -

Just reviewing this series again. Its great you started this because a bench is such an importan tool, and, a very personal tool. It will be interesting to see the final product!


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*

Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.

So, here I was at Home Depot, looking at the "premium" studs at $2.49 each. Just grab 20 and go, right?

Wrong.

This one was bowed, that one twisted, the next one bowed *and* twisted. Then there were the ones with chunks missing or wane. *Wane?* On *Premium* studs? 45 minutes later I had selected 20 that I could live with, and made my way to checkout. I commented to the cashier that I had never seen wane on premium studs before. "Oh," she said, "Premium's the brand name!"

Hrmph!

Back at the shop, I ran the studs through the planer to insure consistent thickness and flat gluing surfaces (well, mostly). I then rough dimensioned to 6'6" to allow for slip in glue-up and at least one screw-up cutting to final length. I decided to do the glue-up in stages: I would make four subassemblies of five boards each, and then glue those together for the final surface. I used four pairs of pipe clamps (all I had) for primary clamping and 8 F-clamps (again, all I had) for cauls to keep the surfaces aligned. I realized after the fact that adding biscuits below the top surface would have helped alignment and saved me a lot of work later

I never realized how much glue it took to face-glue 20 2×4's. I used over a pint of Titebond III on the first subassembly, and then got smart and bought a gallon. By the time I had finished gluing up the entire top, I had about 2/3's of this gallon left. Wow!

Eventually, the glue-up was finished and my son and I (the top weighed close to 150 pounds by this point) got it up on the sawhorses, I was presented with a solid piece of wood that had considerable undulations between the subassemblies.

Up till now I had taken no pictures, and suddenly had the bright idea of making a photo record of the project. The rough benchtop is below:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/213/514594474_4ef470b832.jpg?v=0

Obviously I had my work cut out for me.

More to come.


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*
> 
> Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.
> 
> ...


Looks like good progress. That is a lot of glue.


----------



## dennis (Aug 3, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*
> 
> Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.
> 
> ...


"premiums the brand name!" LOL. 
That top will last you a life time.


----------



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*
> 
> Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.
> 
> ...


that's a great table top .

"Premium" .. kinda like companies called "Green" or "Healthy" when they are far from Green and far from Healthy….. geez… but it works. We buy it… why, oh why are we so naive…

Looking great! Glad you thought of the camera before it was too late.


----------



## Greg3G (Mar 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*
> 
> Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.
> 
> ...


That's one I hadn't heard before "Premium's the brand name." What a marketing ploy. Some knuckle head earned his pay on that one. I wonder how many people have purchased them thinking it was the quality of the wood, not the name of the brand. 

Now for the the hard part….getting a true flat top on that. Be patient, get a good set of winding sticks, a belt sander with a couple of belts and a crape stick to clean them with. I think there are a couple of articles on the Fine Woodworking website about doing this. Let me know if you can't get to them and I will try and help you out.

Don't forget to build a heavy base for this….my first bench was too light. It caused me no end of problems. Now I just use it as an assembly table.


----------



## RickInTexas (Apr 21, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*
> 
> Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.
> 
> ...


Look's like the top is coming out great. Looking at the end grain, the wood looks better than the "whitewood studs" that I see locally. Here they look almost pure white and an 8' stud feels like a toothpick in weight. I agree with Greg in that they have a great marketing ploy if they got the brand name of the lumber to be Premium, I got a great laugh out of that one. Is the plan to leave it on saw horses for the time being, or are you building a base for it? If your building a base, I'm interested in what type of design you have, since I'm contemplating a bench for myself.


----------



## mot (May 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*
> 
> Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.
> 
> ...


You've got some hand plane work ahead of you, but thankfully it's not rock maple. Nice job and thanks for starting the photo record!


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*
> 
> Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.
> 
> ...


To Greg3G & mot: You're right, surfacing was the hard part. That'll be coming up a couple of installments down the road.

To RickInTexas: The sawhorses are just temporary. I'll be starting on the base in a week or two. I've got the design pretty well nailed down in my head, and have a tentative lumber list. If I get bold enough, I may be able to rough something out in Google SketchUp. If I do (and don't drive myself nuts in the process) I'll try to post it.


----------



## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*
> 
> Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.
> 
> ...


I remember building mine out of hard maple. About 20 years ago and it is still going strong.

Don't know if you are a golfer. Most golfers (duffers like Me) will switch to an older or less expensive ball when they get to a water hazard. Old golf teacher said not to do that. It allows you to not concentrate as much.

Same with woodworking. Always buy the best you can afford. If the wood is expensive you will pay more attention.


----------



## David (Jan 26, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How to use a half-gallon of glue on one project.*
> 
> Now I needed some wood. Since low cost was a priority (the vise hardware was setting me back enough as it was), I decided on basic whitewood studs. I know SYP would have been better, but if I was going to screw up, I didn't want too much money involved. Besides, I reasoned, if it became unusable in a few years, I would have gotten my money's worth, and could simply build a new one with better materials and more experience. The vise hardware and jaws would be reusable.
> 
> ...


Robert -

Absolutely beautiful glue-up! The surfacing is going to be fun 

Great photography!


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*How much wood will $80 buy?*

I decided at this point that I should install the front and end vises with their wooden jaws prior to surfacing the top. So, my son and I (remember, 150 pounds or so) flipped the benchtop on its back, and I made sure the vise mounting spots were relatively flat and square to the edges. Then it was time to construct the wooden jaws, and obviously, whitewood would never do for this application. The only logical choice seemed to be maple, which is not available as a locally-produced wood.

Now at a real lumberyard, I priced soft maple and selected two pieces. I purchased an 11' length of 8/4 maple 6" wide (the shortest they had), and an 8' length of 4/4 6" wide. The total purchase price? $78.78.

Ouch.

Well, the deed was done, and it was time to make the jaw blocks. After planing, I rough-cut four pieces of 8/4 to 19" long, These were then mated to make two jaw blocks about 3.5" thick:










I DID have the presence of mind this time to use biscuits along one edge to ensure alignment, which kept creep to a minimum and made later surfacing much easier. After the glue dried, I cleaned up the remaining squeeze-out, trued the edges, and cut to a final length of 18".

Drilling the screw and guide rod holes in these (expensive) blocks was nerve-wracking. After positioning the mounting block on the underside of the bench and transferring the hole locations to the jaw blank, I stood poised at the drill press with the lever in my hand, knowing that if I messed this up...










Fortunately, all went well, since the second jaw worked out as well as its cousin in the above photo. All that remained was to sand a roundover on the two outside corners of each jaw. I know many folks include a slight rabbet step with their roundovers, but all I wanted was a friendly corner that wouldn't hurt my leg when I ran into it. BTW, the oily fingerprints on the wood are residual grease from handling the vise hardware. I was planning on an oil finish anyway!

More to come.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How much wood will $80 buy?*
> 
> I decided at this point that I should install the front and end vises with their wooden jaws prior to surfacing the top. So, my son and I (remember, 150 pounds or so) flipped the benchtop on its back, and I made sure the vise mounting spots were relatively flat and square to the edges. Then it was time to construct the wooden jaws, and obviously, whitewood would never do for this application. The only logical choice seemed to be maple, which is not available as a locally-produced wood.
> 
> ...


Great project. Looking for the continuation.


----------



## mot (May 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How much wood will $80 buy?*
> 
> I decided at this point that I should install the front and end vises with their wooden jaws prior to surfacing the top. So, my son and I (remember, 150 pounds or so) flipped the benchtop on its back, and I made sure the vise mounting spots were relatively flat and square to the edges. Then it was time to construct the wooden jaws, and obviously, whitewood would never do for this application. The only logical choice seemed to be maple, which is not available as a locally-produced wood.
> 
> ...


Great story. I can visualise you standing there, drill press handle grasped, a moments trepidation followed a gasp and a pull of the handle. LOL…been there! It's turning out great. I'm glad you kept up with the photo journal!


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How much wood will $80 buy?*
> 
> I decided at this point that I should install the front and end vises with their wooden jaws prior to surfacing the top. So, my son and I (remember, 150 pounds or so) flipped the benchtop on its back, and I made sure the vise mounting spots were relatively flat and square to the edges. Then it was time to construct the wooden jaws, and obviously, whitewood would never do for this application. The only logical choice seemed to be maple, which is not available as a locally-produced wood.
> 
> ...


Great progress. I'm looking forward to your next post. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.


----------



## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How much wood will $80 buy?*
> 
> I decided at this point that I should install the front and end vises with their wooden jaws prior to surfacing the top. So, my son and I (remember, 150 pounds or so) flipped the benchtop on its back, and I made sure the vise mounting spots were relatively flat and square to the edges. Then it was time to construct the wooden jaws, and obviously, whitewood would never do for this application. The only logical choice seemed to be maple, which is not available as a locally-produced wood.
> 
> ...


It's coming along nicely. Thanks for the pics and process.


----------



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How much wood will $80 buy?*
> 
> I decided at this point that I should install the front and end vises with their wooden jaws prior to surfacing the top. So, my son and I (remember, 150 pounds or so) flipped the benchtop on its back, and I made sure the vise mounting spots were relatively flat and square to the edges. Then it was time to construct the wooden jaws, and obviously, whitewood would never do for this application. The only logical choice seemed to be maple, which is not available as a locally-produced wood.
> 
> ...


looking great!!! Pretty exciting for you - and for us as we watch it being built!


----------



## David (Jan 26, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How much wood will $80 buy?*
> 
> I decided at this point that I should install the front and end vises with their wooden jaws prior to surfacing the top. So, my son and I (remember, 150 pounds or so) flipped the benchtop on its back, and I made sure the vise mounting spots were relatively flat and square to the edges. Then it was time to construct the wooden jaws, and obviously, whitewood would never do for this application. The only logical choice seemed to be maple, which is not available as a locally-produced wood.
> 
> ...


Robert -

Your vice jaw pads look great. I agree with Mot - I could just see you there holding the drill press handle and thinking . . .


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *How much wood will $80 buy?*
> 
> I decided at this point that I should install the front and end vises with their wooden jaws prior to surfacing the top. So, my son and I (remember, 150 pounds or so) flipped the benchtop on its back, and I made sure the vise mounting spots were relatively flat and square to the edges. Then it was time to construct the wooden jaws, and obviously, whitewood would never do for this application. The only logical choice seemed to be maple, which is not available as a locally-produced wood.
> 
> ...


A time of measure twice and drill once. Great job.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*Squeeze play*

After the holes were bored and the jaws were shaped, it was time for installation. Every vise hardware set is probably a little different, so I won't get too technical here. The bottom line is that the mount assembly is positioned on the underside of the benchtop and screwed or lag-bolted into place. Then, the jaw is threaded onto the guide rods and screw, which are then run through their respective holes in the mount and secured. The screw is then tightened to snug the jaw up against the bench face in proper alignment and screws then secure the two together. Simple enough.

I added a slight complication on my front vise. As you know, my benchtop is whitewood, and rather soft for a clamping surface. I really wanted a maple-to-maple face for better wear. Since the jaw block extends below the bottom edge of the bench I also liked the idea of extending this face downwards to give a larger clamping area. This was the purpose of the 4/4 stock I purchased in the last installment (in case you were wondering).

My description of this may be (probably is) unclear, so below is a photo of the final product showing the added maple face:










The problem was that I didn't want the maple to sit proud to the edge of the bench. I reasoned that this would cause problems when clamping long boards for edge work. This required recessing the maple face to sit flush with the edge of the bench. I finally decided on my router for the job.

After setting the top on edge, I clamped a pair of 30" 2x4's flush with either side for a bearing surface, and then a stop block to limit the travel to 18" (the length of the insert). Why specifically 30" studs? So they could later be sawhorse legs--waste not, want not.
I then took my router with a 1/2" straight bit and its router table insert still attached, and made a series of shallow passes. The result after the first pass is shown below:










I kept this up, taking 1/4" per pass till close, and then slowly sneaking up on the required depth. A final ultra-light pass cleaned things up, and the results are below:










It was then just a matter of taking the facepiece (with appropriate holes drilled), and gluing and screwing it into the recess:










Yes, I know I didn't plug the screw holes, but my back hurt.

You may be wondering why I only mentioned the front vise and not the end vise. The biggest reason is that I didn't want to repeat this operation six feet in the air balanced on a ladder. Aside from my phobia about controlling a 20,000 rpm router while trying to keep my footing, there are practical excuses. The end vise will primarily provide clamping force for the bench dogs, and occasionally used to hold small pieces. Also, the end-grain will be much more resistant to wear than the face-grain. I guess time will tell whether I made the right decision or not.

With the vises mounted, it was time to work on the surface.

More on that next time.


----------



## markrules (Feb 18, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Squeeze play*
> 
> After the holes were bored and the jaws were shaped, it was time for installation. Every vise hardware set is probably a little different, so I won't get too technical here. The bottom line is that the mount assembly is positioned on the underside of the benchtop and screwed or lag-bolted into place. Then, the jaw is threaded onto the guide rods and screw, which are then run through their respective holes in the mount and secured. The screw is then tightened to snug the jaw up against the bench face in proper alignment and screws then secure the two together. Simple enough.
> 
> ...


I like it. I'm having regrets with my bench now that I see how nice your's is turning out.


----------



## mot (May 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Squeeze play*
> 
> After the holes were bored and the jaws were shaped, it was time for installation. Every vise hardware set is probably a little different, so I won't get too technical here. The bottom line is that the mount assembly is positioned on the underside of the benchtop and screwed or lag-bolted into place. Then, the jaw is threaded onto the guide rods and screw, which are then run through their respective holes in the mount and secured. The screw is then tightened to snug the jaw up against the bench face in proper alignment and screws then secure the two together. Simple enough.
> 
> ...


You're really doing an awesome job with this. Thanks for the construction details. Good choice on the recess.


----------



## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Squeeze play*
> 
> After the holes were bored and the jaws were shaped, it was time for installation. Every vise hardware set is probably a little different, so I won't get too technical here. The bottom line is that the mount assembly is positioned on the underside of the benchtop and screwed or lag-bolted into place. Then, the jaw is threaded onto the guide rods and screw, which are then run through their respective holes in the mount and secured. The screw is then tightened to snug the jaw up against the bench face in proper alignment and screws then secure the two together. Simple enough.
> 
> ...


Your explaination and pictures were done well. Nice job with the router, too.


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Squeeze play*
> 
> After the holes were bored and the jaws were shaped, it was time for installation. Every vise hardware set is probably a little different, so I won't get too technical here. The bottom line is that the mount assembly is positioned on the underside of the benchtop and screwed or lag-bolted into place. Then, the jaw is threaded onto the guide rods and screw, which are then run through their respective holes in the mount and secured. The screw is then tightened to snug the jaw up against the bench face in proper alignment and screws then secure the two together. Simple enough.
> 
> ...


Great post.


----------



## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Squeeze play*
> 
> After the holes were bored and the jaws were shaped, it was time for installation. Every vise hardware set is probably a little different, so I won't get too technical here. The bottom line is that the mount assembly is positioned on the underside of the benchtop and screwed or lag-bolted into place. Then, the jaw is threaded onto the guide rods and screw, which are then run through their respective holes in the mount and secured. The screw is then tightened to snug the jaw up against the bench face in proper alignment and screws then secure the two together. Simple enough.
> 
> ...


It is coming along nicely. Don't worry about the extra holes, you can fill them in later.


----------



## David (Jan 26, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Squeeze play*
> 
> After the holes were bored and the jaws were shaped, it was time for installation. Every vise hardware set is probably a little different, so I won't get too technical here. The bottom line is that the mount assembly is positioned on the underside of the benchtop and screwed or lag-bolted into place. Then, the jaw is threaded onto the guide rods and screw, which are then run through their respective holes in the mount and secured. The screw is then tightened to snug the jaw up against the bench face in proper alignment and screws then secure the two together. Simple enough.
> 
> ...


Robert -

Excellent update, and great phoography. This series could be submitted for publication - everyone could benefit from your journey.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Squeeze play*
> 
> After the holes were bored and the jaws were shaped, it was time for installation. Every vise hardware set is probably a little different, so I won't get too technical here. The bottom line is that the mount assembly is positioned on the underside of the benchtop and screwed or lag-bolted into place. Then, the jaw is threaded onto the guide rods and screw, which are then run through their respective holes in the mount and secured. The screw is then tightened to snug the jaw up against the bench face in proper alignment and screws then secure the two together. Simple enough.
> 
> ...


Good looking vise.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*Leveling the playing field*

Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:

*Planes Don't Like Knots!*

This whitewood was quite knotty, and with the first pass over one the plane stopped as dead as if it had hit a brick wall.

Hmm…

It was time to fall back to plan B, which involved the use of my cabinet scraper. Many of you will wonder why I didn't go with my belt sander, and it would have certainly been faster. However, this speed can be counterproductive, causing overshoots and possibly taking more time in the long run. I felt that the cabinet scraper would give me more control in getting the surface level. Mine is a Veritas model that is basically an upgrade of the Stanley #80. The extra $15-20 buys you a sole that is 1 inch longer, and handles that are placed lower and farther forward. The net result is a more stable unit that is easier to control and less prone to dig-ins-spend it.

The cabinet scraper is not the ideal tool for softwood, and doesn't provide the smooth surface that it would yield on hardwood. However, it handled the knots well, and leveled the high spots more quickly than I thought. It was during this process that I added a third middle sawhorse to support the top, turned at right angles to the two at the end. Aggressive scraping tended to make the sawhorses tip with the force. The third at right angles under the center calmed this effect and kept my new benchtop from winding up on the floor.

Once I was satisfied with the flatness of the surface, I drilled the dog holes. I had previously drilled matching holes in the vise blocks using the drill press and finishing up with a brace and auger when the drill press could go no deeper. Obviously the benchtop wouldn't fit on the drill press, so I switched to a 3-flute Irwin auger driven by my 5-amp Skil corded drill. I just didn't think my cordless would have the torque for this job. After my drill guide broke (cheap imported plastic!), I just eyeballed the angle, hit the trigger, and held on for the ride! Lemme tell you - those power augers go through softwood faster than you can imagine if you haven't used one. Yes, there was some splintering on the back, but so?

Now it was time for the debated belt sander. I started with 50 grit and gently finished leveling the whole surface, then 80 grit, and finally 120. I then switched to my palm sander and worked through 100 and 150. It was a lot of tedious work, but I think the results below were worth it:










All that was left was a few coats of Watco, and the benchtop was in business!

This brings me up to the present. The base is next, and posts will be coming slower now that I'm in realtime. I'm finalizing the design, and should have something posted for comments or suggestions in a day or two.


----------



## markrules (Feb 18, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


When do you start piling stuff on it?

Looks good!


----------



## mot (May 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


Nice job. My shoulders are sore just looking at that planing job!


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


It looks great. I agree with Tom, that looks like a lot of hard work.

A scrub plane or a Jack plane with a camber similar to a scrub plane may have been a better place to start. Use the Jack/scrub plane (rough tool) to get the high spots then go to the jointer plane (medium tool), then move to smoothing plane, then scraper (fine tools)(Chris Schwarz recommendation).


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


To WayneC:
Normally I would agree, but I unfortunately don't have a jack or scrub - just a #4 & a #7. I DO have an old #4 that I'm thinking about converting to a scrub plane, but that's a project for another day. The scraper works in a coarser manner on wood this soft than it does on hardwood. It's surprising how much it removes with a robust burr. The shavings look more like what you would get with a coarsely set plane. Also, it handled the abundant knots much better than my planes. I don't think the scraper would be much use for fine finishing on whitewood though.

To Markrules:
I've already started! I'm presently finishing up a little buggy for my granddaughter to push around, and the top no longer looks brand new (didn't expect it to!).


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


Interesting observations on the scraper. I'll have to play around with one some soft wood. Sounds like a good trick to have in the bag.

How long did it take you to finish the top?


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


To WayneC: Hmm…that's a tough question. I had so many stops and starts. Not counting the dog holes, maybe 4 hours??? Actual time elapsed may have been less


----------



## David (Jan 26, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


Robert -

Your bench top is wonderful. A lot of work but well worth the effort!


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


Robert. As a follow-up, the other day I was playing around with a #5 with a Hock blade and chip breaker on knotty softwood and it went right through the knots. Surface was as smooth as glass. Got me thinking a stiff blade may help some in this type of wood.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


I've been thinking about moving up to a heavier blade on my #4 and #7. I think that part of the problem on the benchtop was the fact that the sawhorses allowed enough flex that the inertia was absorbed when the plane encountered the knot-sort of like the arresting wire on a carrier deck. I haven't encountered the same problem planing in a vise.


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Leveling the playing field*
> 
> Now for the hard part - leveling the top. As I previously mentioned, there was considerable misalignment and undulation in the soon-to-be working surface. My drywall square made a good level-checker. Not only was it straight, but the head kept it vertical to the surface with little effort on my part. With the biggest problem areas identified, I grabbed my jointer plane to start knocking down the high spots. I had, however, forgotten one of the biggest principles of planecraft:
> 
> ...


Good point, I was planing a board on my bench secured with a dog and tail vice. I've fitted several of my planes with Hock blades and chip breakers and highly recommend them.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*Base plan*










As requested, here is my basic plan for the workbench base. This was my first (semi) successful drawing with Google SketchUp, so please pardon the crudeness. I plan on starting on this phase in the next week or two (after payday).

The wood will be southern yellow pine dimension lumber. With the exception of the 2x6 lower stretchers, the rest will be 2x4's. The upper stretchers will be single thickness, the outside legs and feet will be glue-lams of 2 studs, and the center legs and foot will be three studs thick. The reason for the additional thickness in the center is to allow for deeper mortises for the opposing tenons. The front-to-back stretchers are offset for the same reason.

The reason for using feet instead of straight legs is to alleviate the need for front-to-back stretchers at the bottom. This lets me place my 2x6's lower, giving more room for the later addition of tool storage cabinets between the legs. It's not shown in the drawing, but each foot will have a slight relief cutaway in the center, leaving a pad at each end to help compensate for any unevenness in the floor or later warpage.

All joints will be 1" thick pegged mortise-and-tenon, with as much length and width as possible. The upper stretchers will be low enough to clear the hardware for the front vise, but still give as much cabinet space as possible. The top will have 1" holes that fit over 3/4" pegs in the top of each leg. This should keep the top in place and still allow for wood movement during climactic changes.

Overall height, including the benchtop, will be 38" (hey, I'm 6'4").

I'm wondering if I should raise the 2x6 stretchers up some for more racking resistance, or if they'll be fine where they are. I want room for cabinets, but not at the expense of strength. The present distance between upper and lower stretchers is now 22".

Any thoughts, questions, or suggestions will be greatly appreciated


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great plan. Any thoughts about adding dog holes to the legs?


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, dog holes and/or a sliding deadman. The deadman may actually be an add-on to the front. I'll have to see how the whole thing actually goes together.


----------



## CapnRon (May 15, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice looking drawing, ours look vary similar, I'll be sure to post pics when I'm done.


----------



## David (Jan 26, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Robert -

Obviously some budding SketchUp skills demonstrated - excellent! This is going to be a very sturdy bench - looking forward to the projects that are built your bench!


----------



## Kirk (Apr 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Gravedigger,

How long it the bench?

Center legs, if you made them the same, they have a thru mortis, then cut the ends of the tenons at a 45 degree angle and have it like one long stretcher.

I don't have upper stretchers to allow room for storage/box of some type.

1" pegs should be a beautiful site…

As for the 1" hole and ¾" pegs, if you ever want to move the bench you will have to move two pieces? Expansion, I better not get any.

I really like your design over all. Heavy, solid. Just what you need in a workbench.

W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico


----------



## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm no expert, but I feel once you put the top on there should be no problem with racking. Your drawing looks like a nice sturdy base for your bench.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Kirk,

The top is 74" long and 27" wide. The upper stretchers are set 3" below the bench top to clear the vise hardware on the front vise. I originally went with 2", but my mockup showed that this would interfere with the opening of the quick-release nut. I added the upper stretchers specifically because the top was not directly connected to the base. You're in a fairly dry climate in New Mexico, but in central MS the humidity can fluctuate greatly between summer and winter, making wood movement a real concern. This design still gives me about 18" of height for two cabinets. This should be plenty for planes, chisels, measuring tools, etc. I'll have plenty of storage room overall in my shop (30' x 40'), so I primarily want to store the "good stuff" in the bench.

I added the center support because I was concerned about sag in the spruce top over time. If I had it to do over, I would probably use SYP instead of whitewood, but sag would still be a concern. Oh well, time will tell. Really, replacing the top wouldn't be that big a deal now that I've done it once.


----------



## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Robert,

As I am 6' 4" as well I have couple of questions. I am at the point of needing to build my first bench Are you planning to use this soley for hand tools or a combination of hand and power?

And… How did you arrive at this height?

I have been trying to determine how tall to make it as I blew a couple of discs in my back while in the military.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm planning on using it for both hand and power tools. This bench truly is an experiment for me, and the ergonomics is a part of the process. I wanted it to be low enough to give me good authority with a plane, but high enough that I didn't have to bend over too far for chiseling, scraping, etc. Plus, I wanted to be able to stand fairly straight when running sanders and other such long-use power tools.

I started with the present height of the benchtop on sawhorses, which is about 34". This was just low enough that I had to bend over slightly to place my palms flat on the bench. 38" worked out to give me "flat palms" standing erect with slightly bent elbows. This seemed to be a good compromise height. I guess only time will tell.


----------



## AZZO (May 10, 2011)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice sketch and a unsual bench, one question, i don't know because i see a lot of workbenches with just 2 stretchers, since the legs hold in the top, is there need to all that stretchers?
My bench is kinda heavy and i have 3 stretchers instead of the usual 2 i see a lot, do you think make a difference?

Please visit my sketchs of my future workbench:

http://lumberjocks.com/topics/26915


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Base plan*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In this case, the top isn't joined to the top in the normal manner. It sits on large dowels that project out of the tops of the legs. This makes it possible to break the bench down into two parts to move it. The fit is good, and the top isn't "shifty". However, I don't think it's secure enough to dispense with the upper stretcher.

On something like a Roubo, with the legs fit directly into the top with those massive through tenons, no upper stretcher would be needed.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*The Base Begins*

Well, the next phase of the workbench project is now under way. I went to a local lumber yard the other day (the real thing, not a box store-I learn pretty fast) and picked up enough southern yellow pine to build the base. I'll have to give these guys credit - they take care of their customers. Even though the yard crew was busy loading up 18-wheelers, they had time for me. When I told the "guy inside" what I was building, he wrote on the pull ticket, "PICK GOOD". The yard guys let me pick through the pile (or part of it) to find the better stuff. It wasn't perfect, being #2 common, but MUCH better than the "premium" stuff from Home Depot. I got a few extras just in case I don't get it all right the first time (no Norm here!). Total cost: $39.38.

Back at the shop, I skip-planed the 2×4's down to get a smooth gluing surface, and cut the pieces for the feet and legs to rough length:










You'll notice that one of the foot groups and two of the leg groups consist of three boards instead of two. These will comprise the center group, and are wider to accommodate 2" mortises from the left and right. Judging by some of the end grain, I need to re-arrange the combinations somewhat. Next I'll glue the individual pieces up, using biscuits for alignment. Due to my limited number of clamps, this will probably take a over a week (one set per night). Of course, this slow pace allows me to get in enough honey-do's to keep my brownie points at an acceptable level. This will be followed by clean-up and squaring of all the pieces.

More as this progresses.


----------



## woodtimes (Jun 14, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The Base Begins*
> 
> Well, the next phase of the workbench project is now under way. I went to a local lumber yard the other day (the real thing, not a box store-I learn pretty fast) and picked up enough southern yellow pine to build the base. I'll have to give these guys credit - they take care of their customers. Even though the yard crew was busy loading up 18-wheelers, they had time for me. When I told the "guy inside" what I was building, he wrote on the pull ticket, "PICK GOOD". The yard guys let me pick through the pile (or part of it) to find the better stuff. It wasn't perfect, being #2 common, but MUCH better than the "premium" stuff from Home Depot. I got a few extras just in case I don't get it all right the first time (no Norm here!). Total cost: $39.38.
> 
> ...


This is the type of thing that draws my interest to this site. To see the construction tips, tricks & methods really is a wonderful way of sharing our craft. Great work, keep them coming.
Thanks

Bob


----------



## mot (May 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The Base Begins*
> 
> Well, the next phase of the workbench project is now under way. I went to a local lumber yard the other day (the real thing, not a box store-I learn pretty fast) and picked up enough southern yellow pine to build the base. I'll have to give these guys credit - they take care of their customers. Even though the yard crew was busy loading up 18-wheelers, they had time for me. When I told the "guy inside" what I was building, he wrote on the pull ticket, "PICK GOOD". The yard guys let me pick through the pile (or part of it) to find the better stuff. It wasn't perfect, being #2 common, but MUCH better than the "premium" stuff from Home Depot. I got a few extras just in case I don't get it all right the first time (no Norm here!). Total cost: $39.38.
> 
> ...


This has been a good series. Thanks for sharing it with us. I've enjoyed watching the build and your decisions.


----------



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The Base Begins*
> 
> Well, the next phase of the workbench project is now under way. I went to a local lumber yard the other day (the real thing, not a box store-I learn pretty fast) and picked up enough southern yellow pine to build the base. I'll have to give these guys credit - they take care of their customers. Even though the yard crew was busy loading up 18-wheelers, they had time for me. When I told the "guy inside" what I was building, he wrote on the pull ticket, "PICK GOOD". The yard guys let me pick through the pile (or part of it) to find the better stuff. It wasn't perfect, being #2 common, but MUCH better than the "premium" stuff from Home Depot. I got a few extras just in case I don't get it all right the first time (no Norm here!). Total cost: $39.38.
> 
> ...


sounds like it is all going well so far

and you can still earn brownie points… life is good


----------



## David (Jan 26, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The Base Begins*
> 
> Well, the next phase of the workbench project is now under way. I went to a local lumber yard the other day (the real thing, not a box store-I learn pretty fast) and picked up enough southern yellow pine to build the base. I'll have to give these guys credit - they take care of their customers. Even though the yard crew was busy loading up 18-wheelers, they had time for me. When I told the "guy inside" what I was building, he wrote on the pull ticket, "PICK GOOD". The yard guys let me pick through the pile (or part of it) to find the better stuff. It wasn't perfect, being #2 common, but MUCH better than the "premium" stuff from Home Depot. I got a few extras just in case I don't get it all right the first time (no Norm here!). Total cost: $39.38.
> 
> ...


Robert -

Great update and a wonderful story! Thank you for taking time to record your construction progress and photograph the steps. Absolutely a wonderful series. Again - this could be published - its a great read and very inspirational.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*Glue-up's Finished*

The easy part's over-all of the base components have been glued up, trued up, and evened up.

After gluing the pieces together to make the rough leg components, I squared up the surfaces with a hand plane, and then sent everything back through the thickness planer to insure uniform thickness. Then, it was time to cut everything to final length. I hate this part-it's one of my favorite ways to mess up.

While the legs were a-gluing, I skip-planed the stock for the rails and stretchers. Since no glue-up was necessary here, I was mainly concerned with uniform thickness to make tenoning easier. I was now able to determine their final length since the leg thickness was now a known quantity, and cut accordingly (adding 2" on each end for the tenon!-anybody here ever forget that?).










As you can see, I went ahead and cut the short cheeks of my tenons. This will allow me to accurately mark to cut the length of the individual mortises. Of course, I'll have to keep all the pieces organized from this point on.

Cleaning up the tenon cheeks gave me a chance to try out my new shoulder plane. Since I use the router table for my tenons, this was a necessary step made MUCH easier by Veritas' ductile iron wonder tool. How I got by without one up till now is a mystery to me. I'll be making a separate blog post to properly sing my praises of that little gem.

Now comes the hard part-28 mortise-and-tenon joints.

Guess I'd better get busy.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Glue-up's Finished*
> 
> The easy part's over-all of the base components have been glued up, trued up, and evened up.
> 
> ...


Nice looking so far.


----------



## David (Jan 26, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Glue-up's Finished*
> 
> The easy part's over-all of the base components have been glued up, trued up, and evened up.
> 
> ...


Robert -

This is a great series! Looking awesome. Can't wait to see the M & T joints - all 28!


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Glue-up's Finished*
> 
> The easy part's over-all of the base components have been glued up, trued up, and evened up.
> 
> ...


Great progress. Looking forward to seeing the assembly. Also very interested in the plane review. Been kicking around the idea of getting the large LN shoulder plane. I would be interested in your opinions on the Veritas.


----------



## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Glue-up's Finished*
> 
> The easy part's over-all of the base components have been glued up, trued up, and evened up.
> 
> ...


Looking good! Can't wait to see it finished. My "workbench" is a 30 year old B&D Workmate and a rickety old dining room table. This is going to be one of my 1st projects once I have a shop that can fit a decent bench. I would so love to have a nice sturdy bench.


----------



## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Glue-up's Finished*
> 
> The easy part's over-all of the base components have been glued up, trued up, and evened up.
> 
> ...


I'm looking for to your blog and the next steps in your bench making process.


----------



## snowdog (Jul 1, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Glue-up's Finished*
> 
> The easy part's over-all of the base components have been glued up, trued up, and evened up.
> 
> ...


I am still new to all this hard work. I miss the 20 oz hammer and my framing gun <grin>. What is "skip-planed" really mean. I get the basic concept from a little web research but is there a simple description someone can point me to? Does it just mean roughly planed?


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Glue-up's Finished*
> 
> The easy part's over-all of the base components have been glued up, trued up, and evened up.
> 
> ...


Skip planing is a term used for the initial planing of wood down to basic dimensions. It removes surface abnormalities and makes sure all of the boards are the same basic thickness. Many people are surprised at the amount of variation between different boards from the same pile. Skip planing makes sure they're all equal.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*Cutting Tenons the Old-Fashioned Way (sort of...)*

Building this workbench has made me rethink a lot of things. Joinery on this scale is completely different from a jewelry box, cutting board, or a bookcase, and calls for different techniques.

I can hear the timber framers howling with laughter and shouting,"Duhhh!!!!"

Well, it's new to me.

A case in point is the tenons joining the legs to the feet (see the plan in Episode 6). The center leg elements are composed of three 2×4's glued together with a final dimension of 4 1/8" x 3 1/4". This width will allow a 2" tenon to be inserted from either side, but caused tenon-cutting problems.

My usual practice is to cut my tenons on the router table (no tablesaw, don't forget), but the sheer size and mass of these pieces made this impossible. So, I went back to the old way-more or less.

I decided to cut the tenon shoulders by hand, and then cut the cheeks on the bandsaw (hence "more or less"). I had seen Norm do this once or twice, and decided to give it a try. After all: If I messed up, all I had to do was go back to the lumber yard for more wood, skip-plane it, cut to rough length, glue it up, plane it down to matching dimensions, and continue as if nothing had happened. So, what the heck?

I just got a new dozuki, which is a great saw for precision joinery. The only problem I have with them is that it can be difficult to start a long cut in soft wood. So, I hit on the following solution.

I took a piece of scrap stock with a 90 degree face and clamped it across the line for the tenon shoulder, leaving just a smidgen (is that more or less than a hair?) of space to plane down later:










This gave me a good bearing surface to start my shoulder cut without having my blade wander around and make a mess:










I keep the guide block in place as I cut until the spine of the dozuki reaches it. At this point you've got plenty of kerf to guide you onwards and the block can be removed.

f you're not familiar with the dozuki, it's important to keep the cutting edge level. The wedge-shaped blade and FAST cutting action make it easy to overshoot your depth on the back side of the cut, so practice this technique on scrap wood first. Oh yes, and keep pressure on the saw to a minimum. These saws do their best with a light touch, and pressing down doesn't make them cut better - it just breaks saw teeth. Watch the edge, ignore the spine of the blade, and sneak up on your depth:










The completed cut shows why I love the dozuki - a thin kerf and precise cuts with minimal effort:










Next stop, the bandsaw. The width of this stock makes it perfect for bandsawing the tenon cheeks. In the previous picture you can see my tenon layout lines. I use the bandsaw to cut a little outside the lines (yes, more than a smidgen - the bandsaw cuts much faster):










The reason for cutting the shoulders first becomes apparent. When the cheek cut is completed, the waste simply falls off and makes an excellent "stop cutting" indicator. I suppose you COULD cut the shoulders this way as well, but I think the handsawn method gives more control. Many will suggest cutting the cheeks by hand as well, and I may give that a shot on the narrower pieces later. In any event, we're left with a tenon that's ready for a little final fitting with the shoulder plane:










One down, 27 to go!


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Cutting Tenons the Old-Fashioned Way (sort of...)*
> 
> Building this workbench has made me rethink a lot of things. Joinery on this scale is completely different from a jewelry box, cutting board, or a bookcase, and calls for different techniques.
> 
> ...


It came out very well. About how long did it take to make the first and I would be curious to see how much the process sped up as you went along.


----------



## mot (May 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Cutting Tenons the Old-Fashioned Way (sort of...)*
> 
> Building this workbench has made me rethink a lot of things. Joinery on this scale is completely different from a jewelry box, cutting board, or a bookcase, and calls for different techniques.
> 
> ...


Nice! I'm leary of cutting those on the bandsaw. 8 cuts and all of them wrong. I like what you did with the guide block, neat idea.


----------



## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Cutting Tenons the Old-Fashioned Way (sort of...)*
> 
> Building this workbench has made me rethink a lot of things. Joinery on this scale is completely different from a jewelry box, cutting board, or a bookcase, and calls for different techniques.
> 
> ...


I was reading one of the British tool forums last night and someone was saying this was an ideal use for a 10 1/4 rabbet plane. Just in the event you wanted an excuse to buy another plane. : ^ )


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Cutting Tenons the Old-Fashioned Way (sort of...)*
> 
> Building this workbench has made me rethink a lot of things. Joinery on this scale is completely different from a jewelry box, cutting board, or a bookcase, and calls for different techniques.
> 
> ...


Actual time is about 5 minutes per face. I already had all the cheeks and shoulders marked from earlier, so this was cutting only. I've used a dozuki for somewhere between 15-20 years, so I'm used to the cutting technique.
Incidentally, an old dozuki makes GREAT thin card scrapers!
Final fitting of tenon to mortise? Ehhh…that depends on how well I cleaned up the mortise after drilling.

I won't try the bandsaw trick on any of the 2×4 stretchers-there's just too much chance of cutting off-vertical. For those I'll either use the router table or hand-rip. My personal limit here wound be an aspect ratio of about 1:1 to ensure a vertical cut. Plus, I leave plenty of waste. The shoulder plane makes quick work of it.

Rabbet plane??? Look closer at those shoulders-I'd have to plane in over an inch on each side. Too much like work for me. As for another plane-maybe a Veritas low-angle block or smoother, or a LN skew block. Hmm…


----------



## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Cutting Tenons the Old-Fashioned Way (sort of...)*
> 
> Building this workbench has made me rethink a lot of things. Joinery on this scale is completely different from a jewelry box, cutting board, or a bookcase, and calls for different techniques.
> 
> ...


Nice work, Robert. Great pictures.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*The Mother of Invention*

Sometimes you can stare at a problem with a project for days (or longer) before a solution comes to you. In my case, the solution often comes at the oddest times and places. In this case, I was sitting at work performing a calculation when the light bulb went on.

I was having problems with drilling the mortises in my workbench legs. The legs were long and heavy and my drill press table is small. This was made worse by the fact that most of the mortises were located near the ends of the legs. This made holding the legs steady on the table difficult. I could clamp them in place, of course, but I needed to be able to slide them back and forth as I made the mortises. Help from the family was erratic at best, and I was stuck for a ready solution.

As I said, I was sitting at work calculating a dose when, out of the blue, the following design hit me:










A simple solution. Three 2×4 sections finish-nailed together in the shape of an "F", and attached to a sawhorse with clamps. The extended horizontal piece allowed me to extend the support over the bench that the drill press rests on. Height and level were adjusted by loosening the clamps slightly and tapping with a mallet, and the leg had plenty of support while allowing for easy movement back and forth. This made even the middle legs easy to handle:










I realize that there are far better and more permanent solutions, but this simple arrangement got me over the hump of the moment. And, when I was through, the pieces would be recycled into cross-braces for the loft joists.

The point of this discourse on a crude project is that problems don't necessarily have to be solved by a trip to the box store or an online order. Sometimes, a little scrap wood and imagination are all that's necessary. Oh yes, it helps to keep a few 2×4's handy!

All 26 mortises have now been drilled. The next step will be to square up the ends of the holes. I know some swear by rounding the tenons, but this way works better for me with a fixed tenon:










I guess I better sharpen my chisel and get busy.


----------



## markrules (Feb 18, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The Mother of Invention*
> 
> Sometimes you can stare at a problem with a project for days (or longer) before a solution comes to you. In my case, the solution often comes at the oddest times and places. In this case, I was sitting at work performing a calculation when the light bulb went on.
> 
> ...


Square the mortices or round over the tenons… it's work either way.


----------



## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The Mother of Invention*
> 
> Sometimes you can stare at a problem with a project for days (or longer) before a solution comes to you. In my case, the solution often comes at the oddest times and places. In this case, I was sitting at work performing a calculation when the light bulb went on.
> 
> ...


I'm always slapping together helpers. I cut some small notches (3.5" wide) in the side of my wood rack. Each is located to be level with a particular table/tool combo. I can pull out a 3' 2×4 and clamp it into the notch for a quick hand in holding unwieldy/long items.

Squaring the mortices is the fun part…


----------



## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The Mother of Invention*
> 
> Sometimes you can stare at a problem with a project for days (or longer) before a solution comes to you. In my case, the solution often comes at the oddest times and places. In this case, I was sitting at work performing a calculation when the light bulb went on.
> 
> ...


Nice solution to your problem and a simple one at that. Those are the best kind.


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*The End's in Sight!*

Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!

The last post left me sharpening my chisel and getting ready to square up the 28 mortises. This was indeed as difficult as I feared. It's not that squaring a mortise is that hard, but there were so many of them. This was the time to remember the old adage that a mountain is climbed one step at a time. Each mortise was just one mortise, and that's how I approached the problem. The problem with SYP is that, while it's a soft wood, it isn't that easy to work with hand tools. Fine paring with a chisel is difficult because the end-grain wants to compress and tear out, and side-grain wants to split off in strips. I simply took light cuts and sharp tools, and eventually was through.

The next step was to cut all the tenons. I mentioned previously that I had cut the short cheeks earlier to use this length to lay out the mortises. I now cut the face cheeks to rough size using the router table and my Incra miter gauge. I left each one a little thick and finished the job with the shoulder plane. This is where it turned out to be money truly well spent. The tenons were quickly trimmed down to size, with only a couple of boo-boos on the shoulders. Practice makes perfect, and each one was better and faster than the one before. Since this was a long process, I re-checked the fit during dry-assembly and re-trimmed the tenons if necessary. It's amazing how much dimensions on a joint will change in our Mississippi climate over a few days! Several indeed needed a bit more trimming.

Once the tenons were fitted and I was satisfied with the dry-assembly, it was time for the pegs. I used 3/8" oak dowels and holes set back 1/2" from the face of the mortise, and offset the hole in the tenon 3/32" toward the shoulder. I took advantage of the thickness of my stock to drill the holes almost all the way through for maximum strength. A sanded taper on the end of each had me ready to go:










The first step was to assemble the three leg frame units. This went fairly quickly, since only four joints were involved. One of the completed ends is shown below:










One of the beauties of the pegged mortise-and-tenon is that no clamping is required. I had made a drawboring pin based on Christopher Schwartz's recommendations, but found it unnecessary. A little glue and a few taps with a hammer locked the joint together permanently. All that remained was to trim off the slightly protruding peg:










The astute observer will notice the gap in one shoulder of the leg. This was one of my first shoulders to cut, and I got a little carried away. I thought about shortening the other three shoulders to match, but was afraid I would throw the whole assembly out of kilter, so I left it alone. I had a good match on the other three shoulders, and the gap was purely cosmetic.

A word of advice on measuring your pegs: Always cut them a little longer than the measurement you get when you fit the dowel through the hole. The taper sanded on the end will allow the peg to sit a little deeper in holes bored with a drill bit, due to the pilot point being deeper than the shoulder of the joint. Of course, you could just make the taper first and THEN measure (didn't think of that until now-hrmph!).

The protruding end of the dowel was cut with a flush-cut saw, and then trimmed flush with the shoulder plane. I realize most would use a low-angle block plane for this, but I only have a Stanley contractor's-grade block plane with the non-adjustable mouth, so the shoulder plane was the better option.

Once all three frames were completed, all that remained was to join them together with the stretchers. As I was sanding them down, I realized that I would sand off all my marks that identified their location. Fortunately I remembered in time, and made new marks on the ends of the tenons to keep me from putting tenon A in mortise B by mistake.

The only real trick in this step was moving quickly. I had to do four stretchers at one time, so I had to apply glue to eight mortises and eight tenons, fit the rails into the first frame, get the second frame in place and seated properly (not so easy - once I had to resort to a three-pound sledge), and get the pegs hammered in before the glue set. Whew! When I added the second set of stretchers and the third frame, the project was on the floor and I was hammering down from over my head to "convince" the last frame to take its place in the scheme of things. At least no clamps were needed! The next morning (today), I trimmed all of the pegs flush and set the nearly completed base up for a look:










A close look will reveal a small gap under the front foot on the right. The floor is level, and the gap doesn't change when I move things around, so I obviously messed up somewhere. Since the other five are perfectly level, I must have had some play in the joint somewhere and didn't catch it during dry-up. I think I'll simply shim it or tack a thin spacer underneath it rather than reduce the other feet to match.

All that remains now is final sanding, applying a topcoat, and fitting it to the bench top. Obviously my son will have to get out there and help me move things from this point on!


----------



## Buckskin (Jun 26, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The End's in Sight!*
> 
> Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!
> 
> ...


That looks to be one solid bench.


----------



## bbrooks (Jan 3, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The End's in Sight!*
> 
> Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!
> 
> ...


Strong looking bench Rob. That should provide you many years of service.


----------



## Dorje (Jun 17, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The End's in Sight!*
> 
> Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!
> 
> ...


Thank goodness the top's already done! This is really coming together!

And the shoulder plane provides yet another use…


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The End's in Sight!*
> 
> Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!
> 
> ...


It's solid, all right - no play anywhere. My boss said that I was overbuilding it, and I replied, "I intend to!" I remember a Fine Woodworking article on bench building saying that if you think your joinery is strong enough, make it stronger.

I really couldn't have made the base without the top's clamping capabilities. I'll just be glad to get it off of those darn sawhorses and onto something really stable.

Yes, the shoulder plane is quickly becoming the darling of the shop. That was some of the best money I ever spent on hand tools!


----------



## Treefarmer (Mar 19, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The End's in Sight!*
> 
> Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!
> 
> ...


Looking good.

I need to get a shoulder plane.


----------



## LeeJ (Jul 4, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The End's in Sight!*
> 
> Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!
> 
> ...


Bob;

Great work. (and a lot of it).

Lee


----------



## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The End's in Sight!*
> 
> Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!
> 
> ...


Great job! Nice and beefy…just the way a bench should be.


----------



## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The End's in Sight!*
> 
> Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!
> 
> ...


horse high, hog tight and bull stout. just right, good job. I'm about ready for a new bench and I'm taking notes.


----------



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *The End's in Sight!*
> 
> Hooray! The final glue-up of all the pieces is finished, and boy am I tired!
> 
> ...


strong is good! 
it's looking great!


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

*Home Base at Last!*

Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.

I gave the finished base three coats of finish. The first was equal parts turpentine, BLO, & spar urethane. The next two were just BLO & spar urethane 50:50. All were applied with a rag & then rubbed dry like all finishes of this type. This gave me a good seal for the wood, and gloss wasn't really a consideration. Yes, I know lots of folk will go for a proper finish, but I've already dinged the base a few times just moving it around. It IS a workbench, after all.

We then inverted the base onto the upturned top & checked for any gaps between the top of the legs and the top. There was only one, & I applied a shim to it rather than sand the other five down. I also plan to shim the gap in the foot mentioned in the previous installment.

Once this was done, I drilled the top of each leg to accept a 3/4" oak dowel to a depth of 2". The dowels were then cut to extend 1" above the top of the leg. These locations were then transferred to the underside of the bench top, which was drilled with 1" holes. This gap was to allow for wood movement, but (hopefully) no play in the top.

Finally, we cleared everything away, set the base in position, and added the top. As hoped, the top slid easily into place on the dowels, but had absolutely no lateral movement once in place. This will make it easy to disassemble the top from the base if I ever need to move the bench. The end product is below:










The 38" total height ended up being perfect. I've gotten used to working on "standard height" structures for so long that it felt strange at first. However, I quickly realized that it would save a lot of strain on my back. I highly recommend customizing your bench & counter heights whenever possible if you're taller or shorter than average.

The 30"w x19"h x23"d spaces between the legs are just begging for a pair of storage cabinets, so I guess that'll be the next phase of construction. It'll have to wait awhile, however, while I work out the details of drawer layout & design. Till then, it's time to clean up the shop.


----------



## RobS (Aug 11, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Wow! I enjoyed the journey, thanks for sharing and great job!


----------



## oscorner (Aug 7, 2006)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Great bench and posting. You should have many years of productive work on this bench.


----------



## VTWoody (Apr 17, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Robert,

I love your bench and will be building one in a similar way as soon as my lumber dries out a little more. I have a few questions, though.

1. I may have missed the overall dimensions, but how long is your bench, and with that in mind, did you have any particular reason for adding the the third leg unit?

2. This question is for you and for all those who already have workbenches…Round dogs, or Square, or a combination of the two? And the reasoning behind that choice, of course.

3. Did you offset the locations of the holes on the underside of the bench top, or is it just so heavy that it doesn't move?

Great work!


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Woody,

The benchtop is 74" long, 26" wide, and 3 1/4" thick. The surface is 38" high to match my 6'4" height. The third leg served two purposes: First, it provided additional support for the spruce top. Despite the thickness, I was afraid the soft spruce would sag over time, making a flat top difficult to maintain. The second was that it would reduce the run of the stretchers, which should cut down on bowing when force was applied along the length of the benchtop (as in planing). This should in turn put less stress on the mortise and tenon joints. The center legs are thicker to allow opposing 2" long tenons.

I used round dogs for one reason - I could easily bore round holes after the top was assembled, & didn't have to make provisions for square holes during construction. As for which is REALLY better, we'll have to rely on the experience of those that have had them for a while.

I'm not sure what you mean by "offset". The 3/4" pegs were inserted into holes in the middle of each leg, and then went into 1" holes in the top. If by "offset" you mean that they were placed to bear against one side of the hole in the top, no. The holes are concentric to the pegs, and theoretically have 1/8" clearance all around. I have experienced no shifting so far. The top weighs about 150 pounds with the vises installed, and the top of the legs were left a little rough, and the top just stays in place.


----------



## Dorje (Jun 17, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


You made it to completion! Turned out super!


----------



## Caliper (Mar 12, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Great bench, Gravedigger. Congrats on the completion. What the first project to break it in?


----------



## TheGravedigger (May 20, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Hmm… not sure yet. I need to make a drill press stand, but my wife wants a movable plant rack (guess who'll win that one?). For right now, though, I'm putting a lot of energy into finishing the loft over my woodshop area. Those who have seen my shop tour know how much I've got left to do. At least now my new Gorilla Gripper makes getting the plywood decking up the ladder a snap!

I figure the drill press stand and (also needed) grinder stand will give me a chance to hone my drawer-building technique prior to doing all the matching drawers needed for the cabinets that will go under the bench.


----------



## Caliper (Mar 12, 2007)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


I'd be interested in seeing your stand for the drill press. I need to do the same thing. I want to build a some sort of a combination stand for the small drill press, grinder and possibly the planar. Lots of ideas in the noggin' but nothing on paper. Maybe we should compare notes/ideas?


----------



## Hersh (Mar 24, 2008)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Robert,

I'm new to LJ, and just finished your whole blog. I have to tell you that your story of the workbench is a pleasure to read and ponder. I'm strating a 24' X 24' shop and a maple work bench is my first real need when I get moved in.

Really a great job. I love this site. Thank You,


----------



## HallTree (Feb 1, 2008)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Very nice, well done.


----------



## jeanmarc (Mar 23, 2008)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Great bench,


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

TheGravedigger said:


> *Home Base at Last!*
> 
> Well, it's finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
> 
> ...


Nice workbench!


----------

