# Workbench



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Getting ready to build my first workbench*

I'm very excited to say I'm going to build a workbench in the near future.

Last week, I decided to start on a necklace rack for my wife. I have a piece of cherry that I could resaw and use to make a panel for it and I thought it'd look great. But, that piece of cherry has quite a bit of twist to it I would need to plane out. No problem, but… sigh. I really, really enjoy using my (small but growing) collection of hand planes, but really don't have a good surface to work on.

Over the past year while exploring woodworking I've been working on an old dining table (which racks horribly) and a much higher (40"?) wall-mounted workbench that is stable but is very high. I have a vice on the high bench but the QR nut doesn't hold well and a bump causes it to release. Gah. I'm doing this woodworking stuff so very wrong. I need a good bench. Need.

I've looked at building a bench a few times over the past year. I like the Benchrafted split-top roubo design a lot, but don't feel I have the skill to execute on it yet, and I'm concerned about spending that much money on quality wood only to screw it up or run into trouble I'm just not able to resolve. But I can't be blocked any more!

In an effort to get moving I decided to make some sacrifice: I sorted through a pile of "burrill" 2×4s at HD to start a collection for the bench. They're sitting in the basement, stickered, and drying out. I will add to the collection on successive visits to HD. I'm thinking I can start on the bench over Christmas vacation; drying for a month should help ensure stable(-r) wood… I hope. And I asked for the Benchcrafted split top roubo plans for Christmas. While I won't be building exactly as the plans show, I think they'll be a great starting point and a good hand-holding for me to understand what to do.


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## kocgolf (Jun 8, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *Getting ready to build my first workbench*
> 
> I'm very excited to say I'm going to build a workbench in the near future.
> 
> ...


I'd love to watch this build. I have several "surfaces" in my newly built shop, but haven't done the hand tool bench yet. I've come to peace with doing it this winter as a laminated MDF and plywood surface because I have an old desk to mount it, leftover sheet goods, and no large jointer to do proper long solid wood on, even 2×4s. I hope it serves me a few years and then on to the Roubo someday, fingers crossed. I'm excited to see how you execute those plans using your own "found" wood! Good luck!


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## ralbuck (Mar 12, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *Getting ready to build my first workbench*
> 
> I'm very excited to say I'm going to build a workbench in the near future.
> 
> ...


A. DO NOT let some one else's ideas control what will work for you.

B. Be aware that you will want to change some things after it is built. Make it so that can happen too, if needed.

C. Leave leg room for using a chair/stool or what works for you; as Father Time catches us we want to work from more comfortable positions!

D. Your space/bench-make it fit YOU!

E. Take the number of electrical connections that you think you want and multiply times FOUR! Do the wiring as HEAVY DUTY plugins attached to the bench along the front-always accessible.

F. It is easy to under-build for durability make sure that is as sturdy as you will need it.

I am accused of over-building; but, my stuff takes the beating I throw at it. Do not worry about what anyone else thinks! BUILD to suit YOU!

We will want to see the pictures.

GOOD LUCK! Happy sawdusting!


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## bhuvi (Dec 1, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Getting ready to build my first workbench*
> 
> I'm very excited to say I'm going to build a workbench in the near future.
> 
> ...


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

danwolfgang said:


> *Getting ready to build my first workbench*
> 
> I'm very excited to say I'm going to build a workbench in the near future.
> 
> ...


Have a great time and keep us updated


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Getting ready to build my first workbench*
> 
> I'm very excited to say I'm going to build a workbench in the near future.
> 
> ...


Dan - I second everything ralbuck says … except the electrical connections part (LOL!) ... have fun, build YOUR bench and YES … show us pictures. Godspeed!


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Getting ready to build my first workbench*
> 
> I'm very excited to say I'm going to build a workbench in the near future.
> 
> ...


Dan - I second everything ralbuck says … except the electrical connections part (LOL!) ... have fun, build YOUR bench and YES … show us pictures. Godspeed!

Not sure how I got two posts (???) ... hmmm.


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Getting ready to build my first workbench*
> 
> I'm very excited to say I'm going to build a workbench in the near future.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the feedback and encouragement, guys. Two years ago I remedied the electrical challenges, adding 20-some outlets on two breakers and something like 16 lights. It took the basement from a dark and relatively useless area to somewhere I can enjoy going and do things like, well, learn about woodworking!

That said, I'm with Ron that hand tools are where it's at!


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Wood selected*

I've made a few more visits to Home Depot and combed through pallets of Burrill 2×4s. I was a little surprised how quickly HD seems to sell through them: over 1-1/2 weeks my local store sold four pallets worth of those 2×4s. I looked through almost all of them, so if my math is right I probably checked 1000+ 2×4s and ended up picking out 44 of them. I found a number of them that are 100% knot-free. Many have a large knot-free area, and most that do have knots are live and at a reasonable spot on the board. There are some with dead knots, but they are still very nice and between legs and stretchers I hope to cut around and avoid those completely. So, I'm feeling pretty good about my wood selection.

The Burrill wood is kiln-dried, but I still want to let it sit for a while before working with it to acclimate to my basement and do whatever moving it wants to do. 44 2×4s is quite a bit more than I need-I was estimating needing 32-so I will have plenty to choose from in case any do move much. I should be able to pick out enough nice pieces for the bench no matter what.

I wanted to store these the right way, with stickers to keep airflow moving. So I pulled out a few pieces of scrap wood and cut up a bunch of stickers yesterday.










Once I had a big pile of stickers I put them to use and stacked the wood nicely. A good-looking pile!



















About this time last year I wanted to get into woodworking and so I bought a Black Friday table saw, so I could get started. I used it a bit, but really, it wasn't near as much fun as I hoped. I found I was also quite restricted by what I could do because in the evening when I got to go work in the shop my son was already in bed-I can't run the table saw and wake him. With that restriction, I found hand tools, which I have been finding to be much more fun. Yay!

So, I'll be building this bench with hand tools (mostly, at least). That's cool. It will be lots of opportunity to use my planes. But, my, that is a big pile of wood. Planing will take a very long time. Maybe a lunchbox planer would be a good idea. Maybe power tools aren't all bad. It could take the build time from months and months and months to just months and months.


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Wood selected*
> 
> I've made a few more visits to Home Depot and combed through pallets of Burrill 2×4s. I was a little surprised how quickly HD seems to sell through them: over 1-1/2 weeks my local store sold four pallets worth of those 2×4s. I looked through almost all of them, so if my math is right I probably checked 1000+ 2×4s and ended up picking out 44 of them. I found a number of them that are 100% knot-free. Many have a large knot-free area, and most that do have knots are live and at a reasonable spot on the board. There are some with dead knots, but they are still very nice and between legs and stretchers I hope to cut around and avoid those completely. So, I'm feeling pretty good about my wood selection.
> 
> ...





> ... in the evening when I got to go work in the shop my son was already in bed-I can t run the table saw and wake him. With that restriction, I found hand tools, which I have been finding to be much more fun. Yay!
> 
> So, I ll be building this bench with hand tools (mostly, at least). That s cool. It will be lots of opportunity to use my planes. But, my, that is a big pile of wood. Planing will take a very long time …
> 
> - Dan Wolfgang


Music to my ears. You can do it, Dan!


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## ralbuck (Mar 12, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *Wood selected*
> 
> I've made a few more visits to Home Depot and combed through pallets of Burrill 2×4s. I was a little surprised how quickly HD seems to sell through them: over 1-1/2 weeks my local store sold four pallets worth of those 2×4s. I looked through almost all of them, so if my math is right I probably checked 1000+ 2×4s and ended up picking out 44 of them. I found a number of them that are 100% knot-free. Many have a large knot-free area, and most that do have knots are live and at a reasonable spot on the board. There are some with dead knots, but they are still very nice and between legs and stretchers I hope to cut around and avoid those completely. So, I'm feeling pretty good about my wood selection.
> 
> ...


Any way to make sawdust that works; feeds the addiction!


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Sorting the wood*

My 2×4 Burrill "white fir" lumber has been drying in the basement: all of it for a week, some of it for 2+. I bought a moisture meter to measure the wood moisture and see much of it in the 5-8% range and some of it 10%. Comparing to other scraps in the basement that seem to have that same range, so I'm guessing that's good-I should probably cut a few pieces to check inside better, though. Anyway, most of the boards are still quite straight but a few have developed a small twist or bend, and a couple have developed some cracks. (Is it still called "checking" when it's not on the end?)










I sorted through to find the best stuff for the top. I sorted it into four stacks: A, B, C, and D, we'll call them. Now, they all need to be planed a bit and that may change my choices some, but I'm at least prioritizing what I think is best. As a reminder, I'm going to build a Benchcrafted-inspired split-top roubo so will need a whole bunch for the top-at 1-1/4" thick, I'd probably need 21. I'd prefer a bench that's a little wider, though, so will probably add a few to that.

The "A" pile looks like great stuff. All quite straight and free of twist, and all have at least two sides that are knot-free. Some have three sides that are knot-free. Three have no knots whatsoever! Obviously I can use these for the front and back of each slabs; I'm wondering if I should review things more closely and set some of these aside for higher-visibility areas like the legs and stretchers. There are seven of these.










The "B" pile is also very nice. All quite straight and free of twist, and all have a beautiful edge with no knots nearby. Ideal for the top where only the edge is visible. There are eight of these.










And finally, the "C" pile: also quite good. Two of these have a very minor bend in them but the others are straight. They have one edge that looks pretty good; almost knot-free. There are some knots near the edges so years after the bench is built and is reflattened and resurfaced several times I'm sure I'll be into these knots. Probably not really a concern, but it's easy to aim for perfection at this point! There are six of these.










At this point, I'm declaring the "D" pile unsuitable for the top. Now, there are some great boards in that pile! Some very clean stuff that I can cut out to use for legs and stretchers. But not clear the full length of the board for use on the top. Also, there are a few boards I threw in this pile that I can't see why I chose them: knots everywhere. I've no idea why I picked them!

A + B + C, or 7 + 8 + 6 = 21. I haven't milled anything down yet, so don't know exact widths yet, but I'd guess I want 23 or 25 boards for the top. But I only have 21. Ugh. Maybe I should review the "D" pile more carefully, or maybe I should go back to Home Depot and try to pick out a few more.


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## ralbuck (Mar 12, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *Sorting the wood*
> 
> My 2×4 Burrill "white fir" lumber has been drying in the basement: all of it for a week, some of it for 2+. I bought a moisture meter to measure the wood moisture and see much of it in the 5-8% range and some of it 10%. Comparing to other scraps in the basement that seem to have that same range, so I'm guessing that's good-I should probably cut a few pieces to check inside better, though. Anyway, most of the boards are still quite straight but a few have developed a small twist or bend, and a couple have developed some cracks. (Is it still called "checking" when it's not on the end?)
> 
> ...


Well sorting-waiting are all part of the deal!

Good luck!


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## map (Oct 12, 2008)

danwolfgang said:


> *Sorting the wood*
> 
> My 2×4 Burrill "white fir" lumber has been drying in the basement: all of it for a week, some of it for 2+. I bought a moisture meter to measure the wood moisture and see much of it in the 5-8% range and some of it 10%. Comparing to other scraps in the basement that seem to have that same range, so I'm guessing that's good-I should probably cut a few pieces to check inside better, though. Anyway, most of the boards are still quite straight but a few have developed a small twist or bend, and a couple have developed some cracks. (Is it still called "checking" when it's not on the end?)
> 
> ...


Dan,

You have some nice looking lumber there! I don't see any reason that you could not go for the split top roubo Takes 2 slabs ~12" wide. You have the lumber for that. Chris Schwarz writes about building a lot of benches with HD lumber and seems very successful. When I built mine, I don't think that I would have made it without a planer. With one, preparation takes time, but does not result in lasting pain.

I would mill the 2×4s down to ~1.25×3.25 and join them together for the top. From the pictures, even your C group would seen suitable for the top. Put the slightly bend ones in the center and the other will hold them straight.

In any case, good luck in your adventure.

map


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## map (Oct 12, 2008)

danwolfgang said:


> *Sorting the wood*
> 
> My 2×4 Burrill "white fir" lumber has been drying in the basement: all of it for a week, some of it for 2+. I bought a moisture meter to measure the wood moisture and see much of it in the 5-8% range and some of it 10%. Comparing to other scraps in the basement that seem to have that same range, so I'm guessing that's good-I should probably cut a few pieces to check inside better, though. Anyway, most of the boards are still quite straight but a few have developed a small twist or bend, and a couple have developed some cracks. (Is it still called "checking" when it's not on the end?)
> 
> ...


Dan,

You have some nice looking lumber there! I don't see any reason that you could not go for the split top roubo Takes 2 slabs ~12" wide. You have the lumber for that. Chris Schwarz writes about building a lot of benches with HD lumber and seems very successful. When I built mine, I don't think that I would have made it without a planer. With one, preparation takes time, but does not result in lasting pain.

I would mill the 2×4s down to ~1.25×3.25 and join them together for the top. From the pictures, even your C group would seen suitable for the top. Put the slightly bend ones in the center and the other will hold them straight.

In any case, good luck in your adventure.

map


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## Easterlake (Dec 19, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Sorting the wood*
> 
> My 2×4 Burrill "white fir" lumber has been drying in the basement: all of it for a week, some of it for 2+. I bought a moisture meter to measure the wood moisture and see much of it in the 5-8% range and some of it 10%. Comparing to other scraps in the basement that seem to have that same range, so I'm guessing that's good-I should probably cut a few pieces to check inside better, though. Anyway, most of the boards are still quite straight but a few have developed a small twist or bend, and a couple have developed some cracks. (Is it still called "checking" when it's not on the end?)
> 
> ...


I'd be curious how your top is turning out. I am almost finished with the base for my workbench. 
Mine is not a true roubo. It's just the combination of many benches I've seen over the years, built to my desires and size (I'm 6'7") 
My top will also by glued up DF. It will include a wagon vise along with a tray with a removable lid. Also, the bottom will be inclosed with 6 drawers.
I plan on picking out my lumber in the next week or 2.
Keep us posted. Maybe I'll learn something.
Thanks


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*I cheated*

I didn't stare at my pile of lumber much before I started thinking about how long it was going to take to hand plane to dimension. Based on the limited time I get to do this stuff it would take me weeks, if not months, to complete. I really do enjoy using the hand planes, but gee, I'd like to actually make the bench so that I can use it to make other things.

I thought about my options for a little, then bought a DeWalt 735X thickness planer. Amazon's $475 price was the lowest ever and it receives rave reviews, so I jumped. This bench will let me do bigger projects, so the ability to quickly dimension is surely going to be useful in the future, too. So, I did it, I bought a planer so I could cheat and get it done.

On Sunday I went through my pile of "A," "B," and "C" boards. I hand planed a little twist out of a few of them, then put them through the planer. (By the way, on a recent trip to Home Depot I was able to add another "A" grade piece and another "B" grade piece.)










I was able to get all of them nicely planed down to 1-1/4" thick in a few hours, and they all look quite good! The "B" and "C" graded pieces are pretty much indistinguishable now. With the "A" pieces I've now got 23 boards that will make a great top. That's not to say it's all perfect, of course, but the top side will surely look great.










Excited to visualize my bench, I slid all of the wood together to see the top. Nice.



















Of course, once done I had to clean up. Incidentally, knowing how loud and messy this was going to be I didn't work in the basement shop area but instead pushed into the garage with "dust collection" happening outside. This is 50 gallons of wood shavings. I'll dump it on the fruit bush garden this week-fertilizer!


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## Picken5 (Jan 12, 2011)

danwolfgang said:


> *I cheated*
> 
> I didn't stare at my pile of lumber much before I started thinking about how long it was going to take to hand plane to dimension. Based on the limited time I get to do this stuff it would take me weeks, if not months, to complete. I really do enjoy using the hand planes, but gee, I'd like to actually make the bench so that I can use it to make other things.
> 
> ...


Yep, those planers do create a ton of wood chips, don't they. (I know - I also have a Dewalt planer like yours, and it'll fill my DC's chip bin faster than any other tool in my shop.)


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *I cheated*
> 
> I didn't stare at my pile of lumber much before I started thinking about how long it was going to take to hand plane to dimension. Based on the limited time I get to do this stuff it would take me weeks, if not months, to complete. I really do enjoy using the hand planes, but gee, I'd like to actually make the bench so that I can use it to make other things.
> 
> ...


That is going to be a nice bench top.


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## anoldwoodchuck (Feb 13, 2010)

danwolfgang said:


> *I cheated*
> 
> I didn't stare at my pile of lumber much before I started thinking about how long it was going to take to hand plane to dimension. Based on the limited time I get to do this stuff it would take me weeks, if not months, to complete. I really do enjoy using the hand planes, but gee, I'd like to actually make the bench so that I can use it to make other things.
> 
> ...


I have been told not to use sawdust as mulch…

"And don't use any sawdust! If you mix sawdust into your soil, nothing will grow there for a year or more. Pure wood materials like sawdust and wood shavings are super-high in carbon, and their carbon will absorb all of the plant-feeding nitrogen in your soil in its quest to decompose. After it DOES decompose, the soil WILL be richer, but for that first year or two it'll be a plant graveyard."

see "http://www.gardensalive.com/product/what-can-you-do-with-sawdust/youbetyour_garden"


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *I cheated*
> 
> I didn't stare at my pile of lumber much before I started thinking about how long it was going to take to hand plane to dimension. Based on the limited time I get to do this stuff it would take me weeks, if not months, to complete. I really do enjoy using the hand planes, but gee, I'd like to actually make the bench so that I can use it to make other things.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the feedback, Chuck. My wife has been saying she wanted to use my wood shavings in her garden but never got around to adding them. I never asked if it was a good idea since the garden is her area! Perhaps I'll just dump it in a pile in our back woods for now.


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## dmo0430 (Aug 28, 2015)

danwolfgang said:


> *I cheated*
> 
> I didn't stare at my pile of lumber much before I started thinking about how long it was going to take to hand plane to dimension. Based on the limited time I get to do this stuff it would take me weeks, if not months, to complete. I really do enjoy using the hand planes, but gee, I'd like to actually make the bench so that I can use it to make other things.
> 
> ...


Chuck is right but I think that while shavings do pull nitrogen you can balance things out by purchasing a bit of blood-meal from the store and mix it in. Personally I don't worry about it. I have yet to have anyone explain to me the difference between sawdust from the shop & mulch (which everyone seems okay with). OP Dan if you do smaller amounts than the 50 gal you should be okay if it has decomposed before the next addition. Just a thought. Nice work on the bench so far. I'm jealous


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## Ted78 (Dec 3, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *I cheated*
> 
> I didn't stare at my pile of lumber much before I started thinking about how long it was going to take to hand plane to dimension. Based on the limited time I get to do this stuff it would take me weeks, if not months, to complete. I really do enjoy using the hand planes, but gee, I'd like to actually make the bench so that I can use it to make other things.
> 
> ...


I think as long as the wood chips are mixed with at least 50% high nitrogen stuff like grass clippings it should be fine. Though might be better off composting it first before adding to the garden.


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## Ted78 (Dec 3, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *I cheated*
> 
> I didn't stare at my pile of lumber much before I started thinking about how long it was going to take to hand plane to dimension. Based on the limited time I get to do this stuff it would take me weeks, if not months, to complete. I really do enjoy using the hand planes, but gee, I'd like to actually make the bench so that I can use it to make other things.
> 
> ...


Difference between sawdust from the shop and mulch is simply the size of the particle and the increased surface area of the sawdust. It means the sawdust will decompose faster using up more nitrogen in it's quest to decompose in a shorter amount of time. This is only an issue if there isn't enough nitrogen to go around. Which can be fixed by adding grass clippings, kitchen scraps, blood meal etc.

BTW congrats on the new planer, I've been trying to convince myself for quite a while now I need one.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

danwolfgang said:


> *I cheated*
> 
> I didn't stare at my pile of lumber much before I started thinking about how long it was going to take to hand plane to dimension. Based on the limited time I get to do this stuff it would take me weeks, if not months, to complete. I really do enjoy using the hand planes, but gee, I'd like to actually make the bench so that I can use it to make other things.
> 
> ...


Looks like you make a great purchase for a worthy cause


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*The Rear Top*

Significant progress: I assembled the rear half of the top! In the previous blog post, I ran the 2×4s through the planer to take them to 1-1/4" thick. I had to use the jointer plane on several to take out some bend or crook so that they would glue up nicely. Then I started the glue-up! One of the biggest reasons I come to LumberJocks is for the photos, and I bet that's true of others, too, so I made sure to take some.
































































Nine wide, and I have a problem: my 12" clamps are not big enough to continue. A friend loaned me some of his larger clamps, though, so it was a problem easily overcome.



















The final width, at eleven pieces wide and 1-1/4 each means the rear half of the top is 13-3/4" wide. It weighs just about 60 pounds. Out of the clamps, I worked at cleaning it up a little. On the bottom (shown below), there was some small twist to take care of and just one high spot; it's very, very flat now. The top received a rough planing, taking off most of the glue marks, but that's it.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Rear Top*
> 
> Significant progress: I assembled the rear half of the top! In the previous blog post, I ran the 2×4s through the planer to take them to 1-1/4" thick. I had to use the jointer plane on several to take out some bend or crook so that they would glue up nicely. Then I started the glue-up! One of the biggest reasons I come to LumberJocks is for the photos, and I bet that's true of others, too, so I made sure to take some.
> 
> ...


I can't wait to get started on my bench.


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## ralbuck (Mar 12, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Rear Top*
> 
> Significant progress: I assembled the rear half of the top! In the previous blog post, I ran the 2×4s through the planer to take them to 1-1/4" thick. I had to use the jointer plane on several to take out some bend or crook so that they would glue up nicely. Then I started the glue-up! One of the biggest reasons I come to LumberJocks is for the photos, and I bet that's true of others, too, so I made sure to take some.
> 
> ...


Should be solid enough to drive a D-9 cat over!


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*The Front Top (Well, Partly)*

This update is about two weeks past due. I glued up the front half of the top over the last few days of the Christmas/New Year's break. I didn't take too many photos this time.



















This one was quicker to build because in this "finished" state it's missing three more boards for the front, which are for the dog hole strip and other front laminations. As a reminder I'm sort of following the Benchcrafted split-top Roubo design and building with Home Depot 2×4s. And here are the two slabs:










I was able to make a lot of progress-completing both halves of the top-over the Christmas/New Year's break, which I'm very happy about. Over the last two weeks I've been working on the tail vise and all that goes into it-and am still at it. But that's another blog entry.


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Front Top (Well, Partly)*
> 
> This update is about two weeks past due. I glued up the front half of the top over the last few days of the Christmas/New Year's break. I didn't take too many photos this time.
> 
> ...


Looking good, Dan … you're almost there!


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Front Top (Well, Partly)*
> 
> This update is about two weeks past due. I glued up the front half of the top over the last few days of the Christmas/New Year's break. I didn't take too many photos this time.
> 
> ...


That's coming together real nice. Your making me jealous to start my bench.


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Installing the Tail Vise*

I've wished for a tail vise almost since I first started working with hand planes. I have tried holding pieces in various ways but always thought a tail vise would be the best solution. Benchcrafted's wagon vise looks like a great solution and I only see good things about it. But boy, is it expensive, and I'm not sure I want to spend that much money, especially when the wood for my bench is also so inexpensive. So, I bought a Lee Valley tail vise screw ($40) and I'm really amazed at how smooth it is. It's much better than the vises I've looked at that my local Woodcraft sells, and I have trouble believing the Benchcrafted vise is much better. It seems a deal to me!

Before I could use the tail vise I needed to do a bunch of other work first. In sizing things I realized that my 3-1/4" thick top was not going to be thick enough to handle the vise. Now, it is technically enough thickness to support adding the vise, but the top would then be quite thin, and worse, the vise handle would be above the top of the bench, no doubt getting bumped and dinged constantly. So, I instead made a taller end cap (5") so that I could place the screw much lower. I decided to use some scrap I had, making the end cap out of a a laminate of cherry-maple-cherry. (There are better photos of it further below.)










Before I could precisely place the end cap and excavate for the screw, I cut the end of the front slab square. Wow, my cut came out perfect! Too bad it'll never be seen, cut back further for a tenon.










I got the cavity excavated for the screw. Saying I did this with a chisel doesn't communicate just how roughly I tore out the material. Obviously I did a nice job taking it down at the end, though.










I cut a tenon on the end on the fat slab. I decided to also put a tenon on the small laminate for the front. I was originally thinking about a big dovetail and gluing the end cap, but was not convinced that I wouldn't need to take apart the vise and cap repeatedly to get things working well. So I just cheated with a simple tenon. Clamping it up like this, it was exciting to envision how it would look in the end.










I decided I needed a dog block to make things fit together properly. I had some red oak scrap that I decided to use to make it.










I've got all of the pieces now, so it's coming together.





































Last Friday night, I took my son to stay overnight at my parent's house, and I spent the evening there to use my great-grandfather's drill press to make some big and straight holes for the vise screw and nut. After that was done and I left, however, I realized I should have also drilled the 3/4" dog hole in the dog block.




























I wanted to create a recess in the dog block for the vise nut-a square recess would help to make it much stronger than simply using screws. I was about to take the chisel to the block when I paused because I realized I could easily destroy the block. The recess needs to set in end grain, and if I try chopping a mortise I would likely split the block. So, I pulled out my router, which I've used precisely once, before I realized how much more I prefer hand tools. The router was the only way I could think of to do this, however. And it worked well!



















I put everything together and was thrilled with how smoothly it worked! Fantastic! I decided it was time to glue the front laminate and get the end cap in place for alignment. This is the spot I really screwed up-I glued the tenons into the end cap! I was specifically not going to do that so that I could take it apart! Argh! Oh well, it looks good and works well, so I won't need to take it apart again… right? I hope.










I put a slight angle on the top of the end cap so that I could plane the top flat without worry about running into the opposite direction of the grain of the end cap, then went on to clean up the end cap, smoothing the end in this photo, and trimming the other end, which was slightly oversize.










I created some guide rails to keep the screw and dog block parallel to the top using white oak scrap. I rubbed paste wax all over the areas where wood rubs with other wood-the dog block, the cavity, and the guide rails. Drilled some 3/4" dog holes and… ta-da!




























Wood review-the bench now includes:


Burrill "white fir" 
Cherry
Soft maple
Red oak
White oak


----------



## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Installing the Tail Vise*
> 
> I've wished for a tail vise almost since I first started working with hand planes. I have tried holding pieces in various ways but always thought a tail vise would be the best solution. Benchcrafted's wagon vise looks like a great solution and I only see good things about it. But boy, is it expensive, and I'm not sure I want to spend that much money, especially when the wood for my bench is also so inexpensive. So, I bought a Lee Valley tail vise screw ($40) and I'm really amazed at how smooth it is. It's much better than the vises I've looked at that my local Woodcraft sells, and I have trouble believing the Benchcrafted vise is much better. It seems a deal to me!
> 
> ...


Great Job, Dan! This is gonna be a killer bench. Good for you.


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Base Progress*

It's been a month since I last shared an update here. I've been making lots of progress on the base, making legs and stretchers and fitting it all together.



















The tail vise has gotten a lot of use since I completed it! I'm really glad I put it in the top. Here I used the vise with a hand screw to hold the leg so I could cut the tenons.



















With the tenons in the rails cut and mortises chopped into the legs, I was able to see some real progress! I didn't take any photos, but for Christmas my wife gave me a gift card to Lee Valley and I bought a router plane with it, which I used to clean up the tenons. The router plane made it really easy to get the tenons perfect and then make accurate mortises-I'm thrilled with how well they all fit together!










Now on to the stretchers that will join each side. The back stretcher went together easily, cutting tenons and chopping mortises. Same with the front-I was on a roll! Until I set the front right leg down and realized I chopped the mortise in the wrong side of the leg! I decided to embrace this mistake by filling it with a red oak plug.










Truth be told, you'll never even see the red oak plug. It's on the inside of the leg and will be completely hidden by the stretcher and eventual shelves.










The base looks awesome, but it's so far from done. In the above photo, nothing is permanently together. I have marked the end rails to drill so that I can drawbore the tenons. The left leg has been marked to drill holes for holdfasts. (I'll get some eventually.) And, today, I marked the right leg for the leg vise hardware. Upper rails have been marked to drill holes to be able to screw the top down. Also, before I can permanently assemble the legs I need to cut a dado into the stretchers to support a rail that will hold the shelf at the bottom.

The other night my wife said something hilarious. "Is it nearly finished?"


----------



## RobDubs (Feb 21, 2017)

danwolfgang said:


> *Base Progress*
> 
> It's been a month since I last shared an update here. I've been making lots of progress on the base, making legs and stretchers and fitting it all together.
> 
> ...


Looking awesome! What kind of wood are you using? I just received my Veritas router plane. I can't wait to use it. I used the plug trick on my coffee table build. Keep us updated!


----------



## mat60 (Feb 24, 2017)

danwolfgang said:


> *Base Progress*
> 
> It's been a month since I last shared an update here. I've been making lots of progress on the base, making legs and stretchers and fitting it all together.
> 
> ...


Nice work Dan. Looks great.


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Base Progress*
> 
> It's been a month since I last shared an update here. I've been making lots of progress on the base, making legs and stretchers and fitting it all together.
> 
> ...





> What kind of wood are you using?


It's mostly just Burrill 2×4s from Home Depot. I'm using a variety of other (better) woods for accents.


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Time for a break*

Over the weekend I worked on the bench a bit. I marked many areas of the base to drill holes: to drawbore tenons, planned out the leg vise, etc.

Saturday afternoon I felt like I was a little stuck. I really need to drill some holes to get things together and continue with the base. I don't have a drill press so would have to drive over to my parents' house to use my great-grandfathers press. My wife told me to just go on Saturday; I should have listened to her but didn't.

On Sunday I finished drawing the details of the leg vise on both the leg and chop. I need to drill some holes for the vise, but figured I could get started with shaping the chop. Unfortunately, I then realized that I don't have my coping saw: I loaned it out recently so that a young Scout could build his Pinewood Derby car.

So then I turned to the shelf for the bottom of the base. I am going to follow the Benchcrafted design, which calls for a small dado in the stretchers and ledgers for support of the shelf. I opened the new Veritas plow plane to have a look at it, and found the blade advance screw threads were cut poorly and I couldn't advance the blade. So I set that aside, thinking I'd work on the rabbet for the ledger. I opened the new Veritas rabbet plane to find that the screw for the nicker was impossibly tight, and I stripped it trying to get it out. So I gave up on that, too, and sent an email to Lee Valley for some help. (They replied today and are shipping two new replacement planes to me; great service!)

So… I'm taking a break, at least for a little bit. The end of this week and next week will be busy anyway, so I probably wouldn't get much done in that time anyway. So, shifting focus to something else.


----------



## PatesWoodshop (Feb 22, 2017)

danwolfgang said:


> *Time for a break*
> 
> Over the weekend I worked on the bench a bit. I marked many areas of the base to drill holes: to drawbore tenons, planned out the leg vise, etc.
> 
> ...


It's not just you. I've had days like this where everything I try to do goes wrong. Often, I stubbornly try to keep going until I screw something up. Once I've ruined a good piece of wood or two I'll finally throw up my hands and decide today isn't a shop day for me and go watch TV lol.


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Leg vise*

Despite no updates in two months, I have actually been busy. One thing I worked on was the leg vise. I was originally going to make a parallel guide that I could pin at the bottom of the leg/vise. But all of that bending over made me decide that $100 for the Benchcrafted criss-cross hardware would be worth it. I had to cut a giant mortise in the leg to make room for the hardware. I started with the chisel and hammer, but turned to the router to get it done more quickly. I know that I say I prefer to use hand tools, but there are definitely exceptions, it seems.










Turning my attention to the chop, I realized I had a significant problem in that the pin for the criss-cross hardware was going to be impossible for me to drill. It needs to be drilled parallel to the face of the chop (so that the criss-cross stays and moves parallel to the leg) but I don't have access to a drill press large enough to accept the width of the chop with clearance to fit a short drill bit in, let alone one long enough for the criss-cross pin. So, I had to take this to my local hardwood dealer and ask them to drill the hole for me.

Next, I had to create the same mortise for the criss-cross in the hard maple vise chop, and I did that with only the router. The criss-cross seems to fit well!










I decided to shape the vise chop next. I had some concern about how to cut the curve but after actually drawing it on the chop I realized it was much smaller than I had imagined, and that also meant the job was smaller and easier than I imagined. The coping saw made the cut pretty easily. The curve is a little rough and I sanded it quite a bit before deciding it was good enough!










Finally, I got the Lee Valley tail vise screw installed. This was actually quite a bit easier than I expected it to be based upon the effort the tail vise required. It's quite smooth and easy to turn, even without a handle!










I still need to make a handle for the vise, and I also need a piece of leather to glue to the chop face. I'm also thinking it might be cool to rout a "2017" in the chop, to show when I complete the workbench. I'm not at all confident in freehand routing it, but I also don't see that I can justify a signmaking kit only to do four numbers. It's something to think about more!

Next, I turn my attention back to the base.

Wood review-the bench now includes:


Burrill "white fir"
Cherry
Soft maple
Hard maple
Red oak
White oak


----------



## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Leg vise*
> 
> Despite no updates in two months, I have actually been busy. One thing I worked on was the leg vise. I was originally going to make a parallel guide that I could pin at the bottom of the leg/vise. But all of that bending over made me decide that $100 for the Benchcrafted criss-cross hardware would be worth it. I had to cut a giant mortise in the leg to make room for the hardware. I started with the chisel and hammer, but turned to the router to get it done more quickly. I know that I say I prefer to use hand tools, but there are definitely exceptions, it seems.
> 
> ...


Looking good, Dan … keep it up! Practice carving those four numbers in some scrape … I know you can do it!


----------



## RickJ53 (Jul 2, 2017)

danwolfgang said:


> *Leg vise*
> 
> Despite no updates in two months, I have actually been busy. One thing I worked on was the leg vise. I was originally going to make a parallel guide that I could pin at the bottom of the leg/vise. But all of that bending over made me decide that $100 for the Benchcrafted criss-cross hardware would be worth it. I had to cut a giant mortise in the leg to make room for the hardware. I started with the chisel and hammer, but turned to the router to get it done more quickly. I know that I say I prefer to use hand tools, but there are definitely exceptions, it seems.
> 
> ...


A chisel and mallet would be my choice for carving the date.


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Assembling the Base*

At this point I had the base components complete and had dry-fitted several times, but I didn't want to assemble it until the leg vise was complete. Now that the leg vise was done, I could get everything assembled.

Wait. I'm getting ahead of myself. Before I can assemble the base I needed to make the shelf ledgers that would fit into the base stretchers. A groove in the stretcher would support the pressure from the ledgers.



















Ok, now that the ledgers were made and the dadoes planed into the stretchers, I could get things assembled!

I wanted to drawbore the mortise and tenon joints for the end assemblies. I had never tried drawboring before and I was really surprised how tightly it locked everything together! My mortise and tenons were nice and tight but the 3/8" ash drawbore pins really made the joints rock solid!



















Drilling the holes for the pins was a little disappointing in that I don't have the right tool/bit: the only bit I have that was able to enter cleanly is a 3/8" forstner bit. A little bit of wobble while I used my cordless drill and some slightly-under 3/8" dowels leave a tiny gap when the pins were inserted. I'm sure practice would help more than anything, but I wonder if a drill press and/or a slightly undersized bit (11/32"?) would have helped make a cleaner-looking joint.



















With both ends of the base assembled it's time to get the stretchers and hardware in place. I decided to use some ratchet tie-downs as clamps to help pull the stretcher mortise and tenons together so that I could drill for the hardware.










I am using the Benchcrafted bolt and barrel nut to pull the stretchers together to make a strong base that can be taken apart. This hardware is big.



















I drill a 1" hole in the stretcher for the barrel nut and an 8" long hole for the bolt. Without a drill press handy I was left to align this by eye. I was pretty close but needed to rasp things a bit-lets just say I'm glad the barrel nuts can't be seen!



















I'm thrilled to see I did a good job of building a square base, and saying it's "strong and sturdy" is an amazing understatement! I cut the mortises in the table top and bolted the top to the base with the Spax lag bolts-again, so I can take it apart should I ever need to.

And I have no photo at this stage to share. All I can say is that I was so excited to have something that looked like a workbench, I couldn't wait to just use it!


----------



## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Assembling the Base*
> 
> At this point I had the base components complete and had dry-fitted several times, but I didn't want to assemble it until the leg vise was complete. Now that the leg vise was done, I could get everything assembled.
> 
> ...


Lookin' good, Dan! Good job on the ledgers. Your drawboring looks nice and snug. You are going to cry when this bench gets dinged up!


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Assembling the Base*
> 
> At this point I had the base components complete and had dry-fitted several times, but I didn't want to assemble it until the leg vise was complete. Now that the leg vise was done, I could get everything assembled.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Ron, I am quite pleased with it overall. The top is already dinged up quite a bit! The soft fir 2×4s get dented so easily that I wonder if I will, at some point in the future after quite a bit of use, need to replace the top because it's simply too damaged to continue using.


----------



## FoundSheep (Feb 24, 2017)

danwolfgang said:


> *Assembling the Base*
> 
> At this point I had the base components complete and had dry-fitted several times, but I didn't want to assemble it until the leg vise was complete. Now that the leg vise was done, I could get everything assembled.
> 
> ...


Congrats Dan, that is a nice looking bench, and more importantly it looks supremely functional. Can't wait to see it right side up and getting use!


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Adding the Shelf*

With the base complete and the shelf ledgers in place, I wanted to get the shelf added. The shelf would be really useful in that it would allow me to set my planes nearby but out of the way. Ok, so the spot I've been storing my planes is only about four steps away, but still, having them within reach seems like a great advance. It'll surely make me more productive, right?

I've been using 2×4s from Home Depot to build the majority of the bench. I intended to use the leftover 2×4s and cut-offs to make the shelf. But, a while back, I bought some birch to make the gap stop for the bench top. But, the birch looks really nice… maybe I should use it for the shelf? I shared this photo with friends and sought feedback:










Several people told me to use the 2×4s and save the birch for another "nicer" project. In my opinion, however, this workbench is a very nice project, and the birch isn't being wasted in the least! I'll get to see and enjoy this at least several times a week. So, I went with it.

Also, here's the first photo of the base with the top slabs mortised into the legs!










I used the rabbet plane to make all of the shelves fit together. I cut a total of 20 rabbets to fit all of the shelf pieces together. I have only used the rabbet plane a few times before so was excited to do a lot with it, hoping that by the 20th I would have a good handle on it. Unfortunately, I don't feel I'm there yet!










They all fit together well and from a normal distance they look fantastic, however.










So many rabbets let me cut a lot of thick and curly shavings that will be great for fire-starting!










Wood review-the bench now includes:


Burrill "white fir"
Cherry
Soft maple
Hard maple
Red oak
White oak
Birch


----------



## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Adding the Shelf*
> 
> With the base complete and the shelf ledgers in place, I wanted to get the shelf added. The shelf would be really useful in that it would allow me to set my planes nearby but out of the way. Ok, so the spot I've been storing my planes is only about four steps away, but still, having them within reach seems like a great advance. It'll surely make me more productive, right?
> 
> ...


This is an awesome looking bench … Dan, is that photo reversed ; or, are you a lefty? I just now noticed that!


----------



## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

danwolfgang said:


> *Adding the Shelf*
> 
> With the base complete and the shelf ledgers in place, I wanted to get the shelf added. The shelf would be really useful in that it would allow me to set my planes nearby but out of the way. Ok, so the spot I've been storing my planes is only about four steps away, but still, having them within reach seems like a great advance. It'll surely make me more productive, right?
> 
> ...


Yes really nice looking bench Dan. I used the same Burrel 2×4s for my bench, along with some leftover lumber from a yard project. They stayed nice and straight. They're not that heavy or hard, but they made a nice surface. Love the leg vice too. You're a south paw I guess?


----------



## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

danwolfgang said:


> *Adding the Shelf*
> 
> With the base complete and the shelf ledgers in place, I wanted to get the shelf added. The shelf would be really useful in that it would allow me to set my planes nearby but out of the way. Ok, so the spot I've been storing my planes is only about four steps away, but still, having them within reach seems like a great advance. It'll surely make me more productive, right?
> 
> ...


Yeah Dan, that bench is looking mighty fine. One big project left for me and I get to start on my bench!


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Adding the Shelf*
> 
> With the base complete and the shelf ledgers in place, I wanted to get the shelf added. The shelf would be really useful in that it would allow me to set my planes nearby but out of the way. Ok, so the spot I've been storing my planes is only about four steps away, but still, having them within reach seems like a great advance. It'll surely make me more productive, right?
> 
> ...


Yep, I'm a lefty!


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*The Gapstop*

Stating the obvious here, but Benchcrafted's split-top Roubo bench uses two slabs for the top. Rather than joining them, they are kept separate throughout the build. Another component, the "gapstop" goes between them, and offers some additional functionality. This is one of the features that sold me on the Benchcrafted design.

I bought some nice birch to use for the gap stop. It has a bit of color that will add a little contrast between the white 2×4s of the rest of the top. But… gee, these boards have some nice grain detail that won't be visible if I use them for the gapstop. Of course, as those who are following along already know, I used the birch for the shelf. I needed something for the gapstop and my local hardwood store was clearancing out a few woods. I found some makore, a wood from Africa, for 50%-off, $4.something/bf. I selected two pieces, and based on the amount of dust that slid off as we pulled them out of the shelf I'm pretty sure that I was the first person to buy it in years-which is likely why it's being clearanced out. After I got home I took a layer off of the two boards and was thrilled with what I saw! I should go back and buy another piece or two of this stuff, I think!










After squaring the board up and doing some careful measuring I found that the non-curly nice-grained piece was going to be just big enough for me to make the gapstop. I was a little surprised by this-which is why I bought two pieces. Making the gapstop was easy enough. I'm sure I spent the most time just measuring to see that I had enough in the one board. A few cuts, squaring edges, glue, clamps, done.










The fit is a little tight, but that's ok because the inside of the rear slab needs to be taken down a little. In big letters I had written "LEFT" and "RIGHT" when assembling the tops, just to help me keep it straight. And, as I told my Mom when she had a look at my bench: I don't need this written down any longer, I can tell left from right on my own now. The contrast between the woods is great, just what I wanted to see!










As I said in the beginning, the utility of the gapstop was interesting to me. It'll serve as some tool organization for whatever I have out on the bench at the time. Hopefully this will help me look at least a little organized!










The gapstop can be bumped up to use as a planing stop, or it can be pulled all the way out so I can squeeze some clamps between the slabs.










It was about this time that I realized I'm actually getting pretty close to finishing this project!

Wood review-the bench now includes:


Burrill "white fir"
Cherry
Soft maple
Hard maple
Red oak
White oak
Birch
Makore


----------



## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Gapstop*
> 
> Stating the obvious here, but Benchcrafted's split-top Roubo bench uses two slabs for the top. Rather than joining them, they are kept separate throughout the build. Another component, the "gapstop" goes between them, and offers some additional functionality. This is one of the features that sold me on the Benchcrafted design.
> 
> ...


Bench is looking great, Dan. Yes, go back and buy all the makore you can carry … it looks great!


----------



## galooticus (Dec 7, 2015)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Gapstop*
> 
> Stating the obvious here, but Benchcrafted's split-top Roubo bench uses two slabs for the top. Rather than joining them, they are kept separate throughout the build. Another component, the "gapstop" goes between them, and offers some additional functionality. This is one of the features that sold me on the Benchcrafted design.
> 
> ...


How difficult is the makore to work with? I'd be thinking about grabbing more too.

Your bench looks so clean and sharp. What's left?


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Gapstop*
> 
> Stating the obvious here, but Benchcrafted's split-top Roubo bench uses two slabs for the top. Rather than joining them, they are kept separate throughout the build. Another component, the "gapstop" goes between them, and offers some additional functionality. This is one of the features that sold me on the Benchcrafted design.
> 
> ...


The makore wasn't bad to work with. Tight-grained and easy on the plane; similar to soft maple or cherry, I'd say.

The most notable thing that's left is the sliding deadman. Aside form drilling holes, I think I've finished it tonight, in fact. And lots of little details to take care of, all over the bench.


----------



## trialrun (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Gapstop*
> 
> Stating the obvious here, but Benchcrafted's split-top Roubo bench uses two slabs for the top. Rather than joining them, they are kept separate throughout the build. Another component, the "gapstop" goes between them, and offers some additional functionality. This is one of the features that sold me on the Benchcrafted design.
> 
> ...


excellent work so far, i'm assuming you got the makori at Parkerville during their clearance sale. I snagged a few boards as well, yet to work with them


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Gapstop*
> 
> Stating the obvious here, but Benchcrafted's split-top Roubo bench uses two slabs for the top. Rather than joining them, they are kept separate throughout the build. Another component, the "gapstop" goes between them, and offers some additional functionality. This is one of the features that sold me on the Benchcrafted design.
> 
> ...


Yes, bought from Parkerville. I think it was shortly after they started the clearance price, back in early May. With their fire sale the other weekend I bought two more pieces. I'm kicking myself for not buying it all, but decided to share with another gentleman who was also looking at it. (Was that you?)


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*The Sliding Deadman*

The last notable piece of my bench build left is the sliding deadman. I had bought a cut-off scrap of ash to use to make the rail the deadman would slide on, but as I measured what I needed I realized the scrap was far bigger than I needed. I grabbed some smaller scraps of red oak to make the rail. When I brought them into better light I realized one piece was red oak and one was white oak. Well, good enough-I got these pieces cleaned up, glued together, and shaped.










And once shaped I glued it to the bench stretcher.










On to the deadman itself: a beefy piece of 8/4 sapele. The two shorter pieces would be used for the top and bottom of the deadman. I cut a mortise in each of these short pieces and tenons in each end of the long piece to build it.










In one of the shorter pieces I cut a groove to run in the rail.



















At the top of the deadman is a… well, I guess it's a rabbet. A giant rabbet, about 2" long, to fit into the groove on the underside of the front slab.










I decided to drawbore the mortise and tenon joint together with a piece of walnut. Unfortunately, I had no luck drilling clean holes. I just don't have any bits that drill cleanly at this size. (Actually, I don't have bits that drill cleanly at many sizes! They're a priority tool upgrade, I think.)










In the end, it looks pretty good, though!










And this is where I stopped. By the Benchcrafted plans, I should drill 3/4" dog holes in the deadman now. But I'm not sure what to do-I don't have a clamp to use in the deadman right now, such as a Veritas Surface Clamp. A Stanley #203 looks good, too, but would require 1" dog holes and "a bit of work if I've already got 3/4 holes drilled. But I also wonder if I couldn't make a clamp of some sort myself. And, for now, any other clamp I have could suffice.

Wood review-the bench now includes:


Burrill "white fir"
Cherry
Soft maple
Hard maple
Red oak
White oak
Birch
Makore
Sapele
Walnut


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Sliding Deadman*
> 
> The last notable piece of my bench build left is the sliding deadman. I had bought a cut-off scrap of ash to use to make the rail the deadman would slide on, but as I measured what I needed I realized the scrap was far bigger than I needed. I grabbed some smaller scraps of red oak to make the rail. When I brought them into better light I realized one piece was red oak and one was white oak. Well, good enough-I got these pieces cleaned up, glued together, and shaped.
> 
> ...


"A Stanley #203 looks good, too, but would require 1" dog holes and a bit of work if I've already got 3/4 holes drilled."

#203s won't work in a deadman that is 2" thick. The 'hook' portion is only about 1" away from the main body of the clamp. I redrilled every other hole and thinned the deadman itself, as thickness isn't really needed.










So before 1" holes are drilled, keep this in mind (if you weren't aware).


----------



## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *The Sliding Deadman*
> 
> The last notable piece of my bench build left is the sliding deadman. I had bought a cut-off scrap of ash to use to make the rail the deadman would slide on, but as I measured what I needed I realized the scrap was far bigger than I needed. I grabbed some smaller scraps of red oak to make the rail. When I brought them into better light I realized one piece was red oak and one was white oak. Well, good enough-I got these pieces cleaned up, glued together, and shaped.
> 
> ...


Yep, that's part of the dilemma. I wanted to use the 2" sapele I had because I figured it's size would help make something that slides more easily, but it would obviously require some further milling to fit something like the 203.


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Odds and Ends*

With all of the major pieces of the bench done, I took care of a few details.

The left front leg needed a recess to get at the bench dog to push it out, as well as to let it sit low for thin stock.



















The right ends of the bench top needed to be cut nicely. After cutting I planed them a little so that they're smooth.










Several weeks back I was reading about UV staining (thanks Ron Aylor). It's most commonly done with cherry, to bring out the reddish color in the wood. I thought about trying it with the birch shelves of my workbench. Some more reading, however, told me that it wouldn't work well because cherry is rich with tannins, while birch is not.

And that led me to tea staining. Tea is rich in tannins, so I "painted" several coats of brewed tea onto the shelf slats. The tea darkened the wood a little, which looked nice. Now I had some tannin-rich wood, ready for UV staining. After about 25 hours, I believe the sun has changed the color of the wood a little, darkening it slightly. It definitely looks nice-now a warm, golden honey color-and was a fun addition to the bench. This photo shows a before-and-after, with before on the bottom.










Still a few things to do, but not much, and I don't know when I'll do them.


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

*Done Enough*










I'm going to say the workbench is done. Eight feet long, 29" wide, 35" tall, and weighs about 300 pounds. It's strong, stable, and flat. The vises move smoothly and clamp immovably tight. Six months, and I'd estimate about 250 hours. Actually using the bench has been awesome-having a tool of such quality and capability has already improved what I can do when working with wood. And it seems to work well for my son Patrick, too!










Well, maybe I should say the workbench is "done enough." I didn't drill any dog holes in the back slab yet, but I don't yet have any holdfasts or other bench accessories that would use them. The sliding deadman doesn't have any dogholes yet, either, but I'm a little uncertain about how I will clamp with that so I don't want to drill any holes yet. I installed lever-activated wheels on two of the legs, to make the bench easier to move, but I think they look horrible so didn't add them to the other two legs; engaging the two wheels make the bench movable, so maybe that's enough. And I'm sure there will be some modification in the future!

Wood review-the bench includes:


Burrill "white fir"
Cherry
Soft maple
Hard maple
Red oak
White oak
Birch
Makore
Sapele
Walnut


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

danwolfgang said:


> *Done Enough*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That looks awesome and super useful.


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## rhybeka (Nov 8, 2009)

danwolfgang said:


> *Done Enough*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sweet Dan! are you left handed? I ask because your leg vise is on the right


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Done Enough*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very, very nice, Dan. I really enjoyed following this build. You did a great job and should be quite proud. Now go bang it up!


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## builtinbkyn (Oct 29, 2015)

danwolfgang said:


> *Done Enough*
> 
> 
> 
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Dan the bench came out great. You're right not to drill any dog holes until you need them. Looks like your customer approves of the job


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## FoundSheep (Feb 24, 2017)

danwolfgang said:


> *Done Enough*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Congrats on finishing! I'm definitely behind in my bench build, but this is motivation to keep working.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

danwolfgang said:


> *Done Enough*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very, very nice!


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

danwolfgang said:


> *Done Enough*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Awesome build. Drill the dog holes as you need them. I have a bunch and stuff falls through.


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## danwolfgang (Mar 10, 2016)

danwolfgang said:


> *Done Enough*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the comments and compliments, all! I am a lefty, yes, and so I built a mirror-image of the bench you typically see. In the photo with my son, study the shelf below the bench and you may also notice I have a left-handed shooting board, too!


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## jonah (May 15, 2009)

danwolfgang said:


> *Done Enough*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice looking bench, if a little big for my taste. 5-5.5 feet by 2 feet is perfect for me.

Lefties unite!


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