Looks great, what is your plan to true it up when it’s all glued together?
@rrmccabe. Thanks. Ya, I kept getting ideas after I started and was trying to think of ways to implement them but I’m holding off. Trying to decide to add dog holes now or later. The piece I still have to attach would be easy to get to the drill press as it is only a few pieces wide.
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@setbuilder I’m hoping with glueing it up in so many stages it will keep it as flat as possible. If needed I’ll try and plane it down.
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My biggest issue is I have enjoyed the luxury of a large center island assembly bench and dont want to give that up. Its hard to build a nice woodworking bench that is 40″ wide so you can do other work on it too.
I keep going back to some type of hybrid bench out of MDF either vertically laminated or torsion box style but need to incorporate good vises and dog holes.
If it was not for expansion differences in the materials it would be easy, but just have not come up with right solution yet !
rrmccabe wrote:
My biggest issue is I have enjoyed the luxury of a large center island assembly bench and dont want to give that up. Its hard to build a nice woodworking bench that is 40″ wide so you can do other work on it too.
I keep going back to some type of hybrid bench out of MDF either vertically laminated or torsion box style but need to incorporate good vises and dog holes.
If it was not for expansion differences in the materials it would be easy, but just have not come up with right solution yet !
Build separate woodworking bench and keep the assembly table. My bench is only 5ft by 2ft.
Last piece is in the clamps. This pieces didn’t match up as nicely as the first glue up. [emoji17] I can feel a lip. [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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I would do that but my shop layout does not facilitate two tables. But I did consider building a 24″ woodworking bench and a 24″ MDF torsion box bench that would plane with it and put them side by side. I was just was considered about the woods expanding at different rates and ending up with a step when it was humid vs. dry.
Ideally, I bench the size of yours would be perfect and then a large assy table elsewhere would be great. Just cant give up the space to do that.
rrich1 wrote:
23 hours ago, rrich1 said:@setbuilder I’m hoping with glueing it up in so many stages it will keep it as flat as possible. If needed I’ll try and plane it down.
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I’ll search for it when I get a chance. A while back I watched a vidieo where it showed how to make a sled to true up a table with a router.
He screwed rails on the side of the table and ran the sled off them.
Many such videos are available where you can build a simple jig to joint/plane big boards with just a router. Any of those jigs should be good enough to true your workbench top.
I’ve seen the marks video and a few others. Haven’t seen the others you posted. I’ll check those out. It looks to be the easiest way.
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Got the top out of the clamps today. I decided to try the hand plane method. I’ve never used a plane for real before. I have a #5 and #4. Got them tuned up and went to town. I started on the bottom to get a feel for it and to not screw up the top. It turned out really well. While not dead flat (if I spend more time I’m sure I could get it there) it is close enough for me to get the legs going. Very happy so far. Especially for a first time! [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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wow that slab is beefy! have fun moving the bench lol
Looks great. Question though – what did you use to cut the top to length? Those boards are what 3 1/4″ or so thick – too much for a circular saw (unless you’ve got a 10″) and way to long to comfortably put on a table saw.
khariV wrote:
Looks great. Question though – what did you use to cut the top to length? Those boards are what 3 1/4″ or so thick – too much for a circular saw (unless you’ve got a 10″) and way to long to comfortably put on a table saw.
Thanks. I cut them to length on the miter saw. During clamp up I made sure to keep one side as flat as possible. I had one section come out a little long. I will sand/plane that down to get it all squared up.
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Got the top basically completely flat. Not perfect but nothing to notice. The lip is gone and I’m happy [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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Got the legs rough cut out. Hickory pieces will be laminated between two pieces of pine. [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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Got the legs milled on 3 sides before shift tonight. I milled the legs 1/16″ of an inch too short to match the lamination on the top. My ocd will go bonkers of I can’t figure out how to get it to match up. Legs are not glued yet. [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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Weekend progress. Got the legs glued, jointed, and planed. One end is squared off right now. Undecided on the height of the legs for now. Will most likely go a little long. Easier to take some off than it is to add to it. You can see where I messed up and will most likely have to plan each side of the top down so the hickory lines match up. Darn oversights! [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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Well I decided to plane down the sides of the top. I could have just used a straight edge and a router but that isn’t any fun. I will take this over what I had before. [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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Good choice and looks great.
I am sure if you didn’t do that, every time you looked at the bench you would look straight at the little offset 😉
Got the legs cut for the top. Now I need to measure and cut the portion out of the top…if I can get the nerve to anyway. [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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Wow, beautiful work @rrich1!
I’m stumped at the moment in planning my bench. I bought two Festool MFT tops that I thought I could place end-to-end, just not sure how to do it yet.
Impressive work!
wildroamer wrote:
Wow, beautiful work [mention=50861]rrich1[/mention]!
I’m stumped at the moment in planning my bench. I bought two Festool MFT tops that I thought I could place end-to-end, just not sure how to do it yet.
Impressive work!
Thanks! I almost wish I had made a tail vise into the bench but that would have added length and more money to the bud right now. I’ll do an add on one and will be fine. This is a starter bench to see what will fit my needs the best.
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Finally able to get some work done this weekend. My wife had surgery this week and I took the week off. Took the plunge and got the legs measured out where I think I want them. Cut them out with a forstner bit, router, and lots of chiseling. They are not perfect by any means but I did get the hickory lines matched up darn near perfect.
I also got the stretchers cut, planed, and glued up. Still need to cut them to final length and cut the half laps on them and the legs.
I have been looking at bench crafted or wooden vises for the leg vise. I was talking with my father in law and apparently he can make me the screw and nut! I went and bought a piece of tiger maple and am going to glue up pieces of hickory for the hub. [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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Hope the Wife recovers quickly!
It’s coming along nicely!
BMack37 wrote:
Hope the Wife recovers quickly!
It’s coming along nicely!
Thanks. She came home but the pain is finally setting in. Doing well overall though.
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Looks great. I am still in design mode so you are smoking me with your progress.
rrmccabe wrote:
Looks great. I am still in design mode so you are smoking me with your progress.
Take your time. You’ve been doing this longer than I have and might know of what you re needs are.
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Well I would like to build a traditional bench with some old world joinery. The more I learn the more I realize I dont know what I am doing and why some of my other benches failed.
I am watching Rob Cosmans series on building a workbench which is 170 videos that are 1/2 hour long. Maybe after watching that I will go back to designing one that will work for me that needs to be wider than his.
Yours looks great. I am impressed with your plane work for the limited experience you say you have with it. Really impressed !
rrmccabe wrote:
Well I would like to build a traditional bench with some old world joinery. The more I learn the more I realize I dont know what I am doing and why some of my other benches failed.
I am watching Rob Cosmans series on building a workbench which is 170 videos that are 1/2 hour long. Maybe after watching that I will go back to designing one that will work for me that needs to be wider than his.
Yours looks great. I am impressed with your plane work for the limited experience you say you have with it. Really impressed !
I’ve heard good things about Chris Schwartz bench books as well for more information. I’ve watched a few of Rob’s videos online. Pretty informative. I’m trying to keep mechanical fasteners out of the bench. I want to glue the half laps and dowel them in for strength.
Thanks. Once I actually realized how the plane needed to be set up and adjusted when used it was pretty simple to figure out.
I’m contemplating the bench crafted criss cross but now I am not sure since ill be using half laps on the legs. I don’t know if that will leave me with enough room or not.
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Hard to beat benchcrafted stuff. I have their Moxon which is a nice but the major drawback of the threads sticking out.
I am pretty sure I am going to outfit my bench with a closes tail vise like Robs current bench. In the first video of this series he shows his previous tail vises and what was wrong with them. Hard to say at this point as I dont see myself doing as much hand tool stuff as he does.
More progress today before I had to stop and pressure wash the deck.
I got all but one of the half laps joints spot on. First time doing them and it wasn’t even the first one that I screwed up. [emoji17] [External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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Got the bench on it’s feet today. It’s tall at over 37″. Before glueing and doweling in the legs I’ll decide if I want it lower.
The mortis have tear out on each but the hickory lines match up damn near perfect! Not bad for a first timer and hand plane use! Tenon’s are still long at the moment.
I also got the hickory hub glued, jointed, and planed and ready to be cut for the leg vise hub. Glued up the hickory for the nut today as well.[External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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“new” bench vise came in today. Scored it for $15 on eBay. Time for a restoration. I will paint it to match my 1948 Craftsman drill press and 1966 Craftsman grinder, Ford dark shadow gray.[External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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OK, its been 10 minutes. Are you done yet?
I want to see it painted 🙂
rrmccabe wrote:
OK, its been 10 minutes. Are you done yet?
I want to see it painted [emoji4]
Lol. Work tonight. I’m debating trying to film it and post a video on YouTube. If so that will slow things down a bit. Cool thing is I just found out a friend of mine has a sand blaster and he said I could use it. Boom!
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Drilled dog holes into my workbench. I used the layout based off of Shannon Rogers recommendation. I put a slight round over on the holes.
I also made a hole in one of the legs for the veritas quick clamp. I made the hole deeper than needed and then using a hole saw I made a plug. I drilled a hole for a magnet and pressure fit it into the plug. I then super glued the plug in. This allows for very easy removal and placing it back. http://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/guide-to-workbench-dog-hole-placement/.[External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied][External image (uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com), not copied]
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Nice work!
Very nice!!