Thread: Bench in a weekend

Hi Derek,
Well done that should serve you very well indeed for you're demonstrations.
Regards Rod.

Go on, admit it Derek, the real reason you dunnit was because you have been itching to make one ever since you first saw the "Milkman's" bench. (So have I.....)

How will it be for overall height when attached to a bench - benches designed for power tools are usually a bit tall for comfortable hand-planing already, without the extra couple of inches this will add? I suppose it's not a major concern in this context, since you will be spending most of your time yakking & not much time in heavy planing, if my own experience at shows is any guide.

Years ago, when I was demonstrating at woodshows, I made myself a portable bench, for that & other jobs where I wanted a 'real' bench. It's a miniaturised version of my regular bench, & while it would be quite a feat to get it into a two-seater, it will fit comfortably in the back of a station-wagon when disassembled:Bench portable ed.jpg

It's made from reasonably-sized sections of recycled hardwood, mostly Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata), with a bit of Tallow wood (E. microcorys), which made beaut self-lubricating parts for the tail vise. I made it just weighty enough to be reasonably stable for planing & sawing, but as I've complained before, the darn thing has become heavier since I made it (a most curious bit of physics that I can't explain! ). I took it to the TWWW show a couple of years ago, & it was quite a struggle to lift the top into my ute, whereas once it was light enough to carry several hundred metres without busting a valve.

So if I decide I need a new bench I can take for car rides, something like the milko's bench is the way to go, I think. Let us know how it works for you at the show.....

Cheers

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Nice work yet again, I think it'd be good for bringing woodworking to the kitchen table...

Do you have any more information about making the screw?

Hi Ian

I did look at the Milkman's bench design, but discarded this as I wanted to clamp a board at the edge of the bench, and also have more planing surface. Anyway, I did not need to clamp boards for dovetailing as I have a Moxon vise.

I have not weighed this little bench top. It feels pretty solid and quite heavy. I cannot imagine lugging yours around! (Unless it comes with a cup holder for beer to recover). There is enough clamping, using the wagon vise together with the planning stop, to hold down a 26" board length. With the side dog holes, there is sufficient support to use a jack plane diagonally to flatten a panel. Importantly, it is possible to hold boards close to the edge to rebate or add a bead.

Hi Fields

I have made a few 1 1/2" screws before with a kit (tap and cutter) for moxon vises. These turned out pretty well. However, when it came to using the cutter this time, it just tore up the grain. I sharpened it, but this made no difference. The problem may lie with the wood I used (I tried a few different types, but they are all pretty dry and brittle). As a result I decided to research screw cutting with a router (since I had heard about that), and turned up the same videos as posted below. With a little trial and error, I was successful on the second attempt.





Regards from Perth

Derek

Hello Derek
I was amazed to see a near identical board of super curly Marri in your photos, I have one just like it. Can I assume you got your timber from Derek Doak?

Willy
Jarrahland

Originally Posted by code4pay

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Laminated Veneer Lumber

Engineered timber, like plywood on steroids is how I understand it.

Well except plywood the grain crosses but in lvl all the veneer goes in the same direction

Originally Posted by Willy Nelson

Hello Derek
I was amazed to see a near identical board of super curly Marri in your photos, I have one just like it. Can I assume you got your timber from Derek Doak?

Willy
Jarrahland

Hi Willy

I assume you mean the timber I used for my kist ....



Link: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/Kist.html

I bought the rough sawn boards from the Perth Wood School. Derek Doak (The Timber Bloke) has some amazing stuff, and at good prices. The curly Jarrah I am building a chair with at this time came from him.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by MrPete

Laminated Veneer Lumber

Engineered timber, like plywood on steroids is how I understand it.

Well except plywood the grain crosses but in lvl all the veneer goes in the same direction

Thanks for explaining that!

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WOW!

I have been away a while and when I drop in I see this.

Very nice!

Originally Posted by fields

......Do you have any more information about making the screw?

fields, I've made a few posts on router threading, but of course can't find them on a quick search!

As Derek discovered, the 'traditional' threadbox is a very fickle bit of gear. They are great when well set-up but the cutter is a bear of a thing to sharpen properly & even worse to re-set! My low opinion probably stems from inexperience & impatience more than any inherent failings of threadboxes, & I'm sure those conversant with their ways have no trouble with them. However, it is true that they are fussy about the sorts of woods they handle well, & hard, siliceous woods, as so many of ours are, are not at all to their liking. I would defy anyone to cut a decent thread in Belah or Bull oak with a threadbox. OTH, a carbide bit in a router jig makes short work of any woods I've thrown at them, giving very clean threads with no tear-out at all. True, they also take a bit of fiddling to set up accurately, but once cutting nicely, you can keep going & cut metres of thread with no further worries. I've used the same solid carbide bit for 20 years with only an occasional rub on a diamond stone to keep its edge pristine - it must've cut a couple of hundred metres of thread in that time.

Here are some 2 inch bench screws: Two inch bench screws.jpg

L to R, River oak (Allocasaurina cunninghamiana), Bull oak (A. leuhmanii) - both excellent, Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) - bit fragile Spotted gum (Corymbia maculata) - good, Ironbark (E. sideroxylon) - good. I don't think you would cut as neat a thread on any of these woods with a threadbox, but maybe there are folks who can....

Cheers,