I'm enjoying this thread, thanks for putting up all the photos, inspirational.
:)
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I'm enjoying this thread, thanks for putting up all the photos, inspirational.
:)
A friend of my used to do removalist work. After showing him the progress he told me frankly I'd have difficultly getting a removalist to move it. As a single piece it's too heavy and bulky to go up a ramp into a truck, and a back lift would not be wide enough to have the length of the bench...
I didn't want to have to do this, but the design will have to come about.
The plan to achieve this is to glue the top into two sections. (The first is together, and two blokes should be able to move it.) To attach the top, I'll use loose dowels 3/4" 6" long, and bolts x 5ish. To insert them I'll rout/drill a slot for them to slide up and then tighten with wider washers.
The base will be one piece. The top will sit on the mortise and tennons without glue or mechanical fasteners.
Now if I didn't have to go to work all the time...
Yep, but they move pianos and all sorts of stuff......it's what they're paid to do.Quote:
After showing him the progress he told me frankly I'd have difficultly getting a removalist to move it
There is a good chance that your bench will go lengthwise on a large tailgate lift as some of the ones on removal trucks are huge. If you move and use a shipping container it'll be even easier....forklift hire might cost you though. ;) :)
Anyway, build the bench you want to build and worry about the details later.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...1&d=1260772863
The top is glued in two sections. (I'm still thinking of how to join it.)
Now the fun task of flattening it with the trusty number 7...
I did half of one side of one top and was completely stuffed. (The 14 hour shift at work the day before may not have helped.) Amazing how in the past, pre-thicknessers that's the only way they could.
I'm going to wait until the new year to attach the wagon vise. I don't want too many wood shrinkage surprises with precision metal parts.
lol...
i am the apprentice!
:C
this apprentice is on holidays...
The top is as flat as I want it.
Now I need to do the under surface.
I won't do the final flattening of the top until it's all complete and glued together.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...1&d=1261887715
The original boards were ~10' cut to ~8' leaving 2' sections. Being both coincidence and planning, this gave me sections the width of the bench for the bottom shelf, the parallel bars, and the wheel supports.
Currently I have no access to a band saw, so I used my circular saw to re-saw the pieces. Was a little rough, but actually better and safer than I thought it would be.
I've left the pieces un-dressed; to allow the wood to continue to dry, and because the planner blades need a sharpen.
Because of the weight of the top I was thinking of making it in two. Now some benches had a slot in the middle, mostly for tools. But I knew I would fill it with dust or unsorted tools, so I wanted one section.
To join them I was going to use 3/4 dowel to center the pieces and make room for bolts to drop in.
I thought though, that's not what I really wanted, and every time it moved it would have to be flattened, and how would I align all the dowels with the precision needed... blah...
So I glued it together... upside down...
https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...1&d=1262507113
I haven't been able to flatten it perfectly. It is cupped down (2mm at it's worse.) To correct it, I would loss too much wood and time. So I decided to flatten where the legs are and where it is exposed smooth it so to the touch there is no steps.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...1&d=1262507113
I have a little more planing, then belt sand.
Hi Boz,
Coming along now. Nice!
But,... That is not what I would call a heavy bench top. You need a few expletives/adjectives in front of the word 'heavy', something like 'bluddy heavy' or 'real bluddy heavy'. :)
Keep us posted.
Cheers
Pops
Good soluation to a problem.
Well... no one is perfect. There have been a few errors in the production so far.
1. Rough Cutting
- When I cut the pieces for the top, I used a circ saw, though resembly straight, slight curves needed to be jointed out.
- If my pieces were 11-12cm, and now 10.5cm... that's a fair amount of wood to lose.
2. Rough Pieces
- Under the table were some sections of rough timber, where I didn't feel it worth correcting, because it's the underside of a work bench...
- However, I have routed out these sections and replaced them with much less noticable timber
- I could have used the long scrap offcuts before gluing, would have been better, used less wood and as the joint was inside the table you'd never see it.
3. Circ saw
- To cut a thin strip to repair the underside (point 2) I had the circ saw blade held back by the fence. When I finished the cut, like I always do, I placed the circ on the bench... of course the blade was still exposed and spinning... good thing it was the underside of the bench, and not my thigh, or the concrete floor.
4. Drilling
- I used the drill press to drill all the holes (to ~7cm) planning to do teh remainder with the hand drill. As I marked these out, rather than using a fence, the hole aren't in alignment.
- With the straight edge the difference is <1.5mm at its worse. But you can see it.
You're going to need either a crane or a serious course of horse steroids to move that top.
If you adjust the height of the legs & rails the top might flatten it's cup out partly under its own weight.
That's interesting. I didn't consider it flattening under its' own weight.
The plan is to build a trolly system, so I can slide wheels under the legs, to move it.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...1&d=1263152631
Progress:
I've flattened, sanded, and shellac-ed the bottom of the top, and the long stretchers.
More progress, good stuff.
are you moving the top around by yourself or do you have help?
by myself...
it's cheaper than gym membership...
A little progress was made today. With my thicknesser back in action, I machined the sections required for the lower shelf, the parallel bars, and wheel supports.
Photo 1 & 2: 4 legs, 2 chops (vice fronts), and the shelf and other small parts. Photo 2: be machined pieces.
What's the best way to cut tongue and groove joinery with a hand held router?
I'm still waiting for my new vesper square (about 9 months now) before starting on the joinery.
:oo: Ok joking I hope!
Very sober, steady hand a slight strain of madness.. :D
You are going to build up a "working" platform for each cut, this is to run the router along and provide a good flat platform.
Good luck not a fun exercise.
Can't you use a bench saw? Ok rough but easier.
Don't have a table saw.... could try the circ... but even I'm not that crazy!
Are you able to remove the sliding vise when not in use or is that on all the time. That is a great design though cant wait to see the finished product
John
Thanks for the feedback. Appreciate it.
You may have noticed I'm a little sporadic with the progress. Depending on other commitments and waiting on new tools or bits etc.
I've left the tongue and groove for now, and have the wood nicely stacked. I used the thicknesser to ensure that all the pieces are the same width. I then clamped a 7 or so together to form a platform for the router... A complicated, inaccurate and scary thing to do. Oh, to have a tongue and groove or slot cutting bit on a table.
Yesterday I started on the end caps...
Planning a staggered tenon with 4 5/16 bolts with captured nuts.
And the pics...
With chisels I've cleaned and squared the mortises. The chisels in my roll that I use most frequently are made by Irwin and cost me $19.95 for three, and a 6mm Irwin which was ~$20. Don't laugh, but they work well and I'm happy with them. They don't hold an edge for that long (vs. blackbutt) but with the new shapton stones they are quite good. One day I will give a lot of money to harold and saxon... one day... (Also, if anyone knows where I left my 12mm chisel please let me know.)
I then moved to the capture nut holes. I wanted to upgrade my cheap Irwin spade bits for something a little better to cut the bench dog holes. Eventually I decided on another Irwin product. (This is turning into a bit of an ad for irwin...)
http://www.irwintools.com.au/imagesP...x_3pcs_set.jpg
A great idea that in practice failed. I used the 20mm auger bit in my makita drill. The leading screw controls both direction and speed. When the larger edge hit the drill jammed. I could not advance it at all into the wood. I switched back to the cheap spade bit and had no hassel at all.
I then squared the outside edge which chisels and rounded the edges with a 1/8 inch CMT round over bit.
and the pics...
What's the hole for the last pic?
it's the captured nut hiding hole (keep in mind the top is upside down.)
:2tsup:
Looking good.
I've been pondering chop design. There seem to be two main designs:
1. The Coffin
http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com...lidingleg1.jpg
This means that I need to known the exact length before cutting it, which I'm hesitant to do until it's ready to attach.
2. The Curve
http://www.benchcrafted.com/Graphics.../DSC_5459a.jpg
My thoughts:
I prefer to 'the curve'. This means I can set the bottom width to the size of my leg (142mm) and the top width to the size of my board (240mm.) I've been pondering how to go from one width the other. Options include circles cut with 54mm and 48mm forsner bits, a curve the radius needed ~50mm, a straight line (like a coffin.) I also thought I've adding some detail (a design I could copy onto the parallel guides.
I would curve the front of the top and 1/8" round over all edges.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...1&d=1265602448
Thoughts welcome.
CHOP CHOP!
This is the result of the a couple of hours marking out and at the drill press. Tomorrow, I'll straighten the edges with the circ. (The bottom is 142mm - the size of the legs, the top section is 220mm and 240mm).
https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...1&d=1265774682
The next step... slowly by surely...
After belt sander and a bit of hand sanding, I've coated in shellac, will sand off with ROS.
Alot of this with the circ/saw :o :2tsup: Everyone starts somewhere when they don't have many noisy bits in the shed.
Parallel Poo
Yesterday I was poo-ed that my router bit didn't fit and my other bit cut too big a curve.
Today, more success.
I used a 1/2 or 12.5mm twist bit instead of the 13mm forsner. My router bit has a bearing of 12.7mm... Anywho, it was no hassel to re-drill .5mm with the forsner. Round over with the 1/8 round over. A bit of sanding. Even convinced the wife to do a bit of sanding. And a much better product today. Still not finished though.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...1&d=1266035687
ps. there are thirty holes placed at 1cm.
The next step involves making the brackets. I'm still waiting on my vesper square to start the joinery, but I figure I can safely do the shaping of the individual bits prior to joining.
I discuss the design of the wheel brackets in another thread.
For the size wood I need I thought the offcuts of the shelf would be more wood efficient than cutting new pieces, so that's the first step.