Thread: Probably a slow WIP workbench

Take your time, think a lot. Not everything has to be done in a day - or a weekend. When you need it, it will be done.

Where's my popcorn gone?

Looks like it will be a very solid unit! Coming along very well.

Before I started this build I went through my garage/shed and threw out all my benches, odd lot they were. Did this so I would be motivated to get on with this build. Will take my time with getting it right.

You might want to get your belt sander or an electric plane and take off the paint 1st, when I was recycling some painted Blackbutt posts for a bed project I found my blades would dull after 2 passes of painted timber. Sanding belts are cheap and a 40 grit takes the paint of quickly & easily. The electric plane was good too with slip in preset knives that cost $20 for 4 sets it made much more sense than re-sharpening and resetting the jointer & thicknesser blades.

Only got one side to go now missionaryman so will stick with the thicknesser, but if I use painted hardwood again I will certainly consider your method. Have flipped the thicknesser blades to a fresh edge and have all three jointer blades in the jig of the woodman surface grinder ready to go. They were a bit fiddly to get lined up but will be great to be able to sharpen all three at once.

When the time comes and I get back into it I'll definitely be buying machines with helical cutter heads and rotatable replaceable cutters.

They are nice but being a hobby wood worker most of my tools have been bought second hand for the right price and still had to be justified with the "minister of finance and all else", can't see the helical machinery entering my market in the near future but can always hope.

Originally Posted by Sapling

They are nice but being a hobby wood worker most of my tools have been bought second hand for the right price and still had to be justified with the "minister of finance and all else", can't see the helical machinery entering my market in the near future but can always hope.

There's nought wrong with 2nd hand "pre-loved" tools...very often they are of much better quality than some of the gear around today, and may well outlast them!

A bit more progress today. Ran some more of the timber for the top through the thicknesser this afternoon. Also getting an idea of the final thickness of the top, the red piece is down to 63 mm and will probably loose another couple millimeters, bit shy of my original measurement, width wise around 650mm and 2300mm long.
Got the blades out of the thicknesser again for touch up. The fresh edge of the ones I flipped really gave the paint a move on. Locking the head of the thicknesser down really tight a makes a difference as well. It's a Talon (same as the hare and forbes) that was $200 + or - a couple dollars from Deals Direct a few years ago. From memory quite a few here bought one, not a bad little unit.

nice timber

Made more progress with the top today, umm! a bit yesterday as well, 6.45pm Friday night, swmbo at the shed door, sternly waving one hand at me the other pointing to her ears, two more passes I signaled with the piece V, thicknesser screaming away. Stopped it, loosened the cutter lock, adjusted height, went to tighten the cutter head lock and it spun in my hand. The the roll pin ( that appears to have not been all the way through both pieces) gave way on the cutter head lock. Saturday morning, Repco and $5.00 later, got a multi pack of pins, a bit if head scratching, drilled out one stripped allen screw, take apart/re-assemble ( pic 1 ), fresh blades, away again.
All the boards for the top are now the same thickness, 61.5mm, the little Talon with a fresh set of sharp blades (off the newly aquired surface grinder) did a mighty good job on the now free of paint timber.
Next step will be a light pass on the jointer to the edges to be laminated. As I said in an earlier post 4 of the 5 are a nice tight fit so may only be a couple passes to get the last one nice and straight.

Looking good!

Is that a carbatec roller stand? How do you find it?
I think I might need to get 2 for my bench build to help feed it through the thicknesser.

Andy

I guess your other half does not like the noise. You know what it means, you have to use hand tools.

groeneaj, the roller stands came from Aldi (they look exactly the same as the Carbatec ones), they were only $15.00 from memory. Don't know if they are still available from there but I have seen them in The Wharehouse or I think it maybe called Sams Wharehouse now, they may have been a couple of dollars dearer there. They are great for use with the thicknesser , tablesaw or jointer, and I will see soon enough how they go on the drill press. Only problem with use on the thicknesser is they don't go low enough, hence the two blocks of wood under the thicky. I could cut the shaft a bit shorter but then they may not be high enough for the drill press (haven't tried yet). I find them really handy.
Christos, wives are funny things. If I have tools (powered or hand) and don't use them I get in trouble for all the "stuff" in the shed. If I use them and make a noise I get in trouble. But, it's ok to buy them if it is for the right price. Bit of a no win situation.