Thread: WIP - Groggy's Workbench

Originally Posted by Wongo

Hey big man. What did you sand before glue up? Shouldn't you glue first then sand?

Sand the glue faces only. Sand the visible surfaces last.

Still like the video except it was a bit too short

Second pair glue up today

Originally Posted by sercher

I ran across this article when looking for clamp info How to Glue-Up Joints: The right number of clamps - Fine Woodworking. And from the size and length of those logs Groggys using for the top and the type wood I recon he better go buy a clamp factory.

I have a few more up my sleeve but will change tactic when I join the glued pairs together. 'F' clamps and 'G' clamps are great for this work but once I go over the magic 200mm mark it will need to be 'I' beam Jorgies, Records or similar that have good screw threads.

The glue up I finished a few minutes ago was a repeat of the one shown below but with a bit more glue this time. I am aiming to shoot a 3-4mm bead out the top and bottom when I clamp it up. I achieved that today so I am happy; particularly since this pair will be unsupported in the middle of the bench.

I prefer the glue line from the second glue-up. more even and a heavier glue line.

Ye gods. How many is that? Looks like 20 - 22. Can't see them all properly.

I priced some nice clamps at Carba-tec today. Quite a nasty shock considering how many I want.

Originally Posted by Beetle Shirt

I priced some nice clamps at Carba-tec today. Quite a nasty shock considering how many I want.

Were at the Sydney Show or actually at Carba-tec doing the pricing?

Originally Posted by Beetle Shirt

Ye gods. How many is that? Looks like 20 - 22. Can't see them all properly.

Twenty eight. Bought over many years and as 'opportunity' buys. I picked up a bunch of 600mm clamps at Bunnies during a clearance, I suspect they were also marked wrong, but I paid about $15 ea for 8 x 600mm Quick Grips. You just need to keep looking and hoping.

Looks good groggy. Last year I bought 6 super cheap auto 10" F clamps for about 6 bucks each, I find them much more useful than I would a single bessey clamp.

I think I'm a little a head at the minute - just oiled the top of mine.

Hey bench builders, like Dan said, its often numbers you need not so much quality. Sometimes you need to realy put the pressure on something and pull out the good quality clamps but most of the time I find its better to spend a few more minutes getting the joint right and then you only need moderate pressure from your clamps to pull it all togeter. I am going to make myself some long reach clamps to get into the centre of the job, maybe 300 to 600 deep throat with a couple of hundred opening. I have looked around and haven't found much (for an afordable price) so will just have to build them.
I will have to post some of my bench I made a while back in competion to you two. Its pretty flash and might put you both to shame It took me at least an hour to make and another hour since in upgrades, vice/clamp, shelf etc. Scrap timber and the nail gun, not a joint in sight

Originally Posted by BozInOz

Looks good groggy. Last year I bought 6 super cheap auto 10" F clamps for about 6 bucks each, I find them much more useful than I would a single bessey clamp.

I think I'm a little a head at the minute - just oiled the top of mine.

I see Aldi have a sale on clamps/cramps this coming week, quick cramps and F cramps, price is right too.

Colin.

Third glue-up did not go so well. Everything went ok until the clamping began then I noticed a bit of a bow in one end. For about 300mm the beams were 1.5 to 2mm apart. Had to quickly change the clamps around to get the strongest clamps into that area then get extra clamps to balance it all out.

20 minutes of frenzied activity resulted in - I'm not sure yet. I may have a bit of a gap between the second and third beams at the right hand end of the bench. Still, if this is the worst that happens during the build then I can be happy with that. If it is really bad then I can rip the beams apart on the sawbench and have another go.

Checked on the glue-up progress tonight. The cold weather has certainly slowed things down.

The squeeze out is still in a skin form and yellow underneath, I can easily push a nail into it. I've decided to let the clamps stay for another day. These 4 deg nights have not been good for WWing.

Same goes for waiting for my Maloof oil finish to dry between coats.