|  |
| THE WORK BENCH This forum is dedicated to arguably the most important piece of equipment in the woodworkers arsenal. The work bench. |
 | | 
4th Aug 2008, 09:06 PM
|  | Neander Normite | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Melbourne Age: 53
Posts: 11,604
| |  WIP - Groggy's Workbench
Finally I am going to replace a Wobbly Old Bench (WOB) I have been using for the last...hang on, that can't be right....crikey!.....27 years. You can see it in the pic to the right.
On my other bench I have jury rigged the new frame pieces. The timber came from the Great Timber Purchase of 2006/7 (it should be in the history books by now, along with The Great Bessey Buy) and this is the last of it, though I did recently acquire a new pack, but I digress  .
This is going to be a planing bench and suit my needs better than the WOB ever did. The new bench will be 900-910mm high, depending on the actual height of the table saw plus or minus floor imperfections where the new bench will stand. This will probably take me a while to finish.
----------------------------------------------------------
EDIT: The bench was completed in December 2011, it took three years of spare hours to complete. Since this thread has become an epic I've decided that an index is needed for those interested in just one part of the build.  INDEX
1. Making the bench legs.
2. Feet design discussion.
3. Comments on the leg flutes.
4. Rail Mortises.
5. Leg pegs.
6. Stretcher Mortises.
7. Google Sketchup drawing of the base.
8. Clamp Cosy. Designing, mock-up,
9. Dry fit of the frame and testing the clamp-cosy, and a later test.
10. Squares, squares, squares.
11. Mobility kit idea.
12. Fitting the base.
13. Choosing vises - it begins. Decision time. They arrive.
14. Intermission - Rebuilding the Wobbly Old Bench (WOB). Completed.
15. What to make the top out of? Found some timber, de-nailing begins.
16. Putting the top beams over the jointer.
17. Using the Domino to repair nail holes. Making your own dominos. Repairing nail holes and divots.
18. Thicknessing the top beams.
19. Beams ready to make the top.
20. Discussion on jointing the top.
21. The temporary top frame <- This was a great idea and worked exceptionally well. Frame.
22. End Caps. Hardware. Marking our attachment slots.
23. Weight of the bench. Weight broken down.
24. Laying out the top beams. Testing the bench dog location.
25. Gluing the top commences. A few more. Third go. Main top less the skirt.
26. Making the deadman. Finished.
27. Surfacing the top with handplanes.
28. Patching out. End cap patches.
29. Planing for the skirt.
30. Top jointing video - post #500.
31. Cutting the bench top ends. Slots cut for the end cap bolts.
32. Wagon vise - cutout. Fitting. Recessing.
33. End cap fitting. Attaching. Dovetail design in Sketchup. Finessing the joint. Fitted.
34. Dovetail discussions. Fibonacci and the Golden Mean get a mention. Marking the sockets. Getting big dovetails flat. Start to end.
35. Router blowout repair.
36. Clamp slip damage whilst routing.
37. Dry fitting the front skirt. Gluing up the front skirt.
38. The top is on!
39. Dog hole drilling. Partway done. Done.
40. The Benchcrafted Leg Vise begins. Roller bracket. Starting the chop. Rough cut. Fluting. Roller housing. With a finish.
41. Some thoughts.
42. Finish problems. A second go at it.
43. Replacing the knobs with Jarrah.
Last edited by Groggy; 11th Dec 2011 at 02:52 PM.
|
4th Aug 2008, 09:19 PM
|  | Most Valued Member | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: In the shed, Melbourne Age: 41
Posts: 6,637
| |
Sticking my ugly mug in for a poke. 
(you should've loaded a few slabs in the yoot while Dj wasn't watching on Saturday. He'd never miss 'em, if he asked all you'd have to do was say, "didn't you burn that one?"  ) |
4th Aug 2008, 09:54 PM
|  | Timber Hoarder | | Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Minbun, FNQ, Australia Age: 54
Posts: 12,052
| |
Watching.
I showed Gina the picks, she is impressed with how neat & clean & tidy it is, even the dog is neat & clean & tidy...
I told her the place belonged to a sick man.  |
4th Aug 2008, 09:55 PM
|  | Hoarder of Timber | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: East Warburton Vic Age: 42
Posts: 11,036
| |
Looking good Groggy still need to work on Sally thought, she still looks miserable when you take a shot with her in it 
As for you Waldo, I've got another brick here still  
__________________ Cheers, DJ |
4th Aug 2008, 09:58 PM
|  | Head Moderator Sister of the DarkSide | | Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Toowoomba Q 4350
Posts: 9,202
| |
Sticking my mug in too. Shame I couldn't move DJ's bench  or it would have come home with me, one way or another  
Hey Groggy, this is a good start. Glad to hear you say it will be at least 900 high.
cheers
Wendy |
5th Aug 2008, 12:25 AM
|  | Most Valued Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: belgrave Age: 49
Posts: 6,711
| |
Watching too. Prolly need a bench soon. 
BTW, how do you get your dog to sit OVER THERE? Mine always sits at my feet. |
5th Aug 2008, 09:29 AM
| | Timber Hoarder | | Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Minbun, FNQ, Australia Age: 54
Posts: 12,052
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by tea lady  .... how do you get your dog to sit OVER THERE? ..... | No more nails or CA. |
5th Aug 2008, 10:09 AM
|  | Most Valued Member | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Sydney Age: 42
Posts: 7,800
| |
For a big man like you, the bench should be at least 2m high.
Hurry up, are we done yet?? |
5th Aug 2008, 09:49 PM
|  | Fossil Member | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Perth
Posts: 1,213
| |
Hi Groggy,
Yep, we're all watching, waiting,.. watching,... waiting.
Do let us know where your design ideas may have been influenced by the workbench books. That would be interesting.
Don't forget those pictures, 'as you go' now.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers
Pops |
5th Aug 2008, 09:54 PM
| | . | | Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Victoria
Posts: 5,130
| |
So whats the WIP. Is it the thing on top of the bench, or the bench its self 
[edit] just re-read. oops. |
5th Aug 2008, 09:55 PM
| | Neander Normite | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Melbourne Age: 53
Posts: 11,604
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pops Do let us know where your design ideas may have been influenced by the workbench books. | Funny you should say that, I have the pdf plan for the Holtzapffel bench up on my other monitor as I type, and have been staring at the thing on-and-off most of the night. My previous design was going to be a 'wooden cube frame' style with upper and lower rails. Since reading a few more designs I am thinking of using just two lower rails  |
5th Aug 2008, 10:54 PM
| | Most Valued Member | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: In the shed, Melbourne Age: 41
Posts: 6,637
| |
Groggy,
Don't know if it's a help or not, but load up Sketch-up>File>3D Wharehouse> Get Models and search for "Holtzapffel workbench" and you'll find a model already drawn up. 
(Holtzapffel were my Dad's mother's side from Germany - doubtful that it'd be the right mob though) |
6th Aug 2008, 12:04 AM
| | Neander Normite | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Melbourne Age: 53
Posts: 11,604
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lignum So whats the WIP. Is it the thing on top of the bench, or the bench its self | Both |
6th Aug 2008, 12:05 AM
| | Neander Normite | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Melbourne Age: 53
Posts: 11,604
| |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waldo Don't know if it's a help or not, but load up Sketch-up>File>3D Wharehouse> Get Models and search for "Holtzapffel workbench" and you'll find a model already drawn up. | Thanks Waldo, (see PM) |
7th Aug 2008, 08:33 PM
| | Skwair2rownd | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Floating around Brasil Age: 64
Posts: 13,526
| |  And I thought
| | |
| Tags | benchcrafted, carriage, clamp storage, deadman, groggy, holtzapffel, jarrah, karri, leg, roubo, vice, vise, wagon, wip, workbench  |
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | |
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
| | |
All times are GMT +11. The time now is 11:08 PM.
|
Box Challenge 2011 - Check out the amazing Boxes! 
