Thread: WIP - Pine bench

kinda, but none I can take photos of..
I'm having to get the top joined and planed a the local firewood place (only place you can seem to buy proper hardwood in Alice Springs that doesn't cost billions per m) Should be done in a week or two they said. I just don't have the required joiner or thicknesser. It'll be a 800 x 2000 x 75mm lemon scented gum top made from 100 x 75mm posts. Should come in around the 120kg mark.

All the hardware has arrived though, got the dawn 250mm vice and the vertias surface vice and a few dogs to go in.

Now that Derek has pointed out that I need to plywood up the back I'm wondering if I should go the whole hog and put a set of drawers in under it. I've got two weeks off at the end of the month so i'm hoping it all gets finished then because i'm being banished to Darwin for two months after that.

Well.. some many months later and there's been some more progress. Got the top resting in place now, just waiting for the wood to stop moving before I screw it in place. Spent the last two days getting that Dawn vice fitted, damn heavy bugger that's for sure. Now to screw the vice faces in place and that part is done. (unless you structural engineers can find a major disaster waiting to happen in the photos)

Nice work Talorien. I don't know the first thing about stopping a bench from racking but I do know how difficult it is getting decent wood in Alice. Nice.

Well.. I wouldn't call it decent when you see some of the fancy maple benches, but as far as local hard wood goes it's not too bad. Got the lemon scented gum from the firewood place on kidman street. He has some pretty large planks there and some seasoned stuff if you're looking for that 'rustic' style.

Planing it smooth is going to be a fun exercise, the firewood bloke ran it through his industrial size planer so it's dimensioned ok, but far from perfect. Perhaps I should stop reading those books Mr Schwarz puts out and lower my expectations.

I do plan on getting to Kidman St soon to have look through their offerings but I'm going to hold off changing my work bench top for the moment. I recycled an old housing commission front door...did have to resort to pine for the legs though......

Hey Talorien,

Nice bench. Can you tell me how much you paid for the vice ? It'll most likely be a little more if you bought it in Alice but it'd give me some idea.

Looking to put a bench together when we take possession of our new place next week.

Many thanks.

I think the dog would like it as a new kennel

Bought it from Alice Industrial Supplies on Elders St, (08) 8952 1955 they have all the Dawn Engineers vices in stock but had to order the woodworking one, only took a week or two.

The vice was $220 I think, it was rather cheap for Alice Springs, given that Sydney Tools has it online for $289 and they didn't charge any freight because they did it with a normal order. It weighs 13kg so you would get slugged a bit for freight if getting it online.

Vices, WoodWorkers' Standard, Vices, Offset Vices, Destaco, Soft Jaws

Rod, the dog is starting to object to all the sawdust, he starts sneezing every time he comes near the bench now, I think it's a subtle hint that he wants it cleaned up and vacuumed so he can sleep there.

The next thing to work out is where to the put other type of dog's, them little metal round type things that stick out of the bench.

The suggestions on here and other online sites seem to be for about 4" from the edge and 3" between the centres of the holes. My boards are 4" wide so that would put the dog holes right on a join in the boards. Is that a preferred option or would it be between to go with 2" or 6" from the edge to put them in the middle of one board?

Got around to drilling the dog holes today. I wasn't sure how well the pine legs would take a 3/4" hole in them so I haven't done any down them, and there's no back row of dogs because I don't have any hold fasts to get the spacing right yet.

Next some oil and it should be all done.

Perhaps I should stop reading those books Mr Schwarz puts out and lower my expectations. hahahahahaha so true !

Looks like a great bench, well done.