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Hi Ian and Basil

This idea ignores the fact that the "polished plane" is still a bevel face and that it will wear at a far greater rate than the back of the blade (where the back bevel has been...

Hi Basil

Perhaps I was not clear enough. The BU plane has two bevels: the primary and the secondary. The primary is there for the BD plane as well. However, when the BU plane is honed, the primary...

Hi Basil

With the BU plane one only needs a single secondary bevel to create the final cutting angle. With a BD plane, two bevels are needed - one at the face (as usual) and another as a backbevel...

Hi Ian

My life is filled with changes of direction! :U I have been planning a comparison of small versus large smoothers, with the SBUS and #3 on one side and the BUS/#4 1/2 on the other. Then I...

Hi Ian

My original plan was to tongue-and-groove the boards. I was looking forward to another outing with my LN #49. Part of the reason I did not do so was that I ran out of boards - there was not...

Wood!

Regards from Perth

Derek

Any material that does not breath, such as rubber, steel and plastic, runs the risk of creating condensation. This leads to rust on steel surfaces.

Do not keep tools in steel cabinets. Do not...

Marking with a gauge is comfortable ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench%20build/finished12.jpg

The Moxon dovetail vise is positioned against a dog, and clamped down by two...

This bench is done. Time to move on.

I am very happy with the way it has turned out. Somewhat relieved and always a little amazed when things work out. Here are the finishing touches, plus a road...

Hi Ian

All the dogs were exactly the same size since the same template was used to rout the holes.

The Jarrah section was milled to fit exacty ..
...

Thanks Brett

I have that rubber in my workshop - it makes a good surface upon which to hold work as you rout.

However, for a work bench it is not durable enough. The reason for suede leather is...

Thanks BD. I was hoping to have finished it all the past weekend, but did not get much workshop time. Too many social events. In all I had about 2 hours, and in that I made the dogs. Now the bench is...

Canapes?!!!!

It was quiche back in the 70s.

Oh, wait a sec .. Real Men don't eat quiche ....

Regards from Perth

Derek (thinking of a barbie in late May)

Hi Greg

Let me have your dates and I'll let you know. There is the Fine Woodworking club meetings, which have interesting demonstrations.

Linking with my comment to Bob, perhaps we can organise...

Thanks Bob

A visit from you is way overdue. We shall have to arrange another workshop and BBQ for the lads as a backdrop for a closer inspection. We've not had one for a while. Any ideas?
...

Hi Greg

It was a great relief .. although I was expecting the legs and top to do as told (they had been warned beforehand not to muck about).

There was one occasion when I was planing down the...

Thanks WW. From the outset my plan was to have a light coloured top. The difference in the amount of reflected light is amazing, compared with the dark Karri of the old bench. Dark works, but it...

The sliding deadman runs on a triangular strip that I screwed to the top of the stretcher (rather than sawing the stretcher to a triangle) ..
...

The bench is basically done. Just a few lesser pieces to build - the dogs (well, you cannot use the tail vise without them), the parallel guide pin (made one in steel ... hated it, and will turn one...

While preparing to draw-bore the stretchers into the legs ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench%20build/Phoenix10.jpg

... a novel way of inserting the draw-bore pins...

Well I guess it not quite a Phoenix, but the bench build was in threat when I left off at the last report.

I had reached this point ... the top was looking good, and I was ready to assemble the...

Oy ... that is Aura, my son's bench dog. Be respectful. She is a vicious guard dog in her day job. :wink:

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thanks Ian.

I hope that the Makita does not come into the equation. I find such saws difficult to feel in control of - in spite of a guide. I would much rather use my large Elu router, for which...

Hi Nick

Thanks for the idea.

That finger hole adjustment was designed for a round dog. It requires that the bench leg is drilled out for the finger hole (to lift the dog).

The current...

Hi Perry

I'd love to have your help, plus the use of your Makita (should we need it). I have arranged with Dave at the Perth Wood School to get another length of Oak, and plan to collect it at...

Hi Nick

This was one of the possibilities I considered. It is, however, a trap of sorts. The instinct wants to save everything, and tolerances for the saw cuts increase. The compromises threaten...

Thanks to all that have responded so far ... and please do not let this post stop further ideas coming. All are helpful - even if outlandish they can spur a creative moment.

Firstly, after my...

Here is my idea - arrived at before I went to bed last night, but I thought I'd post it after hearing the ideas of others.

The bandsaw, even my large Hammer, is too unwieldy to make a straight...

Oh boy.

Do you get those moments when it dawns on you that you made a really stupid mistake?

This is a doozy but it is repairable. I would like your ideas.

Its the bench (what else?). I have...

Hi Ian

My thoughts on the holdfast holes is that they are largely irrelevant. The only really useful one is for the middle of the bench top.

Why do I say this? Because the sliding deadman is...

The mortice was drilled out and pared to size ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench%20build/Legvise3.jpg

The fit was very tight. No glue is used, but screws will be added....

What's on my bench ... progress report.


This is weekend 5 of the Bench Build.

What's on my bench ..? Well, a bench is on my bench.
...

The reason WW? Simple. I screwed up ... completed the chamfers on the legs early on, forgetting that the stretchers would be placed 3" from the bottom of each leg and extend up 4". The chamfer on the...

Update on the build this weekend.

I did not get as much time in the workshop as I would have liked. Still, there were some important parts completed.

As reported earlier, I replaced the end cap...

Thank you for being so sensible Ian.

At the end of the day these elongated nuts are easy to install and will bring piece of mind for possible later tightenings.

Incidentally, a reader wrote to...

Why so negative?

Firstly, I would disagree about a square nut not needing a spanner when it is stuck to the bolt and needing to be tightened. How would you stop the bolt spinning? The oak end...

I hope so Ian. Anyway, I am counting on having it serviced annually by you. It is too heavy to lug on a plane, so you will have to make a house call :U

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Greg

There is at least 1" of space beyond each bolt. If you look at picture #3 above you can see that the bolt extends past the hole.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I did. Benchcrafted make similar connectors as well.

I decided when starting out on this bench, where possible, I wanted to make it all. The end vise is the only exception and was purchased...

Wood moves, expands and contracts as moisture levels change, whether it is a process of drying out or the humidity levels in the air. The need to ensure that future adjustment - when required - would...

Hi WW

A square nut is a great idea. Thanks. Now why did that not occur to me ...?

I am going to reinvent the wheel here a touch, however. :U Better still would be a strip of steel (say 2" long...

Actually Ian, the "wodden" clothes peg might just do the trick. :)

... where does one acquire woddens? :U

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Ian

If the bolt/nut rust and weld to each other, bits of wood will not aid in undoing their union. If - and only if - it becomes necessary to re-tighten bolts, getting a spanner in would be the...

Hi Ian

No, I cannot get a spanner on the (internal) nut. I used a screwdriver to wedge it while I tightened the bolt.

You make a good point about being able to undo the nut (to re-tighten) if...

I replaced the coach bolts. I was not happy with the idea of relying on end grain to support the threads.

I really do know know why - call it a senior moment - but I drilled out the first...

Hi Andrew

I am hopeless in judging time for tasks. My wife says I must double or treble anything I imagine! :U

I have the base parts all cut, so that is the next to do.

Then the leg vise,...

Hi Ian

I am in two minds about the bolt holes. One side says the bench is a tool and the bolts are where one adjusts the end cap (which is necessary in this design). The other side wants to build...

Hi Greg

The Benchcrafted tail vise is designed for a bench with a 4" thickness (or greater). A 4" thick end cap is needed so that the handle/wheel can be attached below the bench top.

Of...

Slight tangent ...

With so little room to move in I stumbled over the tail board, which went crashing to the ground, and dented the end near the tails. Fortunately the tails were not damaged....

Transfer the marks ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench%20build/Dovetail7.jpg

Peel away the waste (at this stage I leave the short pins as long pins) ...
...