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TSO sell plans for the benchtop design I have in mind, although I will probably build a cabinet with drawers rather than use trestles. The idea of the open box is that you need access to the bottom...

I mean crushing under pressure from bench bolts or vice, I agree it shouldn't be an issue where you're using massive tenons and glue.

The shelf under the bench is a handy place to keep bench...

Interesting post. Laminating plywood sounds easier than laminating timber for a bench top, you'd just need a tracksaw / circular saw + angle iron / table saw. No need to thickness. But I'm not...

Thanks all - so not much love for the Laserply idea. The leaky shed is not an easy fix and worth a different thread, but suffice to say I'm just looking for something that will deal with the...

Greetings wise ones

I am about to start building a new workbench, using a torsion box design (the basic design usually credited to Mr Paulk). I am also going to build some shop cabinetry.
...

I've done the same - an old quick release. It works well as an end vice, just not as well as the doe's foot. It's slower and has a tendency to deform the board under pressure.

The idea for the...

I find my end vice gets in the way of sawing off the end (it's a Dawn quick release not an integrated HNT Gordon style device). I'll leave it there for a while and see if it finds a use, but since I...

Another small workbench upgrade - a method for fixing boards for planing.

As usual, this isn't pretty and it isn't my idea. But it costs nothing and works amazingly well - I can finally do away...

If I may resurrect the thread for a moment, how did the shooting board fare over time?

I ask because I'd attempted the project with the laminated Bunnings panels, in my case the beech. It remained...

I agree. The auxiliary jaw isn't my design, but now I'm interested enough to make one and tinker with it. Will report back.

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You could get two for the price of one and stick an auxillary jaw on it for saw sharpening, it's big enough. (Image from Wearing's "Solution at...

A small improvement to make it easier to release the wedge, although it wasn't exactly difficult. Again, almost no force is needed. Note the peg in the bottom of the wedge to keep it captive in the...

Thanks, I'd be interested to see if you can make a less ugly version. McJing make a cheap hardware set that would also do the job and be easier than cutting mortises.



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Enlightening discussion. I think at this stage I'm leaning towards trying out a genno, maybe the 375g head, then making a clobberer out of firewood and comparing the two.

Incidentally, my spare...

This weekend I decided to try out a Moxon vice. I had some scrap construction 2x4s and dowel so knocked this up.

I can't believe how well it works. I initially assumed I'd need to hammer the...

Thanks Derek - what I'm driving at is an understanding of why steel hammers won't destroy hooped chisels (as my mortising chisels are hooped but I still managed to trash one using a lump hammer)....

Silly question but won't a steel hammer of any kind damage the handles?

The chisels I want to be bashing this hard all have steel hoops. These aren't expensive chisels (Titans) but I don't have a...

That looks like a nice hammer and reasonably priced. But the weight is pretty similar to the Thorex. What I'm really after is something that's properly heavy, not a general purpose item.

The...

What do you suggest for mortising hammers?

For regular chisel work I've settled on a Thor nylon faced hammer, which is much better than the old beech hammer it replaced. But it still doesn't have...

Any suggestions on sourcing something flat? I do have some thick glass but it's far from flat (though it's tempered). Would offcuts from fabricated stone benchtop supplier work?


Sent from my...

Got there in the end. Sandpaper wheel on the Dremel plus course silicon carbide grit on the Sigma 120. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210125/cb881df870e2a0317a6c01e527e18a85.jpg

Sent from my...

I did try the CBN wheel on a powered grinder in the name of science and... it wasn't a great idea. I'll try it on the hand cranked version in a few days and report back.

In the meantime I dug out...

I have a Stanley #289 in excellent condition except the blade, which is terrible - but I figure it's worth the effort for this one. I'll try the glass / surface plate and sandpaper option again, I...

It also occurs to me I could put the CBM wheel on my hand cranked grinder (the ultimate variable speed technology) - it should fit. So that would deal with the flying chisel risk...

Sent from my...

Thanks - I remember trying this method some years ago but just found that I was dubbing the edges (and it was more like hours than 15 minutes). I might have another go and see how it works for me.
...

After a decade I have a sharpening system that works well for me now (high speed 6" grinder and a collection of Sigma and Naniwa waterstones).

But I still haven't found a way to prepare the backs...

I don't have the rip sled to hand but there's a helpful YouTube video explaining it: Zero-Clearance Fence for MFT & Sled w/ Fence - YouTube

The normal single piece dogs are about 19.9mm whereas...

See pictures...

A postscript - I purchased a selection of dogs and they all work well enough but the tall Parf Super Dogs together with the rail clips really transform the system - it's extremely easy to adjust the...

Anyone want one of the MFT tops? The total cost was about $160 per piece in the end, I had three made. One is already spoken for. They're MRMDF. The holes are 20.1mm and the pattern otherwise matches...

It seems that the main difference is that the locking dogs can be used with rail clips (rather than rail dogs), they will be potentially be a fraction of a millimetre more accurate, and they won't...

I didn't mention that I bought the Makita setup from Sydney tools and they forgot to post the dust extractor at all.

(Edit: AusDogs did get back to me.)

Anyway before we get completely side...

Maybe. I guess it's striking that I can get a specialist part arrive ony doorstep from a microbusiness in regional California before I get even an email acknowledgement of having handed over a...

Good point.

But in any case the ability to use moisture resistant MDF is important to me given the condensation in my shed and I'd prefer to support a local business right now rather than buy the...

Thanks Midnight Man - I did see them in my research over the last few days. I don't see the rationale for a bigger top just yet and given the CNC option is looking to come in at $50 each plus...

Thanks Jack, I'll get in touch once it's done in a week or so. Separately, I have been following up an earlier forum member's recommendation of the Bora Centipede as a support for the MFT top and...

I've given some further thought to the protractor issue. I do have a few complex angles on the upcoming jobs but don't want to spend hundreds on a tool I'll use once in a blue moon as a renovator /...

AusWide CNC in Bayswater. Helpfully, it's close to Allboards Bayswater, which sells moisture resistant MDF (MRMDF) - albeit it costs more than twice as much as the regular Bunnings MDF since they...

Not sure. Seneca Woodworks provides the plans free of charge in PDF and DXF formats:

Replacement MFT Top CAD Drawings – Seneca Woodworking

The bench dogs would not bear any weight; they would just serve as a reference against which the workpiece is registered for the cut. Vertical clamping force would applied using the Bessy or Quick...

Ah right. I do have some surplus T-Track floating around so I can give that a go.

Mind you, without having thought hard enough about this, given the holes are evenly spaced, couldn't you arrive...

True. Also, I got it wrong originally. The fabrication is only $130.

Plus the cost of MDF or HDD which isn't much.

So assuming it's accurate that's a pretty good deal

EDIT: looks to be coming in at a bit under $200 for the table, compared to $275 for the Festool replacement top. So not a huge saving.

I don't really see the point of all the tracks and so on that...

I've settled on the following system:

- Makita saw and extractor
- Precision Dogs parallel rail
- TSO rail square
- AusDogs rail dogs and table dogs
- MFT pattern table top from local CNC shop...

Precision Dogs makes one for about A$240 posted, plus I'd need to buy some Incra T-Track so the total will be around the $300 mark. Any thoughts?

EDIT: I bought this one because none of the other...

Can the TSO parallel guide be got in Australia?

I went with the Makita, I figure it will be adequate for my purposes (and has longer rails included) and that the temptation to plug myself, or more precisely my credit card details, into the Festool...

Thanks all, sage advice as always - I decided to to go with the Makita.

As far as benchtop setup goes, I have a few damaged doors floating around so planned to throw one on top of my (Nicholson...

I think I'm pretty sold on getting a track saw, but there's still a pretty significant price difference between the Makita and the Festool (and the latter has more expensive blades too). I reason...

Is it worth investing in a track saw and a shop vac - most of the tool outlets sell a Makita package for about $1800? (Alternative recommendations welcome.)

I'm going to start building banquet...