last minute check on my design for my bench

[RobTro]

G'day all. I hvae my bench design pretty well finalised and I would like you feedback before I start making the base frame.


My original plan was to have the stretchers come in at the same line but I thought the tennons would be too short.
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So I raised the short end stretchers up and used longer tennons.
Good call??? See below.

Question 1
The RHS leg to top tennon is shown going into a mortise between the spruce top and the dense tropical hardwood edge strip. Is this OK? Was going to drawbore them in.

Or should I change it to a cut out and narrower tennon like on the LHS at the vice?

Question 2
The short stretchers:- With timber I have now I can get about 55mm long tennons. But for the width of tennon and the 5x rule for the length, I should go for through tennons or near to. Would 55mm tennons be OK for racking or should I really get some longer wood for longer tennons?

Any general comments on the design? The spruce top is already glued up. But I haven't put the hardwood edge strip on yet. Trying to get some glue. It is yellow balau (serranganbatu) so am worried about it maybe a bit oily. It doesn't seem to be but I suppose teak doesn't either. I was going to use Titebond III to glue the edge strip on, but I might have to get a differnt glue....Would Titebond III work?

(actually I've been using the spruce top on my saw benches to dimension timber for some doors)

Thanks for any ideas and feedback

Rob

[RobTro]

Here are the pics. They didn'y come out

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[RobTro]

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[Tonyz]

cant help with ideas but I like the plan design is that google sketchup or what?

[zenwood]

I'm not sure what the question is. Only comment would be maybe to raise the long stretcher a bit so you don't ding your ankles on it all the time. Rigidity might be improved by the addition of a top apron running front to back between the legs. This would also simplify joining the top--- I use a coach screw going into the top from underneath, screwed through the apron.

Nice sketchup design too BTW.

[silentC]

addition of a top apron running front to back between the legs
I agree. It's somewhat unusual to mortice the legs straight into the top like that. Normally, you would have a top rail between each pair of legs and the top fixes to that. The rails are fixed to the legs either with wedged through tenons or a bridle joint.

I would also lift the stretchers so that they are more in the middle. This will help prevent racking and allow you to get a broom under there :)

[RobTro]

HI Zen and SilentC,

The design originated from a roubo style bench but I have alwways thought it was a good idea to have a twin screw front vice. And recently Christopher Schwarz made a bench similar to what I was envisaging. So I know it should work. And, I don't know, I just feel like having a go.
Without the top short stretchers, it will give me a bit more space and flexibility with the bench.

I will be putting drawers and a cabinet under the bench so I don't want to raise the bottom stretcher a lot. My shed is on the samll side. (read VERY VERY small) so space is premium so I need storage and versatility.

P.S. I am at the beginning of making the doors for my shed (ie. dimensioning the lumber for the doors by hand) and when it is all done, I'll post some pics. It might open some eyes to how lucky you are with space.:))


At the moment I would like to know if 55mm long tennons into the legs would be too short. I think they are but would like to get some other opinions.

Rob.

[funkychicken]

Going all fancy with tenons and dowels and such, eh?

I just went for 4x2 hardwood and coach screws - solid as a rock it is!:2tsup:


And nice sketchupping there:2tsup:

[thumbsucker]

Rob regarding the through tenons in Japan it is customary not to show end grain this is often attributed to aesthetics. However in a high humidity climate like Japan you want to reduce the exposed end grain to reduce the amount of movement in the joint due to shrinkage and swelling over the year. For this reason I would not use through mortise and tenons.

Best luck with bench. I am aiming for almost complete replica of the twin screw Swartz bench. It is a very cool design and for hand tool work it is :2tsup: