Pimp my bench

[Wongdai]

Well, build my bench actually. :-

So here I am in my advanced years, not knowing a thing about working with wood, but enjoying what I am doing

I've come the realisation that my current bench is not going to cut it (haw haw). It was made by my now long gone Father out of an old bed frame and pine packing crates. I love it like my brother and will never throw it out, but the bench top planks are cupped and don't meet properly and it is not flat.

So, inspired by some of the posts here on the forum, I have decided to build my own. Probably one in the traditional vein, but I'm not sure I have the skill to make an end vise, or really understand how they are meant to be used.

Also these dogs - not sure what you use them for exactly, but I assume you can add them later, right?

Anyways, I have started at least. I found a demolition yard with some Karri in reasonably good condition so I went along and bought myself 11 three metre lengths of 120X50 Karri. Here is a picture

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/IMG00011.jpg

Then I took it over the FiLs, who has a planer / thicknesser, and we docked them to a bit longer than I want for the bench (1800). Here is a picture of the docked timber.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/IMG00012.jpg

And finally, all dressed up with only one place to go - my shed!

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/IMG00014.jpg

Exciting hey? :B

Well, I'll keep you posted as to how I go stuffing up this perfectly lovely timber.

Wongdai

[orraloon]

That is nice wood. You are off to a good start.

[Woodwould]

Beautiful timber! You'll have to come up with something equally smart for the legs and frame.

[Wongdai]

Thanks all. Hopefully I will have enough for the whole job, but if not, back to the demo yard. :wink:

I'm probably going to need lots of advice and help to get this thing going. Do you think I should build a router table before I start, or will I get through with a router in freehand mode?

Wongdai

[Sleeping Dog]

Nice haul Wongdai, You'd rarely see timber like that in wrecking yards over here.

You sound a bit like myself when it comes to end vices and dogs etc, I'm not sure what it's all about either but they seem to be desired by the owners of exquisite high end planes, chisels and Japanese saws. In other words, our friends from the Darkside:;. My philosophy is if I don't know what the advantage of an end vise etc is then I probably don't need or deserve one.

Besides, if the kids can't crack Macadamia nuts in them, what's the fun in that?:D

Sleepy.

[Alastair]

Hi Wongdai,

I have just gone through this myself.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=78427

Do yourself a favour and visit Keith Ruckers' website below. I based my build loosely on his design, and while there are some areas where he could be a bit clearer, I found it an invaluable resource.

http://pages.friendlycity.net/~krucker/Bench/index.htm

regards

[Wongdai]

Hi there

Yes, Sleeping Dog, you are probably right, however, I would hate not to include one only to find out later that I wished I had. :cool:

Thanks for those links Alastair. With the combination of your piccy thread and the ruckner site, that might be enough to get me by.

I might include a shelf on the bottom though to put things.

Wongdai

[Glennet]

I was in much the same position as you a year ago. I've attached a picture of what I came up with. The base is a design by Graham Sands in the AWR but I got creative with the top.

I drilled a matrix of three-quarter holes for Veritas bench dogs and hold-downs. If you want to use traditional square dogs it would be best to make rectangular cut outs in the planks before you glue them together.

The Veritas hold-down clamps which also fit in three quarter holes are very useful though. I also adapted the Ikea lamp so that it also plugs into a dog hole, so I can move it around easily.

I mainly use the twin screw vise because the jaws stay square, most things fit between the screws. The conventional vise is only good for small bits, if I was building another bench I probably wouldn't fit one. I would probably fit a shoulder vise instead, but I didn't feel sufficiently confident.

I realised later that the jaw on the twin screw vise is about half the proper thickness.

The apron at the front is useful for larger pieces. The T square thing slides along on a track and you can rest one end of large object on it. It is not really necessary but it comes in useful to support something while I clamp it.

Make sure you make the bottom of the apron thick enough for a clamp, so you can clamp things to the bench. You can't have too many ways of clamping things.

The drawers in the base are very convenient, and the weight of all the tools adds stability to the bench. The drawers are on a subframe with its own runners so that the set pulls out as a unit until the face is flush with the bench and then the individual drawers pull out in the usual way. It was in AWR in 2007, I can't recall which issue.

It was a good first project. I learned a lot about woodworking and I've got a bench that works very well for me. Hope these thoughts are useful.

[Woodwould]

Glen, that's a very handsome and functional bench. :2tsup:

[Wongdai]

Thanks Glen,

That's really useful. I do like the idea of having drawers.

Tell me, are the brass looking things sticking out from teh T-square thing, the "dogs" that everyone refers to?

Also, I want to get started on this, but am afraid to start as my ideas are not clear. Is patience crucial at this stage, or should I just get into it?

I was going to start tonight by docking the top timber to length and commence drilling the dowel holes, but you caution as to cutting the dogs first made me wonder.

I might go to the library first and search for the issue with your plans in it. :roll:

Wongdai

[Glennet]

Wongdai - The brass things are the shorter version of dogs that Veritas calls 'pups'. I got the dogs initially but my bench is only about 35mm thick and found them too cumbersome. The top was supposed to be rather thicker, but I was a slow learner on how to plane big bits of wood flat.

If you are using round dogs I'd cut the holes the very last thing after the bench is constructed and assembled so you can get an accurate grid and be sure there is clearance under the bench. I spent some time drawing it out roughly in chalk to make sure I had it right before accurate marking with pencil and drilling (with a good quality HSS forstner bit). Remember you need to be able to lean under the bench and push the dogs out, usually you can pull them out from on top but they can get pushed down too far or jam, so positioning is critical.

I had some plans for a bench that used square dogs and it said to cut rectangular notches in the planks so that they become square holes when you glue the planks together, but I'd recommend using round dogs unless you are a died in the wool traditionalist.

I'm a get stuck into it person by nature, also I find it hard to plan a job unless I know exactly what I'm doing, and one step often suggests the next. However we are never short of kindling to light the fire. I started with the base because I had Graham's quite detailed plans, and thought about the top while I was building that.

Woodwould - thanks for the kind remarks. I know your opinion is much respected on this forum.

[Wongdai]

Thanks Glen

That's really useful.

I have a clear picture in my mind of how I want it to be now, so all I have to do is work out how to put it together. :rolleyes:

I'm wondering if I should wait to start until I get myself a bandsaw. What do you think?

Wongdai

[Glennet]

Hi Wongdai


I'm wondering if I should wait to start until I get myself a bandsaw. What do you think?I didn't get my bandsaw until after I finished the bench, but in hindsight it would have made life a lot easier and I'd have saved a bit of wood and work.

[blockhed]

so this timber is Karri!
they knocked down an old house down the road and the timber joists for the flooring had free wood put on it, so i swooped. it is heavy and hard, so i thought it must have been Jarrah! it's cleaned up exactly the same as yours Wongdai.
is there much difference between Karri and Jarrah?
one piece fell on the floor and i jumped back out of the way, and it bounced back at me just to hit me on the foot OUCH!!!!! etc.
regards
the block:2tsup:

[dennford]

It's hard to tell by looking, but I guess it is more than likely jarrah, cos if it was karri the whiite ants would have had it!!:D They love karri but find jarrah indigestible.

Denn

[Burnsy]

If you want to know whether it is Jarrah or Karri, cut a large splinter of it (match size) and light it up. Karri will turn to white ash, jarrah will turn to charcoal.

Then again being on the other side of the continent, what is the chance it could be some eastern stater like redgum?

[echnidna]

theres a pronounced difference in the grain of redgum and jarrah, hard to confuse them

[blockhed]

If you want to know whether it is Jarrah or Karri, cut a large splinter of it (match size) and light it up. Karri will turn to white ash, jarrah will turn to charcoal.

Then again being on the other side of the continent, what is the chance it could be some eastern stater like redgum?

ok thanks Burnsy, i'll do that tomorrow.
i know it's not redgum, i've handled some before and it was no where near as heavy.
regards
the block
:U

[Wongdai]

Mine is definitely karri. I know about the burn test but I don't need to do it to tell the difference. :-

I'm gong to try and wait for the bandsaw before I start I think.

[Wongdai]

Hi Wongdai

I didn't get my bandsaw until after I finished the bench, but in hindsight it would have made life a lot easier and I'd have saved a bit of wood and work.

lol

I can't believe it. I rang Carbatec to go buy myself a BAS-350, and they don't have any in stock.

Looks like I have to wait another week before starting. :doh:

[blockhed]

i lit a small piece and the thin edges had a white outlining, but the majority just turned black. i'll definitely get some pics and a post going shortly, as this is going to be my work bench also. i'm a bit slow, so i'll get a bit done first and then start a post.
regards
the block
:U

[Wongdai]

It's not Karri then. Karri burns pure white.

[blockhed]

ok, thanks Wongdai.
is Karri heavy and dense like jarrah?
if you don't mind me asking, what is the price of this fine looking timber?
it looks awfully expensive.
regards
the block
:2tsup:

[Glennet]

lol

I can't believe it. I rang Carbatec to go buy myself a BAS-350, and they don't have any in stock.

Looks like I have to wait another week before starting. :doh:

I got the Woodfast one, I've been happy with it except the bearings on the blade guides failed pretty well straight away because they weren't the fully sealed type. If I'd known I'd have replaced them with good quality ones to start with; I'm not sure if the Carbatec machine has the same problem. The good ones only cost a few dollars, they are the same ones they use on skateboard wheels.

[artme]

Off to a good start with that woodheap :D:D Wongdai!:2tsup::2tsup:
Can´t wait to see the finished product.

[Wongdai]

OK, I've got myself a bandsaw (finally) and I'm ready to start.

I want to start on the top and have been looking at some plans, in particular the ones here: http://pages.friendlycity.net/~hrucker/Bench/Workbench.PDF

One thing I don't understand: What is the "dog hole strip" for?

Wongdai

[artme]

A "dog hole", as the name implies is for a "dog", but not the four legged, canine variety.

A dog is a holding device placed in the dog hole so you can secure pieces of timber firmly and the work on them. There are various types,suggest you look up Veritas cattledog ( sorry - catalogue ) and see their´s. Can even make your own.

[Wongdai]

After only a few hours in Cellist's shed, and some prudent instruction, my confidence has come along ten-fold. In lots of little ways of methods of working have changed.

Anyways, I have completed the tenons for the uprights, and also completed one of the base units.

I certainly need some bandsaw tuition though...

After bandsawing the top arch of the base, and not being able to complete the arc with even my thinest blade (even though the fellow at the shop showed it cutting out a 10 cent piece diameter circle), I had to come up with a method of forming the inner arc. (I was so afraid of breaking the bandsaw blade!)

(Excuse the pics they were takne on my phone).

Firstly, here is my custom made setup for cutting the inner arc using a hole saw on the drill press. :cool:

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/IMG00029.jpg

And the arc...

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/IMG00030.jpg

It's probably not the correct way, but necessity is the mother of invention.

So, once I had done an arc each end, I put it in the bandsaw to cut the straight bit, and guess what happened?

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/IMG00031.jpg

It broke right on the weld. Are Torquata blades any good? :C

So once I replaced the blade with one more substantial, here is the finished (blurry) photo, and you can see my excellent (IMHO) tenons underneath (and also the glued up top).

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/IMG00032.jpg

And here is a better pic of one of the bases.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/IMG00033.jpg

Not perfect, but I am very happy with the result.

HNY

Wongdai

[Pops]

Hi Wongdai,

You have been a very busy chap. I don't know, those base and frame pieces look pretty damn good to me. :2tsup::2tsup:

Mate you are having a go at stuff a lot of others still have not, me for one. Have been 'going to' build a new bench, a proper bench for years. Your an inspiration. :D To lazy blokes like me.

Keep up the progress. It is going to be a mighty fine bench.

Cheers
Pops

[artme]

Looking good Wondai! very good of our musical friend to help you out.:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[blockhed]

:2tsup:
i'd be feeling pretty happy too Wongdai!
it looks like everything is coming along just fine now.
regards
the block
:2tsup:

[simon d]

wow wongdai, Love the equipment.
Next time your doing a round saw-cut in a drill press like that, clamp a piece of waste to the block so that your cutting both good wood and waste at the same time. That'll stop the good timber tearing and it'll reduce the stresses on your drill

[Expat]

Mate don't I wish I could get hold of wood like that here for a bench or anything else for that matter! Beautiful wood and it's being turned into something you'll be proud of and able to hand down for generations to come.

[Wongdai]

After some hours of hot work in the shed, I've now got two very deep mortices and one end of the bench done.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/Photo0078.jpg

The first one took probably four hours, but I got better and the second one took only about two hours. I reckon the next two I'll have done in an hour. :U

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/Photo0081.jpg

Starting to look like a bench.

That's all for this weekend. :~ (SWMBO wants me to do some gardening.)

[Strydr]

:~ (SWMBO wants me to do some gardening.)

Excuse my ignorance, but what does SWMBO stand for ?

[DJ’s Timber]

She Who Must Be Obeyed :;

[Pops]

Hi Wongdai,

Looking great. You will have those mortices and tenons down to a matter of minites after doing a few more. Well done. :2tsup:

I used to get that 'you're needed in the garden' imposition of my shed time too, until I did some gardening with my plumb axe one day. Overhanging branches from the tree a problem? Sure, I can fix that, at the root cause, literally. Strangely I seemed to not be asked to 'garden' much after that. Shame, I like using my Plumb. :D:rolleyes:

Keep up the good work, and the photos. Oh yes, be gentle in the garden, tis a better course to travel in the end. :U

Cheers
Pops

[Wongdai]

Thanks for the encouragement Pops. I'm not too worried about the time aspect of it all really, as I am thoroughly enjoying what I am doing, and am getting a real sense of satisfaction every time I finish each little task.

BTW, my life wouldn't be worth living if I mucked up the finance minister's garden! :C

[mic-d]

looking good Wongdai:2tsup:

Cheers
Michael

[Wongdai]

A quick update to my long time WIP.

I'm really pleased I finally got one rail (or is it a stile?) done, and the through tenons are a treat - almost a perfect fit. I'm getting more confident each time I make a successful component.

After I finish the next rail, its on to the complicated end vise. :C

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/001.jpg

and

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/002.jpg

[blockhed]

lookin' good Wongdai!
the end vice does look complicated. i've downloaded lots of pics from other members posts on their WIP. some are different, but most appear to have the same setup.
it depends on how heavy duty you want to go.
regards
the block
:2tsup:

[Alastair]

Just a suggestion on the end vice.

The most difficult thing, irrespective of the particular design, is to work out (visualise) how the various components fit together, especially their different levels.

What I did, was start with a simple mock-up out of scrap/radiata of the basic frame. This was placed roughly in position, and then cut away, added onto etc, until it fitted the space. The slide blocks and alignment were then clearer to design.

Certainly I would never have got close without this step, so extra time was well worth it.

regards

[Wongdai]

I was sitting here at work, thinking about tonight in the shed, when I realised I might have made an error.

To get those long tenons through, I waxed them to make them slip easier. Is this going to prevent the glue from sticking?

[Pat]

I was sitting here at work, thinking about tonight in the shed, when I realised I might have made an error.

To get those long tenons through, I waxed them to make them slip easier. Is this going to prevent the glue from sticking?

In a word, YES!!!!!!!

Scrap off the wax, maybe a light, light scrub with metho. To get your tenons smooth and glossy, a very sharp chisel or plane blade to "polish" the wood. I never bother as the rough texture of the tenon helps hold on to the glue. Chamfer the top edges of the tenon if it is a tad tight.

[artme]

Great progress mate!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

Save the wax job for something more suitable.:D:D:D

[blockhed]

Just a suggestion on the end vice.

The most difficult thing, irrespective of the particular design, is to work out (visualise) how the various components fit together, especially their different levels.

What I did, was start with a simple mock-up out of scrap/radiata of the basic frame. This was placed roughly in position, and then cut away, added onto etc, until it fitted the space. The slide blocks and alignment were then clearer to design.

Certainly I would never have got close without this step, so extra time was well worth it.

regards

thanks for the tips Alastair!
it's looking a little less complicated now.
regards
the block
:2tsup:

[Wongdai]

A bit more progress.

I had some weird old brass fitting things I found in the shed, so I decided to use those to hold the end caps and back skirt on instead of glueing. They don't come up well in the pic but they look exception in RL.

You will see that the top is still not quite flat, so I will have to take to it with my trusty number 6 and a belt sander.

Tell me, is it ok to plane across the grain, or should I only plane with the grain?

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/bench001.jpg

[Alastair]

Suggested sequence is:

1 Mark very high spots, and attack first to knock them off, either across, or diagonally. Use an open mouth, and a fairly coarse setting, to remove material quickly. Best way to do this is crosshatch the surface with pencil or crayon.

2 Recheck, then work across the grain, working from one end to the other, progressing steadily. (ie one pass)
Repeat in opposite direction.

3 Set plane finer, and work one pass diagonally at 45 deg. Reverse, and repeat, going across previous diagonal at 90 deg.

4 Set for fine cut, and plane with the grain.

Check if any low spots still there, remark with pencil/crayon, and repeat 2, 3, 4 as necessary.

It is most important to proceed methodically, and not stay in one spot, or start over, so that the overall surface will approach level.

HTH

Regards

[Wongdai]

Thanks Alastair.

Much appreciated.

I went out and bought the front vice today. :)

[artme]

Looking good Wongdai.:2tsup:

[Wongdai]

You know, I think everyone should (try and) build a workbench as one of their very first projects. The things I have learned along the way, will go a long way to making my next piece of furniture much better. Any all my mistakes on the bench are hidden out of the way of prying eyes.

Still, I'm proud of the work I have done to date, mistakes and all.

So there I was after work today, with this massive piece of 100x125 Karri which needs the ends sawn off. It will be the front bit that the tail vice butts up to.

Unfortunately I have nothing that will cut through 100mm. I could have done two cuts on the table saw, but with no crosscut sled I was not confident with such a long piece of timber. Same deal with the bandsaw.

Just when I thought I was going to have to gnaw the ends of a thought struck me. How about those $3 saws I bought in a garage sale.

So selecting what I think was the sharpest one, I applied some wax to both sides and let rip. What a pleasant surprise. Although hard work, it was a lot easier than I thought, and the cut was relatively straight.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/IMG_2310.jpg

Three cheers for the dark side!

[Juffy]

You know, I think everyone should (try and) build a workbench as one of their very first projects. The things I have learned along the way, will go a long way to making my next piece of furniture much better.

It's certainly a nice way to practice things without being *too* worried about stuffing it up. I did my first glue-up of lengths to create a board last week, using some of my vast supply of recycled tas oak. It's now the benchtop for my lathe. Came out pretty well, but I definitely need to spend more time dressing it before gluing...

Darksiding is fun, as long as you don't have a deadline. :U

[Wongdai]

Finally done.

What a journey. Made all the more difficult by badly jointed timber up front.

The bench in made from Karri with Lilac highlights on the end vice. The front vice front jaw and tail vice handle are Jarrah. (Thanks Juffy for turning the tail vice handle for me.)

It is finished with three coats of Danish Oil. Don't look too closely at my poor dovetails - I'm sure I will get better with time.

Now I just gotta figure out how to install a deadman.

Here are the pics. I have also posted links to the full sized pics if you want a better look.

I was pretty happy when SWMBO took one look and said "That's too good for the shed." A sentiment echoed by my daughters. :U

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/Bench001-1-1.jpg

Link to bigger pic: http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/Bench001-1.jpg

The following pic shows the end vice. I am so not happy with the rank dog dark piece of Lilac on the end. Someone said it would look good as a feature. I don't like it at all and wish I had used a nice light piece. Oh well.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/Bench002-1.jpg

Link to bigger pic: http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/Bench002.jpg

And the final pic shows the underside. This is not glued as yet, as it is quite firm as it is. I might glue it in the fullness of time.

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/Bench003-1.jpg

And the bigger pic: http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n123/wongdai/wood/Bench003.jpg

And now onto my next project!

Wongdai

[Juffy]

I was pretty happy when SWMBO took one look and said "That's too good for the shed." A sentiment echoed by my daughters. :U

...which can be a problem when the second phrase is "...so why don't you go ahead and put it in <insert room> instead." :)

Looks the business mate, you should be very proud of it.

[Tex B]

Looks fantastic Wongdai! I like the dark piece on the end, highlights the big dovetails.

Should be a treat to work at for many years.

I'm envious :D

Tex

[Wongdai]

Thanks guys. :)

[Alastair]

Well deserved praise

[Johncs]

[quote=Wongdai;980579
Don't look too closely at my poor dovetails - I'm sure I will get better with time.

Wongdai[/quote]

A good way to improve quickly is to get someone who's expert in them to watch you as you make them, and stop you when you do something wrong, and set you straight.

One of the woodworking magazines went through this with a frustrated reader a few months ago, and the improvements were immediate. As I recall, he held the workpiece in his hand when it should have been supported, he used the chisel the wrong way, held the saw wrongly etc etc.

[Wongdai]

Thanks mate

Yes, I saw that video, and it helped a lot. I just need to practice more is all.

My current project has a drawer so I will be getting some practice in the near future.

[Al B]

Great job Wongdai thats a excellent looking workbench. :2tsup:

[artme]

Ah yes Wongdai!! That is agreat bench!!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[Scally]

A great bench Wongdai.

There is a lot of heavy wood work in your bench.

I am sure you will enjoy using it.