Jarrah Workbench

[sandman]

Have been working on making a workbench that hopefully will be around for many many years to come. I checked out several different plans/drawings/books on the subject & then modified what I'd seen & read to suit me. This basically is home to the majority of my hand tools now.
It is made from recycled Jarrah, that came out of some very old roof trusses.
Looked like crap when I purchased it but with some machining, it revealled some magnificent timber under the surface. I purchased a Metal detector from MIK which paid for itself about four times over as most of the screws/nails had been removed, but theres always the odd one you don't see that can stuff up the planer blades!
The cupboard doors are jarrah veneer on MDF as I had some from another project left over. The drawers are all half blind dovetails on metal runners with solid bottoms to take weight of tools.
I'll post a couple more pic's for your constructive criticism's.
I also would like some advice on drilling perpendicluar holes in top for bench dogs.
Regards Sandman

[sandman]

This is a pic of the drawers. Purchased Eurojig only to find it was crap, then got Leigh jig.
Now veddy happy man!!!

[Gumby]

I also would like some advice on drilling perpendicluar holes in top for bench dogs.
Regards Sandman

aaaaaarrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

The thought of drilling through that bench makes my blood go cold. It's beautiful....don't you dare lift a hammer or anything else anywhere near it !! ;)

I'm jealous....gonna log off and go have a sulk in the corner. :(

[sandman]

Used h/d locking castors on all legs & it doesn't budge when locked yet I can move it to wherever I need it to go.
Finished in triton oil- burnished finish.
Need to know if it would work using router with 1/4" drill bit to drill perpendicular holes through top to acommodate bench dogs, or would it be too many RPM'S??? (or too dangerous??)
Look forward to your response.
Regards Sandman.

[LineLefty]

Great work sandy

As far as I know you dont actualy want them perpendicular, but actually on a 2 or 3 degree slope towards the tail vise.

But I agree gumby, it's going to take courage to drill through that sweet looking top with a spade bit. Any reason you didnt put some square bench dog-holes in?

I could use a metal detector myself. I recently hit a nail with a painstakingly sharpened/tuned old wooden smothing plane. snik snik snik sn.......clunk.

Addendum:
And I notice the little green kids trolley and plastic ball in the background. You managed to find time to build that bench with the little tackers running around?! Do they still recognise you?

[outback]

Seriously attractive piece of furniture.

How thick is the skirt, and the jaw liner for the vice ?

I'm just retinkering my bench, and adding a skirt so am curious of yours and others ideas.

Also i notice your skirt is under the bench top, I thought it was more traditional for the skirt to come to the top of the bench.

The only advice I can offer is to remove castors and place the whole thing indoors, it's way too good for workbench!

[Driver]

Also i notice your skirt is under the bench top, I thought it was more traditional for the skirt to come to the top of the bench.


After taking another look at your avatar, I'm not surprised you think the skirt should come to the top of the bench! :eek: What do you get up to out there in the outback, outback? :D

[derekcohen]

Need to know if it would work using router with 1/4" drill bit to drill perpendicular holes through top to acommodate bench dogs

Sandman

That is one beautiful bench!!

It is certainly worth the while to do the benchdogs correctly.

I would NOT attempt to use a 1/4" drill bit in a router. DON"T TRY IT!!!! :eek: DANGEROUS :eek:

In any event, you do not want 1/4' bench dogs. You want 3/4" holes. This way you can use both ready-made dowels or all the Veritas accessories (which use a 3/4" round rod).

Either drill with a portable drill press, or plunge with a router.

Their arrangement depends on the placement of your vises.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Rocker]

Sandman,
You would have made life much easier for yourself if you had drilled the holes in the boards for the top on a drill press before fitting them to the bench. As Derek says, you can now either use a portable drill press to drill the holes with a 3/4" forstner bit, or else you can rout them. However, ordinary 3/4" straight router bits are not suited to drilling deep holes. You need a spiral bit, but, as far as I am aware, a 3/4" spiral router bit is not available from Australian suppliers. You can get one from Lee Valley though, see code 86J01.42 at

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&page=42891&category=1%2C46168%2C46171&ccurrency=2

You could perhaps just drill them freehand with a forstner bit; it probably wouldn't be disastrous if they are not precisely vertical, but I think that with such a handsome bench it would be worthwhile to do the job properly.

Rocker

[Wayne Davy]

You can get one of those drill guide attachments for your handheld drill that can be set to any angle from Carbatec for $25.
http://www.carbatecvic.com.au/shop/customer/product.php?productid=12435&cat=&page=1
http://www.carbatecvic.com.au/shop/stkimgs/96302/96302m.jpg


Alternately, you could make a guide block from a thick piece of Hardwood on the drill press at the correct (slight) angle and use it to guide the bit.

In any case, I would be doing quite a few tests before attacking that lovely, lovely bench. Very very nice work mate!!

[Geoff Sims]

Sandman, that is one seriously lovely piece of work.

Are you really going to use it as a workbench? IMHO it should be inside the house, not in the shed. I think you should reconsider.

Certainly worthy of a green dot.

Cheers

[sandman]

:) Thanks for all the input folks, I really appreciate it!
To answer some of your queries: the skirt is 28mm around the top & bottom,
I was only planning to use 1/4" drill bit to start the holes in top as I have already purchased the bench dogs etc from MIK and am ready to install.
I don't plan to do spray jobs etc on the bench as I have the crappy old mobile bench (8'x4'x1 1/4" mdf) to do dirty work on.
depending upon what I use bench for, I place an old sheet 3 ply on top first.
I think maybe the drilling guide from Carbatec maybe the go!
Regards Sandman.

[Eastie]

Sandman,
My advice to you is to hit it with a hammer - get it over and done with :D

Eastie

[Ben from Vic.]

Here follows my 2.2 cents worth......

I'm in the process of (slowly) making my own work bench and will be drilling all my dog holes as close to vertical as possible, the reason for this is that (i believe) having your holes angled is to resticting.

You won't be able to use any of the veritas products because they are deigned to work with straight holes (they angle the face that contacts the work, instead)

Having straight holes will allow you to clamp from any direction and off either vise on your bench.
Angled allows you to use only one vise and clamp in one direction.

In addition to a couple of Veritas dogs I'll be making my own out of some 19mm dowl I got from Bunnings.
Start with a square piece of wood, say 50mm x 50mm x (thinner than your work piece) angle all the sides slightly down, drill a hole in the middle for your dowl, glue the dowl in, done. :)

In addition the 'square' piece of wood can be shaped to match the curve on the job your making, the possibilities are endless (long piece of wood, two dowls to make a long dog. Jigs, bench hook, shooting board, etc just need two dowls to locate and hold on bench....).


If your going to get one of those drill guides from Carba-tec, make sure you check it well, I have one that is almost the same, and it's no help at all, I can do way better by eye (especialy with one other person watching from the side) I'm not that good, the guide is cr@p :( . Carba-tec's is the new model and may be better.


That may have been 4.4 cents worth. :o

Ben. :)

[sandman]

Thanks Ben.
I will check the drill guide first if I go that way. My alternate method is to use the Variable speed router to plunge a pilot hole first on lowest speed of course and then to finish off with 3/4" bit as you suggest- not angled!
If I suspect the router's slowest speed (Makita 3612c) is too fast, I won't do it that way. If I do use the router to plunge pilot hole, what is best method of ensuring router doesn't skate across timber top????
If this were to happen, you would hear me from where you are!

Maybe the good old hardwood block(pre drilled) is the go eh?
Regards Sandman.

[Rocker]

Sandman,

I agree that Wayne's suggestion of a pre-drilled hardwood block is the simplest solution to your problem. You will need to use a long enough piece of wood so that you can clamp it down effectively at the sides of the top.

Rocker

[Ben from Vic.]

Like the others, I'd go with a nice long auger bit and a guide block of the hardest timber you can find, I'd even consider laminating it like ply wood (grain going two different directions) so that your drill bit has plenty of hard end grain to rub against.

Just a thought. ;)

Ben. :)

[LineLefty]

Can you not just open the doors and sit the drill press base inside cabinet and use a drill press to get your vertica............hang on thats a stupid idea, or is it?

[ryanarcher]

Hey Sandman,
Is that a Tormek machine I see in the background? Good Man :D Beautiful work by the way.
-Ryan

[outback]

Just been sticky beakin' at the pics again for my own info and just noticed.
Do you generally use the lefter of ya two hands, or is there another reason for locating the front vice at the right hand end?

[sandman]

Hi Ryan, yep! I only just purchased the Tormek with the full jig kit.
Bloody amazing what it's capable of in just a short time. I havent' used the other 2 bench grinders since I bought it!

As for my vice positions, I am right handed but, have always for some reason or another, had the vice in that position and now like it like that.
Very observant Ozwinner as when I posted pic's I wondered how long before somebody bought it up!

I'm off on a couple of weeks working holiday and unsure how I will cope without my new bench, so have taken pic with me!

Have a good weekend folks,
Regards Sandman. (working today). :D

[CanFly]

What? This is a workbench? Mmm!

A superb work bench which one day will be full of scratches, glue spots, etc, and it will still look nice!

CanFly

[MajorPanic]

You bloody beaudy Mate!! http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon14.gif http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon14.gif

I'm sure that it will bring you enjoyment for years to come :D :cool:

Excellent work!!

[sandman]

I can assure you that even 7months down the track, workbench has been given damn good work out and yep, still looks fantastic!
Time is not an issue for something like this, I purpose built it to last as an "heirloom for my son James (if he shows an interest when he gets older. He's only 2 1/2 now so, I get to use it for a long while to come).
To preserve top of bench I slip on a old sheet of 3 ply to preserve it.
I do treat it with respect but don't allow it to just sit in shed gathering dust.
It contains most of my hand tools all laid out within drawers.
At first I thought the locking castors would be the weak point as far as sturdiness goes, but they have proven to be a great addition as they allow it to be moved around (no light weight) and is rock solid (when required)as castors have both a swivel & rotating brake.
Thanks for the comments guys.
Kind regards,
Sandman. :D

[Dazaster]

Great work Sandman!

As for the holes a hardwood block and a forstner bit as this gives a nice clean cut. You could drill a shallow hole for the forstner bit then drill right through for the size of the shaft, attach your drill to the top. Add a fence to the side of your block to give you your distance from the edge of the bench.

Ive added some pics if this doesn't make any sense.

Regards

Darren

[gatiep]

Sandy

Take the vices and the castors off and give it to some nice chic as a

trousseaux kist! ( Sorry for a moment I can't remember the Oz word, as for spelling.......)

Seriously though, its a magnificent piece of Furniture! Well done.

Dazaster......A very clever way of getting the hole vertical. 10/10 mate!

:)

[Dazaster]

A wider block and a dowel could be used to give distance from each hole. As with a finger joint jig.

Darren

[sandman]

Very clever Darren, I Like the way you think.
Good diagrams help too mate!
Best method of accuracy I've come across for the job at hand.
Good Point.
Kind regards Sandman.

[Dazaster]

Gave me a good excuse to try and learn this CAD program I've got.;) Daz