10 ft. Jointer's Bench for Farm Museum

**ryry** · 24th July 2010, 01:48 AM

Hi all,

This is my first post in this forum and my first foray into this type of woodworking. Over the summer I will be developing a woodworking shop for a community museum in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia (Not a bad summer job

). I thought it would be a good idea to record my progress here so that I could get advise, critique, and comments along the way. I'm learning as I go along, so any insight would be very much appreciated.

My main objective in this shop is to have our bench done by the end of the summer. We are trying to accomplish this using hand tools (for the most part) and whatever existing timbers are available as we don't have the budget to accommodate the purchase of more wood. Being that it is a farming museum, I have almost any hand tool you can imagine at my disposal. Whether or not it's in working order is another question...

The bench design is centred around using three 3"x11.5"x13' pine beams which I believe were recovered from a church in the area. They have been strengthened to prevent splitting by cross-bolting with 5/8" threaded rod 4 times along the 10 ft length of the bench top and skirt. This was a very time consuming process (T-augers and counter-boring with a gouge), but is now complete. The legs are 6x6s, 36" high and will be mortise and tenoned into the top. That is where we're at right now. The means by which we attach the skirt and how the rest of the base will be constructed remains to be seen. Below are pictures of the shop, timbers, and a mock-up of what she should look like.

It's been a lot of fun so far! I'm eager to pump out some mortise and tenons. I've been practicing my joinery on smaller stock so hopefully that success will lend to my ability to cut and fit these joints.

**NCArcher** · 24th July 2010, 10:15 AM

Good luck with the project. Do a forum search on building benches, there is wealth of information on here. Keep us updated

**tea lady** · 24th July 2010, 10:32 AM

Certaninly sounds like a great summer job. And some lovely big bits of wood there. I'll be watching with interest.

And welcome to the forum.

**Christos** · 24th July 2010, 09:55 PM

Cool a work in progress. And an old one.

Welcome to the forum.

**BozInOz** · 28th July 2010, 07:37 PM

Interesting project. I look forward to watching it come together.

**GraemeCook** · 30th July 2010, 10:53 AM

Good Morning Ryry

Firstly, welcome to the forum. And what a first post! I also work as a volunteer with our local maritime museum so I know the issues you are considering. Basically zero budget, and you want a bench that is both usable and functional, but aesthetically consistent with your collection and ethos.

I love the scale of your drawings; that bench should be quite stable, and not get shoved around the workshop... Hard to saw a moving target accurately! Your bench is quite similar to one my great-great....grandfather brought to Oz when he migrated in 1818 - leg vice, bench dog holes, front apron. very heavy english oak, and nothing else. WIP held in place on bench to with dogs and opposed wedges. Simple and effective.

I hope you do not mind me making a couple of constructive suggestions:

* Work needs to be held in place on the bench top - usually by bench dogs - easiest to plan placement of holes now. If square holes then best to rout them before assembling bench top. Round dog holes can be bored any time.

* People either love or hate tool troughs - which camp are you? They make dog hole placement decision more complex.

* Leg vice is out of scale. It should reach to ground level so that the angle of adjustment remains as close to parallel to the face as possible.

* If leg vice is angles at about 15* to vertical it is more efficient at clamping large things to the front face (eg doors under construction/repair).

* deadman holes on front skirt make it easier to hold long pieces in the leg vice.

Probably the three best books on workbenches are those written by Scott Landis, Christopher Schwarz and Lon Schleining - worth a library visit, at least.

Good luck and cheers

Graeme

**jshalay** · 19th August 2010, 07:59 PM

what's the go with the timber in the middle of the top being lower?

family farm has one of these. it's pretty beat up but has the original wooden vice to the ground and all that. covered in motor oil...

perhaps i'll talk my brother in law outta it. haha

**Manuka Jock** · 19th August 2010, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by jshalay

what's the go with the timber in the middle of the top being lower?

A place for your small tools to be out of the way when working big pieces that span the full width of the bench

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