Thread: Basic bench on bench

Cool, strange twisted brain but cool.

man after my own heart - making it up as he goes along I'm doing that right now with a cowl to catch the dust off the lathe. Face broke out this week after some serious sanding on Huon and SS Oak.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

strange twisted brain

Ha!, I'll have you know I resemble that remark.

Seriously, it's been a bit of a trend lately - there are a few build threads and various youtube vids on making these things. They are useful for fine work where you need the work closer to eye level.

I did say cool.

Twice.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Twice.

....and I believed you the first time

Where there is a will there is a way. I like to see how people make the best of what they got at the time.
Regards
John

And here it is finished.......

Done 2.JPG Done 1.JPG

Yes, a cool little bench. But you need a 'Moxon' style vise on the opposite side, too, so you can hold wider boards vertically.
It was something more like yours that I had in mind when I started making my own bench-bench a few months ago. You stuck to your script, while I let mine lead me astray & ended up with something quite different from what I had in mind when I started.

Fortunately, like you, I'm happy with the result.....
Cheers,

Ian,

I read and enjoyed your bench-bench thread, and it did form part of the inspiration for this one even though yours was a vastly more intricate beast.
As for the Moxon vice, I am thinking of having a stand alone clamp on version, similar to one of the "bench bulls" mentioned in another thread recently.
Once I have my front and tail vices mounted this should give me all the holding options I need without having a bench-bench that I can't lift or a main bench that's too complex.

Well, that's the plan anyway........

Originally Posted by labr@

......Once I have my front and tail vices mounted this chould give me all the holding options I need without having a bench-bench that I can't lift or a main bench that's too complex.....

Well, that's the plan anyway........

Yeah, well, it's good to have an overall game plan Bob, and you certainly will end up with a few holding options. You've certainly got a good start, with a decent bench that will allow you to try a few ideas out as you make things. It may serve you for the rest of time, or we may see you using it to build your 'ultimate' bench a few years from now.

When I made my first bench or two, the only holding devices I knew about apart from the metal vises like Record & Dawn were those screw-up aluminium bench-stops. I thought one of those, plus a front-vise was the ultimate in luxury! When I built my main bench I wanted a quick-action vise but money was tight & so it didn't get one. Instead, I made my own front vise, which by good luck more than good management has turned out to be much more suited to my work habits. That was also the bench for which I made my first ever tail-vise, & that was the real revelation. I could get by without a front vise if I had to, but I would be lost now without a tail vise.

I guess what I'm getting at is that unfortunately, we don't know for sure what we are going to need/want for holding devices until we are well into our woodworking careers. We each do a different mix of tasks, so what is ideal for one may be quite unsuitable for another. I've seen several ideas over the years & thought 'Gee, that's nifty, gotta have one of those', but I usually don't get around to actually making whatever it was that took my fancy, and it's soon forgotten. Whether I didn't really need it, or never got to find out how useful it is, I'll never know.

One exception to the rule has been the so-called 'Moxon' vise. I'd been telling myself for years that I needed something better than clumsy solutions like clamping carcase pieces to the front apron of the bench for dovetailing, and finally got my act together after Derek Cohen put his up a few years back. The 'Moxon' just makes things so much more convenient! That original 'Moxon', was thrown together with my typical haste, and although it worked well enough, I soon wished I'd made it wider between the screws, and the base could've been a bit wider for better stability, too. So I started the 'bench-bench' project with the main aim of improving on that, plus getting a small elevated work area. What threw my original concept off track was the piece of wood I'd put aside for the job. It was a lot bigger than actually needed, but it was such a nice, perfectly quarter-cut piece that I wanted to use it all, and so my ideas grew along with it. But again, luck was on my side & it's turned out more successful than my original concept. At the cost of a slightly more cramped shed, I now have my dovetailing vise conveniently ready to go at any time, plus a small bench which is higher than the regular one, and I don't have to figure out where to store a 'bench-bench' when it's not being used!

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

and I don't have to figure out where to store a 'bench-bench' when it's not being used!

Cheers,

Coincidentally I spent some time yesterday afternoon select timber to make some under bench rails to store mine. There will be a few other things to reside there as well and having the rails resting on the feet of the bench means all of that will add mass to help stop the bench moving around.

On the subject of the Moxon, you mentioned that your first was not wide enough so how wide would you recommend between the screws based on your experience?

Originally Posted by labr@

.... you mentioned that your first was not wide enough so how wide would you recommend between the screws based on your experience?....

Depends what you want to hold in it! The first vise I made had about 450mm clear between the screws, iirc, but I really wanted to be able to hold up to 600mm wide carcase sides in it. So vers 2.0 has that capacity (just!). That's quite a long span & the front jaw needs to be fairly substantial so that it doesn't flex. I used a piece of ~45mm thick Forest Red Gum, which I faced with a 12mm thick piece of pine to make it a bit more gentle on furniture parts. FRG is pretty substantial stuff, and that thickness seems to be quite stiff enough for the span. I placed the screws a bit closer than I needed to, but I was worried they might foul the front vises. In the event, there was no conflict & I could've had another 100mm or so gap between them. However, as they are, it's a comfortable reach to operate both, so I'm pretty happy with the ergonomics. Maybe vers.2.1 could be a bit wider, but on the rare occasion I want to hold something more than 600mm wide, I'll find a work-around.....

Cheers,

Nice build - are you allowed to use it in the dining room?