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  1. 31st December 2006, 11:25 PM #1
    missionaryman
    missionaryman is offline Senior Member
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    Default Building my first workbench - 100% pine free...

    So I haven't really picked up a tool since I left my apprenticeship in 1996 to work in an office but recently I acquired a used Triton MK3 which made some things possible like docking and ripping square.

    I thought the best place to start is with a workbench. I had access to some pretty cheap 190x45 F17 Ash from work and some returned Blackbutt 125x25 posts F17 sawn unseasoned which sat in the warehouse for 2 years air drying and some 180x19 Spotted Gum flooring we're trying out at work - all up it cost me $36 to produce the following out of the above:

    Ash 190x45 2/1.8, 2/0.54 = top rails
    Ash 171x45 3/0.54 = top centre joists
    Ash 90x45 2/1.8, 4/0.54 = bottom rails & joists
    All ex 190x45 4/2.4

    BBT 110x45 4/0.9 = legs (damn this stuff was hard after air drying!)

    S. Gum 180x19 3/1.71 = top

    Nuts, bolts & coach screws about $30

    So far it's cost me about $70 to build this bench which is a bit of a bargain, I just used simple nut & bolt construction for the legs to the frame and coach screws and glue to assemble the top and bottom frames. Nails & Glue for the top. Spotted Gum is used in hammer handles, gun stocks & shovel/axe handles because even though it's dense & hard it absorbs shock very well so I thought it would be a good choice for the top, I could have used Blackbutt which is harder (Janka 11 VS 9) but I went for SG instead, Looks better too.

    Here's some progress pics:









    In the next few days I'll be attaching the bottom frame and then laying the top & leveling it up.
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  3. 1st January 2007, 01:06 AM #2
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    Farm boy
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    well done its great to see a project being built
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  4. 1st January 2007, 06:17 AM #3
    Flowboy
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    That really is going to be a great and strong bench to work on. Most excellent!

    I'd say more but the Eurythmics told me "Don't mess with the Missonary man."

    Rob
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  5. 1st January 2007, 07:58 AM #4
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    Harry72
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    Putting any stretchers between the legs... or a cabinet perhaps?
    ....................................................................
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  6. 1st January 2007, 08:15 AM #5
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    Doughboy
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    Yeah I reckon you are on the right track there. Personally I would go for draws over a cabinet, better use of space. Looking good though.

    Well done so far.

    Pete
    If you are never in over your head how do you know how tall you are?
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  7. 1st January 2007, 11:56 AM #6
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    Cliff Rogers
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    Looks good.
    Cliff.
    If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.
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  8. 12th January 2007, 11:34 PM #7
    missionaryman
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    I forgot to subscribe to my own thread and couldn't find it - very silly.
    Thanks for all the kind words, it's now finished except for the cabinet which I'm still thinking about.

    Here's some more pics:

    Just after level sanding







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  9. 12th January 2007, 11:42 PM #8
    missionaryman
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    And some more pics:



    I only used two rails to one side across the bottom because I thought I'll only put a cupboard half way across then a Spotted Gum board base the other half.

    Oh - and I ran out of coach screws so I borrowed some from the bottom to use on the top, I have since replaced those...



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  10. 12th January 2007, 11:44 PM #9
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    martrix
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    Its looking good and will be nice and strong.

    ....but I think you might have some issues with the top when that timber decides to expand/contract......somethings gotta give.

    A solid timber top should not really be locked in like that. It needs to be free to move with seasonal changes if you want it to stay in good nick for a long time.

    Still, you might get lucky and have no problems...

    my 2c worth
    I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
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  11. 12th January 2007, 11:51 PM #10
    missionaryman
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    Quote Originally Posted by martrix View Post
    Its looking good and will be nice and strong.

    ....but I think you might have some issues with the top when that timber decides to expand/contract......somethings gotta give.

    A solid timber top should not really be locked in like that. It needs to be free to move with seasonal changes if you want it to stay in good nick for a long time.

    Still, you might get lucky and have no problems...

    my 2c worth
    You know I'm the guy on the other end of the 1300 number at Boral Timber that tells people that yet for some reason I don't take my own advice, I have been to site inspections where boards have peaked and tented from taking up moisture.

    As a preventative measure I chamfer the edge of the last board that's hard against the wall (in a house floor) or in this case the frame so that if it does take up moisture and expand it will lift at that edge and a few shaves with the plane level it back up again.

    Very good point though.
    PS, if you've had bad experiences with Boral - please don't take it out me, I truly am one of the good guys in there and also please keep it off this thread, I scarcely can mention that name without getting abused.
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  12. 12th January 2007, 11:59 PM #11
    missionaryman
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    And the last pics after 4 coats of Tung oil seal - I only finished the top, not even for protection but just because I wanted to see the finish after sanding it.
    I level sanded with 40 grit on the 45, then took the scratches off with 60 grit with the grain, then 120, 240 & finally 800.
    If you use fine paper on Spotted Gum with a sander I'm told that you'll cause all the silica to rise to the surface and repel the finish so I hand sanded.












    Now that it's finished I'm selling it on eBay to cover it's cost and the cost of building another - materials only.
    That way I can tell myself it cost me nothing.
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  13. 13th January 2007, 12:00 AM #12
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    Fair enough, at least you know about it.
    It will still be 10x better than my workbench, which consists of an old chipboard cupboard as the base with an old chipboard bench top with another 200mm of chipboard biscuited on to make it wider ....no Vice .

    Are you going to put a vice on it?
    I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
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  14. 13th January 2007, 12:02 AM #13
    missionaryman
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    Quote Originally Posted by martrix View Post
    Fair enough, at least you know about it.
    It will still be 10x better than my workbench, which consists of an old chipboard cuboard as the base with an old chipboard bench top with another 200mm of chipboard biscuited on to make it wider ....no Vice .

    Are you going to put a vice on it?
    Previous to this I was working on the floor with cardboard boxes, that's really no way to live...
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  15. 13th January 2007, 12:03 AM #14
    missionaryman
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    Quote Originally Posted by missionaryman View Post
    Previous to this I was working on the floor with cardboard boxes, that's really no way to live...
    Yes I will put a vice on it, I work right near carbatec so I'll be paying them a visit soon for a vice and some hold downs
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