Thread: Frank Klausz/European Workbench WIP

I am just wondering if you really think that frame is solid enough

I'd forgotten about this. Must dig out those pics I promised and see if I can download them!!


H ow's the rug rat??

artme

yeah, good to be bck in the garage whittling away! And there is great news on the horizon, I have commisioned the missus to go and find us a home to buy, the major consideration is that I need a big shed!!!! So hopefully I can move into a proper work space in the near future.

The rug rat is terrific....super cute and of course the apple of daddy eye! I have had too much stuff going on but I feel energized again to attack the top for the bench now.

Hey Brian - good to see you back at it. Having ankle-biters at foot tends is a big dampener on shed time, but cheer up - when they grow up & leave home you have unfettered time at the bench again. Takes about 30 years on average, these days, by the time they finish school, university, postgraduate training & internships & become independant.

Anyway, the bench is looking good. Hope you kept up the gym work during the year, so you can still move those bits around....

Cheers,

Hi Ian

Thanks mate, yeah life with Maddison is getting more hectic by the day, point in case yesterday the missus and i loked like we were on spin cycle all washed up! Thank the Lord she went to sleep and we both just passed out.....

yeah it's great to see the base done and I can't wait to get cracking on the top.

I have been tinkering a little to keep the skills going.

Brace yourself for the barrage of emails and calls re those complicated vises......lol

Hope your well


Bryan

Well I am plucking up the courage to launch and glue up the top,


Questions:

• The fit - I have edge planed the boards and the are a 90% fit, as mentioned before I do have a “sprung joint” but a few licks of my No 7 and the gap should be perfect. The gap as it stands now does close without any light coming through so its nearly there.

• Thickness planning – I am yet to surface plane the boards to final thickness. Do you think it’s a good idea to do this on glue up day?

• Connecting – I have the ¼ inch slot cutter ready to go and I will buy some ¼ inch plywood this weekend so this can be done on glue up day after final thickness is achieved.

• Clamps – I have two long pipe clamps, two sash clamps, two super grip clamps (which are good) and four Stanley quick grip style weaker clamps that are pretty crap. Do you think I need to invest in some Bessey style clamps or maybe make up some more ¾ pipe style clamps?

Grain Direction - is there a specific grain direction to adhere to when glueing up a top? Bill was telling me something about ultenitive grain direction but I have forgotten what he said....any advice here?

I have attached a few pics for your perusal……let me know

(The top board still needs to get cut to size , it will be shorter to accommodate the vice.)

bench top.JPG

Bryan - I would have thicknessed the boards weeks ago!

There are two schools of thought in laminating boards for a bench top or similar. The majority opinion is to alternate the growth rings so that each alternate board will cup in opposite directions as it moves. The minority school says glue so that the laminated boards will all cup in the same diretion, as this can be easier to control, and you don't get a washboard effect. It depends a lot on the thickness of the timbers & how much movement you are likely to get. If your top were to arch, I think you might need a 10 tonne weight to pull the sucker down!

Cheers,

Hi Bryan,
It looks good. Once the top is glued up you'll find a new momentem. If you can, try and have all the grain going the same direction, just to make dressing the top easier.

Hi Ian/Bill

Yeah I know, I know........I have been gagging to get these boards glued up but between working a 60 hour week, changing nappies and swimming lessons every bloody stinking Saturday morning get a few hours to myself has been impossible.......(bring in the tears and crying music now!) .

However I have cracked the whip and told SWMBO that this weekend IS the weekend I get it done!(hopefully!) My mate Brian is going to come over and give me a hand so hopefully by Sunday arvo we should have everything glued up.

Your right Bill, once I get the main top glued up the end caps and the rest should follow pretty quickly.

In the words of Black Adder - Lord Flashheart - Chocks away.....last one backs a homo!

Bump

Ok so I decided to start the top. The problem is wielding massive timbers by myself is not an option. They needed to be ripped jointed and planned and getting strong arms to help is harder than you think.

I managed to do two seven and a half sections, I used techna glue maaaaaan this stuff is messy and it is terrible to clean up. Anyway now that I have two sections done i will start on workin on the bench dog strip and then glue that 5.5 inch section together but that is a way away still.

I splashed out and purchased myself the Lie Nielsen tail vice.
Phere is a pic of the glue up and I found a few unpublished pics of the stretches when I oiled them up, it gives you an idea of their mass!

so with all this rain in Brisbane the coffee table Shellac finishing was put on hold and one of my neighbours who is a really good woodworker came over to give me a hand.

We glued up the second 7 inch section and I have to say that having someone that actually knows what they are doing makes the stress of a glue up a tad less.

After we popped the two section on the base and then I layed out the front boards to get an idea of how its going to look. I will attack the dog holes next and I have glued up the end caps ready to do final milling with the milling of the top.

Its slowly hap1044593_10151512140701662_2033029062_n.jpgpening....

One thing I am asking myself is how I should attack flattening the top? I reckon the router sled method is the way to go as I have hand planed this stuff and it chips out like a bastard. Anyone got access to a massive industrial drum sander?

Jebus Bryan! Last time I checked the top was a couple of 75mm boards now it's what? Better you than me!
You won't even have to bolt that thing down.

bwahahahahahahah! Bill! your so right! but by the time I machined thos boards down they were only about 55mm it just looked silly having this big ol base and a spindly top. So I decided to go GODZILLA! it looks a heap bigger than it really is!

Truth be know I did shake my head last night when I looked at the top and thought to myself , " how the hell am I gonna move this thing!?

so in the end its going to end up a smidge under 4 inches and I wont have to worry about building another bench until ....ever....maybe....

I would like to be given the title of "heavy weight champion" of workbenches!

Originally Posted by Milo

bwahahahahahahah! Bill! your so right! but by the time I machined thos boards down they were only about 55mm it just looked silly having this big ol base and a spindly top. So I decided to go GODZILLA! it looks a heap bigger than it really is!

Truth be know I did shake my head last night when I looked at the top and thought to myself , " how the hell am I gonna move this thing!?

so in the end its going to end up a smidge under 4 inches and I wont have to worry about building another bench until ....ever....maybe....

I would like to be given the title of "heavy weight champion" of workbenches!

Sorry pal think groggy claimed that title last year.