Thread: Frank Klausz/European Workbench WIP

Originally Posted by Evanism

yes! It is a fantastic way of doing it. I've done 4 tables with this method, 2 of them restos from hell. On top, also done 3 huge end grain boards and 2 x 2m slabs. All ended nice and flat with only a little belt and ROS to tidy it up.

Each jig is a little different for each job, but steady as she goes wins the race..... Very dusty!

Your table is art. Shame to dink it later on

Thanks very much!

I have watched the Woodwhisperer vid many times and it looks pretty straight forward. Did you use the string accross the top method?

I have ordered one of those monster 1 3/4 Amana bits which should make the job go a tad faster.

Any tips in terms of set up getting the rails parallel would be apreciated?!

Originally Posted by Milo

Thanks very much!

I have watched the Woodwhisperer vid many times and it looks pretty straight forward. Did you use the string accross the top method?

I have ordered one of those monster 1 3/4 Amana bits which should make the job go a tad faster.

Any tips in terms of set up getting the rails parallel would be apreciated?!

Absolutely no requirement to get the rails parallel, just level. If the board is wobbly, use some chocks to make it stable. Usually one in each opposing corner is enough. Once one side is mostly flat you can flip it over, do the back to perfection, then flip it over and give the last final little zing on the first face.

The first time I did it, I was as nervous as hell, it was a big table and my MIL treasured it, so the heat was on. By the time I'd finished I was bored. The process is very straight forward.

Btw, I don't use a really big bit like the Amana, though it may be nice. I use one that's about 3/4 inch, not too fast, take off the first offending layer then do the detail layer second.

The sled is a basic H box pattern with a slot routed down the middle to plunge through. One other I just used some pine screwed together. After doing it a few times, I've found it is far more important to have a stiff frame. If it flexes in the centre because of router weight or leaning, well, that's bad! I just clamp the rails down.

I do use my festool OF1400 which is quite heavy. Dust collection is useless, so I just lay my elephant trunk near the ejecta and it's sucked up with fury. Molto dusts!

Originally Posted by Evanism

Absolutely no requirement to get the rails parallel, just level. If the board is wobbly, use some chocks to make it stable. Usually one in each opposing corner is enough. Once one side is mostly flat you can flip it over, do the back to perfection, then flip it over and give the last final little zing on the first face.

The first time I did it, I was as nervous as hell, it was a big table and my MIL treasured it, so the heat was on. By the time I'd finished I was bored. The process is very straight forward.

Btw, I don't use a really big bit like the Amana, though it may be nice. I use one that's about 3/4 inch, not too fast, take off the first offending layer then do the detail layer second.

The sled is a basic H box pattern with a slot routed down the middle to plunge through. One other I just used some pine screwed together. After doing it a few times, I've found it is far more important to have a stiff frame. If it flexes in the centre because of router weight or leaning, well, that's bad! I just clamp the rails down.

I do use my festool OF1400 which is quite heavy. Dust collection is useless, so I just lay my elephant trunk near the ejecta and it's sucked up with fury. Molto dusts!

Yeah ok no worries!

My table top is bohhhheeeemath heavy and no tipping or rocking what so ever so I don't have any issues there. I reckon that I will be taking off at the very most 3 mm as I have tried to be careful to glue up carefully and get things lined up with the top.

One thing that the Wood Whisperer says is that IT IS critical to get the rails parralel hence the string criss cross trick. Why do you think this is not important to you?

I guess I could do it with a 3/4 inch bit that I have it will be just a tad slower. Carbitool do a 1 3/4 diameter bit for about $60.

I will put a straight edge accross the length top and use some winding sticks to see if there is any twist, my feeling is that I might have a ever so slight convave in the top because my jointer cuts this way.

This is the project for the weekend.

With the parallel thing, I'm trying to understand why it would be necessary.

I visualised the procedure and there are a couple of smaller issues, but nothing show-stopperish.

- The surface everything sits on needs to be flat.
- the side rails everything slides upon need to be square and dimensioned appropriately. They need to have the top edge above the piece to be flattened
- the H-box must be square and stiff

Now, whether the arms/rails need to be parallel, I just cant picture it. The first time I encountered this was from an article in the US about a guy who makes slab tables (was in Nakashima?). Now the slabs don't come with nice trimmed parallel edges and I saw the rails skewed.

I did this for the round table top and the big table top I did. There was no pain to make them parallel.

Now, it is important the rails are flat and parallel to the underlying surface everything is sitting on... But they would be if they were both ripped at the same time...

Ev

Bryan, p'raps you & Evanism are interpreting "parallel" differently? The surfaces of the two main bearers that you are going to run your router sled on need to be in the same plane, that's all, they don't need to be parallel to anything. The distance between them can't exceed what the sled or whatever you attach the router to can fit across, that's the only dimension that matters. For convenience and accuracy, I'd be figuring out a way of clamping a couple of bearers along each long side of the bench top. That will ensure the reference surfaces stay put during the levelling process.

I have to say, I'm surprised you can be bothered going to all the fuss of rigging up the necessary monster jigging to rout your top level - it looks close enough in the pics that a strapping young bloke like you, with a good edge on that #6 of yours will have it level & pristine in no time at all...
And you better put some super-glue or something on that plunge lock - you don't want it letting go in the middle of your bench top!

Hi Ian

I hear ya! `

The only reason I am looking at this Router sled set up is that when I have planed this stuff before it tears out like a bitch! (and I thought my blade was sharp!) Not that I expect the top to be like a billiard table but I don't want huge chunks tearing out either!

Saying that though I have been meaning to order a Hock blade for my No 7 and No 5 so I am more than willing to give it a go and see how it turns out. I will have a go on the bottom and see how I fair!

If I do end up going the router sled route then I will take my Makita (good router) out of my router table, I won't be using that PoS Ryobi again thats for sure!!! I will leave the router in the base so I can build the sled box around the plate and it will run side to side nice and easily. That Woodwhisperer vid is pretty cool and its looks pretty straight forward to set the rails up clamped to the bench top.

There are many ways to skin a cat hey.......

You could also set a power plane on "vapor " and work with winding sticks. Cross plane at 45 o, alternate once you get to the end.

I vote for the manual hand plane.



But I am not the one doing it.

Yep, I agree with the #7 with a hock blade. Way too much fluffing around with the router sled. Absolutely filthy mess after all the fluffing around. And a off wife, screaming baby and bleeding ears for all your trouble. The Wood Whisperer has an unhealthy addiction to power tools, and will always complicate the simplest task just to use another power tool.

A timber that hard is going to need a pretty steep angle, and if you're going to use this bench for life, you may want to consider one of Terry Gordon's Trying Planes. Phenomenal on Australia's finest leafy steels.

Originally Posted by Dogman

...... Australia's finest leafy steels.

You ain't far wrong when you compare Milo's bench wood with steel, Dogman! I've lifted most of it, & and worked a little bit of it, and I think you could easily magnetise this stuff!

Much as I like winding Bryan up, and trying to make him feel guilty for thinking about burning all those electrons, I reckon I'd be looking to a powered solution if I had to take off any significant amount from that bench top. But shhhh, don't tell him that, whatever you do!

Originally Posted by IanW

You ain't far wrong when you compare Milo's bench wood with steel, Dogman! I've lifted most of it, & and worked a little bit of it, and I think you could easily magnetise this stuff!

Much as I like winding Bryan up, and trying to make him feel guilty for thinking about burning all those electrons, I reckon I'd be looking to a powered solution if I had to take off any significant amount from that bench top. But shhhh, don't tell him that, whatever you do!

Ian

its taken me awhile to get your humour ....your an evil man!!

so the job for the weekend was to dock the ends and mill the end caps, all was going well until the missus had to go out and I was on ankle biter duty. Never the less I borrowed a two inch router bit from Ben and set up a straight edge and off I went. It worked out pretty well on the tail vice end but the face vice end gave me a but of jip and I have the horrible task of planning the hardest end grain on earth. I went at it for a half hour and my low angle blades are cactus!! A bit more and ill get things square.

I whipped up some winding sticks and things are actually pretty flat, I had a go with my number 7 and 6, it went ok but the tear out is not easy on the eye, so I might go the router route.

All up its coming together......

Really liking this one a combination of two types of power, one's own and someone else.

Well it's been a interesting day....one of those ones you care to forget!

I had drilled the holes for the end caps and I had planned to pick up some 1/2 inch mild steel some drill bits from Bunnys and then get the plate drilled and tapped by mid morning. Well needless to say it took me running around like a blue assed fly to find 12mm 6 inch bolts.

So I get them get home and my neighbour Mike who is a metal man helped me whip these suckers up no worries. Come time to fit the bolts and Suuuuuuurprise I have routed out the slot to far away so the 170mm long bolts don't reach!!! I forgot there is a a 3 1/4 inch end cap as well! What a DH!! how did that happen? Blonde moment!!

A lot of navel gazing then the light bulb Came on, instead of routering out a new hole I would use threaded rod!! So I shoot down to bunnings for a third time and Ssssuuuuuurprise no bloody threaded rod in my size !!!

My neighbour came to the rescue and he found a length of 12mm rod, peeerfect! The bolts / home made fasteners worked out well but it took all day of stuffing around.

I got going on the router sled, I had a sheet of 3/4 form ply I ripped the rails and whipped up the sled.

Tomorrow I will get things level and flatten the slab. Then dock the end caps and then it's time to attack the dovetails on the back board.

I hope I make more progress tomorrow!

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Good work. It's coming along nicely. Sounds like you have a really handy/helpful neighbour!