Thread: Marty's Workbench rebuild.

A few coats of Linseed oil mixed with methylated spirit, and a rubbing down with beeswax paste (I think it is mostly beeswax with some lanolin and coconut oil) and now it is all disassembled and stored against the wall in the garage again. I have to do some work on the top - drilling holes, fitting coach bolts, etc. I think I will go for stainless this time around. I also need some 1" beech to make some vice jaws. Anyone got a couple of off-cuts of 6"x1" about 8 or 9 inches long? I originally used the front apron as the fixed jaw, but I have cut out a hole so that the fixed jaw will be flush with the apron. I noted on one of Paul Seller's videos that he preferred it this way so that he didn't trap his fingers when putting small pieces into the vice. I am thinking of putting in some holes for bench dogs for clamping wide boards and bowls when I get my lathe back up and running.

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Workbench is back in the garage. All the steel screws and bolts have been removed. I upgraded to M10 Stainless Steel coach bolts (with the dome head) to hold the apron to the legs, and I got rid of the lag screws which held the single bottom stretcher to the legs. I took a 25mm tri-flute auger to the stretcher and made a through hole for the nuts. I had intended to use dowel nuts, but couldn't get them at Bunnings, and I would have wanted M10 stainless anyway. The Merbau top isn't bolted down yet. I discovered that the holes I drilled back in high school were all sorts of strange measurements, so I plan to drill out new holes for the new bolts.

I will also run some stainless screws to attach the apron to the top. Yes, the garage is a mess, but I will get it cleaned up. The way that current events have worked out, my next appointment of any sort is not until the 4th of May!

Grandfather's Disston saw on right-hand side of the bench with handle re-attached.

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All bolts sorted. I used 50mm stainless steel decking screws with Torx heads to attach the apron to the top. For a bench without angled braces, it is surprisingly rigid. It will slide along the floor before it will rack or twist. Speaking of which, I really need to find some rubber pads I can use as feet!

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Installed a 7" cabinet-maker's vice, but I have decided that I don't really like it on this bench. Looking around for an old Dawn Vice now.

I increased the height of the bench by putting some half-pavers under each leg. This raises it 50mm to a more comfortable height for me.

I also installed a shelf where I can now store tools under the bench. 18mm thick Merbau panel from Bunnings, finished with raw linseed oil mixed equal parts with mineral turps.

Starting to think about a couple of shelves and tool racks above the bench to hang my saws and other items.

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Found myself a nice Dawn No. 225 (formerly No.9) without the quick-release. Paid a reasonable sum for it via facebook marketplace. Jaw liners are 250w x 110h x19d Tasmanian Oak. Held in place from below with some pine packing blocks and M10 stainless lag screws. From above there are now 8x 50mm stainless steel Decking screws holding the block in place.

I originally mounted it in such a manner that the front apron was the fixed jaw liner, but I found that this gave me issues with trapping my fingers. So I added the second piece of Tasmanian oak which now allows me to better grip the work-piece when opening and closing the vice. I added some rubber O-rings to the handle just to lesson the high-pitched "clink" when dropping the handle and it is now a slightly dampened and lower-pitched "clunk" - that should keep other members of the household happy.

I also tossed in a dash of eucalyptus oil with the linseed and turps finish for the vice jaws and the result is a more pleasing room note left behind when finishing.

Nice. You will never ware that out.
Regards
John

Originally Posted by orraloon

Nice. You will never ware that out.
Regards
John

When I was in high school the ones we had were at least 30 years old and were regularly abused by students, but seemed to be just about indestructible. I do remember quite a few students who would torque down lumps of timber to the point of crushing it and then grab a 1" chisel and absolutely pound down on them. I vividly remember one student managed to put a crack in the bench somehow!

I am pretty sure these cast iron bench vices will outlast most workers, even when thoroughly abused.

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Shelf added above bench. Rulers and a small saw hanging from nails in the plasterboard.

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Opportunity taken to add a small tool rack under the shelf using a scrap of 42x19 pine, brass hooks and a few dowels. Note the small brush on the end of the shelf and the large red dustpan and brush. These were items until recently sorely lacking in the workshop - note the reduced amount of sawdust and wood shavings on the floor. The black bin is also an important item of workshop equipment.

I have a pair of little 3-draw cabinets. I plan to put one either side of the bench for storing miscellaneous small items the plan is to put things I use regularly on the shelf and rack and everything else in drawers.


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Also got myself a 6" bench grinder. At the moment I am keeping this attacked to the tail end of the bench, though normally clamped toward the rear. Needs a new wheel or some serious dressing work on this one. This picture is just showing that I am ready to get my plane irons and chisels sharpened again.

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Installed this gizmo today.

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Made myself a bench hook today out of a scrap of 285x19mm pine and some odd lengths of 42x19mm pine. If memory serves, I got these from the off-cuts bin at Bunnings and paid all of $2 for the timber to make this.