Thread: Another bench build

Is it more common to build the base frame for the bench and then cabinets or the carcass for the cabinets whilst building the base frame for the bench?

Awesome job, Nathan! So good seeing old timber like that re-used.

Gives me some motivation to get on with my build. I've spent a lot of time de-nailing timber and now know why people have suggested to buy DAR timber.

Originally Posted by johknee

Awesome job, Nathan! So good seeing old timber like that re-used.

Gives me some motivation to get on with my build. I've spent a lot of time de-nailing timber and now know why people have suggested to buy DAR timber.

Thanks mate appreciate that!

I can see why they say that also but I couldn’t compete with $7 per lm, I just had to de-nail it. It’s a surprise to what comes out once I clean it up.

Still plenty to go for this build. Some days i don’t make much progress but as long as I keep at it each day it will be ready to use before I know it

It is looking like a great small bench.

The weight of the hardwoods will make it good to use.

I love my HNT tail vice and would love the face vice.

I suspect a lot of us have intentions to add cabinets but final plans aren't made until the bench is finished.

Mine drop into the base frame. They can be removed and replaced but I doubt that will ever happen

Originally Posted by Scally

It is looking like a great small bench.

The weight of the hardwoods will make it good to use.

I love my HNT tail vice and would love the face vice.

I suspect a lot of us have intentions to add cabinets but final plans aren't made until the bench is finished.

Mine drop into the base frame. They can be removed and replaced but I doubt that will ever happen

Yeah I wanted it to be moveable by myself when I move house so picked up some great wheels and floor level feet for it. The dimensions are 1800 x 600 on top and about 1050 high as I’m 6’4” so want it to be comfortable height for me operating at

I’m not sure as to whether I take the time to start building a new base to transfer the top over to because I’m not happy with how the base turned out. Or just leave it and add the cabinetry and just live with it and move onto the other projects i actually wanna get started on.

I want to add cabinets with the intention that the carcass will be built into the existing frame to provide more rigidity overall. Hmmm

Had started on marking out and chiseling away the space for the tail vice install yesterday

Used a spade bit to hog out a bit of the waste but really the veritas router plane came to square up the fit. I’ve used that plane on both vice installs man I’m impressed with its support for the cutters. Has such a rigid hold on it I was able to get a 43mm depth cut out of it. Then drilled holes through to allow shavings fall through the vice to clear in future

Today I was able to find an appropriate sized bit of rosewood to use for the lid of the vice. I think it came up nice

It was easier for me to just mark out and get started hammering away than it was to find my fence for the router then appropriate bits to do this job

Will trim up the end of the bench when I pickup my tracksaw









Cheers
Nathan

Looks great Nathan. I'm sure you're happy with the progress

Hi Nathan,
I am hoping to get some old Harwood bearers and joist very soon.
I was interested in the red implement that was in one of the latter photos where you were showing the detailing. I assume it is some magic piece of detailing equipment.
I would be interested in what it was, name and how well it worked.
cheers

Originally Posted by Brett57

Hi Nathan,
I am hoping to get some old Harwood bearers and joist very soon.
I was interested in the red implement that was in one of the latter photos where you were showing the detailing. I assume it is some magic piece of detailing equipment.
I would be interested in what it was, name and how well it worked.
cheers

Gday Brett

Yeah no dramas mate it’s the Hultafor atle nail remover. I picked it up from here

Buy Hultafors Nail Puller Atle online | Hultafors Shop

Has been the only thing thats successfully removes these embedded stubborn nails before dressing the timber. That I’ve tried at least

Can leave a mark if it has to get below the surface but for a bench I’m ok with how most of it has come up. Worst case I make that surface not visible

Cheers
Nathan

that Nailpuller looks absolutely fantastic.

The bench is a beast. It will be great to see it done!

Originally Posted by woodPixel

that Nailpuller looks absolutely fantastic.

The bench is a beast. It will be great to see it done!

Thanks Ev! appreciate it. Its coming along slowly. ill be adding some sides to it in addition to carcass structure to add some drawers etc. Dog holes up next

Decided to remake the base. The original base I think I accidentally cut some corners with the number of dominos in use and size of the lower stretchers. So I’ve doubled the dominos and overall size of the base.

Going to re use the slats but recess them in as a lower shelf as I didn’t like the screws. Not sure if I should leave them side by side or shiplap or rebate the edges to support each other. I

think they’ll be fine snug without any glue. Either way will look cleaner and certainly a lot stronger







Cheers
Nathan

That's lovely looking timber Nathan, and the combination of vises looks great. If this is a replacement for an older bench, I would be interested to hear what its shortcomings were, and the design considerations you've made to overcome them on this one. I'm always interested in how people design their benches to fit their personal way of using it.

Originally Posted by delbs

Decided to remake the base. The original base I think I accidentally cut some corners with the number of dominos in use and size of the lower stretchers. So I’ve doubled the dominos and overall size of the base.

If you're doing any operations which will be providing large lateral loads along the length of the bench such as hand planing, I would be a little concerned that you really don't have a tall enough stretcher to resist racking. In fact, the way you have oriented the stretcher by lying it on its side makes it even less resistant to racking. As a remedy you could add a taller one part way up, Klausz style, or like I did, laminate some additional height to the stretcher. What you're looking for is a tall interface between the stretcher and leg. Essentially all the racking resistance takes place at the top and bottom points where the stretcher touches the leg, and the further apart they are, the more the joint can resist the twisting forces imparted.

Screenshot 2022-08-10 085918.jpg d8708b894cd2b96fb38e02bbb9555a05.jpg

Gday Lance yeah good pickup mate

At the moment the new base is using 100x75 lengths all with 4 x larger dominos each joint. Even with out stretchers at the moment I can pull on one side and the entire base and other end lifts up with no movement.

I don’t intend on leaving it this way as I have some spare material I intend on jointing to create rear and side panels to form a cabinet. I’ll most likely joint them horizontally to make up the height of approx 800h d 970 approx in length. Will be a decent size panel for the back but will add a lot of support and weight to it overall.

Half of the underside will have drawers and the other half left for the pattern makers vice to freely move around and a sliding dead man for work holding.

It’s still for a while to go but I just try to work on it but by bit every few days I get a bit of spare time