Thread: Redefining the Aussie WorkBench

Originally Posted by NewLou

Here I am cutting out a rabbet and then dry fitting the joinery.

Any thoughts on reducing stress by allowing for seasonal movement? I'm thinking of not using any glue or fastners in the top of the joint so its free to move but is rock solid in regards to left/right movement ..................hopefully helping to prevent racking.

REgards Lou

g'day lou. Coming along I see. Even if the joint isn't improved by my (modified) suggestion, it does look very sexie.
Keep up the good work. (My thumper is still not complete but i'm using it while I sort out all my stuff.)
Cheers

Gidday

Today I finished the last mortises for the joinery and attacked the Glueup of my first Bench Leg..............this was a tricky one and I was runnin round like a chook without a head trying to slap her together.

You can see the Web of caulds n clamps:eek:

I ended up runin with west system Epoxy for the glueup.....................

Next up .......................... the Pins

Coming along nicely Lou!

From what I can see between the cauls'n'clamps, that's one mighty purty leg.

However, as someone else mentioned, the foot looks a bit thin. Especially part-way down the bevelled edge, at the end of the rebated section. Have you/are you going to put a section in the middle of the rebate, directly under the upright, to prevent possible bowing?

Gidday Skew

Yer I thought long and hard about this one and reckon in hindsight I was a bit to hasty attacking the foot with a chisel the way i did. I've been toying with a number of fixes.

Believe it or not the tenons go straight through and are about 2mm from touching the surface of what ever flooring is underfoot. I'll use these to join some beef up to the foot with some more mortises.

I've decided to add some central support as you've suggested after I broke one of the side supports clean in half whilst doing some chisel work. (You can see the crack line in the pick) waz great fun doing the fix which is glued and pocketholed and should be stronger than before it broke

Unfortunately it was a wake up call to the possibility of a weakening and stress point right where I put the Bevel. It will be interssting to see if she holds up..............................

I'll keep you all posted and would not recommend having it so thin.

Any other suggestions to beef her up appreciated!

Regards Lou

It's still a damned purty leg.

For that alone it's worth putting up with a few... deviations from the expected.


Just an aside, I like the way you're using the studs as horses. Methinks that if I ever get around to building my own bench, I'll make provision so I can do exactly that. Actually, I might just do a quicky mod to my existing beast tomorrow; maybe just bolt a stud across the front legs? Hmmm... it'd be ugly but that's nothing unusal for my shop.

Hey Skew

You will be amazed at how handy this is and yes I'll be doing the same with my bench................................The idea comes from Dinos Ez Smart-table design.

Is perfect for use with my Smartguide for panel cutting n doubles as a finishing table. Also if needed for a vacuum press or the like you just chuck a slab of mdf or the like ontop and off you go

The only drawback with mine is that its on a Bunnys trestle table n racks like buggery...................I'll be be putting the design on a hefty table (that don't rack) and a good set of braking casters for mobility!!

In a nutshell Handy as!!!

REgards Lou

G'day NewLou,

The masking tape in the third pic, is that part of the adding structural strength bit?

By the time you've finished this bench you won't want to get it dirty for a few weeks, you'll be in your shed all day just continually looking at it.

Gidday

After the tape fell off I had to re do the joint..................but throughout the day got her back together

I sanded her down working through the grits did a bit of wetting down then some scraping................afterwhich I did a really light hand sand. I went to put some pegs into the horizontal supports but like her so much as is decided not to go down that path.

After this I slapped on 2coats of wipe on Poly......................Not Bad.

I prefer to do most of the finishing as I go however will sand back and do a coat or 2 once shes totally together. Final finish will be WipeonPoly topped of with traditional wax

The first Leg is done...........................Almost

REgards Lou

Hi Lou,

Thought I'd stick my head in and say thanks for posting all these pics, very educational for people like me who don't have a great woodworking knowledge and learn mostly by reading, thinking and trying things out. The bench design looks excellent and all the lead up work is fantastic.

Gawd strewth yous blokes are arnul :eek:

A bench is a bench is a bench mates you gotta be able to whack it hack it screw it paint it glue it bash it... its gotta be TUFF!!!

Get the hardest toughest timber you can find... right so get a couple of 3x3s cut to length about 29in is about right knotch it for the rails cut said rails to length drill said rails and legs attach to each other stand upright whallah one bench sans top and shelf... next get more lengths of said tough timber cut to length of top and shelf drill bolt whallah if a flat level surface is required take a tad more care to get it level and add several sheets of 1/2in external ply cut to size nail down...

Take these for instance... legs 3x3 Tuart... rails 6x1 Jarrah... top and shelf 6x1 Jarrah... top 3 x 1/2in ply... remember here you must make these insitu cause you aint gonna friggin move em anywhere!! (ahem believe me I tried and even with 4 others we couldnt move the damned things more than a few inches!! :eek:

Sorry mates but see I can unnastand getting anul over the stuff we make cabinets chairs tables boats whatever but gettin that way over a work bench? I dont get it... Sure I could have made mine a heck of a lot better used Karri or Marri instead of the Jarrah heck I could have made the top of the stuff made it smooth and perfek as hell then made up some cupboard doors and bunged them on could have used walnut maple or ash veneers even... then slathered the whole shamozzle in 2 pack poly stuff woulda looked the flamin ducks knuts for sure... but NO FLAMIN WAY could I have used it as a workbench Imagin beltin that with a mallet? imagine a dollop of glue epoxy or paint hittin it? Gawd Id be a nervous wreck within an hour!!!

Nope a bloke... a true blue Aussie blokes work bench has gotta be tuff and ready for years use and abuse

The following is one of two 4mtr benches I made recently and by gar can I feel secure weilding anything near them!! A mans workbench... but I did notice a change in the Aussie male thing of late seems its hit here as well and your all becoming "metromale"... tuffenupson!!! Be an AUSSIE MAN!! make a BENCH ugh ugh ugh!

Aaaarrrrrrrrr Struth going the raw prawn there Ding.............I'm as Aussie Aussie Aussie OY Oy Oy as they come M8

THis bench I'll be like have 3 goddesses in the shop passin me tools holdin me stock (While I work on it I might Add) and generrally makin life a whole lot easier!

How much more true blue n dinky die can I get.............. what in the bloody hell is a Metromale:confused::confused::confused: and Arnal whos that ........... sounds like he needs a quick RIGHT! :eek:

If you look way back in the distance of this thread you'll see I've already got a Gronks Bench that I've already managed to Belt something with a Sledgehammer On! and shes a Ripper

Oy Ding ya sound like a jumbuck!......................I can't flamin work out what jabba your goin on with............

Anywaz I got some grub on the table so I'm goin back to me banga's n Mash!!!

Mmmmmaaaaaaaattttttttttteeeeee


Um n Yer Lou

Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

A mans workbench... but I did notice a change in the Aussie male thing of late seems its hit here as well and your all becoming "metromale"... tuffenupson!!! Be an AUSSIE MAN!! make a BENCH ugh ugh ugh!

Gawd, mate. Is that a big bloody vaccy I see in the back there? All the power cords tucked up nice'n'pretty on the bottom shelf, not a skerrick of sawdust, oil-spills or empty tinnies... all it needs is some nice, paisley curtains and me flamin' granny'd feel right at home!

Be a MAN mate. Chuck the dusty back in the house where it belongs and tell the missus she can lug it back out and clean up after ya finished playing. Women's gear cluttering yer shed... what's the world comin' to?

Aint no flamin vacumn in me shed mate!! :mad: thats one of them there flamin great four bag 3hp dust units sittin there ol fella... ain no speck of dust can escape the feroshus antics of that buggar!!

Actually re the curtains... first I gotta fit that fancy lace work fly screen door and then install the beautilishus door with the nice purty kookaburras on the glass... then Im thinkin a couple of nice big picture windows with some nice ooohhh say pink schintz curtains ooh an some loverly pale blue shag carpet just so my wee tootsies dont get all uncomfy

I surrender to your forethinkin self Lou... hadnt considered your eastern states sheilas in the equashun... our sheilas as as tuff as our sheds mate none of that smooth stuff for our womens! Uhuh theyre tuff and so they get a couple of nice Karri spinters in the nither regions as they lay across the top handin me my nicely sharpened (by the darksider one who resides next to the marble slab with the sandpaper attached just to be there for me beck an call) mate me apologize for not thinkin of them soft chickybabes of yours... ahem... call it a sandgroper thing if you wish we like our sheds tuff our workbenches tuffer and our sheilas? READY FOR ANYTHIN!!!

Okay back to uncleanuls workbench No seriously back into it ol son comin along a treat it is But this threads become sooooo flamin long it takes a day to meander through it and mate I gots work to do on me... ahem... workbench?

Cheers!!

ooh an with a bit of practice you can perfek that Aussie accent your cultivatin there Lou!!