Thread: WIP - Hardwood work bench

I can appreciate what you are saying about not having a bench to work with. I use the benches at school all the time and then have to come home to a garden shed.

So far looks great and look forward to the next installment

Excuse me but I hope thats not carpet in the last pic CODE VIOLATION

Originally Posted by jisk

One of my first major woodwork projects is a decent hardwood workbench. I picked up the timber last week from Exador (thanks for all your help!) and started it a couple of days ago.

The top is red ironbark with a couple of lengths of forest red gum, and the base is spotted gum. The current plan is to end up with a bench 1800mm x 600mm, standing about 960mm high. Most of the bench will be built with the limited selection of hand tools I have at the moment. Joinery will be mortise and tenon for the base with coach screws to fix the top on.

I'll post pictures of my progress as I go along. It might take some time, based on my progress so far.



My current work area is a set of shelves in the shed installed by the previous owner of the house. Some time after the workbench is finished those shelves will be gutted and I'll build a tidier and more space-savvy storage system. Something with doors and drawers.

On the right side of the bench and on the floor on the left is the spotted gum. I've slapped some Dimension 4 on it as apparently this stuff can quickly take in or release moisture right after being dressed. On the left you can see part of my collection of hand planes and Scary Sharp (TM) sandpaper sharpening system. By the way, the Veritas jig rocks!

Using clamps in place of vices is slow, and sucks big time. I can't wait for the bench.



My First Mortise. It took bloody ages. I'll do more drilling out on the next one before reaching for the chisels.



The gluing begins... I'm laminating the top piece by piece. The ironbark is a little green so I'm using quartersawn planks that should not move much, and that movement will be horizontally. I'm arranging them so the movement will oppose each other. When the top is finished I'll put threaded rods through it to act as permanent clamps. Until then these babies are staying clamped tight. I've got it on good authority that this should be OK as ironbark does not move much.



The "to do list". This glue up will take a while. The vice is a 9" carbatec. I'll be getting a second one to fit to the bench when it's complete, but at this stage I wanted to make sure I had a vice to fit the dog holes and base properly, allowing room for a tail and face vice. The ironbark is approx 60 x 20, and will be joined face to face.

I've sawn one up to make dog holes out of. Piccies of that next time.

nice work how much did the timber cost you??????

Originally Posted by jisk

When the top is finished I'll put threaded rods through it to act as permanent clamps. Until then these babies are staying clamped tight.

It might be worth drilling the holes for the threaded rod in each piece as you add it because it will be a bit hard to drill a hole that long once the top is glued up. I used rods in mine when I made it but they were my only means of clamping each piece as it was added. Probably not required once all the glueing is done but I figured they wouldn't do any harm if they were left in.

Originally Posted by Tonto

Excuse me but I hope thats not carpet in the last pic CODE VIOLATION

Uh oh... yes it is... What you can't see there is that the carpet is under a boxing bag, not the main work area .

Originally Posted by Bryan1982

nice work how much did the timber cost you??????

Timber was around $260 all up. $3000 per cube for the base, $1000 per cube for the top, as it's not fully dry yet. If you're in Brisbane, Exador (forum name) at Eco Urban Timbers gives fantastic service.

Originally Posted by Dan

It might be worth drilling the holes for the threaded rod in each piece as you add it because it will be a bit hard to drill a hole that long once the top is glued up. I used rods in mine when I made it but they were my only means of clamping each piece as it was added. Probably not required once all the glueing is done but I figured they wouldn't do any harm if they were left in.

Dan, that sounds like a good idea. I might just have to do it. I'd figured on getting my hands on a long drill bit and going all the way through once the top's done.

Originally Posted by jisk

When the top is finished I'll put threaded rods through it to act as permanent clamps.

Should be a good bench, but why do you need permanent clamps? Would have thought the glue will be enough to hold the laminations together, and you'll save a heap of effort drilling all those holes.

Originally Posted by zenwood

Should be a good bench, but why do you need permanent clamps? Would have thought the glue will be enough to hold the laminations together, and you'll save a heap of effort drilling all those holes.

The ironbark is pretty green, so I've been told I should do that. What would you do?

Well, I thought I posted this update this morning, but I must have hit preview instead of post .

I worked on the dog holes yesterday. To make it simple, the dog holes will be 20mm x 20mm... which just so happens to be the width of each of the lengths of ironbark. I cut the shortest length of ironbark up into lengths about 180mm long, which should give a space of approximately 200mm between each dog. The dog holes will be set up so the dogs lean slightly towards the vice.



I cut the pieces with my tenon saw. The end result wasn't particularly accurate or smooth, so I cleaned up the end grain and shaped the angles to be the same with my mujingfang 5" plane. From what I understand a low angle block plane would have been far easier, but I don't have one of those... so the high angle mujingfang it is. This must have taken over 4 hours yesterday, but I'm pretty pleased with the result. Dark side is slow, yes?



The end result of the day's work. The longer piece at the back is for the side opposing the tail vice.

I'll need to make a spacer so I can glue these on accurately.

Originally Posted by jisk

Dark side is slow, yes?

It can be, but usually there's no time limit involved.

Originally Posted by jisk

The ironbark is pretty green, so I've been told I should do that. What would you do?

no matter what glue you use, or how you screw it, put rods through it if the timber wants to move it will you cant stop it thats why they dry it.

I think it is suicide to use green timber on something with so many laminations....... but i guess only time will tell because you have already started it good luck id like to see it after summer.... when it dries up