Thread: WIP - John's Workbench Mk2!!

As the previous contributor said, 3/4" or 19mm is the standard for a round dog hole, and I think a 20mm hole would be too loose for the standard holdfasts meant for a 3/4' inch hole - unless you have a very thick bench. Holdfasts are smaller than the hole, and depend on their being at an angle for their holding, but being straight for their easy removal.
Other accessories such as Veritas are a very snug fit in a 3/4" hole.

Originally Posted by johnredl

Is there a reason why a drawbored breadboard wouldn't work for this bench? I found these pics at this website:

My Workbench build « Lord Nibbo's Blog

I was thinking of using 18mm homemade HW dowels (because I have an 18mm brad point bit), and leaving a 10mm gap between the tongue and each side of the groove to allow for lateral wood expansion.

Hi John

Coming in a little late.

I would not drawbore. For one, this may inhibit movement. Further, it cannot be tightened if needed.

On my bench one side of the end cap was fixed with dovetails.



The other was "floating". Three bolts controlled movement and provided strength.



I wrote this up over two posts:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...ngaBench4.html

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...ngaBench5.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

The end caps are on!!

Thanks for all the advice guys. Although I'm realising that I'm a traditionalist woodworker, and I really wanted pins instead of bolts, I caved, took the advice of those that know more than me, and bought some bolts.



That was just the beginning of my dramas though (when has anything ever gone smoothly?).

Firstly re-cut my caps back to 85mm. Which actually worked out well, because when I dug them out from under my bench, I found them too badly cracked to use at the previous width (strange...dry, old wood)

Next the postie came and gave me a set of Sheffield brace bits, which I sadistly used to drill the holes through the caps and into the bench (hey, if I can't have wooden pins, then I'm going to add tradition in another way ).



Then my little helper arrived



Next I needed to tap holes in the 10mm thick flat steel that I was using as nuts, so off to the tool shop (a new tap and die set ). Unfortunately I broke 3 new tap handles tapping 12mm holes. So in frustration (and a bit sick of both me and the 3 warranty replacements), they did me a great deal on a bigger handle. Job now finished!

The Dawn is just sitting there for now. I need to get a drill bit to countersink both the end cap bolts and the vice bolts. Then I just need my strong, injury free friend to flip it over again.

Hi John

you really should align the edge of the Dawn vise with the front of your bench

if you don't the dog holes will be too far from the front edge and you'll be reaching over to work on anything held between the dogs.


BTW, that's a really useful helper you have there

Originally Posted by ian

Hi John

you really should align the edge of the Dawn vise with the front of your bench

if you don't the dog holes will be too far from the front edge and you'll be reaching over to work on anything held between the dogs.


BTW, that's a really useful helper you have there

I'm with you on that one, but in the 1st pic to the right of the dawn, there is a black texter square with a tenon in the middle - that's where the bench leg goes. This prevents me doing this. I estimate my dogs should be 12 - 15cm in. There should be enough meat in the vice to allow me to put the dogs slightly off centre.

This is a good lesson to those planning their benches - make sure you know what vices you are planning on using before you start building your bench.

Looking really good John. Good to see you have thus far survived all the trials and tribulations.

Originally Posted by johnredl

I'm with you on that one, but in the 1st pic to the right of the dawn, there is a black texter square with a tenon in the middle - that's where the bench leg goes. This prevents me doing this. I estimate my dogs should be 12 - 15cm in. There should be enough meat in the vice to allow me to put the dogs slightly off centre.

This is a good lesson to those planning their benches - make sure you know what vices you are planning on using before you start building your bench.

Could you do something like Groggys avatar and put a wider wooden jaw on the vice so that this aligns with the dogholes?

Originally Posted by johnredl

I'm with you on that one, but in the 1st pic to the right of the dawn, there is a black texter square with a tenon in the middle - that's where the bench leg goes. This prevents me doing this. I estimate my dogs should be 12 - 15cm in. There should be enough meat in the vice to allow me to put the dogs slightly off centre.

I think I'd try to take a check out of the leg.
It won't effect the strength of the leg much

Here is me struggling to hold the vice with 1 hand and a thigh, take a pic and not drop it on my toes.



As you might be able to see, the 12cm mark is almost level with one of the 2 steel guide runners on the dawn (not sure of the name, sorry).

I still have to make to jaw liners. I was thinking of 2 1/2" for the vice handle face (the dog hole face)?

(And before anyone comments, yes I know that I have to trim the end caps to length - good thing someone said not to glue them down huh!!)

I thought that I'd share my solution for a little annoying problem. I need to countersink the bolt holes. But instead of using a Forsner bit to create the counter sinks, followed by the 10.5mm bolt hole, I decided to do it backwards! So I excitedly drilled all the holes (vice and end caps), then realised that I really wasn't sure how to countersink them using a handheld drill.

So, what I did was drill the appropriate size countersink hole completely through an offcut. Then I clamped it over the existing hole.



That created a jig for the Forsner bit, resulting in 'almost completely perfect' countersinks.



And, of course the finished product (I'm capping the vice bolts, and leaving the end cap bolts open)



Next...flatten the top completely (it's been done roughly) and build up the courage to drill dog holes all over my bench...

Morning, John. Neat solution!
When I saw your thread with the bare bolt holes I thought "Hmm, he's created a little problem for hisself, here!", and wondered how you were going to solve it.

I face a similar problem when making a saw handle - aligning for the nut countersink after drilling the bolt holes. But that's relatively easyto deal with, because I can use the drill press. All I need do is line up the hole with the bolt-size drill, tighten down the vise, & switch to a forstner for the countersink. The good thing about Forstners is they are not bothered by an existing hole, it's just a matter of getting them accurately centered to start...

Cheers,

Hi John,

I have faced this same problem once or twice. My solution was to insert a tight piece of timber into the the hole, slightly longer than the depth of the countersink needed. Making sure to leave it flush with the top so I can mark the center, the go ahead and countersink.
A solution to a problem I shouldn't have had in the first place

Shippers

John,
When you say 'I decided to do it backwards", was this perhaps due to a memory lapse?
Surely it's easier to use the Forstner, and then use the mark left by the Forstner bit tip to drill the main hole?
Anyway, a good save!
Chris

Originally Posted by Chrism3

John,
When you say 'I decided to do it backwards", was this perhaps due to a memory lapse?
Surely it's easier to use the Forstner, and then use the mark left by the Forstner bit tip to drill the main hole?
Anyway, a good save!
Chris

It was a case of bring overly excited to get the vice in. So I drilled the holes, shoved the bolts in and then went 'oh poo'!!