Thread: WIP - John's Workbench Mk2!!

Originally Posted by IanW

John - I've got the gear, but by the time you posted great baulks of wood back & forth, it might be a costly exercise. With luck, someone a little closer to your shed should be able to help you out.

WRT size, 1.5" screws would almost certainly do the job. I'm too lazy to do the maths, but if you compare the ramp angles of 2" 4tpi with 1.5" 6 tpi (typical pitches used for those size wooden screws), they won't be too dissimilar, & so the pressure on the threads will be much the same. I have used a lot of 1" 6tpi wooden threads for handscrews, & they will tolerate being tightened with as much force as I am capable of applying.

I used a pair of 1" 6tpi screws for a hefty twin-screw vise, a while back. I would raher have used at least 1.5", but I had a couple of suitable 1" screws made up, & nothing in 1.5", so decided to give them a go, reasoning that I could easily drill out the holes & upgrade to a larger diameter if they stripped. However, so far they have stood up very well, somewhat to my surprise...

Cheers,

Hmmm, interesting Ian, thanks for your advice. I'm thinking about giving the 1 1/2" a go & maybe making a better vice for my current bench as a trial run. I guess if I buy the gear & for some reason doesn't work I can always use the gear to make extraordinarily strong hand clamps, or something else.

Using wood over metal seems to be personal preference & tradition rather than any other reason from what I can see. Any thoughts?

Hmmm...maybe a bit more thought about it first before I press 'purchase'!

Originally Posted by johnredl

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Using wood over metal seems to be personal preference & tradition rather than any other reason from what I can see. Any thoughts?

Yes, - I think you are absolutely right. On my own bench, the tail vise has a 2" wood screw, and the front vise is made using a 2" metal screw - I guess that shows where I stand!

Although some folks will argue the superiority of one over the other, I think it's Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee in many applications. I use a lot of wooden threads, and I do that for several reasons - cost, convenience and mostly because I like playing with wood more than metal (well, brass is ok... ). I started out making wooden clamps as a way to build up a decent set at virtually no cost, after I managed to get hold of a couple of taps very cheaply. I built a router jig for threading, once I had the taps, and once I got it all going, I was hooked. It may take you a frustrating hour or two to get the jig set up spot-on the first time, but once you start cranking out good threads, it is pure fun...

Cheers,

Well I've gotten a little done, enough to feel like the bench is actually going to happen & it's not a figment of my imagination!

The undressed timber will form the 2 lower short stretchers with dressed size being about 140 x 45mm. The dressed & clamped timber will be planned and cut to make 2 pieces of 140 x 55mm. These will form the 2 long lower stretchers.

Why the different thicknesses? I had a 4m piece of 3" x 2" lying around that I've used (undressed). Good opportunity to get rid of a tripping hazard, and use up existing wood .



Now I was planning on joining the top to the base, so this should be enough to not need upper stretchers also? I'm not really wanting upper stretchers...I thought they might get in the way of clamping, future under bench draws, etc.

Good idea to use up the wood. If only I had a project to use up the bits that I have.

Originally Posted by Christos

Good idea to use up the wood. If only I had a project to use up the bits that I have.

get that lathe working and then get into segmented turning

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

get that lathe working and then get into segmented turning

Somehow I knew you would come up with something. But I was thinking pen turning. Or like most people that start turning and practice with shaving creating wood chips.

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

get that lathe working and then get into segmented turning

I just googled segmented turning. Looks quite interesting. Another item on the 'to do' list. Thanks for the idea. Maybe some fancy turned vice handles might be the go?!!

Have a look at powderpost's work - he's on the forum

Finally a bit more progress! I'm finding it quite difficult to spend time in here - does anyone know the winning lotto numbers do I can stop working?!

Here are some pics of 1 of the long bottom side stretchers. In 1 photo there is a before and after planning. Why am I doing this by hand...this is 80 year old jarrah after all - simple...I don't have a thicknesser!

I'm actually finding this quite enjoyable. It's relaxing, quiet, and soo much easier now that my 13000 grit ceramic has arrived from Tools From Japan (thanks for fast service Stu )

I do have a question tho, in 1 pic there is a close up of some borer holes. The borers are dead, but do u think it is worth going to the effort if plugging each hole? It is a bottom stretcher, and I could put it to the back...hmmm, thoughts?

Me thinks this is going to be a long build - hopefully not too long tho, my wife has a list of things for me to mak

Oh...forgot...finished size is 135x 55

Originally Posted by johnredl

I do have a question tho, in 1 pic there is a close up of some borer holes. The borers are dead, but do u think it is worth going to the effort if plugging each hole? It is a bottom stretcher, and I could put it to the back...hmmm, thoughts?

You can epoxy the holes if you want. For me it would be only to practices in learning something different.

Goodness, that was a lot of work! Finally the 4 pieces that form the bottom stretchers are finished (the shorter board will firm the 2 end stretchers). What took soo long? Well the board on the right had a lower section, so I had to take the whole thing down by 10mm...with a hand plane! I did find it nice and relaxing and therapeutic almost.

I have learnt a great deal about sharpening my plane tho, skills which will help me to create masterpieces in the future. I did however become very frustrated at trying to sharpen my kitchen knives...can anyone suggest a book to help?

Now to sharpen my chisels and start destroying or forming (stand by to see which it will be!)

I've got a question. My lower stretcher rails are approx 130 x 55 (ish...I'm not @ home at the moment). I was going to draw-bore mortise & tenon these into the legs. But unlike Groggy's bench, I was going to place front & sides at the same height.

I've marked them all out, but thought I should learn more before making the first cut!

Soo...after doing a bit of research

1) Should I use multiple tenons for a 130mm wide stretcher, or is a single tenon using the 1/3 rule suitable? I read somewhere that wood expansion would make 1 large tenon 'unreliable'.

2) Would a through-wedged-draw bored tenon be better? I know this would mean staggering the side and front stretchers.

Thanks

Originally Posted by johnredl

2) Would a through-wedged-draw bored tenon be better? I know this would mean staggering the side and front stretchers.

Strewth, John - are you planning to shift to an earthquake-prone zone or something? Either through-wedged OR draw-bored should hold a stretcher more than adequately. Personally, I'm agin permanent fixing of the main stretchers, because it's a heck of a lot easier to move the bench if you can dismantle it into manageable pieces. You may not plan to move it, of course, but I presume you are mortal, so someone may need to, some day I would stagger the stretchers. I'd fix the side ones permanently with a blind tenon, which I would make up to 90-100 mm wide. Experience has taught me that width won't give you much trouble with movement in the long haul.

That's just one opinion. No doubt you'll get other, conflicting advice.

Cheers,