Thread: Mediocrity is my Middle Name

SC,

Didn't mean to dis the curtains but if they're visible from the sea they could be a hazard to passing ships

Do maritime safety a favour and get yourself a cheap tarp from bunnies

HH.

Jeez, you poor thing, having to put up with all that nasty sea mist.
You probably even have to sheild your eyes from that horrible ocean view too.

I hope your car rusts and the dolphins laugh at you.

Aye, it's surely terrible. Not to mention the horrible crashing sound the waves make on the beach. How I long for the roar of traffic, the wail of sirens, and the relaxing, peaceful sound of the woman over the back fence screaming at her husband and kids.

Who told you about the dolphins, Zed? The bastards have been mocking me for ages. Every time I see one it laughs at me. :mad:

All right SilentC, I'll take a piccie of my bench and post it here. It's my grandfathers cobblers bench designed for serious hammering. I've put a new MDF top and whacked a vice on the front. Made from solid 3mm steel angle. Ugly as anything but solid - I literally cannot move it.

I'm not sure that mediocrity is the correct term.... it looks to me like an old boot...pretty darned comfortable. No disrespect to the flash bench guys, (I'd like to be one of them one day) but I can't think of anything their's can do that yours can't.. well OK yours would never pass a local Health Authority Inspection..so don't forget the Dettol when you cut yourself.

Flasher than anything I've had to date I must confess!! It's got a WOODWORKVICE for crying out loud!

Interesting to me is the use of the pipe clamp... I am still tossing up whether to use a pair of 'em instead of a tail vice.. how does it work in reality?

My bench is still the layoutcuttingassemblytable and two workmates, before that was the pine stud jobbie with particle board flooring for a surface, bolted to the wall and floor, but there's a better day a comin'!!

Cheers,

P (who hasn't got a green to throw but would have!)

Originally Posted by Midge

how does it work in reality

Depends on your definition of reality.

It's actually a bar clamp and the bar sits in a pair of slots that I cut in the top of the cross members under the bench top. There's a notch in one end that engages the rivet in the end of the bar that stops it from sliding. To adjust it, you lift it up at one end and slide the fixed jaw to the nearest pin. A pipe clamp with a cam lock might be easier to adjust.

In use, it's fine. I'm not putting a lot of pressure on it and it's enough to stop whatever I'm working with from sliding. The bench is damn heavy, so it's all pretty solid really.

The main downside is that I couldn't get the jaws lower and so anything less than about 25mm thickness requires packing from underneath.

The other plus is that I can use it as a sash cramp as well

Originally Posted by bitingmidge

Flasher than anything I've had to date I must confess!! It's got a WOODWORKVICE for crying out loud!

I sympathise...some of my dates haven't been too flash either (and they had a few vices, too).

Darren, that's what a bench should be like.
How's the TS going? I've got mine & put it on the mobile base, but haven't fired it up yet as I'm waiting for the sparky to put in a couple of new power circuits etc. The waiting is agony.

The TS is going great guns. I managed to get my sparky to put in the 15 amp circuit a couple of days after I got the saw. I've got it on a mobile base too - a neccessity in my shed.

I know how you feel. Mine turned up the day before I went on a 3-day walk. That was torture

my bench is just a pine one bought as a ready to assemble pack from Bunnies so I guess that might count as mediocre works fine for what I do with it anyway..

whose blood did you use to finish your bench with? :eek:

Originally Posted by silentC

the day before I went on a 3-day walk. That was torture

Yes I'm sure it was. Was something wrong with your bike?

P

Nah it was too heavy to carry so I left it at home....

The TS or the bike...

Silent,

I like your work bench but the drawers need to be dovetailed mate. One day the Melbourne boys will have to drop up to see you and discuss these issues over a beer or two of course.

- Wood Borer