Thread: WIP - Groggy's Workbench

Originally Posted by Groggy

Anthony, even if they do fit I am not sure they will do much. Each piece is 90-95mm wide so the force required to give even a slight bend will be phenomenal. I have been thinking I will need to match each face with planes and rub them together with a very slight concave on every second face, then use sash clamps to hold them.

Yah - I don't think the Frontlines are appropriate. Anyway, their capacity is 10mm to 70mm thick.

Originally Posted by nt900

Yah - I don't think the Frontlines are appropriate. Anyway, their capacity is 10mm to 70mm thick.

Yes, I agree. Kind of you to offer though.

BTW, 140mm with extenders

EDIT: on re-reading that, they are different clamps, it is not an extender as such.

Originally Posted by Groggy

BTW, 140mm with extenders

Yeah cool - but I don't have them.

I've been following this thread for a good while now. Building a really solid heirloom bench is something I want to do in the next few years. This looks a real beauty.

If I were going to clamp that top I would beg borrow and steal as many sash clamps as I could. If you put clamps above and below you can progressively tighten them to generate quite a bit of force. I did something a little similar once, and it turned out quite well. The only problem was that it ended up slightly cupped. It was a bit of a pain but nothing a few patient evenings with a No.8 couldn't fix.

Its ok, Groggys has all be Lab tested for timber stress and bone desity, looking great Groggy although I think your mate thinks he's getting a new kennal.

Originally Posted by Horaldic

I've been following this thread for a good while now.

I promise to finish one day, honest!

Originally Posted by Horaldic

If I were going to clamp that top I would beg borrow and steal as many sash clamps as I could. If you put clamps above and below you can progressively tighten them to generate quite a bit of force. I did something a little similar once, and it turned out quite well.

That is pretty much my plan for the moment, and also clamping one piece on at a time. I simply do not think I could clamp them all up at once, given the weight of each piece and the time till the glue tacks.

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

Its ok, Groggys has all be Lab tested for timber stress and bone desity, looking great Groggy although I think your mate thinks he's getting a new kennal.

That may just be it, she has taken to sleeping in a shelf I put in the other shed, kind of weird

There is also a neanderthal solution, if it doesn't offend your sensibilities

Drill a set of holes in the same place on all the boards.Glue, run threaded rods through the holes, and tighten up with a BIG spanner. Once set, remove the rods. Apron and tool tray will cover the holes.

regards

Originally Posted by Alastair

Drill a set of holes in the same place on all the boards.Glue, run threaded rods through the holes, and tighten up with a BIG spanner. Once set, remove the rods. Apron and tool tray will cover the holes.

Hi Alastair, thanks for the comments. This was part of an earlier discussion and I am reluctant to drill holes right across the bench, particularly while I have other options remaining. Cheers.

I am considering running a finely set plane down the centre to create a hollow of a few thou, this should let the edges and ends seat better.

Yes, I'd do that, then glue with epoxy glue. I'd consider using glass beads or wood flour to generate the strongest possible glue line.
Its overkill... but there will be timber movement to consider with the size of those posts, which the right epoxy will resolve.
Epoxy does not do its best on two perfectly flat surfaces meeting... I'm sure you have read the product sheet and digested the requirement for a gap, and the right gap filling mix.

While it is "overkill by epoxy", you will end up with a bullet proof bench top. Those posts are overkill for a top... so overkill the glue up.
However.
Later down the track when you resurface the top (because you have chopped it out a bit with a chisel (form morticing))... make sure you can plane it without exposing the glue line gap where you have hollowed it. So, 'hollow it' with your least wide plane.
Pro's and Cons... whatelse is going to keep you awake at night? Beter than 'work concerns'?

Also, I'd suggest you think about why you don't want to use the drill and bolt method suggested by Alastair. sure you weaken the top by a few bolt holes... but those posts are pretty big... leave the bolts in, and its a very viable method of clamping up.

I would not suggest that you plan to remove any bends through clamping (in whatever way you appy the pressure)... plane/jointer out the bends. Get the posts square, let them settle, glue up when stable.
If you glue up and make them straight with a clamp... all you are doing is making a stressed and unstable top, which will want to relieve the stress by taking the 'path of least resistance'.

You will work it out. Look forward to seeing what you do.

Fun isn't it?

Hi Clinton, thanks for the comments

I am not particularly keen to drill through the top because I think that it may restrict me later on when I drill dog holes, I don't want to have to avoid putting them where I want them because I have a big hole through the top laterally. This is more so when I don't have to do it.

While I am waiting for the vises I'm considering how to go about the glue-up. I think I'll borrow a bunch of sash clamps and join them one at a time. That means I won't need to drill through the posts and each piece I can fit to its neighbour without imposing stresses. The idea of using the 'hollow' is to reduce the area where it may cause bows and allow the edges to mate together better. I haven't used glass beads before, I take it they are used as filler the same as sawdust?

Hi Groggy, I haven't read all the posts on your thread but with everything I make and glue up these days I plane and or sand everything so its a knife edge fit without haveing to apply any stress to flaten straighten etc I have found its easier to spend a bit more time and just make every thing fit. Clamp pressure is then nothing more than squeezing any excess glue out. Clamps are only nippped up and you are not trying to bend any timber or impose any stress. If you have been here before just ignor my ramblings.

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

If you have been here before just ignor my ramblings.

All ideas are welcome. I want to make these a perfect fit but their size is challenging. Leaving a hollow should make it easier and I am beginning to think about some sort of table or trestle to help when working and gluing this thing up. Trouble is that I need a nice hefty bench to sit it on and work it

I remember seeing someone building something big on the forum a while back and they had it on their box trailer, if you have one that could be the go, or borrow one, looked ideal.

I'm thinking of making a temporary top (just a frame really, not solid) out of framing timber so I can use the space that is already allocated for it. I can use the existing workbench for the smoothing and fitting but the gluing can be done on the frame. Hmm, maybe something I can do this weekend...