My Workbench |
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IMG_1080.JPGz: Neat bench trick523 viewsWith a 3+ inch thick top most clamp-on accessories won't work. But with the big face vise it's no problem to just clamp a piece of 8/4 stock to the front of the bench and Bob's your Uncle...you have a whole new edge to clamp to. Here I've set up for saw sharpening with the saw vise clamped to the rock-solid base provided by the four foot 8/4 hardwood piece locked in the face vise.TRexF16
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IMG_1082.JPGw: Bench in the House 3425 viewsTRexF16
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IMG_1083.JPGw: Bench in the House 2348 viewsTRexF16
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IMG_1085.JPGw: Bench in the House 1452 viewsUntil the shop is finished the bench will live in the house. It's in the work-in-progress den where it will actually serve a fine purpose helping me build the full wall built in cabinets and bookshelves we're planning for that room.TRexF16
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IMG_1062.JPGVise problem 3257 viewsHere's the view from underneath of the long 3/4 inch maple pegs driven in through the face vise backing slabs and into the benchtop itself. I used no glue in case I ever had to remove them, but they were pretty hard to drive in, and I guess unless the two holes are absolutley parallel I'll probably never get them off. Otherwise they'll have the same dovetail effect of offset toe nailing. There have been no problems with any face vise clamping since making this modification.TRexF16
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IMG_1061.JPGVise problem 2358 viewsThe backing slabs could move up to 1/8 inch under offset clamping force because the 3/8 inch bolts run through 1/2 inch holes. No way can 3/8 inch bolts resist the clamping force of 1 1/2 inch acme thread steel vise screws! I decided to fix this problem by boring holes for tight-fitting dowels which will prevent any movement. Here I am boring the 3/4 inch holes from underneath the top for the pegs. The holes pass through the slabs which back the face vise and well up into the benchtop itself. 3/4 inch maple dowels will be driven through these holes and up into the benchtop.TRexF16
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IMG_1027.JPGVise problem 1281 viewsThis shot taken while fitting the screws to the face vise shows the basic configuration of the face vise itself and the two backing slabs which are bolted top to bottom through the benchtop. Each backing slab has two 3/8 inch bolts running through them. Nevertheless, I still found that if I clamped a board in the face vise, and it only bore against the top and the face vise, or the leg and the face vise, but not the backing slabs, I could easily put enough force on it to pull the slabs out of alignment.TRexF16
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IMG_1028.JPGTwin Screw Face Vise234 viewsHere is the big face vise clamped in place while I mark for the screw holes on the back sideTRexF16
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IMG_0996.JPGTruing the top flush to the legs450 viewsEverything is all bolted up here and I'm planing the legs dead flush to the front face of the top with a #8 jointer plane. The entire front of the bench - top, legs, and stretcher, is now coplanar for ease of clamping. The front of the deadman will lie in the same plane.TRexF16
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IMG_0995.JPGTop stretcher joint312 viewsThe top short stretchers on the end units only have the double drawbore, but not the wedged through tenons due to the possibility of spliting out the top of the legs. The primary purpose of these stretchers is to stiffen the end unit and prevent any sag in the middle of the top.TRexF16
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IMG_1051.JPGTop flattening 2243 viewsThis job was made more difficult by lack of a really fine straight-edge. I have a three foot aluminum "garden variety" staight edge, which helps a bit, but so wish for a real, no kidding high precision four foot (or more) Starrett or one of equal quality. Santa, if you're listening...TRexF16
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IMG_1045.JPGTop Flattening 1295 viewsGetting started flattening the top with the big old Stanley #8. The fine Hock iron in this plane really cuts well. I tried to line up the edge grain of each piece in the top laminate, but missed the mark in a few places. If I ever make another bench top I will: a) use thicker stock so glue-up takes less time and b) make darn sure ALL the grain runs the same way. I got a bunch of four quarter maple for 70 cents a board foot, which is why that's what this top is made of.TRexF16
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