My Workbench |
 |
| TITLE |
+ |
- |
| FILE NAME |
+ |
- |
| DATE |
+ |
- |
| POSITION |
+ |
- |
|
|
IMG_1004.JPGBoring holes to mount the end vise446 viewsThe end vise is an old, massive, quick release Columbian. Here I'm boring the holes for mounting it. I have been amazed at how perfectly plumb one can bore with the two six inch squares standing next to the front and right of the auger bit - no jig needed!TRexF16
|
|
IMG_0998.JPGDetail of face vise round-over371 viewsFor the face vise round-over detail, I layed out the radius, nibbled away on the waste side with my table saw, and then used a shoulder plane and block plane to smooth it down to the curved line. Even though there are no vises yet on the bench, I can still use my holdfast through the dog holes of the assembled top/base to hold the work rock-solid. This is the first work I've ever done on a totally rigid bench and it's great!TRexF16
|
|
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
|
|
IMG_0997.JPGBenchtop attachment 2426 viewsWith the bench on its side, you can see how the top is drawn down against the tops of the legs by the homemade bench bolts, and how the top stretcher will, hopefully prevent eventual sag in the otherwise unsupported center of the top.TRexF16
|
|
IMG_0992.JPGBenchtop attachment 1334 viewsThis shows how the homemade bench bolts secure the top to the legs. I made the short top stretchers narrow enough to leave a space for the hole for the round brass "nut" to slide in. I considered simply bolting the top down straight through the top stretchers but wanted the draw it tight against the solid 3.75" x 5" top of the legs for maximum rigidity.TRexF16
|
|
IMG_0984a.JPGBase for the bench422 viewsHere's the completed base, except for the 3/4 inch thick shelf that will go on the ledges one inch below the top of the lower stretchers. This will give a nice shelf for tool storage with a 1/4 inch lip.TRexF16
|
|
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
|
|
IMG_0985.JPGLower leg Joint detail317 viewsThe bottom short stretchers on the end units are joined into a solid structure with double drawbore pins and double wedged through-tenons. The two long stretchers are bolted with a homemade and slightly beefier version of the Veritas Bench Bolts.TRexF16
|
|
IMG_0968a.JPGBuilding the end units335 viewsHere the bench top is glued up and sitting on a scrounged table. You can see I'm able to use the round dog holes to secure one of the legs for mortising for the through tenon. The joints for the first end unit are already cut and it is dry fit. In the foreground is the tops of the two long stretchers. The front long stretcher is set up for a sliding deadman.TRexF16
|
|
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
|
|
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
|
|
IMG_1026.JPGEnd Vise221 viewsHere's the quick action end vise in the closed (but not tightened) position. The chop is built to touch at the top first when it's closed so that when it is tightened up under full tension the opposing faces of the end cap and the vise chop are parallel and hold best. At this stage I'm flushing up the end grain of the end cap, the front of the bench and end of the vise chop all coplanar. The glass with the brush in it holds denatured alcohol. Brushing this on end grain greatly eases planing.TRexF16
|
|
|
|
Image Central 
