friscomike Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Howdy folks, In 1975, I received some plans for a knock down workbench. I built it with a drill and circular saw. I was going to school at the time and needed a workbench that could travel. It was built of bolts, nuts, 2X6 and 2X4 lumber. I built the kids toys, furniture, doll houses, birdhouses, on the bench. It even served as a sturdy base for rebuilding Volkswagen engines (ten to be exact). I hammered, drilled, sawed, and painted on it. The bench accompanied me around the planet for 15 years in the Army and another 20 years in professional business. Now, I want to do a bit more hand tool work, so the old bench needs to be replaced. Giving up my 39 year old bench is hard to do, so I decided to clean it up a bit, add a new vise, and introduce other improvements. Now you know why I titled this accounting as "Lipstick on a Pig". Here are a couple of photos of the bench as it was. Away we go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Kind of like the old shoe I like it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 No reason you shouldn't be able to get a few more years out of this bench, other than what you've described: Your desire to get into hand tools. So, by all means, build something massive for your hand tool work but do give this bench something to do. Perhaps it can be a sharpening station? It's certainly still good for machine work: Routing, sanding, crosscutting with a circular saw, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatworks Today Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 A lot of memories there I'm sure; Hold onto it like the favorite shirt your significant other would love to throw away . It's a cool bench 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 I have t-shirts that look like that and wouldn't get rid of them for anything! It and they are just now broken in, and are just coming into their usefulness! Use it, it's an old friend, you don't toss old friends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscomike Posted August 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Howdy, Thanks for the comments and encouragement. Yesterday I planed the old bench top boards. They were not glued together, but attached to the base with lag bolts. I found a few embedded nails and metal bits with a metal detector and removed them. Next I took the easy way out and ran them through the planner. The boards look okay, although they have a few holes to be plugged. Here are the boards after planning: Have fun, mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Looks like a pretty good start ! Keep posting your progress . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Why plug the holes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Agree with Chip, those are memories.. Looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscomike Posted August 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Why plug the holes? Howdy, there were about 15 of them of varied sizes and I wasn't sure they would interfere with mounting the vises. Perhaps it was a little cosmetic (tsk, tsk) improvement, too. ~mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscomike Posted August 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 The top glued up and holes plugged. Attached are a few shots of the bottom of the top. Slowly I turn, step by step... mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 As our long time friends advance in age, occasionally a face lift is required to bring back the beauty that you once saw in that friend......Ya done good! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscomike Posted August 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Howdy, The bench top will receive an underlayment of some sort to give the bench some heft. One inch MDF was my first thought (I have a sheet of it), but an old door from a school's security cabinet is my choice this morning. The door is very heavy with solid hardwood 2X2 slats in the door. The surface is dead flat, and it has no twist or warping. What do you think? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Sounds like a decent baseplate for your bench to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodbutcher74 Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 The top glued up and holes plugged. Attached are a few shots of the bottom of the top. Slowly I turn, step by step... mike Niagara Falls !!!!!! One of my favorite Stooge's bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted August 6, 2014 Report Share Posted August 6, 2014 Great post with a great title. Too late now, but I think you should have left the bench as was and sold it to an antique shop. I saw an old work bench like that in an antique shop in Geneva, Illinois back about 5-6 years ago... They had added a hutch to it which was weathered to match... sort of. Anyway, I guess it made a pretty cool side-cupboard if you had the right kind of dining room for it. But here's the kicker: they were asking $2800 for the bench and $1500 for the hutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscomike Posted August 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Howdy, I was distracted for a few days painting the assembly table, but am back working on the workbench. With the top glued up, I was able to perform a preliminary leveling with the Stanley #4. It is fairly level with no twisting, but the 607 will take out a bit of a dip in the center. One of the pictures below shows the top glued together, and the other shows the second level support for the top. The support top was jointed today, but needs the varnish removed from the surface. I plan to use a belt sander for the task.Ugh! I redesigned the base of the bench and plan to reuse all the existing parts except the legs. They are badly split on the bottoms and I want to increase there size. More about that later. Now it is time for a trip to the lumber yard, and I dread having to sort through so much wood to get straight pieces. Have fun and thanks for the comments, I do enjoy them. ~mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Really looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscomike Posted August 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 Howdy folks, Thanks for the encouragement; it does help. I decided to redo the legs. The first attached photo shows why. The new legs will be made of three 2X4's glued together to form one 3.5 X 4.5 leg (see old leg 2X4 photo). The new legs will add a little more heft, although the old legs didn't wabble when using a plane. Have fun, mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 If you square them first, the seams will be hard to see.. Also, a slight under bevel at the bottom with help prevent that very same thing from happening in the future. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscomike Posted August 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 Howdy, A question for the group: should I screw the bench top bottom layer to the top in addition to gluing? This sucker is going to take a lot of glue! I'll make the bench top sandwich with cauls and clamps and wondered if I needed to add screws to the clamping mix. Best, mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 Personally, I would not glue. If/when the bench top needs to be replaced, you can just replace the top layer without replacing the entire top. I would screw it down and be done. If you're set on gluing, then clamps and cauls should be sufficient until the glue dries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapid Roger Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 When I built my work bench, I used pocket hole screws on the inside of the upper rails into the bottom of the top. No glue was needed as far as I'm concerned except between the two thicknesses for the top. You really don't need many screws as all it does is keep the top from sliding off of the frame work. I think I used three screws on the front and back and two screws on the ends. It has been quite awhile since I built it (about eight or nine years) and I've never needed to put a new top on but It won't be much of a job if I ever need to change it. Rog PS. I used two thicknesses of MDF for the top. (the good, old growth, quarter sawn stuff) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friscomike Posted August 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 Howdy, I made a little progress on the new workbench today. Last week, I decided to finish the assembly table, circa 2011, before completing the bench. I used the assembly table a lot, but needed to put a protective finish on it. It is the red monster in the attached photo. On to the bench, thanks for all the advise for laminating the top. I decided to use glue and screws. It was slightly bowed in the center (1/32"), so I used clamps on the outside, with a few cauls across the center. After glue up it was still warp free, heavy, and ready for a final planing. Today I cut the new side rails and legs. I hope to joint, plane and glue them together tomorrow. Tripling the leg size seemed like a good idea and the same for the side rails. The leg size is for stability, the side rails are for some stability but mostly clamping ability from the side of the table. I plan to use red oak to trim the edges, since it is hard and cheap. An old Craftsman vise will serve as a tail vise, and a new Rockler 7" will serve as the primary vise. Having fun on the Brazos, mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 23, 2014 Report Share Posted August 23, 2014 Nice looking assembly table! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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