xxdabroxx Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 5 hours ago, LarsCW said: When I started planing last night, I asked my wife to make some pictures, telling her she might see me mess up big time. She kindly declined as she wouldn't want me to mess up lumber that she know i bought for her birthday present. It was fairly cold outside on the porch too, which might have been part of her reasoning. I noticed the same when I was looking at the lumber stock of homedepot here in Branson. The 2x12 boards looked all way better. The bigger lumber looked better here too, but I could get kiln dried stuff in 2x4 dimension only. So that made up my mind for me and set the thickness of my bench. (which is still on saw horses) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Capwn Posted January 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Alright, sorry everybody but I have been lazy. Thursday was a complete wash, and Friday I had other plans, so I didn't get to work in the shop much. Today I've been somewhat of a bum - however, I did clean up the existing legs and put the other two legs together and are in glue-up, so all four legs are complete now. However, there was something interesting I saw while putting together these legs...I noticed little bumps, like birds eye maple. I tossed a light coat of finish on, just to highlight it a bit more for the camera. It was also on some of the edges of the top as well... Not sure if this is normal within pine, but I think it is the first time I have noticed figured pine like that. Maybe one of you can explain what the "freckles" in the pine are. In any case, I decided to showcase them in the legs and maybe I will promote these legs to the front because - you know, Birds-eye SYP. If it isn't a thing, it totally is now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Capwn Posted January 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 I have a dream...that one day I will have a workbench! I would be lying if I told you I didn't make a mistake - because I totally did. Last night I thought that I should work harder and keep going on my workbench project. It was late, and I thought "Hey, how about I use hand tools - they are quiet!" Well, let's just say that my sawing skills are not up to par. I ended up with a mangled piece with a new dado too wide for the piece I had. Le sigh. Today was a bit more productive than the past few days - the first step was cutting a new bottom support rail that was 1/8" wider to accommodate my, ahem, excellent hand technique. Then it was on to layout on the aprons... Oh look, layout lines! I decided that I would abandon my hoity-toughty workworking-without-screws approach for the more "get er done" glues-n-screws approach. I slathered on the glue and screwed in the ledger material. I figured that it is on the inside and I can always remove the screws if need be. I also included the width for the planing stop. To make things easier, I had a scrap piece that was the same thickness and width of the legs, so all I had to do was place my ledger, place the "leg" cutoff and then place the other piece of ledger material. Done and done - with no fussing with the actual legs. Now, as I look at this picture, I am totally now aware that I should put in an upper support for the legs. Now the aprons aren't mounted yet, but the bottom rail has been glued in place. Sooooo...not entirely sure what to do. I suppose I could screw them in place, which is what Mike Siemsen does. Just have to keep in mind where I am boring the dog holes. Both aprons done with the ledger material glued and screwed in place, and the tops of the aprons planed down and square. Tomorrow will be cutting down some upper leg supports, 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 19, 2016 Report Share Posted January 19, 2016 Take the screws out after the glue dries, you don't need them. And if you plan on putting any dog holes in the front apron like the Nicholson has you don't want to hit a screw when boring the dog holes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjk Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 On 1/19/2016 at 5:50 PM, Al Capwn said: Now, as I look at this picture, I am totally now aware that I should put in an upper support for the legs. Now the aprons aren't mounted yet, but the bottom rail has been glued in place. Sooooo...not entirely sure what to do. I suppose I could screw them in place, which is what Mike Siemsen does. Just have to keep in mind where I am boring the dog holes. Why not notch one in like the lower rail? No screws needed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 I put a top plate between the two legs and than glued and screwed a stretcher on the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Capwn Posted January 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 9 hours ago, sjk said: Why not notch one in like the lower rail? No screws needed... I suppose I could do that, that is certainly an option - essentially make a dado in the upper portion. 1 hour ago, Chet K. said: I put a top plate between the two legs and than glued and screwed a stretcher on the top. Interesting - that would resolve the end grain issue, but I would need to be aware of the screw placement when it comes to boring holes. The idea I am entertaining the most at the moment is doweling them in. Basically, glue and clamp in the top leg bearer (with the understanding that the end grain isn't going to hold very well) and then drill a 1/2" or 3/4" holes through the leg and bearer. Then pin them in with glue and dowel, flush trimming off the ends. Not sure if this is 1) a good idea or 2) would be longer than just going with the dado approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 20, 2016 Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 I removed all of the screws once the glue was good and dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Capwn Posted January 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2016 1 hour ago, Chet K. said: I removed all of the screws once the glue was good and dry. You know, I keep forgetting about that...I don't know why. Good idea! Only issue is that my ledger material is already cut to the leg width. I would only be able to put material on the very top; effectively it would be two bearer rails attached to the sides of the legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Capwn Posted January 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2016 Well, there is light at the end of the tunnel - but as Metalica said, "...and it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel, is just a freight train coming your way..." So last night I removed the screws from the ledger material, and then countersunk and screwed in the bearers in from the apron. Then, I took my Stanley No. 5 jack plane and leveled the tops of the bearers flush with the edge of the apron. Now, I still feel somewhat guilty using screws outside of securing the top to the base. So in an effort to appease my OCD and give the Nicholbo a little more "bo" I am going to remove the screws and instead use walnut dowels and glue to peg the bearers in. Walnut is for the contrast so it is more a design element rather than just "filling the hole in the pine". It isn't necessary, but since when did the French care about that? They were wearing weird elf shoes and frilly puffy shirts! So off to swing by Woodcraft to pick up some walnut dowels, and a couple of drill bits. Specifically going to need a 3/4" for holdfast/dog holes and a 3/8" for the dowels. I probably already have a 3/8" at home, but might as well get a nice one just in case. Pictures to follow this evening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Al Capwn Posted January 22, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 So...here is where we left off; bearers screwed in place and you can see that the top rests nicely. There is still a bit of rock, but nothing too terrible that cannot be corrected. Here is the front view; it almost looks like a bench at this point! You can see above that the bearers were screwed in place. Since I want as little metal as possible to collide with, I decided I would pull them out. Don't mind those giant drill bits; those will be for the holdfast/dog holes later. I cut sections of 3/8" dowel to ~3 1/2 inches. Then I removed the existing screws, ensuring to clamp up the sides to keep pressure before hand, and drilled a full 3/8" hole. ...and with a few taps with a dead blow to settle them to the bottom, we have them in place. Then all there is to do is come back with a flush trim saw and clean them up. Home stretch now; need to secure the legs with the carriage bolts, level the top one last time and secure it to the base, then drill the holes for the holdfasts and peg supports. I also intentionally unevenly spaced the bearers to allow for the 10" quick release vice to be mounted in the face position if I choose to do so. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 On January 22, 2016 at 9:50 PM, Al Capwn said: level the top one last time and secure it to the base You might want to give some thought to doing this in the opposite order. In securing it to the base you might end up creating a cup or twist or something along that nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Capwn Posted January 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 1 hour ago, Chet K. said: You might want to give some thought to doing this in the opposite order. In securing it to the base you might end up creating a cup or twist or something along that nature. Yeah, I needed to plane out some twist already - did that while it was on top of the base. So now there is no rocking. I will need to secure it to the base and then flatten the top work surface to make that part level of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Al Capwn Posted January 24, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 So...close.... Today was cleaning up the glued-in pegs. A little work with the Veritas flush-trim saw and a block plane, and the dowels are flush with the apron. Lather, rinse and repeat for both sides of the remaining dowels and we have something like this... I went ahead and installed the planing stop today by measuring and cutting out a mortise to receive the 2x2 material. I used a mallet and chisel to pare half-way, then flipped the piece over and cleared the other side. Doing it this way prevents tear/blow out. After a little clean up, and a bit of work with the No.4 smoothing plane on the stop material, we were in business. I took a block plane to smooth out the top of the planing stop. I went ahead and attached the top by drilling a 3/8" hole approximately 1" deep underneath the bearers. Then I drilled a deeper, but smaller pilot hole inside of that hole. Then, ensuring the clamps were exerting pressure, I drilled 3 1/2" screws from underneath to secure the top to the bottom bearers. Then using a combination of the No. 7, No. 5, and No. 4 I went ahead and leveled the top of the workbench. Right now it is in "good enuff" state. It isn't perfect, but it doesn't cause stock to rock or slide on it. I figure I can periodically check and adjust as it "settles" a bit to have her dialed in. Tomorrow I will attach the legs using bolts, and then drilling in some holdfast holes in the top and apron. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted January 24, 2016 Report Share Posted January 24, 2016 Getting there. Looks good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Capwn Posted November 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2016 Holy thread necro, Batman! So it has been a good long while since I have posted, so I know I have some 'splainin to do. First, I want to thank everyone who participates in the Woodworkers Fighting Cancer initiative. My mother passed away from cancer earlier this year and, quite frankly, that took quite a bit of wind out of my creative sails. She was only in her mid 50s, so way too young to go. With that depressing news out of the way, I figured I would follow up on the build. I plan on wrapping up the last few snapshots of the final details. I don't believe I have pictures, but I went ahead and secured the legs with the bolts and have applied a couple of coats of Boiled Linseed Oil just to keep a small barrier of protection on the surface. I've been using the workbench as it stands for a while now, and it works pretty well, but it needs more holding power than simple planing stop. It also needs some form of shelving/storage on the bottom to place tools and planes that are not immediately being used to free up that space on top for actually working material and assembly. These are issues I am addressing right meow. This past weekend I finally cut out the recess for the 10" Eclipse quick-release vise and mounted it in the face position on the workbench. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but I was seriously hesitant about this part. I have a relatively flawless (by redneck standards) workbench, and now I have to drill holes in the side and hack out material with a chisel?! If the vise had a silhouette template to place the layout profile, it would have been much less of a trial by fire. I followed Paul Sellers guidance on marking out and measuring the vise profile as best as possible and actually managed to get a pretty good fit despite some fairly crude carving. At first, the quick release mechanism wouldn't work, but a bit more time with a chisel to add some more clearance quickly solved that problem. Still on the agenda for the upcoming weeks: I still need to add the packing material underneath, and secure with lag screws. I have a couple of holdfasts ready-and-waiting for the workbench, but still have yet to drill the holes for them. I need to determine where to best place the holes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 Sorry to hear about your Mom, Al. Welcome back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDave Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 My condolences Al... Glad to have you back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 Glad you are back Al. Losing family members sucks, I don't know any other way to put it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneymack Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 Terrible news about your mom. So sorry to hear that. Glad you are back and look forward to seeing some pics of this this all done ! Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Al Capwn Posted December 3, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted December 3, 2016 Alright, time to get back to business. Tonight I wrapped up the vise.. I cut the profile earlier in the week and secured it via the screw holes in the front. Now I needed to add packing material between the workbench and the vise underneath. It measured roughly 1 3/4 of an inch...ish. I spied a bit of Maple that was hanging out on my wood rack... Well whadja know?! Just about right! So I cut off this piece since it had a big ole knot in it as well as an odd cut/gouge. Not really usable in a project, so might as well use it here. A quick pass under the planer to dial in the perfect thickness and we were good to go. I then marked where the pilot holes were to be drilled and secured it with lag screws. Yes, the back is ugly with blow out on the ledger from hacking at it with a chisel with no regard to blowout in the back. For future reference, the right tool to use in this situation would have been a jig saw. Since I don't really have one on tap, this is the result. Not a big deal, but certainly something you would never want to do on a quality work piece! Now I used my vise and squished this plywood to mark where the screws were protruding. I would then take a forstner bit and drill a shallow hole around them so that the plywood could sit flush against the jaw of the vise (since the screws were protruding). I then took double-sided tape and applied to the plywood. Then I took some handplanes and planed down the height of the plywood jaw liners to the same height as the workbench. This is to allow larger boards to lay complete flat on the top of the workbench. I believe that just about wraps up the vise install. I have no idea why I waited so long, mostly out of fear of messing things up. This should be a huge improvement in making the workbench function properly. Next on the agenda is drilling out holes for the holdfasts! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Capwn Posted April 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 Ok, I know it has been months since I have posted, and anyone following "in real time" would be long since bored by now, but I'd like to point out a valuable learning lesson! Attaching the vice faces. Well... I have to admit, I didn't think about the back at all and just used the double-sided tape to hold the back face. Why? Because I was a dum-dum and didn't know any better. So here is take numero dos on the back jaw, and this is what it should look like for reference: Having the jaws boards extend further out, and having backer material for them to secure to. Much better. Now the next step is to put away some tools and add some storage underneath to prevent the workbench from being the "temporary home" of all the planes, saws, chisels, etc. Gahh, the horror! Seriously though, the planes don't have a home. They should probably be stored underneath the workbench for now since I don't have a cabinet or drawer for them. Making a cameo is the new Triton router to be installed in the router table, since the Ridgid keeps slipping in the sleeve and doesn't adjust from above the table. RIdgid has now been promoted to plunge router, and Triton is my new dedicated table router. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted April 29, 2017 Report Share Posted April 29, 2017 I could take about the same picture of the right end of my bench half way into any project. It looks like a too cabinet exploded. Nice looking bench, and I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. I couldn't imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Capwn Posted May 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2017 Ok. So, dog holes. I am sure this has been covered before in a million Roubo builds, but ... what do use to bore them? I've seen some giant 3/4" upspiral router bit to plunge them. A spade bit seems the most logical, short of blowout on the back. So my question to the millions; ok, dozens of you, who have built their benches: What was your chosen method to bore the dog holes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SawDustB Posted May 3, 2017 Report Share Posted May 3, 2017 Ok. So, dog holes. I am sure this has been covered before in a million Roubo builds, but ... what do use to bore them? I've seen some giant 3/4" upspiral router bit to plunge them. A spade bit seems the most logical, short of blowout on the back. So my question to the millions; ok, dozens of you, who have built their benches: What was your chosen method to bore the dog holes? I can't speak for others, but I'm using Lee valleys 3/4 bushing and 3/4 Brad bit set to do it. It's not the cheapest method, but it's also not that bad and I'm confident they'll turn out pretty much perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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