Popular Post Mcdavid Posted September 23, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Got the top flattened pretty well. Not perfect but I will probably need to reflatten again soon any way.Now I'm cutting off the edges. 26" long and 5 1/8" thick is pretty hard to saw through with my box store husky bit a knife wall keeps the saw on track. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Sorry for the delau, MD. Here is what my vise looks like' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcdavid Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 4 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: Sorry for the delau, MD. Here is what my vise looks like' Cool vise, what wood do you have for the chop? Got some new bench toys today. Really excited about the Gramercy holdfasts but worried that my slab may be too thick. Will try it soon once I sharpen my augers again after doing tons of pegging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Chop is SPF 2x6. Really too soft, but at least it doesn't mar anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted September 24, 2016 Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 On 9/17/2016 at 9:22 PM, Mcdavid said: Alright got the legs on, supports on, everything trimmed on the base. Need to flip it over and trim the sides and flatten the top. I am thinking of vises now. Already have plans to build a Moxon vise using cheap home center hardware. But I want a bench vise or a couple of them. Looking at very cheap Irwin 6 1/2 in bench vises for $20 a piece. This will give my one for the face and end. Or looking at Shop Fox front vise for $60 but I only get 1. Any advice for a $60 budget? Look at grizzly for a vise. I bought two for my bench, I believe they were $59 each. As for a moxon, if you have a couple of pipe clamps very easy to make! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted September 24, 2016 Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 3 hours ago, Mcdavid said: Really excited about the Gramercy holdfasts but worried that my slab may be too thick. If I remember correctly they have some information on their website about this situation. I believe the fix is to make your dog holes a larger diameter on the under side of the bench. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mcdavid Posted September 26, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 On September 23, 2016 at 6:31 PM, Chet K. said: If I remember correctly they have some information on their website about this situation. I believe the fix is to make your dog holes a larger diameter on the under side of the bench. Yep this is exactly what I'm going to have to do. Just drilled my dogs today and the holdfasts are setting. No worries though. Drilling out dog holes today. Took some time to think about placement since I'm not going to have an end vise right now. Also I think my oldest daughter approves of the bench. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcdavid Posted September 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 Turns out my bench top is too thick by about 2 1/2 inches. I bored out 3 dogs and tried my holdfast and it wasn't setting. So I did a practice dog hole in an edge cut off. First tried to counter bore a 1 inch hole 2 1/2 inches in the bottom but it still wasn't enough. So I opened and squared the hole to 1 1/8 with a chisel. Seems to work just fine. Problem though... Gotta turn my bench back over and chisel from the bottom. Which also means I need to re-smooth the top. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 How thick is your top? The Roubo typically has a 4" top and Gramercy holdfasts work fine in mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcdavid Posted September 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 34 minutes ago, Eric. said: How thick is your top? The Roubo typically has a 4" top and Gramercy holdfasts work fine in mine. 5 inches. I think it might be because it is made from soft wood but I could be wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 4 minutes ago, Mcdavid said: 5 inches. I think it might be because it is made from soft wood but I could be wrong In that case it's possibly 1" too thick, but not 2.5" too thick. Having a much thicker top is certainly beneficial in terms of mass since you're using construction lumber, but I don't see any other real advantage. I suppose there's no way you can mill it down to 4"? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 47 minutes ago, Mcdavid said: 5 inches. I think it might be because it is made from soft wood but I could be wrong According to the LN site, their holdfast "Fits a 3/4" diameter hole in a benchtop up to 4" thick (if your benchtop is thicker, you may need to relieve the bottom third of the hole to 1" diameter)". So I guess you could just use a 1" forstner bit from the bottom of your top to relieve that extra inch (link:https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/lie-nielsen-holdfast) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SawDustB Posted September 27, 2016 Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 I'm assuming you tried it, but on the tools for working wood site, there's this note about those holdfasts: Note: we have discovered that while the holdfasts work great they will work even better and in more benches if you just rub a little 150 or 220 sandpaper around the stems (not up and down, round and round) It'd be worth a try. It's a lot easier than having to counterbore all of your holes or thinning down the top. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcdavid Posted October 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2016 On September 27, 2016 at 5:40 AM, Eric. said: In that case it's possibly 1" too thick, but not 2.5" too thick. Having a much thicker top is certainly beneficial in terms of mass since you're using construction lumber, but I don't see any other real advantage. I suppose there's no way you can mill it down to 4"? I cut 1.5" deep motises instead of 2.5" and it seems to work fine. Thanks for the heads up before I did way too much work! On September 27, 2016 at 6:30 AM, SawDustB said: I'm assuming you tried it, but on the tools for working wood site, there's this note about those holdfasts: Note: we have discovered that while the holdfasts work great they will work even better and in more benches if you just rub a little 150 or 220 sandpaper around the stems (not up and down, round and round) It'd be worth a try. It's a lot easier than having to counterbore all of your holes or thinning down the top. Thanks! I was planning on doing this just to knock down the edges to save my fingers but I'm glad it is going to help too. 6 motises each 1 1/8 by 1 1/8 by 1 1/2 to allow for a better wedge for the holdfasts. First time doing multiple hand cut mortises. Not that much fun when the bench is on the floor and you have to work around the legs and supports. Oh well still a good experience. Now to sharpen my poor chisel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcdavid Posted October 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 Got my vise in. It's a shop fox cabinet makers front vise. Needed to inset the vise by 1 1/2" to get the most out of it. Another one of those things I wish I knew before adding the under carriage. The legs and supports made it pretty difficult. It only took about 2 hours a night for 5 nights but got it done. Nearly 100% flat to an 1 1/2" depth. My chisel and mallet got one hell of a workout. Making some bench accessories. First thing is a plane stop. A scrap piece of cherry with 3/4" oak dowels wedged with cherry. Works pretty well and easy to drop in and take out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mcdavid Posted October 13, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted October 13, 2016 Working on my vise some more. building the chops. This one will go into the bench. Got another one cooking for the face chop. Lamination of two oak planks. After I dimensioned one chop. chopped a recess for the bench chop. oak has very weird looking shavings 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted October 13, 2016 Report Share Posted October 13, 2016 Bench is progressing nicely! Some don't care for the porous grain of red oak, but sure makes for a stong and less expensive work bench. Keep up the great work! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted October 13, 2016 Report Share Posted October 13, 2016 So you built the bench and now you are systematically removing half of it for accessories? Sounds like something I would do. I have the same pattern maker vise on my old bench. It worked great. The one issue I had with it was the handle dowel thing is junk. If I were you, id just throw it away and shape yourself a nice one from some strong riven wood off the bat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcdavid Posted October 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2016 2 hours ago, Brendon_t said: So you built the bench and now you are systematically removing half of it for accessories? Sounds like something I would do. I have the same pattern maker vise on my old bench. It worked great. The one issue I had with it was the handle dowel thing is junk. If I were you, id just throw it away and shape yourself a nice one from some strong riven wood off the bat. Yeah I definitely would have pre cut all of these grooves before fully assembling it haha. But worth it all in the end. It's done!!!!.... Structurally. Just need to re flatten the top and add a finish. Thinking Danish Oil. I collected all the tools used on my bench and placed them all in top. Couldn't fit the jointer and planer though, but who cares about milling anyway. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted October 13, 2016 Report Share Posted October 13, 2016 Thant turned out very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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