On topic this time, workbench questions

I am Bumfuzzled.....

Barry Irby

Hank you are correct....I should build something....figure out something good and build it. Doesn't take much to stop me. The Paralysis of analysis. Why settle for good when great is not that much harder? Why not use the wood I have that's in my way instead of buying more and throwing away what I have?

There are multiple parts to the problem. I have an injured shoulder/neck and I am waiting for that to heal. I have myself on light duty. I want to consume those heavy doors in this project. I have never had a proper workbench and have gotten along, but it seems like a good idea to have one. I have no idea what I will be doing on it because I tend to do everything. I build furniture and decks and form concrete. I build birdhouses with my granddaughters. I'm learning to hand cut dovetails. I have a Leigh Jig for dovetails.

I have a vice, but have no idea what other vices will be useful.

And I have a tiny shop that keeps getting smaller as I pack more into it.

I have tried to maintain enough room to break down a sheet of plywood, but I seldom break one down and I have a Festool track saw.

Dick, I looked at the Paulk bench. I had seen it before. It has some appealing aspects. I could use parts of it and parts I don't need. I have been thinking about clamping to the surface. T tracks? Festool clamps through the surface? Bench dogs? Micro jig Clamps in a dovetail slot?

Re: I am Bumfuzzled.....

AZ in Colorado Springs

You wrote:. I have a vice and don't know what others vices would be useful.

I think you meant "vise." (Your version was hilarious.)

Re: I am Bumfuzzled.....

John in NM

Its easy to get lost in the rabbit holes of better benches, better jigs, better tools. This is one area where the huge amount of available info and options can be a bit of a curse.

The bottom line for me is always that the bench you have is better than the perfect bench you haven't built yet (this is inspired by a beer aficionado I once knew who when asked what was his favorite beer he would reply "the one in my hand"). The lack of that perfect bench is not keeping you from doing much of anything, is it? The lack of the bench you have would definitely keep you from doing things.

So I usually just look at how my current set up is lacking, be it benches, jigs, or tools, and then consider whether the effort and expense required to correct deficiencies is worth it. I would probably use those doors you mention - one of my complaints with my current bench is it tends to walk when planing. If the doors are ugly, glue them together with epoxy or poly (you mentioned stacking them I believe?) and put a pretty wood band around the edge and maybe a nice piece of formica on the top - formica makes a great work surface for glue ups and stuff like that.

But if you don't plane much or don't chop mortises, all that weight will be a hindrance rather than a help.

Re: I am Bumfuzzled.....

Barry Irby

That was a Freudian slip or maybe just a spelling/proofreading error. (And funny)

I have at least one vice. Surly there is ONE other one that would be useful.

The vise I have is a quick release that opens about 12". I bought it when I was about 15.

What other vise would be useful?

Re: I am Bumfuzzled.....

Barry Irby

John, You are exactly right. Don't let the perfect get in the way of the successful.

Any bench will be better than what I have now.

I am sneaking up on it.

Waiting for the rain to end and my shoulder to get better so I can tear it up again.

Re: I am Bumfuzzled.....

Hank Knight

Barry,

Consider some kind of tail vise. A face vise and a tail vise (or an end vise) of some kind should take care of most of your needs, even if you don't do a lot of hand work. When I built my bench, the Lee Valley twin screw vise was the bees knees. I bought one and it has served me well, both as a tail vise and and an end vise. I use it for a big face vise on occasion, but I would prefer one of the modern tail vises if I were to build my bench again. Lie Nielsen has one as does Lee Valley, and I think there are several others. A face vise and a tail vise are the traditional set-up. I t will handle most of your needs, woodworking or otherwise.

Hank

Re: I am Bumfuzzled.....

William Duffield

A tail vise is really nice to have, but not essential. For a while, I worked on an 1830's German bench with a wooden leg vise and wooden tail vise. I needed to do some major restoration before they were usable. A tail vise, old or new, can be a lot of very fussy work to set up. You can manage, for a lot less money, but a little loss of efficiency, with a doe's foot and a holdfast.

https://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/11/09/an-improved-does-foot-appliance/

You'll also want a planing stop, but you would also need one of those with a tail vise. Another very workable alternative, but even less efficient than a doe's foot, is the Veritas Wonder Dog.

http://www.woodcentral.com/woodworking/forum/messages.pl/page/1/md/bzHqpfl6/id/520016