New Bench Problem...(long)

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

Andrew F in Australia

>Put the bench in the final position and shim the leg to fit, Chris.

Use hardboard, MDF, solid timber, whatever you've got that fits under the leg (75mm square?)

Put a small amount of glue between the base of the leg and the packer. If you want something completely reversible, use hot melt glue.

We have to do this frequently at work - some floors are out by 12mm

Cheers,

Andrew

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>When you say shim the leg, do you mean shim the bottom of the leg (on the floor) or shim the top, where the bench rests?

I am supposed to attach the top to the legs using the L-brackets which I like alot as an idea. I don't have to worry about the top moving since it's plywood.

cF

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

Andrew F in Australia

>Sorry Chris - not 100% clear.

Shim between the leg and the floor.

Andrew

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Andrew has already provided you with the right answers, but some explanation might be useful. The floor is crooked. Floors are always crooked. You shim between the base and the floor so that you relieve stresses and strains in the frame. If you let the frame flex, and shimmed between the frame and the top, you may later have problems fitting a box of drawers for tools to the frame.

Alternately, you could do it the hard way. I've done it both ways, and prefer the hard way. The hard way is to know beforehand that you will find crooked, unlevel floors, and that tools tend to roll off of bench tops that are not horizontal. Thus, you build levelers into the bottoms of the bench legs, like I did. That way, I can easily level the bench even if I set it up under an oak tree. Also, I can lift it on the levelers, roll a couple of furniture dollies under the stretchers, crank up the levelers, and roll the whole thing intact, frame, top, vises, tool box, small arsenal of planes, etc., to a different place in the shop.

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

Scott Post

>I agree with Andrew - I've had to shim under the legs of all three of my benches. I use winding sticks to find the low corner before putting the top on. Instead of shimming with wood I use small squares of router table mat. Actually, it's just rubber drawer lining material from Walmart which is the same stuff as router mat but dirt cheap. I put one piece under each foot then add more under the one that needs shimmed. Even my heavy maple & hickory traditional bench will slide on the concrete floor when planing without the squares of mat under the feet.

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>Did you use commercial levelers, or Loxahatchee Toolworks originals?

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>They are Lox Original, made from 1/2" threaded rod, embedded threaded rod connector (long nut), a fender washer jammed between a pair of nuts, and a pad made from plywood. Height adjustment is made with an open end or crescent wrench.

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL

>William,

OK, bear with me here. The long nut is embedded in the leg, the threaded rod is in the long nut, the two nuts and the fender washer are on the rod.

The jammed-together nut/washer/nut assembly is so you can turn the rod, raising or lowering the leg, right?

How is the rod connected to the piece of plywood?

I am thinking that this would be a Good Idea for my soon-to-be (real soon now, really...)-produced work bench.

TIA,

Don

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>The plywood pad is actually two pieces of 3/4 glued together. From the top, I drilled a hole just larger than the diameter of the washer half way through, and a smaller hole, just larger than the diameter of the nut, all the way through.

The legs are each built up from five layers of 3/4" ply. The connector is embedded in a hole cut in the center ply. On top of the connector is another fender washer, to transfer the weight of the bench to the connector. To make the slot for the fender washer, I cut slots in three of the plies with a biscuit jointer. The hole up through the central ply extends upwards a few inches beyond the end of the connector, so it's shoulder doesn't have enough area without the washer to spread the force out inside the leg. If you didn't want to go to that much trouble to build in the levelers, you could get someone to weld the washer to the bottom of the connector, like a big T-nut.

Re:Home Made Levelers

Angelo in Cornwall, NY

>My floor is really out, so I made similar levelers. I substituted hockey pucks for the plywood pads, though. Total cost was under $10.00, and the puck gives enough grip to level by hand.

I could try and draw a picture if anyone needs it.

Yes, all graphics welcomed, thanks.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

See New post above

Angelo in Cornwall, NY

>

Re: New Bench Problem...(long)

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>Thanks for all the answers...

When I am ready attach the top, I'll let everyone know how it goes.

:)