New Bench base *finally* complete

Re: New Bench base *finally* complete

Frank Mutchler

>Very nice, Christopher. Don't know how long it took but from the look of things it was worth the wait! Are the stretchers & legs joined w/m&t? I see you probably have a bolt or lag going through one leg. The boxes look like birch but I'm not sure about the legs?? I like the contrasting grain very much. Looking forward to your top...you have until next weekend ;>)!!

Re: New Bench base *finally* complete

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>Thanks..

It's joined with stub tenons in mortises. I used four bench bolts from Lee Valley to secure them. The bolts are very nice and are much easier to use than regular nuts and bolts. And theyt look nicer.

The base itself is made from laminated white oak while the box and drawers are made from Asian birch plywood (about the same as Baltic birch)

The finish on the box is just polycrylic while the oak is finished with two coats of thinned BLO followed by two coats of thinned Polyurethane and finished up with a coat of wax.

Top is mostly done... next step is making the vises.

;)

Re: New Bench base *finally* complete

Jim Shaver - Oakville, Ontario

>Hi,

Now that looks like a great base!

Looking forward to seeing the completed bench,

Take care,

Jim

Re: New Bench base *finally* complete

Tom Williams

>Good for you for building the storage case now instead of putting it off for later.

Tom

Re: New Bench base *finally* complete

Ernie Miller Topeka

>I wish I would have built my box for tools befor I mounted the top. Your bench looks great! you are going to love it.

Echoes

Steve Kubien

>Looks great! Ernie and Tom have got it right. I wish I had built storage into mine, before the top went on.

Have fun,

Steve Kubien

Looks great and thank the

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>other posters. Scott, re-thinking bench storage before completing mine. Yet again, another setback.

HIjack: Does anyone know of any

Tom Williams

>drawer slides that would work from both sides of the bench? Seems like that would be helpful when working on the back side of a 6-8 ft. long bench.

Tom

Re: HIjack: Does anyone know of any

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Sure, you could make a very long sliding dovetail underneath the drawers.

Pam

Re: HIjack: Does anyone know of any

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Mine slide on 3/4" high by 3/8" deep grooves centered in the sides of the drawers, with matching runners attached to the insides of the case. If I have to pull one out most or all the way, I pull the one below it out about half way, for support. I know, that strategy doesn't work for the bottom drawer. The grooves and the ends of the runners show on the fronts and backs of the drawers. It's not fine furniture, it's a workbench. I can turn the drawers around any time I feel a need, so that the back face becomes the front. If you need a photo, I could go trudge through the snow and ice and take one.

Re: HIjack: Does anyone know of any

Tom Williams

>William,

I was thinking along those lines, but was wondering if an intermediate piece might be added, like a loose rail fitted into grooves on both the case and drawer sides, that might allow for near full extension support in both directions.

Tom

Re: HIjack: Does anyone know of any

Ernie Miller Topeka

>I'm as lasy as the next guy ( I have all of my auger bits perminatly mounted in there own brace on a rack) but how much trouble is it to walk around to the other side of the bench to get a tool out of the drawer? Befor finishing my bench am I missing somthing? I'm fat and lazie so clue me in befor it is two late!

Re: HIjack: Does anyone know of any

William R. Duffield, on the Cohansey

>You should be able to figure out something that will work. The wooden methods I've seen, but not made myself, that seem to work best have an intermediate slide, stopped with pins. This intermediate piece usually has a rather narrow groove on one side that nests inside a wider runner on the other side. The case has a corresponding narrow runner, and the drawer has a corresponding wide groove.

The problem I can imagine with through drawers is that the sliders might end up sticking out one side, while the drawer is sticking out the other side of the chest.

Re: HIjack: Does anyone know of any *LINK*

Murray Roblin, Palo Alto CA

>here is a set of slides made for bidirectional use. Limited travel, but maybe you can find them at a place other than a surplus center.

MDR


http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2004012713462838&item=1-1844&catname=misc

Re: HIjack: Does anyone know of any

Tom Williams

>Hah! You're probably right, Ernie.

There's really only one viable spot for my bench, and to get the maximum length I will have to reduce the clearance at each end to no more than 24 inches. Wide enough to navigate, but tight enough that you'd have to pay attention. I expect I'll clip those corners a few times.

Still, you have a good point. How hard can it be? And any advantage of full access from the back might be overwhelmed by the problem of shoving a drawer closed and having it inadvertently extend out the other side.

Tom