Photos of bench - clear ones this time
Andrew F in Australia
>Hi all,
Thanks to the anonymous volunteer that put these pics up on a server so they're useable. Thanks again.
It's getting late again (2am) so I'll sign off - hopefully no major typos or grammatical errors
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/benchtop.jpg">
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/IMG00005.jpg">
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/IMG00006.jpg">
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/IMG00008.jpg">
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/IMG00009.jpg">
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/IMG00010.jpg">
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/IMG00011.jpg">
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/IMG00016.jpg">
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/IMG00017.jpg">
SRC="http://66.95.207.201/icons/IMG00018.jpg">
First up, the finished beastie - the shine is the finish - flooring finish (simply because that's what I had a litre left of from laying a new floor)
The hole(s) at the end are for the tail vice(s), which I may fit at Xmastime
{probably need to drop the dogholes in the bench top as well)
Approx size 96" x 24" x 35" high
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The face vice - this one is attached to the screw shaft by a garter - dark red & morticed into the top of the vice.
Note also the threaded bar that holds the two ends of the base together - the unit can be dismantled into five parts (top, two base ends, two shelves plus sundry)
There was a recent discussion on racking of this type of vice on this forum- this vice does rack a bit but is still useable. To stop it, i can either re-turn the handles to be such a size as they come to the top of the vice jaw, or what I'm going to do this weekend. (Which is drill a hole for a third screw at the base of the vice, midway between both screws but as low as possible. Into this I'm going to put a third screw as a chock to keep the bottom of the vice jaw at a set and controllable distance from the apron to match whatever's in the vice at the time)
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
An end view of the bench showing joinery and also how the top is connected to the base/leg joinery (not that the top is lifted slightly so that the photo works well enough to show you how things fit together.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The rough starting stock - old 2x3's and 2 x 4's from a house that was being demolished (this is original old growth timber - very tight growth rings and very hard)
..
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
80 hours later, I'd face jointed this by hand - the white dots are the 1/2" dowel that aligns each board, at approx 10" spacing
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
This is the end near the vice. The dovetail and dowels hold the apron onto the front of the bench. This board is a reclaimed door header.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
The top, upside down, showing the trench that connects the top to the base.
The top is attached to the bottom by gravity.
The upper rail of the end frames fits neatly into this groove. To stop the bench from moving around, There's a piece of dowel (1") in each end rail that sticks up about 1/2". This spigot mates into a corresponding hole in the bottom of this trench.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Once again, the top, upside down, showing the trench that connects the top to the base and the deeper clearance hole for the vice screw.
Dowels and dovetails for front apron visible, as well as glue blocks to give the wider apron (6" vs 3) more support.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Showing the gluing on of the main apron.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Showing the vice thread cut into the apron
.
.
.
.
.
..
Rail to leg joinery - barefaced Mortice and Tenon
Top rail to legs - bridle joint (open M&T, I think is the US term)
Feet to leg joint - M & T
Note the threaded bar that allows the bench to be knock down.
The shelves fit tightly into grooves cut into all rails. This is not only to provide storage but also stabity to the base, preventing it from racking. The threaded rod on the top & bottom of the 8 x 2 (salvaged header rail) can also be tightened up if the thing starts to wobble.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Just a simple photo showing the rubbed glue blocks under the top shelf (the bottom shelf is the same on this one) These stiffening braces stop the chipboard shelf from sagging.
