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So, tell us Andrew (Pallas)

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So, tell us Andrew (Pallas)

#1

So, tell us Andrew (Pallas)

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Choosing and buying the bench will be restricted to internet or mail order as I live on the remote west coast of Scotland.

I really don't understand this statement. what does your location have to do with the option of building your own bench?

I "built" two benches myself. By built, I mean something that I intentionally set out to build a workbench and not just some plwoood between saw horses. Actually that is a bit of a lie, as I've only built one base, but it has had two tops. The first top was two sheets of 3/4" plywood, which while adequate as a work surface, I quickly out grew. the second top is made fir 2x4's on edge that I glued and bolted together. I made a shoulder vise, and a tail vise from off the shelf hardware such as threaded rod, nuts and washers. Works very well, I like it allot, and it cost me almost nothing. :~)

My point is, as what others have said is to go this route. Start off simple, get to WW, and you'll soon know what it is that you desire in a workbench. I'm sure that you could build your ouw as well. Lets face it, ordered workbenches are expensive, and they aren't nothing more than you yourself could fabricate and customize TO YOURSELF. Nobody will be able to do that better than YOU. With a little scrounging in the trash bins and what know you should be able to come up all the wood you'd need and perhaps even some of the hardware.

I highly recommend this idea, and with the saved $$$ you can buy some more tools. :~)

What have you decided to do?

Todd O.

Re: So, tell us Andrew (Pallas)

#2

Re: So, tell us Andrew (Pallas)

Andrew Pallas

>Dear Todd & All

Firstly apologies for taking so long to reply, unfortunately some people seem to think that there is more to life than getting involved with woodwork! Plus I frequently struggle with a very unreliable ISP.

Secondly I want to say a huge thank you for all the information, insight, encouragement and much needed arse kicking you have provided me with. On reflection it�s clear that I don�t yet know what I need in a bench, otherwise I wouldn�t have needed to ask all of you.

I have indeed decided to build a basic bench, after all what makes a woodworker is that they make things from wood. In fact I plan to start by making some solid saw-horses and clamping an old desktop to them to give me a surface on which to build a bench. I had previously discounted a self build bench as I saw the all singing all dancing benches, and felt I wouldn�t be able to make one of these using my cheap workmate impersonator and hand tools alone.

I figure that as was suggested I could spend the money saved on more tools, so I�m going to risk lighting the blue touch-paper again by asking for advice on the purchase of a jointer plane. Have any of you any experience of the LN low angle jointer? I have the low angle jack and we get along fine having simplicity in common.

The other options I have considered at the moment are the LN No. 7 or the Clifton No.7 (a bit cheaper.)

Thanks again

Andrew

Re: So, tell us Andrew (Pallas)

#3

Lighting the Blue Touch Paper

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Is that still used in Scotland?

Good show on deciding to build your own bench. It is certainly a progression, a passage of rite if you will.

So, now you enter Phase II of this madness eh? Which Jointer should I buy? LN, LV, Clifton, or Vintage. Well Andrew wars have been started with questions like this, and when the dust settles and the blood dries it turns out that toy can't go wrong with any of the above choices.

As much as I like my LN's I will tell you that Vintage is the best way to go dollar for dollar. (or is that pound for pound)

In your particular situation I don't know how it would all shake out with the exchange rate, and shipping and handling if you bought one off of e-bay, vs buying a new LN, LV, Clifton.

How's your current sharpening skills? can you sharpen a chisel to a razors edge? If not than you might as well spend some time learning how to do that before spending a bunch of money on fancy tools because sooner or later it'll get dull and if you can't sharpen it that it isn't worth a dead druid.

Good luck to ya'you may not really realize it yet, but you have just entered another demension of the Twilight Zone. Doooo do doooo do. ;~)

Todd O.

Re: So, tell us Andrew (Pallas)

#4

Re: Regarding the lighting, and more... *LINK*

Frank House

>Andrew,

Sorry, I missed the start of this thread. Where do you hang out? I live in Gairloch, definitely remote NW Scotland.

I have about a dozen cubic feet of beech bought from a timber merchant near Strathpeffer, and there are other good merchants in the Highlands where you can wander around the yard and select timber. In fact my wife and I recently did a round trip from Gairloch to Aberdeen, taking in four merchants on the way.

I can email you privately naming names, but I found them all via the web or from magazine advertisements.

As for the beech, it is stacked in my workshop with tools all around it. I am waiting for "the tools to do the work" of turning it into a bench.

Regards,

Frank


Pile of beech

Re: So, tell us Andrew (Pallas)

#5

Wrong title

Frank House

>Don't know how it happened, sorry, this was intended as a follow-up to Andrew's workbench query.

Frank

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