Final Workbench pics

One more... 

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>

Cool bench...

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>Cool Chris....

Is that a Veritas end-vise?

Is there a chain between the two spindles?

If there is, then why did you install two bars?

-g-

Re: Cool bench... *LINK*

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>Thanks...

The vise is a twin-screw from Veritas. There is a chain and I installed two handles because you have to install two handles or else it won't work right.


Veritas� Twin-Screw Vise

Re: Cool bench...

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>...work right?

Can you elaborate?

-g-

Wait a minute.....

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>What is that black disk/circle at the left end?

Very nice looking!

Cable Management???

Victor Parisian - Houston

>

Re: Final Workbench pics

Victor Parisian - Houston

>That is one fine looking bench. I'm getting inspired here. Dang that is fine.

Nice job, Christopher.

Frank Mutchler in Colorado Springs

>How did you decide where you wanted to put your Record holdfast? (I'm assuming that's what I see on the face vise end of the bench)

Also.....

Frank Mutchler in Colorado Springs

>You can disengage the chain function and work each handle separately for odd size pieces.

Re: Wait a minute.....

Paul Kramer-SW-IN

>Don,

Looks like the base of a Marples bench hold-fast. It has a screw that allows it to be tightened down. I've used one in the past and I'd like to incorporate one into my 'bench.' . . . and he fades wistfully into a day dream about something that's way off in the future.

Paul

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Record Holdfast... *LINK*

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>It's one of the one's that Chris Schwarz mentioned some time ago here.


http://diytools.com/store/detail.asp?productid=44094

Re: Nice job, Christopher.

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>Yes it is...

The instructions mentioned some recommended distances.

I started there (about 8" IIRC) and moved it around some and decided on a spot that allows some range but is abou 4" or so from each edge.

Re: Cool bench...

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>Work? No.. This is my home bench.

My regular job is manager/software engineer for a software company.

It's mostly a combination of a couple of benches that Chris Schwarz built and listed in Pop. Woodworking.

This is the second one I made. The first one was ok..but the top was not flat, it lacked some nice storage, and it needed more bulk, so I made this one.

Many will criticize but the top is about 0.005 of an inch off flat. More than enough. It's nice to have a flat surface like that.

I made one mistake...I screwed up when building the cabinets and made them too tall so now I have less space under the top than I should have. It sometimes interferes with dogs but is not much of a problem.

I still need to drill two more rows of dogholes more towards the center, about 3" off on each side.

It IS heavy. I have a hard time moving it and it's very stable, I stood up a skinny flashlight on the battery end and chopped mortises right by it. The flashlight did not move.

Re: Final Workbench pics

Alan Bierbaum

>Looks nice. I am sure that you will enjoy using it. I musta missed the size info though; how big is it?

Re: Final Workbench pics

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>I dunno chris, looks a little small to me, and I fear that you'll soon outgrow it. I haven't been following along of the building of it, but from the finished shots I can see some mighty fine Craftsmanship when into it.

On the brighterside if you do ever outgrow it I think that it would make a fantastic table to put beside your lazy-boy eh? ;~)

Todd O.

Re: Final Workbench pics

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>hehe...

it's 27" wide by 63.5" long...

Re: Final Workbench pics

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Certainly bigger than it looks in the pic which is a good thing. ;~)

I ust went ot into the shop and measured my benchtop, it is 3 feet wide and and 6 feet long, which is only about 7 inches longer than yours.

On my benchtop I have a double decker plane till, which leaves me with 26.5 inches of clear top, so in the end we have basicaly the same working surface. This plane till works because my bench is up against a wall.

Beneath my bench I have a total of 13 drawers of various depths in 3 columns. Between the floor and the bench frame bottom I have about 4 inches so I built 3 boxes to fit in the spaces between the legs.

I determined once that if I made the drawers have again as wide as they are and only had two columns of drawers instead of 3 I'd be able to get more storage. Set out to redo the drawers once, but got sidetracked and never did. Perhaps one day I will. Drawer depths bary from approx 1.5 inches to about 4 inches. I like shallow drawers to prevent burying stuff.

Benchtop is made up of NUMEROUS found short 2x4's on edge, that I glued together and drilled for 3 equally spaced 1/2" threaded rods. got maybe $20 in this bench. Shoulder vise and tail vise both use off the shelve hardware and more found wood. Wouldn't win any Craftsmanship or beauty awards, but if you can't tell, I love it. :~)

Forgive me for calling your bench small, my mistake.

Todd O.

Re: Final Workbench pics

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>Hey if it works for you, it works!

My first bench was about 7" longer and 3" wider. I have not missed the length yet.

OTOH, this is MUCH flatter and much more stable. Throw in the twin-screw and I think it will work out alot better.

To give you an idea of how bad the other was, there were places where it was perhaps an 1/8" off.

I like the drawers but I sort of wish the bottom ones were split in half to make two rows of drawers and have the current top drawers as the bottom ones. The depth is just wasted right now.

Re: Record Holdfast...

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>How do you like it? Have you had a chance to use it much, so far?

I have one I bought from that close-out seller on eBay, but I have not yet incorporated it into a bench.

Re: Record Holdfast...

Davy Barr

>I have a Record holdfast on my bench and use it all the time. Have it mounted so that it reaches to about 3" from the front edge of my bench and about a foot from the left end. Couldn't function without it.

Re: Final Workbench pics

Bob Rozaieski

>Beautiful bench Chris. I hope mine comes out half as nice. You've inspired me to post a couple in process pics.

Re: Also.....

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>Aha... that answers it Frank, thanks.

I was confused, because my bench has a 'side-vise' (correct name?) with twin screw spindles - with an embedded chain connection between the spindles... but there is only one 'handle'. When I rotate the handle, the nut at the end of the 2nd spindle twists synchronously with the handle. I can not, however, interrupt the connection between the spindles - except by removing the chain!

-g-

Re: Final Workbench pics

Dean J From MN

>Nice job!

I'd love to see pics of the bench (and you) at work. A shot of face jointing, edge jointing, ploughing a groove, cutting a rabbet, cutting dadoes, x-cutting (if you do so on your bench -- I assume small x-cuts are done on hooks on the bench.) Cutting tenons, chopping a mortise, cutting dovetails....

It's interesting to see how a bench solves these "problems."

-Dean