Another workbench question

Re: Another workbench question

Hank Knight from SC

>Kelby, I dovetailed the front apron and dog hole strip to my end caps, but not the back ones. I extended the end cap all the way to the back of the benchtop and butted the rear apron against it. That allows the top to move without splitting or pulling the aprons off.

Re: Another workbench question

Kelby

>Thanks, Hank. But if I'm putting a tool tray on the back, and I don't dovetail the rear apron (i.e., back of the tool tray) to the end cap, then what holds the rear apron in place?

Re: Another workbench question

Alan Bierbaum

>"I would like to use dovetails to join the ends of the end caps to the face of the bench and to the outside board on the tool tray. Do I glue the dovetail joints? If I do so, how will that allow for movement across the top?"

Yes you can glue both dovetails (as well as the first three inches of the bench front section to the end cap). I used one captured bolt, about halfway back, to further align the end cap. The floor of the tool tray floats on one side to allow the top to move and not push the back tool tray rail out of the dovetail (or try to push it out).

I might be able to dig up a picture if needed.

Alan

Re: Another workbench question

Kelby

>Thanks, Alan --- your message makes perfect sense, even without a picture.

I can leave room to float by overcutting the dado for the tool tray floor; how much room should I leave?

Re: Another workbench question

Angus Barclay, in New Zealand

>After this message below, you could guess I'm a fan of tool trays on benches.

Rather than making the dado/groove for the tool tray floor a little oversize to allow for movement, consider making it oversize enough to allow you to slide the whole tool-tray floor. This lets you slide the floor out of the way so you can easily clamp through the bench. Most of the time this feature doesn't get used but when you need it, it is very useful to have the extra clamping options. I'll post pictures when I get home (just started the work day here in New Zealand).

regards

Angus Barclay

Re: Another workbench question

Alan Bierbaum

>Hard to say how much expansion you will have. My bench sits in heated/air conditioned space and has almost no movement. I attached the inboard edge of the tool tray bottom to the bench top with screws. I put slots in the tool tray bottom and glued the other side of the tool tray bottom to the back rail, in a groove (for support).

Depending on your local humidity swings; you could need as much as 1/2" total allowance for movement. I would allow +/- 1/4" on the slots to play it safe.

Re: Another workbench question

Clay C in Miami

>You could DT the back of the tray onto the end cap, but not glue it there - back would slide along the DT, when it needed to.

But, if your tool tray bottom is going to float in dadoes or be removable, and it's full length of the bench, then movement of the top won't 'get to' the back of the tool tray anyway, so you could glue that rear apron to the endcap - right? Just be sure the top can't shrink enough when it's at its driest to drop your tool tray bottom out. Either deeper-than-normal dadoes with a wider-than-normal bottom, or be careful the bottom's not set too loose during a humid time of year.

And, I agree with Angus below, it's nice to be able to slide out the bottom and clamp through the bench - there've been quite a few times I've wished I could do that at my bench ...

Clay