My bench again

Re: My bench again

Jack Guzman from Maine

>The only thing holding my bench top to the frame is a 1" dowel on each end.The dowels are fitted into the center of each upper stretcher and fit in a hole under the top.No glue,just gavity.The top never moves,but if I ever need to move the bench I can lift the top off.---Jack

Re: My bench again

Ed Mulligan, Cape Cod

>Same as Jack, I have a couple 1" dowels on the base trestles which fit into corresponding holes in the underside of the top.

If you go with the leg tenons, I'd recommend they be very short (3/4" max) for ease of fitting and use only two along the top length to avoid expansion/contraction issues.

Right on, David

Christopher Schwarz

>David,

What you describe is exactly the way I built my recent bench, and I recommend it highly. My leg tenons were more than 2" long, built up from laminations and drawbored into the top with 3/8" oak pegs.

And as to wood movement.... I actually think you want it the top to move and distort the base. With a bench built like this, the strength of the whole thing is derived from the top, not the stretchers (like in a dining table). So when the top shrinks, the base distorts into an A-frame like structure (which is more stable).

This distortion was described in Scott Landis's chapter on Robert Tarule's Roubo-style bench. I've noted the same distortion on my bench.

Chris

Laminated tenons

Christopher Schwarz

>David,

Here's a photo of the tenons I created on the legs and stretchers by laminating.

Mortise in the top

Christopher Schwarz

>David,

And here you can see the mortise laid out on the underside of my top. This will put the leg flush to the front edge, an important detail (thanks Adam!)

Chris

Re: Right on, David

Kurt Loup, Baton Rouge

>Bench looks great. Appears you used pine for the base. What did you use for the top?

Kurt

Re: Right on, David

Christopher Schwarz

>Kurt,

The top and the base are Southern yellow pine. The pegs for drawboring are white oa. It weighs about 350 pounds.

Chris

Nice picture.....

Tony - Memphis

>Sitting here in my office (cube actually)....that's a cruel thing to show me! You ought to put that in the magazine! Nice bench too.

Tony - who's daydreaming sawdust but supposed to be designing a new package scanning system!

Re: My bench again

JL

>Second (third or whatever) the 1" dowel. I also beveled the top of the dowels a little bit to help them "find" the bench top easier.

Re: My bench again

Dean J in MN

>David --

Good to hear the update! I'd take the advice Chris gave, and be sure to note the detail of the legs being flush with the front of the bench.

12' long... I wish my shop was big enough to fit a 12 footer in it! :)

-Dean

Re: Right on, David

William Claspy in Cleveland

>Beautiful bench, Chris, and even nicer picture. I wish I had a window like that above my bench! Any chance you've got a high res version of that picture? It'd make a great wallpaper for my computer screen...

Also, I notice you cropped the picture to leave out the right hand side. Does this bench have an end vise?

Wm

Re: Mortise in the top

David Hammond, in Powder Springs GA

>Fantastic Christopher! I appreciate the post very much - all of the answers as a matter of fact. Hey, could I ask a favor - how about a few more pics of your bench, in action - it really looks great! My bench is going to be very similair, and like you, much of it was drawn from Rob Tarule's bench, and thoughts from Adam. Bench fever is setting in deep, that's for sure! I can't wait to start gluing everything up...

Thanks again.

David

Re: My bench again

David Hammond, in Powder Springs GA

>Yeah Dean, I'm very grateful for such a shop - the shop is 32' feet long, a real dream that I thought would be years and years down the road. But, I've got more than enough room for this 12' monster; we'll see if I can pull it off!

Hey, as an aside, and another question: I'm considering adding an oak wear strip (I've got access to some free, good quality oak, that's dry) to the font of my bench - on the top, legs, and stretchers, as everything will be flush - what do you think? With that wear strip, I could then make my vise jaw and crochet to match out of the oak... Hmm, there is so much to think about building a bench!

Thanks.

David

Re: My bench again

Dean J in MN

>David --

First, I'm heading over when I need to stick a 10' molding...

I forget what the benchtop/legs are made of? Regardless I'm not sure the wear strip will do all that much. The front/legs don't see any real wear per say, and the top really doesn't either. It isn't as if you are rubbing the wood over the top. It just sits there. Sure there is wear, but that is what gives the bench its story and character. Keep it simple. When you wear out the bench, build another. :-)

-Dean

Crochet for edge work

Christopher Schwarz

>David,

Using the crochet and holdfasts for edging.

Crochet for dovetailing

Christopher Schwarz

>This is my favorite. The crochet kicks butt for dovetailing. Totally solid. When i do a case side I sub a clamp for the holdfast.

Battens are the Secret

Christopher Schwarz

>Thanks to Dean, Rob Tarule and Adam, I've learned the secret of the batten.

They can do anything.

Wide Panels

Christopher Schwarz

>Easy.

No tail vise

Christopher Schwarz

>The bench has no tail vise. I haven't found a need for it.

Chris

Re: Battens are the Secret

Dan Moening

>Those are wonderful looking holdfasts.

They seem to be made from a single piece of iron bent over.

Can you share a source?

And thanks for all the action shots. It's always a joy to see how other utilize their benches.

Dan.

Re: Crochet for edge work

Jeremy Osner

>Does the leg vise come off? It looks like in this picture you are working where the leg vise is in the other picture...

Re: Crochet for dovetailing *LINK*

Rob in Peoria

>Christopher, that's fantastic. It never occured to me that you could use a crochet (how's that word pronounced, anyway? Like the yarn thing my mother does to make sweaters?) to dovetail a board like that.

Seeing your bench in action I'm thinking more and more that I might save the money I was going to spend on tail vice and invest in holdfasts, instead.


Hand Tool Knowledge Base

Re: Battens are the Secret

William Claspy in Cleveland

>And is that a Phil Koontz holdfast lurking on the batten? Very nice indeed.

Bill

Re: Crochet for edge work

Christopher Schwarz

>Yup, the leg vise unscrews right off. I take it off pretty regularly, too.

Chris