Portable Sawmill & Tree Service – Abingdon, VA
Articles Forums Gallery Marketplace Videos

WoodCentral Forums

Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge

THE WOODRAT IS BACK!

Renovating my workbench

Posts

Renovating my workbench

#1

Steve Kubien

Renovating my workbench

Steve Kubien

>Afternoon everyone,

Well, I have finally managed to get some shop time and have been cleaning up a fair bit. Some things have homes now that do not include the top of my bench or piled precariously near the bench. Now I want to get back to actually building something (don't worry, I won't actually finish anything, I just want some more projects in limbo).

Project #1 is to renovate my current bench. I want to remove the shoulder vise and (probably) tool tray, add a wide apron to the front for holdfast usage and rebuild the base to support the apron and bring the legs flush with the front edge. My bench has been finished with BLO/turp mixture and waxed. I will need to glue the apron on. Is there an easy way to get glue to adhere to the finished surface or am I better off to plane the current front edge until I am through the finish and then start gluing things on? Second question involves the end caps. They will obviously need to be re-sized. Do I even need them? Pros and cons?

Thanks for the help,

Steve Kubien

Re: Renovating my workbench

#2

Re: Renovating my workbench

Dean in Burlington

>Steve,

Finish that blanket box yet? :)

Your questions:

1) If you use epoxy it will bond to anything...or contruction adhesive....that stuff is rock solid. Otherwise common yellow glue will not adhere to a finished surface.

2) I've been using my bench for over a year without end caps and I have no problems. Endcaps are just for the tool tray and to help keep the slab from moving. If you turned your wood for the top edge over edge on the bench then you won't get much movement laterally...just up and down. Like I said I've had no problem.....heck you saw my bench...it's in the same condition :)

Re: Renovating my workbench

#3

Steve Kubien

Re: Renovating my workbench

Steve Kubien

>Blanket box? Well, since the intended recipients are already divorced, it does little good now as a wedding gift. And no, it isn't finished anyways! The current thinking is that I will lose a ton of weight and use it as my own coffin. Going that way should give me enough time to complete it.

I wondered about the construction adhesive route. I think I've got a tube of PL Premium around and I know it is mighty tough. I wish my car was built with it.

Thanks,

Steve Kubien

Re: Renovating my workbench

#4

Re: Renovating my workbench

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Epoxy will not bond to "anything" especially to waxed surfaces and to many smooth, slippery plastics. If you want to use epoxy, clean the surface to remove all the wax, I would use naphtha, You won't have to worry about the linseed oil that has penetrated into the wood, if it cured completely, and hasn't shown any sign of peeling, the surface film probably won't have to be completely removed. Rough up the film finish with 80 grit sandpaper, to give it plenty of "tooth" so the epoxy can build a physical bond. Finally, wipe it down with acetone. Also, rough up the glued surface of the new face with 80 grit sandpaper. Epoxy does not need or want the high pressure required for a good bond in aliphatic resins. Be careful to not squeeze all the epoxy out of the joint. Apply enough pressure to close the joint and squeeze all the air out.

👍 This page answered my questions

Your vote helps other woodworkers quickly find the answers and techniques that actually work in the shop.