New Fangled Workbench *LINK*

Ain't paying $35 to look at that or anything!

Tony Sade (Charleston, WV)

>Sorry-I'm just in a grumpy mood. Tony

Re: Ain't paying $35 to look at that or anything!

Wendell @ Murphy, TX

>This is the second post I've seen today (the other was on a different forum) that linked to the FWW pay-for-use website. Both times I haven't been able to see the article or video. Are people really subscribers or am I missing something?

Wendell

Re: Ain't paying $35 to look at that or anything!

Jason McSpadden

>It wasn't trying to give FWW more money. It was just a link to the article that I have in front of me. Sorry!

I just found this bench pretty dang interesting and wanted some additional thoughts.

Jason

Re: New Fangled Workbench

paul womack

>http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/fw_toc_139.asp

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.woodworking/browse_thread/thread/17e443a24b2d091a?hl=en&safe=off&start=0

BugBear

Re: Ain't paying $35 to look at that or anything!

Brent Smith

>I subscribed a few weeks ago when they dropped the price. No way was I paying $75. Think of it as an index of FWW with access at your finger tips. It's more than that though. Lot's of videos on many subjects and alot of subject matter not in the mag. If you think about it, it's only a few months worth of the mags news stand prices and you do get your moneys worth. I subscribed to be able to view one particular video and was surprised by the amount of information on there..........usual disclaimers of course.

Brent

Question for Brent or other subscribers

Brad in Ottawa

>Brent,

Can you print the articles? I imagine you can't save them but it sure would be a drag not to be able to take a copy of a plan to the workshop.

Brad

Re: Question for Brent or other subscribers

nap

>You can print AND save articles.

Re: Question for Brent or other subscribers

Brent Smith

>As Nap said you can do both. The only thing I haven't figuered out how to do is save the videos to my computer. It's probably simple, but my computer knowledge is right up there with my brain surgery technique...LOL

Brent

You can get one month for five dollars...

David Barnett

>and suck up a lot of information and saved articles if you have the time. I got my money's worth in the first hour, I'd say. Save 'em, print 'em, watch the videos. Good deal in my opinion.

Re: New Fangled Workbench

Richard Rerra

>As to the bench itself....stretchers held w/ lag bolts seemed detined to pull out at some time...a friend commented flattening the top made of Douglass fir would be difficult to impossible so it would be better to use another top ...you could use a different way of building the legs (I don t have access to the article where I am now). But I certainly agree I was captivated by the way this was conceived and how the multi use functions were integrated.

Re: New Fangled Workbench

Rossmoor Galoot

>Jason,

I built the bench but added dog holes and a Wilton front vice on the left side in the traditional location. I have been using it now for a number of years and couldn't be happier with it. It has suited my needs perfectly.

Re: New Fangled Workbench

Mike in Sac

>I built one several years ago. Took a couple of days, if I remember correctly. Total cost, including pipe clamps (from HF), was about $100. Biggest problem I've had with wood stability is in the support beam for edge planing.

If I were redoing, I'd change the way the MDF inserts are supported. Probably cut some rabbets along either side of the opening and cut the MDF pieces to fit. Two dog holes, one on either side of bench, near the end vices allows you to clamp odd shaped pieces, like chair seats or circles. I'm not sure you really need the two end vices in that case. One should do.

Objection to lag bolts into end grain is valid. Of course, you can rebuild the whole base in a couple of hours and at very little cost. However, threaded rods the whole length or carriage bolts with nuts set into drilled holes will take only a little longer than the lag bolts.

Bench is a little light, so you might want to add a shelf or drawer unit underneath for tool storage and weight.

John White did a great job combining ideas from a number of articles and shop tips. The bench works very well.

A few questions.

Jeff Schmidt

>"Biggest problem I've had with wood stability is in the support beam for edge planing."

Mike, could you expand on this. What was the problem?

Also, is the support beam stiff enough for mortising assuming that it is supporting the workpiece from below whilst clamped with the front vise?

"Two dog holes, one on either side of bench, near the end vices allows you to clamp odd shaped pieces, like chair seats or circles. I'm not sure you really need the two end vices in that case. One should do."

You mean that one pipe clamp down the center would be enough? Would one clamp work even with the original design assuming that one had the rabbets for the mdf fillers?

"Objection to lag bolts into end grain is valid. Of course, you can rebuild the whole base in a couple of hours and at very little cost. However, threaded rods the whole length or carriage bolts with nuts set into drilled holes will take only a little longer than the lag bolts."

Or mortise and tenons.

Mike, did you implement the pipe clamps for the front vise with the holes spaced on 6" centers? If so, how do you like it?

It does appear to be a very low-cost, innovative design that most beginners could build with limited tools and which has all of the functionality required for hand tool work and more.

Re: A few questions.

Mike in Sac

>Jeff,

That beam is the only member that has twisted in about six years. I should have been more careful in selection of the piece I used for it. I think there would be too much bounce in the beam if you were vigorously mortising near the center of the bench. I also wouldn't trust the pipe clamp ends to hold against real pounding. You can always stick a couple of 4X4 pieces under the area you are pounding.

So far as one end clamp being enough: yeah, I think so. You might want to use a 3/4" pipe clamp rather than the 1/2s John White recommended. That will give you more room in that well to manipulate the front clamps. Most of the stuff you hold in the middle that way, you'll be cutting down on anyway. You also don't need the pipes to support the MDF if you support in the rabbets.

The front clamps are, in my opinion, the best idea in the bench. To give credit where due, I think that one originated with John. You don't have to worry about racking the vice, and both sides of virtually any piece are well supported with a clamp on either side and the support beam beneath. I went back and extended the pipe holes all the way through the bench so that I can use those clamps on either side of the bench.

The planing hook is also an excellent idea, although I'm pretty sure that predates John by a few centuries.

Re: REQUEST TO BUILDERS

paul womack

>Could any (either?) of the poople who built and own this bench post a few photos, either here or on their own web pages of the bench in use?

Like this, although possibly less complete :-)

Dean J's mighty work on the Roubo

There are NONE on the web.

I feel this bench, whilst not the be-all-and-end-all presents some useful variations in bench design and workholding that someone designing their own bench might care to add to the pick 'n' mix.

BugBear

Re: REQUEST TO BUILDERS *LINK*

Alan Bierbaum, near Denver, CO

>Bugbear,

There is at least one on the web !

Alan


Workbench in use page

Re: REQUEST TO BUILDERS

Alan Bierbaum, near Denver, CO

>Oops - too early in the morning. Different bench,

Re: still nice to see :-)

paul womack

>