Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
New Bench Progress
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.
>OK, I took the advice of Thom and Ernie, and decided to make a new base afterall.
Here is a shot of just the base itself, it is 29" tall, 36" long, and 29" wide. It still needs to be beefed up a bit, but this is the jest of it. The inside will be enclosed with plywood, and used for storage of a few odds and ends.
Two more pics to follow.
Todd O.
Re: New Bench Progress
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.
>Here it is with the top of my current bench on it. I will make a new top for it that will probably be the same length as this one, but not as wide.
Re: New Bench Progress
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.
>Here is a shot of the old and new bench side by side just to show the height difference. The 2x4 across the top of the old bench is to show the height of the top. The new bench is a full six inches lower than the old.
I'd like to thank all who have offered up suggestions up to this point. I initally posted the Delimmas, Design, and Demons thread as a means of poking fun at myself, but it turned into a very useful thread in the end. Thanks.
T.O.
Re: New Bench Progress
Thom D
>I was at princess auto today where they now sell one of those motorcycle lifts that is hydraulically controlled to raise or lower 8"- 29", and it supports 1000 pounds. That would be a cool if ugly base for a bench.
Nice job on your bench. Did you try it to see if the 6" change is what you wanted?
Re: New Bench Progress
Kevin French, Antrim, NH
>You're go'n love the hiegth difference. Is that a built in cribbage board built into the top? ;>)
Re: New Bench Progress
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.
>Thom,
From what I can tell so far without actually putting tools to wood I'd have to say that the top is just a wee bit two low, say by an inch or so. I am 5' 10.5", slightly balding, ruggedly handsome, like cats--oh wait, wrong forum ;~) amd with my palms when held out hozizontally with my arms at my side are right at 32" from the floor. Once all is solidly built, and I can plane some wood I'll tweek the height.
Kevin,
No Mr. Smart-guy, that is not a cribbage board,(tho not a bad story to cover my blunder) but my pathetic attempt at some dog holes. Bored 'em one day without the benefit of measurements, nor brain fully engaged. I soon discoverewd that:
1) I didn't need so many "sets" of holes
2) I bored the holes way to close to each other both vertically and horizontally
Next time there will be less holes and further spaced apart. Design Demons again don't cha' know.
T.O.
Re: New Bench Progress
Matti Kuikka, Porvoo Fi
>Todd,
Does it have tilt controll when you sit or lean on either end ;<)
Matti
Re: New Bench Progress
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.
>As a matter of fact Matti, it does---tho quite unintentional. With this 6' top sitting on a 3' base it moves with I push down on the right end. When it sat on the 5' base it never bidged.
I'll have to mechanically attach it to this base.
I think that I'm really going to like the smaller base tho, as it takes up less floor space, which I can use more efficently. I envision where the top overhangs the base on each end a small rolling chest of drawers for various tools. I can't stand too see empty space.
Well, headed for the shop now with the intention of getting started laying up the new top. I may have to go to the local construction sites to scavenge dumpsters for more 2x4's.
T.O.
Re: New Bench Progress
thomd@yahoo.au
>Hey we are twins! I'm about 6'1" and use 31" for my low bench, for what that may be worth.
Re: New Bench Progress
Tom Price
>Are you anchoring the base to the floor (cause otherwise it is going to be a teeter-totter)?
Re: New Bench Progress
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.
>At this point I do not plan on anchoring the base to the floor, tho like I said before I do see anchoring the top to the base to prevent the "tetter-totter" effect. I don't think it'll tetter-totter after that, coarse it would surprise me that the Design Demon might have a few more curses for me to deal with.
As a matter of fact Tom, I was thinking of putting some flippy-down wheels on it soI can set it in the middle of the floor and roll it back up to the wall only when I need too.
We'll see how it all goes eh.
T.O.
Re: Alternatives (Perhaps Demonic)?
William Duffield, on the Cohansey
>Just bolt the top to the base, and load the base down with all those hunks of Novaculite you've been accumulating.
Instead of flip down wheels, you might consider installing four house jacks, one on the bottom of each leg. When I want to move my bench, I just crank the leg levelers down, roll a couple of furniture dollies under the lower stretchers, crank the levelers up, until the stretchers are resting on the dollies, push, pull and cajole the bench to its new location, and crank the levelers down again. I find that I don't need to move it very often, so permanent wheels are not really needed, or cost effective. The dollies, when not used for moving the bench, can be employed to (who woulda thought?!) move furniture, kitchen cabinet carcases, sheet goods, antique unisaws, tool boxes, turning blanks (a.k.a. firewood), 100# sacks of snorkasaurus chow...
House Jacks?
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.
>Instead of flip down wheels, you might consider installing four house jacks, one on the bottom of each leg.
Sir William I know not of these house jacks in which you speak. The only house jacks I am familiar with are the big old 200 LBer's that are used to jack up a sagging house or barn. Surely you don't mean these?
Sounds like you might be onto something tho, as the top will be somehow mechanically attached to the base this time.
The interior of this base will be small that is true, and I've been comptemplating what I'd put in there, but surely it won't be my stones as I fear that they'd get busted from vibrations.
Spent a few hours this morning beefing up the base, and I am here to tell you it is SOLID SOLID!! I will confess that it has evolved into a better base than even I had envisioned. Didn't get to work on laying out the top this weekend as I had intended, but I sure am stoked to get to it because this bench is really shaping up nicely and I am anxious to get an opportunity to work on it.
T.O.
Re: House Jacks? *LINK*
William Duffield, on the Cohansey
>I was kidding about the house jacks, exaggerating to emphasize a point. The point is no matter how stiff your frame is, if your leg leveling and mobility mechanism experiences lateral flexing when you are planing, you need to develop something that is stiffer. I have found that half inch threaded rod works just fine for me, as long as it is supported laterally for several inches in a bored hole inside the bench legs. But, using a crescent wrench, at floor level, to move it up and down has its disadvantages. I remember watching a building being constructed using a bunch of hydraulic screw jacks to lift each successive floor into position, and wish I could implement something that was that sturdy, and worked that easily, to vary the height of my bench. Geoff Noden has created an interesting compromise, with an easy height adjustment (unless the bench top is loaded down with heavy tools and works-in-progress), sturdy supports, and heavy duty retractable casters.
Adjust-A-Bench
Re: New Bench Progress
paul womack
> It still needs to be beefed up a bit
I doubt that very much, once you've clad (or should I say "braced") it in sheet goods.
BugBear
Ahhhhhhh, So
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.
>you was just kidding was you?!! Well Mr. Kidder-wisen-himer Smarty-pants, I'll have you know that using the idea of house jacks I have come up with an idea to make an adjustable height bench top. Might not need the housejacks, but by using them in my thought processes I've come up with the idea.
Kidding, kidding, HA! Now he tells me!! I'll probably end up with two 300# house jacks sitting in my shop, giving myself multiple hernias, blown out back disks, and stub my toes into them 10,000 times, and all Sir William can do is stand there and say Kidding Todd O.,just kidding. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh! ;~)
T.O.
Re: New Bench Progress
Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native now in Jax Fl.
>too late Paul, it's been beefed up already. This thing is solid, and could be used in the circus for the elephants to stand on!! Hey, "overbuilt" is my middle name. What did you think the "O" stood for, Orlando*? ;~)
* Actually, it does.
Todd O.
Re: Ahhhhhhh, So
thomd coralseacat@yahoo.au
>I'm thinking that a motorcycle stand is a better deal than the adjustabench though you can't raise the height to a slope.
I made this bench for general welding bicycle frames and so on. Welding a bench sure is easier than all the woodworking. The guy got some cool hardware for leveling, that wouldn't be worth my bringing in, but it might be fun for you.
http://www.crimescenechoppers.com/jigplans.html