Workbench 2.0 *LINK*

Re: Workbench 2.0

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Dave just what are you trying to pull here--upshot me? I just posted my redone bench that has many similiarites to yours, only yours makes mine look crude. HAAAAAAARUMPH! ;~)

Acutally I quite like it! I like they way you built up the thicker legs and making mortices by using 2x4's. Very good idea.

I'm not clear on not only how you built up the tops thickness, nor how you have it attached to the base.

Your wagon vise is much narrower than mine, which I like. I would of made mine that skinny as well, but since I retro fitted mine into the top after it was built I couldn't fiqure a way to do it that narrow, so I had to make it wider. Works well tho.

What is the demensions of your top, and what is it made of?

I have a lag vise, but I use handscrews to clamp it to the top when I need to use it, but that is bacause my legs were not capable of being bored for it's screw. I like your idea much better.

Very nice bench Dave, and I am quite surprised by how ours resemble each other.

T.O.

Re: Workbench 2.0

dave brown

>Hi Todd,

Glad you liked the bench -- I'm really proud of it. Although, like all projects there are things I might change or do differently. Sorry that I made your bench look crude -- it wasn't intentional. ;-)

The way the top is attached to the legs isn't quite what I envisioned. It was supposed to be a double through tenon extending through top to the bench surface. It ended up being one tenon (the outer one) extending through one of the bench layers. There is a barrel bolt attaching the tenon to the bench layer. You can barely make out the bold head pics taken from the front. You can see the original double tenons in the pic I've attached.

The top is beech. Its dimensions are 26"x72" Each layer is a counter top from Ikea that is approximately 1-5/8" thick. They cost $130 each; it was the best deal that I could find for a thick top.

I'm really impressed with your bench. It takes a lot to dive in and fix something you're not happy with and modifying it to fit your needs. Chris Schwarz' article did a great job helping me define my needs for my bench.

I like my wagon vise a lot. To build it, I took the tail vise I had on my last bench and adapted it to make it a wagon vise. Because the screw is fixed and the clamping block moves you rotate the handle counter clockwise to tighten and clockwise to loosen. I might get some left handed acme rod to fix the orientation but that's a lot of work for something that's more of a quirk than a nuisance. Make notes of all the things you don't like about your current bench and the next go around you'll have almost your perfect bench. :-)

I'm surprised how much I use my leg vise already -- it can really put a death grip on things. Today I had to fix our bed's headboard and having a thick 2x6 of white oak really clamped things down with no concerns about taxing the bench or the vise.

here's the pic 

dave brown

>

Re: Workbench 2.0

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>No, No Dave, no need to feel sorry, I was just trying to find a way to put into words how nice your bench looks, and of the nice job you did one it. I'm more than pleased with my bench, and am extremely pleased with the money that I don't have in it. I might have $50 in it, and that counts the vise that I had paid $12 for back in '88. :~)

Another interesting thing between our benches is that Chris Schwarz has some influence in both of them. Are we going to have to pay him any Royalties? I'll send him a box of shavings. ;~)

Yeah, this is actually my 3rd bench, coarse,bench #3 came from the bones of bench #2, but you can bet when bench #4 comes along there will be some changes, such as the leg vise incorperated into the bases's leg such as yours. For now I'm more than happy to clamp my leg vise to the top when I need it.

One thing I forgot to mention in my orginal post was that my top is held to te base by two pieces of 2" angle aluminum. One side is screwed into the base and the other into the underside of the top. I just used common 2" lag bolts.

I am sooooooooooooooooooooo liking this narrower top. I never would of believed that when it came to a bench like this that smaller would be better.

Now then, as I was watchinf St. Roy a few weeks ago I made a startlijg discovery, seems that he has TWO benches, one for such operations like planing, and another for things such as chiseling work. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. ;~)

Enjoy your bench Dave.

T.O.

Nice bench Dave

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Sure is prettier than Todds! He he he...

Very insteresting top you put together, great idea!

Hey Scott, you can kiss my........

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Oh wait, you're right. ;~)

T.O.

Bend over Homeboy, so I can kiss your........

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA

>Hell, At least you HAVE a bench! My still lives in cyberspace!

You both ROCK! And glad you have a sence of humor!