The MkII Paul Sellers Workbench Build

[DBT85]

Out of interest, why did you cut the tongue so thin?

Yes, I did surprise myself, a LOT, actually, I thought it was going to be a complete nightmare disaster zone like my previous attempts at bodging have been, and somehow for the first time this all went together really well, even the trickiest bit, the sliding wellboard. I believe Mr Sellers uses an outdoor furniture oil of some sort but some of his benches have really darkened so perhaps he stains too - well, I don't mind mine staying light coloured, it's there to do a job ultimately.

I don't know that I'd want to fit two 52 1/2 vices to the bench, increases the footprint substantially if one on each side, and would get in the way if one each end of the same side, and the design doesn't end itself to that as a tail vice. I'd stick your working one on and leave it at that, restore the other and keep it for your next bench

You really did a great job! It's amazing how the right techniques and a little patience can make you do things you never thought of before. I recall watching his very first few youtube videos when I found them 6 months ago or so. He looked like a wizard. Cutting to lines. Things fitting. Sharp tools! And now you're doing it too (hammer)

BurnTheWitchAgain.gif

I'll have a think. I'm sure I've seen him do something about fitting one of these to the tail, I seem to recall him mentioning having to cut one of your braces short toallow the screw through so I must have seen a blog post or something. As to a second bench. Tish and guffaw! I've not even started my first yet!



Also just found this, some useful bits in there that you might like for your new bench. It's Sellers talking about finishing his off from 2015. little clips and hanging things and stuff to make it more ergonomic.
https://paulsellers.com/2015/01/closing ... -fitments/

 

[Tasky]

I seem to recall him mentioning having to cut one of your braces short toallow the screw through so I must have seen a blog post or something.

I believe the tail-end crosspiece is mortised in a few inches lower than the other...?

You've admitted to polishing buttons, I think we're already there

's wrong with that?
Most military folk have to do it...

 

[DBT85]

I seem to recall him mentioning having to cut one of your braces short toallow the screw through so I must have seen a blog post or something.

I believe the tail-end crosspiece is mortised in a few inches lower than the other...?[/quote]

No idea at all. I'll find it. Got distracted going through his blog posts. Found some less philosophical writings lol.

's wrong with that?
Most military folk have to do it...

Nothing, nothing at all. Please don't kill me.

It's different if it's for uniforms. I imagined Nick sitting there in his cardie making his buttons shine with his 66" tongue.

 

[Tasky]

Nothing, nothing at all. Please don't kill me.

I said most..... ours were black, for a very good reason!!

 

[DBT85]

Nothing, nothing at all. Please don't kill me.

I said most..... ours were black, for a very good reason!!

lol. I suppose we should all be thankful you guys aren't off fighting in bright red uniform any more.

 

[MattRoberts]

Looking fantastic Nick, nice one! I'm going to use clear danish oil on mine in the hope that it doesn't yellow as much as BLO, but I suspect it will

 

[Tasky]

lol. I suppose we should all be thankful you guys aren't off fighting in bright red uniform any more.

Actually you can thank our antecedent regiments for that little gem!

 

[NickN]

Out of interest, why did you cut the tongue so thin?

Just following orders, guv. Well, the plans called for a 6mm wide tongue, so that's what I did too (on a deeper wellboard, so that's possibly why it gives the impression of being thinner). Also the wellboard is of course fully supported by the bearers on the legs at both ends and screwed into from underneath them, so actually the tongues are not doing much more than locating the board in position.

Looking fantastic Nick, nice one! I'm going to use clear danish oil on mine in the hope that it doesn't yellow as much as BLO, but I suspect it will

Thanks, and yes I'm going to stay away from BLO - the antique oil I used is, I think, a mix of tung oil, danish oil and other things, maybe some linseed too of course.

 

[DBT85]

Out of interest, why did you cut the tongue so thin?

Just following orders, guv. Well, the plans called for a 6mm wide tongue, so that's what I did too (on a deeper wellboard, so that's possibly why it gives the impression of being thinner). Also the wellboard is of course fully supported by the bearers on the legs at both ends and screwed into from underneath them, so actually the tongues are not doing much more than locating the board in position.

Ahh ok.

I'd have gone for 10mm and then cocked up the mating cut on the apron/top because I'd changed spec on the fly lol.

 

[thetyreman]

I put shellac on mine as just a sealer coat, then a few layers of water based clear gloss varnish, works for me If I was using an oil then it'd be tung oil all the way, osmo as well would be a good choice.

 

[DBT85]

£100 in Monopoly Money says it's Shellac.... :lol:

You owe me a hotel in the old Kent road.

No shellac!

 

[Tasky]

£100 in Monopoly Money says it's Shellac.... :lol:

You owe me a hotel in the old Kent road.

No shellac!

*Places hotel on the OKR space*... =D>

 

[NickN]

Oi! Who started the game of Monopoly without me then? (hammer) :lol:

Well - today I finally got the bench what I'd call 'finished' - although I may add a drawer at some point in the future.

Although Mr Sellers recommended the use of Garden Furniture Oil, I decided to go old school on this one and use Shellac (Button Polish mix). I made an initial coat, rubbed it all down with 600 grit sandpaper and then applied a further coat, both coats by brush application.

I also made a small shelf (also from pine) which sits along the side of the rear apron, with various size holes cut through using my Record Power Forstner bit set, at intervals to accommodate my marking gauges, plus a small space to hold the oil cloth can and some glueing sticks etc. I stuck felt down each side of the holes so as to avoid rattling and movement when using the bench, and leather for the cans to sit on.

Anyway, here's the final result:

 

[Tasky]

I decided to go old school on this one and use Shellac

Ooh, ooh, I own the Shellac one.... oh, and I have BLO and Danish oil too, so that's rent on all three. No sheds yet, let alone outright workshops, so just the sites.
That'll be £350 rent, please!!

You wanted to play Monopoly, right? (hammer)

 

[DBT85]

Ahh nice finished bench there!

The shelf looks liek it was always meant to be there too. How did you fit it to the apron?

Another addition I saw from Sellers blog was an insert to drop into the well, about 30cm wide and flush with the top and filled with dogholes for thems that want them. Such is Sellers desire to quash the idea of needing them and putting holes in your bench haha.

I also found the post he'd made about attaching a tail vice, something he's always done apparently even though he rarely uses them. For these benches it seems you just need to lower the top rail on the legs at that end and you've freed up room for the bars. I'll have a look as I do mine as with my 8ft table to fix, it might be useful.

 

[AndyT]

That really does look the business, but I feel I should point out the bad news - someone has filled up the all-important cup of tea spot with a load of old pencils!

 

[Bm101]

Anyway, here's the final result:
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Pleased to see this come to a good result Nick. Been reading and following quietly. Looks fantastic.Well done mate.

 

[NickN]

I decided to go old school on this one and use Shellac

Ooh, ooh, I own the Shellac one.... oh, and I have BLO and Danish oil too, so that's rent on all three. No sheds yet, let alone outright workshops, so just the sites.
That'll be £350 rent, please!!

You wanted to play Monopoly, right? (hammer)

Well, I asked for that didn't I? :lol: Still, my Teak Oil is safe for now, thankfully.

The shelf looks liek it was always meant to be there too. How did you fit it to the apron?

A cunningly hidden length of 1" by 1", glued and screwed to the underside of the shelf and screwed into the apron.

Another addition I saw from Sellers blog was an insert to drop into the well, about 30cm wide and flush with the top and filled with dogholes for thems that want them. Such is Sellers desire to quash the idea of needing them and putting holes in your bench haha.
I also found the post he'd made about attaching a tail vice, something he's always done apparently even though he rarely uses them. For these benches it seems you just need to lower the top rail on the legs at that end and you've freed up room for the bars. I'll have a look as I do mine as with my 8ft table to fix, it might be useful.

That's a decent idea actually, a well doghole insert - but I'm going to go down the road of 'do things as I need them' - so if I find a need to stick some holes in the benchtop at some point, I'll do it then. Rather than the other approach of turning a bench into a colander before even making a first dent on it.

Interestingly, at the two classes I went to, none of the benches in the work area, including his own one, had tail vices - so I wonder whether he has a secret naughty bench at home for doing all the stuff that would be blasphemy if made public... :shock:

That really does look the business, but I feel I should point out the bad news - someone has filled up the all-important cup of tea spot with a load of old pencils!

(hammer) What a mistake to make! I might have to make a slide-out tea shelf on the other side... I don't even have a kettle in the workshop yet but am very lucky with a lovely wife who regularly pops in with a fresh mug of "I'll start work in just another five minutes" nectar.

Pleased to see this come to a good result Nick. Been reading and following quietly. Looks fantastic.Well done mate.

Thanks very much - I'm 100% chuffed with the result of this project, something that a couple of years ago I'd have dismissed as impossible.

 

[Tasky]

Interestingly, at the two classes I went to, none of the benches in the work area, including his own one, had tail vices - so I wonder whether he has a secret naughty bench at home for doing all the stuff that would be blasphemy if made public... :shock:

Those may have been the smaller knock-down student benches, or something.
The big grey-painted one he uses in most of his videos has a tail vise. There's a blog post about dog-less fixing, where he clamps things using sash clamps in the face vise, but also shows a very long piece where the back end is held in a second clamp that the tail vise then holds.

 

[DBT85]

Interestingly, at the two classes I went to, none of the benches in the work area, including his own one, had tail vices - so I wonder whether he has a secret naughty bench at home for doing all the stuff that would be blasphemy if made public... :shock:

Those may have been the smaller knock-down student benches, or something.
The big grey-painted one he uses in most of his videos has a tail vise. There's a blog post about dog-less fixing, where he clamps things using sash clamps in the face vise, but also shows a very long piece where the back end is held in a second clamp that the tail vise then holds.

Indeed. In one if his blog posts somewhere he mentions that all his benches have them. Probably not needed for most of the student work so why spend the cash on those benches.