New Workbench - Done

[TheTiddles]

Right, this has taken a couple more weeks that I thought it should but I'm mostly pleased with the results. The top is laminated iroko (from the benches in Corby) and is 2.5" thick, the aprons and caps are 2x6" beech, although the top is only 26x49" if I sit on the end overhang it doesn't tip up, which is impressive as I'm not small, it's right on the cusp of what I can lift, the legs are laminated again and draw-doweled together, I had never used this technique and I was suprised just how much draw you can get on them, I was offsetting the holes by as much as 5mm. The hardware is York from Axminster, which I am very impressed with for the money, the independent screws on the tail vise allow about 10 degrees of skew in the vise should I need it.

The three strecher design is so that I can build a 'Philly Stlye' tool cabinet to sit under the bench, the middle of the legs is the best place for the strecher but it just wastes so much valuable storage space, I haven't yet bolted the top to the legs, I'm not entirely convinced I need to either.
The only thing I'm not happy with is the vice handles, they just haven't worked out, they will get replaced at some point in the future

Aidan

 

[wizer]

wow that's lovely. Very well done!

 

[Fecn]

Absolutely superb - Well done!

 

[NeilO]

Aidan, I like that a lot...especially the contrasting woods..
such a shame I missed out on the Corby "giveaway".

Very nice indeed..

you say the vice mechanisms are York`s from Axminster....may give them a try for my next bench..thanks

 

[PowerTool]

A very classy looking bench - hope you get lots of use out of it

Andrew

 

[mailee]

Aidan that is far too nice to use mate, seems a shame to cover it in sawdust. Very nice job there.

 

[Shultzy]

Aidan, that's a very nice bench. You have just made my mind up about what to do with my "Corby windfall". I have 4 of the table tops and a couple of bases so I should have enough. What did you use for the laminations and what are the leg and rail sizes? Do you have a sketchup file of it?

 

[Danny]

Very nice bench!

Never thought of building a small one like that, nice and compact yet adequate for loads of projects. Well done

Danny

 

[Philly]

Bravo, Aidan!
Very classy looking,
Philly

 

[superunknown]

Wow, thats superb. Don't slip with a chisel and damage it.

 

[DaveL]

Well done. =D>

Having a good bench to work on does made a difference, don't worry about the odd chip and ding, it just adds character to it. 8)

 

[TheTiddles]

Aidan, that's a very nice bench. You have just made my mind up about what to do with my "Corby windfall". I have 4 of the table tops and a couple of bases so I should have enough. What did you use for the laminations and what are the leg and rail sizes? Do you have a sketchup file of it?

Hi Shultzy, 4 tops is enough to make it, I had 6 but cut up a lot of them and then changed my mind, so I have lots of offcuts, just as well the tool cabinet is going to match.

The top is made from 3 tops, ripped to 2.5" wide, skimmed on the planer and laminated, I can't recommend Wudcare PU adhesive highly enough, almost as highly as I recommend you wear goves whilst using it, I have black marks all over my hands and the only way to remove it is with sandpaper or one of those 'cheese-grater' things your significant other uses to remove hard skin from her heels. As a result I have been unable to use my PDA for a week as it has a fingerprint scanner for the password and both my index finger prints are missing!

I don't have a sketchup file for the design, being an engineer I use SolidWorks, SolidEdge, ProEngineer etc... If you are interested I will create you a model of it that you can use a free viewer to look at and lift all the measurements off of. Let me know if that would be something you are interested in, alternatively if you get very lost on your way home one day and want to have a look in person just let me know.

The beech is all new, I should warn you there is about £120 of it in there, though the all up price for the bench is £210 and considering it is comparable in construction to a £800 bench I'm happy with that trade off. I decided no to compromise on the overall effect once I had put the work into salvaging the iroko tops.

 

[woodchip]

lovely bench Aiden.

What are draw-dowels?

Vince

 

[Anonymous]

Lovely job Aiden!

 

[TheTiddles]

lovely bench Aiden.

What are draw-dowels?

Vince

Hi Vince,

Draw-dowels are the pins that hold the mortice and tennon joints together (that and the shed load of glue). Technically they are unnecessary but you can see them on the sides of the feet and the vertical posts. They are dowels that go through the mortice part and tennon part but are offset on the tennon so that as they are banged in they draw the tennon into the mortice, they really are very effective and remove some of the need for so many clamps (the real reason I used them). Mine are capped with contrasting plugs to make them look nice

Aidan

 

[woodchip]

Thanks for the explanation Aidan

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the explanation Aidan

Woodchip

Chris Schwartz covers these in his DVD on tools (calls it draw-boring) - I used this technique when making my bench too, though not with such an extreme offset as Aiden

DVD is Fogeotten Hand Tools and is available here

http://www.classichandtools.com/acatalog/Chris_Schwarz_DVD.html

 

[Shultzy]

Thanks Aidan, I have the eDrawings 2008 viewer if you can supply a file I can read with it. BTW are the centre laminations from the table tops?

 

[OPJ]

That's a very nice bench. Nice to see that hardwood put to good use!

 

[woodchip]

Tony,

Thanks for the info.

Vince