wizer
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WARNING: This post may induce sleep...
I have been planning this workbench since about November. Weeks mucking about with sketchup and cutting diagrams. By xmas I had it all worked out and was planning to make a start over the xmas break. Man Flu put a stop to that idea! Then in the first week of Jan I got a date for my back operation: 22nd Jan. No matter how I fancy talked her, the missus would not let me lift all the sheet material on my own. She even called my mate who supplies the sheets and told him not to serve me. PANIC! I wanted it done before the operation, as I'd want something to use for light duties during my recovery. I went back over my plans and decided if I could get the components cut, I could put it together myself. I contacted MarkW for a big favour. My idea was to get him over and help me cut down the panels one afternoon and i'd glue it up the next afternoon. Mark promptly kicked my design in to touch and we set about building the whole thing in his workshop. We had less than a week before the op. No problem, thinks I... Halfway through the third day, I get a call on the mobile... The operation had been postponed for 2 weeks! :twisted: I was frustrated at first but it took the pressure off to get it done. The whole thing took about 40 working hours. That sounds a lot but we was doing a lot of the design as we went and you have to account for one half of the duo being a ten thumbed dunce.
The top is a sandwich of 2 layers of 18mm Ply between 2 sheets of 9mm MR MDF. All wrapped with 2x4 softwood. I picked the vice up from eBay for £20 and that's a little project for me to clean up and paint. The vice jaws are Yellow Ballau hardwood (left-over decking). It stands at 1050mm high. I was nervous that i would turn out too high, but I genuinely feel this is the right working height for me (I'm 6ft 3in tall with a back of an 90yr old.).
The carcase is all 18mm Birch Ply. The quality of the ply was pretty poor. I can't complain too much as it's from a pal. The drawers are 12mm with 9mm MR MDF bottoms on FE runners. The doors are on euro style hinges and the cupboard has an adjustable shelf.
Mark's clever design alteration allowed for a space under the worktop for tools to be kept whilst working. As we where putting it together we thought it would be even better if there were sliding trays in this area. This is another little project for me to do when I have recovered from the op.
To finish the workbench I used Osmo PolyX Clear. I took some advice from OryxDesign (thanks mate) who advised to roller it on (I used a smooth mini roller) very thinly and then wipe it off with a rag. This worked a charm. Very easy stuff to work with. I put 2 coats on the top and door/drawer fronts and 1 coat on the rest.
I have a lot of organising to do in the workshop, it's a bit of a junk yard at the moment. I haven't fully decided what's going in the drawers and cupboard yet. I'm thinking measuring and marking tools in one, screws in another and maybe HH routers in the large one. The cupboard is home to the Henry atm but not sure how much that is going to be needed in the workshop as I have the RSDE2.
I can't tell you how chuffed I am with it. The missus has caught me on a few occasions just standing, grinning at it. I'll be forever in MarkW's debt, can't thank you enough mate. I learned so much during the build. We had a lot of fun too!
The final coat of finish went on this morning and tomorrow I'm going in for the operation. The good news is that, for at least a few days, the forum can have a rest from my mutterings.
See you all soon.
I have been planning this workbench since about November. Weeks mucking about with sketchup and cutting diagrams. By xmas I had it all worked out and was planning to make a start over the xmas break. Man Flu put a stop to that idea! Then in the first week of Jan I got a date for my back operation: 22nd Jan. No matter how I fancy talked her, the missus would not let me lift all the sheet material on my own. She even called my mate who supplies the sheets and told him not to serve me. PANIC! I wanted it done before the operation, as I'd want something to use for light duties during my recovery. I went back over my plans and decided if I could get the components cut, I could put it together myself. I contacted MarkW for a big favour. My idea was to get him over and help me cut down the panels one afternoon and i'd glue it up the next afternoon. Mark promptly kicked my design in to touch and we set about building the whole thing in his workshop. We had less than a week before the op. No problem, thinks I... Halfway through the third day, I get a call on the mobile... The operation had been postponed for 2 weeks! :twisted: I was frustrated at first but it took the pressure off to get it done. The whole thing took about 40 working hours. That sounds a lot but we was doing a lot of the design as we went and you have to account for one half of the duo being a ten thumbed dunce.
The top is a sandwich of 2 layers of 18mm Ply between 2 sheets of 9mm MR MDF. All wrapped with 2x4 softwood. I picked the vice up from eBay for £20 and that's a little project for me to clean up and paint. The vice jaws are Yellow Ballau hardwood (left-over decking). It stands at 1050mm high. I was nervous that i would turn out too high, but I genuinely feel this is the right working height for me (I'm 6ft 3in tall with a back of an 90yr old.).
The carcase is all 18mm Birch Ply. The quality of the ply was pretty poor. I can't complain too much as it's from a pal. The drawers are 12mm with 9mm MR MDF bottoms on FE runners. The doors are on euro style hinges and the cupboard has an adjustable shelf.
Mark's clever design alteration allowed for a space under the worktop for tools to be kept whilst working. As we where putting it together we thought it would be even better if there were sliding trays in this area. This is another little project for me to do when I have recovered from the op.
To finish the workbench I used Osmo PolyX Clear. I took some advice from OryxDesign (thanks mate) who advised to roller it on (I used a smooth mini roller) very thinly and then wipe it off with a rag. This worked a charm. Very easy stuff to work with. I put 2 coats on the top and door/drawer fronts and 1 coat on the rest.
I have a lot of organising to do in the workshop, it's a bit of a junk yard at the moment. I haven't fully decided what's going in the drawers and cupboard yet. I'm thinking measuring and marking tools in one, screws in another and maybe HH routers in the large one. The cupboard is home to the Henry atm but not sure how much that is going to be needed in the workshop as I have the RSDE2.
I can't tell you how chuffed I am with it. The missus has caught me on a few occasions just standing, grinning at it.
I'll be forever in MarkW's debt, can't thank you enough mate. I learned so much during the build. We had a lot of fun too!The final coat of finish went on this morning and tomorrow I'm going in for the operation. The good news is that, for at least a few days, the forum can have a rest from my mutterings.
See you all soon.
