Workbench Build aka Paul Sellers style

[NickN]

It's taking shape quickly, and I like the tenon rounding, I was planning to trim flush but seeing what you've done I may do the same.

The price you paid for the wood seems very good, from a local merchants?

 

[skipdiver]

Canadian Lumber Standard.

I've thought for years it was Canadian Lumber Stock. Live and learn.

 

[MarkDennehy]

it was also PAR because I didn't want to be faffing about spending years squaring it lol the build is challenging enough as it is!

Wiser man than me!

 

[MattRoberts]

not at all matt, it cost £19.20 for this lot of wood, it was also PAR because I didn't want to be faffing about spending years squaring it lol the build is challenging enough as it is!

p.s what does CLS actually stand for? I don't have a clue.

obviously once I buy all the wood and the vice it will cost a lot more, I predict £100-£150.

Sorry, yes - CLS = Canadian Lumber Standard and actually refers to the strength rating of construction timber. I was just using it to describe using construction studwork vs proper PAR pine like you are using

The finished leg frames look great - love the rounded tenons. You also take a mean set of photos!

Looking forward to the next part

 

[thetyreman]

It's taking shape quickly, and I like the tenon rounding, I was planning to trim flush but seeing what you've done I may do the same.

The price you paid for the wood seems very good, from a local merchants?

thanks nick, yes I'd recommend you try the roundover technique, it not only looks good it helps it easily go into the tenon as well.

It's from my local timber yard yes, they seem really good so far, I'll be going back there for sure.

 

[thetyreman]

I've clamped up and glued frame no1, also planed away all marks with a razor sharp no4, and eased all the edges, leaving it overnight with a heater on in the garage to dry.

Tomorrow I'll clamp and glue frame no2, there will be nothing to add visually, so both frames will be ready by wednesday.

This friday I will be getting the rest of the wood, so I can't do much until then.

here's some photos for you in the meantime.

 

[memzey]

Looking good TTM. Very nicely done so far and looking forward to more updates as you progress.

 

[MarkDennehy]

Nice rate of progress as well

 

[Grawschbags]

Looking good, loving the thread...

You're doing the bit I'm about to embark on. I'm also building a Sellers bench.

I started by laminating the tops, aprons and legs. Cut my legs to length over the weekend. Just need to sort the rails now.

I also went PAR timber, but there's still a load of planing to do to flatten the tops and aprons, and also to square the legs!

Look forward to the next installment.

 

[Wizard9999]

Great thread so far, really enjoying it =D>

How did you round over the tenons, they look so neat.

Terry.

 

[Khendon]

I built my bench about 6 months ago in the same style as a total newbie, though I think yours is looking better!

The hardest part of this build for me, and the least emphasised in Pauls videos and blogs is the fitting of the vice. Paul makes it all look very easy and simple, but I actually found it quite difficult, especially after how relatively simple the rest of the build had been with Pauls techniques.

Getting the holes drilled exactly square, making space to mount it with the apron getting in the way, and getting the vice dead square against the front of the bench was very tricky for me. When I first installed it, my vice was slightly out of square, only by 1mm or so, but it made a hell of a difference when it came to gripping things evenly in the vice.

I ended up fettling and messing with it for ages to get it right, and I'm still not entirely happy with how it has turned out.

So I would advise planning how you're going to do it, get or make a jig for drilling your holes dead straight. Measure everything twice. Consider the vice you have purchased, where the mounting holes are in relation to your apron, and where your rear face is going to sit. Do you have space to get it all in front of the apron? Do you need to make a recess for it to sit in etc. If you need to cut a recess (because of vice depth, mounting hole position, and apron thickness for example) that potentially needs to be dead flat and square to the rest of the apron front as well.

I'm sure the more experienced guys here would have no problem with this whatsoever, but I sure did as a beginner so thought I'd share.

Regards

Dave

 

[thetyreman]

Great thread so far, really enjoying it =D>

How did you round over the tenons, they look so neat.

Terry.

thanks Terry, I used a no4 plane to round the edges, it starts out as a chamfer, then a chisel to knock out the ends a bit at a time creating the curve, and finally a 10 inch mil file to smooth it over.

 

[thetyreman]

another minor update, I noticed that after clamping it up, it's surprising how much you can close the gaps, on one of the frames there are now no gaps at all! the second frame is already glued up this morning, I will unclamp it tonight.

 

[thetyreman]

I just measured the tops of the H frames now the glue has dried, on one it has a 2mm gap in the centre, second one has a 1.5mm gap. I am wondering if I should carefully plane the top of the legs down a bit or just leave it before putting the bearers on, but I am concerned it might twist the top a bit which is the last thing I want.

what would you guys do?

regards,

Ben.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

For another time - you can work out the dimensions of the joint before marking out so that the rail is always higher than the leg. It's easier to plane that way. You can save that bit of info. for your next bench.

 

[thetyreman]

finally another update!

I got the rest of the wood today finally, it's all PAR red pine.

I am wondering if someone can help with the orientation of end grain, when you glue up the benchtop, did you have the endgrain going in opposite directions to minimise warp? or should I just not even care about it. I have not glued the top together yet, or the aprons and wellboard, but that's the next stage, it will probably take a few days of swapping the clamps and waiting 24 hours.

pics are coming tomorrow!

 

[n0legs]

Another viewer here signing in.
Keep up the good work, more please

 

[Orraloon]

finally another update!

I got the rest of the wood today finally, it's all PAR red pine.

I am wondering if someone can help with the orientation of end grain, when you glue up the benchtop, did you have the endgrain going in opposite directions to minimise warp? or should I just not even care about it. I have not glued the top together yet, or the aprons and wellboard, but that's the next stage, it will probably take a few days of swapping the clamps and waiting 24 hours.

pics are coming tomorrow!

Try and alternate the grain as well as you can. Also glue up the top in batches then when dry glue up the larger s ections. Much more manageable that way. I did my bench top in 2 sections but 3 or more would be ok if you like. There is a fair bit of tapping things into line with a rubber mallet before the final thghtening up of the clamps.
Regards
John

 

[thetyreman]

here's some pics, just getting the clamps ready for glue up and rehearsing it,

it's a lot harder than expected when there's a problem with twist you have to hit it pretty hard,

what do you think of this grain orientation? I originally had the pieces all going the same way, but have alternated each one now, it's not the final setup, I await some feedback first, just interested in peoples opinions on this.

 

[MarkDennehy]

Whatever about the end grain, don't forget to pay attention to the edges - you don't want to have half them with the grain going one way and half with the grain going the other, or planing the top to flatten it is going to be a bit more fun than you expected.