Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips
- Thread starter jimreed2160
- Start date
TerryH
Well-known member
Nice! I positioned the benches in front of and behind my TS and out-feed so they would support full sheets before and after the cut. Can't imagine working with full sheets any other way in a one horse operation.
OP
jimreed2160
Well-known member
turbo--Nice projects and kudos for getting the diminutive ww on the job. I like your setup for full sheets but I think I will continue to depend on HD to break mine down. Working with a full sheet of 3/4" is like wrestling with a bear. Throw in a spinning blade and you have more excitement than I care to deal with.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Turbo: great to see you getting a few projects done and love the picture of your little girl painting the table you built her. WELL DONE!
Terry: I love your shop and it might be a ONE HORSE PONY, but it sure has a good horse pumping nice things out when you are not racing or shooting something.
ALL: for those of you that don't have a Lowe's, HD or other store cutting up the full sheets exactly like you wish a few friends of mine with small garages that have to cut full sheets outside put down some of that hard insulation about 2 inches thick on their driveways, then pull out their skill saws and cut to more manageable sizes before working on them in their garage/shops.
anybody built some raised bed garden and planting areas lately and want to share some tips or their designs?
I've got plenty of 4x4's (dunnage) and 2x10's (leftover from shelving) that i'm going to make some for my 85 year old mom and my 30 year old daughter soon.
Terry: I love your shop and it might be a ONE HORSE PONY, but it sure has a good horse pumping nice things out when you are not racing or shooting something.
ALL: for those of you that don't have a Lowe's, HD or other store cutting up the full sheets exactly like you wish a few friends of mine with small garages that have to cut full sheets outside put down some of that hard insulation about 2 inches thick on their driveways, then pull out their skill saws and cut to more manageable sizes before working on them in their garage/shops.
anybody built some raised bed garden and planting areas lately and want to share some tips or their designs?
I've got plenty of 4x4's (dunnage) and 2x10's (leftover from shelving) that i'm going to make some for my 85 year old mom and my 30 year old daughter soon.
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turbowoodworker
Well-known member
I consider myself very fortunate to have the space and equipment in my shop that allows me to safely handle sheet goods. Yes they are heavy, but with a sheet carrier (not sure of proper name but can get a picture if needed) I can get the sheet in the double door, lip the leading edge on the TS and the back edge on my large woodworking table. With a good Biesemeyer fence and 5 HP, cutting is then quite effortless and not at all scary. Just stand to the left side and keep it against the fence as you motor through the blade.
As Terry said, the outfeed table is a critical part of the equation. I have built essentially a large rectangular surface that includes my new Delta cabinet saw on one corner and my old contractor's saw diagonal at the other corner. Lots of flat, even surface to play with.
As Terry said, the outfeed table is a critical part of the equation. I have built essentially a large rectangular surface that includes my new Delta cabinet saw on one corner and my old contractor's saw diagonal at the other corner. Lots of flat, even surface to play with.
ez-duzit
Well-known member
The Festool TS 55 track saw makes child's play out of breaking down sheets of 3/4" plywood. Found mine for $350 on c/l. It also makes straightening the edge of rough lumber a snap.
ScottsGT
Well-known member
You ****!! But agreed. I bought the Makita track saw since I only have a small table saw and lack of space for a dedicated setup.Turbo: projects look good. That's a lot of scrap padauk.
I purchased ba track saw earlier this year and I'm in love with it. I got the cordless Makita and glad I went that route. So easy to move around the shop with it when needed and not deal with a plug.
I'm calling the hand tool cabinet done. I finished the drawers today and am very pleased with how they turned out. The figure on the fronts from the right direction is awesome. I've got a few of them already dedicated to certain tasks. One had my sharpening jigs and another has my dovetail items.
On the miter station I screwed down the saw last night and started on my stop block assembly. I won't attach the tape until I get poly on the fence.
Now to finish the miter station so I can start my son's bedroom set.
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I purchased ba track saw earlier this year and I'm in love with it. I got the cordless Makita and glad I went that route. So easy to move around the shop with it when needed and not deal with a plug.
I'm calling the hand tool cabinet done. I finished the drawers today and am very pleased with how they turned out. The figure on the fronts from the right direction is awesome. I've got a few of them already dedicated to certain tasks. One had my sharpening jigs and another has my dovetail items.
On the miter station I screwed down the saw last night and started on my stop block assembly. I won't attach the tape until I get poly on the fence.
Now to finish the miter station so I can start my son's bedroom set.
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royce
Well-known member
Beautiful work rrich1
Thank you for showing it
Royce
Thank you for showing it
Royce
Craptain
Well-known member
I was thinking the same. I have bought less than that for a complete project. And.... at the lumber yard there's no such thing as scrap. Drops, cutoffs but never the S word.
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Craptain
Well-known member
Damn. I replied and completely missed congratulations on the completion of the cabinet. Truly wonderful and useful work.Turbo: projects look good. That's a lot of scrap padauk.
I purchased ba track saw earlier this year and I'm in love with it. I got the cordless Makita and glad I went that route. So easy to move around the shop with it when needed and not deal with a plug.
I'm calling the hand tool cabinet done. I finished the drawers today and am very pleased with how they turned out. The figure on the fronts from the right direction is awesome. I've got a few of them already dedicated to certain tasks. One had my sharpening jigs and another has my dovetail items.
On the miter station I screwed down the saw last night and started on my stop block assembly. I won't attach the tape until I get poly on the fence.
Now to finish the miter station so I can start my son's bedroom set.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
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![a>](http://<a href="https://imgur.com/RSr7MvA"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/RSr7MvA.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>)
OP
jimreed2160
Well-known member
rrich--Outstanding project and much quicker than any of my recent projects. Good job!
hpw--Sounds interesting but pictures are not showing for me.
hpw--Sounds interesting but pictures are not showing for me.
beelsr
Well-known member
broken imugr link. it should work if you right-click it.
or try this: imgur.com/RSr7MvA
or try this: imgur.com/RSr7MvA
turbowoodworker
Well-known member
rrich, that tool cabinet is really something to be proud of. Great design and execution.
Rick
Rick
turbowoodworker
Well-known member
I'm not sure what you call this but it does come in handy moving sheet goods around. If you don't have something like this, you may want to consider it if you do a lot of cabinet work, carcasses,etc where ply or melamine etc come into the shop.
Lift the long edge of the sheet into the lip, about 1 1/2 inch then lift the handle.
Lift the long edge of the sheet into the lip, about 1 1/2 inch then lift the handle.
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turbowoodworker
Well-known member
Here is my setup for the TS with the outfeed table. Terry mentioned he uses something similar. The entire table top surface measures 87 deep x 98 wide.
I use my tracksaw for crosscutting when I bring the sheets home in the pickup bed, then all ripping is done in the shop at the TS.
For instance, I am building two hops driers that are 3/4" ply. They measure 48x72 on 4 sides and the floor and top are 48x48. I crosscut at 72" on the pickup bed then rip the ply to correct width. I can provide pics of the hops driers as they get further along if anyone is interested in commercial hops production.
I have been able to process 9 sheets of ply without wrecking my back, and at 60, that is an accomplishment.
I use my tracksaw for crosscutting when I bring the sheets home in the pickup bed, then all ripping is done in the shop at the TS.
For instance, I am building two hops driers that are 3/4" ply. They measure 48x72 on 4 sides and the floor and top are 48x48. I crosscut at 72" on the pickup bed then rip the ply to correct width. I can provide pics of the hops driers as they get further along if anyone is interested in commercial hops production.
I have been able to process 9 sheets of ply without wrecking my back, and at 60, that is an accomplishment.
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ez-duzit
Well-known member
Here's how my offcut tables/workbenches are setup as related to 3 of my table saws.
OP
jimreed2160
Well-known member
House carpentry interlude
So it is not always fine woodworking. I plan to live in this house forever and like to spend effort over time to add aging in place features. Like grab bars and lever door handles. Most of these improvements are for the future but sometimes they come in handy right away. A year or two after the lever door transition, I had carpal tunnel surgery. Those levers were really appreciated. So today's project is a handrail. Sometimes The Queen is a little unsteady and we have a long wall on the way to the back of the house. It is a perfect spot for a 12ft handrail.
I ordered the rails and supports and also marked the studs. I **** joined the 8ft pieces with Kreg screws but they pulled out. More on that later. This is an easy project except for the ends. Exposed handrail ends are dangerous because they grab clothing and cause falls--esp in the elderly. I decided to join the rail ends together at a soft 22.5 degrees and join a sharper 45 degrees at the wall (22.5+22.5+45=90). Woodworking geometry at its finest. My grandfather, woodworker and math teacher, would smile.
Building code says handrails should be between 33" and 36". I picked a nice spot in that range that The Queen found comfortable and installed a single bracket. Then I used my HF 6ft level to mark locations for the left side and again to mark on the right side. That level gets more use than I thought it would.
So it is not always fine woodworking. I plan to live in this house forever and like to spend effort over time to add aging in place features. Like grab bars and lever door handles. Most of these improvements are for the future but sometimes they come in handy right away. A year or two after the lever door transition, I had carpal tunnel surgery. Those levers were really appreciated. So today's project is a handrail. Sometimes The Queen is a little unsteady and we have a long wall on the way to the back of the house. It is a perfect spot for a 12ft handrail.
I ordered the rails and supports and also marked the studs. I **** joined the 8ft pieces with Kreg screws but they pulled out. More on that later. This is an easy project except for the ends. Exposed handrail ends are dangerous because they grab clothing and cause falls--esp in the elderly. I decided to join the rail ends together at a soft 22.5 degrees and join a sharper 45 degrees at the wall (22.5+22.5+45=90). Woodworking geometry at its finest. My grandfather, woodworker and math teacher, would smile.
Building code says handrails should be between 33" and 36". I picked a nice spot in that range that The Queen found comfortable and installed a single bracket. Then I used my HF 6ft level to mark locations for the left side and again to mark on the right side. That level gets more use than I thought it would.
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OP
jimreed2160
Well-known member
Hand rail continued
At least the **** joint held up enough for measuring. I cut out the end pieces yesterday and today I was able to dry fit everything and cut the main rod to length. Because of the Kreg difficulties, I decided to biscuit the everything but also replace the 1" screws in the **** joint with two 1 1/4" screws. Seemed to me that a biscuit and two opposing screws should hold it tight. Then I could use a 2" Kreg screw to attach the end to the wall stud. But the handrail was too small for the regular 0 biscuit. Lucky for me that I have a vintage Ryobi biscuit cutter for tiny house use. The R3 size was just fine.
I needed to mark guide lines for the biscuit cutter and my trammel did a good job.
I glued the ends together and made lunch.
Then in the afternoon I resumed.
At least the **** joint held up enough for measuring. I cut out the end pieces yesterday and today I was able to dry fit everything and cut the main rod to length. Because of the Kreg difficulties, I decided to biscuit the everything but also replace the 1" screws in the **** joint with two 1 1/4" screws. Seemed to me that a biscuit and two opposing screws should hold it tight. Then I could use a 2" Kreg screw to attach the end to the wall stud. But the handrail was too small for the regular 0 biscuit. Lucky for me that I have a vintage Ryobi biscuit cutter for tiny house use. The R3 size was just fine.
I needed to mark guide lines for the biscuit cutter and my trammel did a good job.
I glued the ends together and made lunch.
Then in the afternoon I resumed.
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OP
jimreed2160
Well-known member
Handrail reveal
Final installation went smoothly. Best part is that I got to use my new Milwaukee M12 drivers. I like their compact size and my cataracts love the LED lights at the end of the barrel.
Some of these small handrails are flimsy, but not this one. I used the deluxe brackets where everything is torqued strongly into wood. Nothing flexes or moves here. I like the end caps--they will not snag my boxers or break my hip if I bump into it inadvertently.
So now I need to sand the rail, stain it and apply poly. Guess I could have done that in the shop but I didn't want to leave the brackets in place where we would bang into them. It is nice to get this project done before we really need it. The Queen is tickled and I am sure that elderly Jimmy will also be happy using it one day.
Final installation went smoothly. Best part is that I got to use my new Milwaukee M12 drivers. I like their compact size and my cataracts love the LED lights at the end of the barrel.
Some of these small handrails are flimsy, but not this one. I used the deluxe brackets where everything is torqued strongly into wood. Nothing flexes or moves here. I like the end caps--they will not snag my boxers or break my hip if I bump into it inadvertently.
So now I need to sand the rail, stain it and apply poly. Guess I could have done that in the shop but I didn't want to leave the brackets in place where we would bang into them. It is nice to get this project done before we really need it. The Queen is tickled and I am sure that elderly Jimmy will also be happy using it one day.
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ez-duzit
Well-known member
Here's a mahogany handrail I built on a 1962 Chris Craft Sea Skiff sportfisher I used to own. Notice the chrome bronze gate latch fittings in the side rails and the curve in the aft rail. A slip feather keeps the mitered joints tight between the aft and side rails.
TerryH
Well-known member
Coupla projects that I've been working on lately. 2 gun powder storage boxes for a good friend. 3/4" BB plywood. Couple rounds of 3 coats each of baked on urethane clear should make them just about bullet proof. lol...pun intended...
OP
jimreed2160
Well-known member
EZ--Great work on the rail. I guess on a boat you either go great or go home because the cobbled up stuff would wash overboard soon enough.
Terry--Had to put on my sunglasses because of the glare. Tell us more about that finish.
Terry--Had to put on my sunglasses because of the glare. Tell us more about that finish.
turbowoodworker
Well-known member
Terry,
Those boxes are beautiful. What is your preferred method for box joints? I had struggled for years with shop made box joint jigs but recently bought the Incra jig for the table saw. It works well, is easily adjustable for the perfect fit as in your boxes and can be used on the router table as well. I got it because a project required a ton of box joints and it made sense.
I would be interested to hear your experience and methods.
Rick
Those boxes are beautiful. What is your preferred method for box joints? I had struggled for years with shop made box joint jigs but recently bought the Incra jig for the table saw. It works well, is easily adjustable for the perfect fit as in your boxes and can be used on the router table as well. I got it because a project required a ton of box joints and it made sense.
I would be interested to hear your experience and methods.
Rick
TerryH
Well-known member
Thanks Rick. I did these with a ship made jig. I used a tall backer as these pieces are pretty sizable. The sides are 15x27. I drilled and countersunk for 1/4-20 bolts in the backer and bolted it to my miter gauge for extra strength vs wood screws as most are attached with. It was my first time making box joints so took a bit of fussing to get it right but worked fine once it was adjusted.
TerryH
Well-known member
Hi Jim. I get to cheat pretty majorly when it comes to finishing. This is at my work...
I am blessed to manage a state of the art collision center. The booths have a bake cycle to speed production and aid in producing a super tough finish. We applied 3 coats of catalyzed urethane clear and baked it. The bake cycle is 12 minutes @ 170 degrees. Once it ran thru the cool down cycle, I sanded it smooth with 800 grit and then 3 more coats were applied and baked. Makes for a pretty nice finish.
I had never done an automotive finish on any of my wwing projects but I recently built a stand for a milling machine I acquired and did the automotive finish on the drawers to ward off the oils and such involved with metal machining. They turned out so well that when my friend saw them he requested that finish on his boxes.
The base is made from regular doug fir construction lumber and more BB ply and then primed and painted.
I am blessed to manage a state of the art collision center. The booths have a bake cycle to speed production and aid in producing a super tough finish. We applied 3 coats of catalyzed urethane clear and baked it. The bake cycle is 12 minutes @ 170 degrees. Once it ran thru the cool down cycle, I sanded it smooth with 800 grit and then 3 more coats were applied and baked. Makes for a pretty nice finish.
I had never done an automotive finish on any of my wwing projects but I recently built a stand for a milling machine I acquired and did the automotive finish on the drawers to ward off the oils and such involved with metal machining. They turned out so well that when my friend saw them he requested that finish on his boxes.
The base is made from regular doug fir construction lumber and more BB ply and then primed and painted.
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marineman
Well-known member
Terry that's awesome. My wife just gave me a weird look when I asked if our oven could hold 170* steady
Sent from my SM-G930R4 using The Garage Journal mobile app
Sent from my SM-G930R4 using The Garage Journal mobile app
Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
TerryH, I don't have a booth but catalyzed polyurethane clear automotive finish is what I use when I want a piece of wood to hold up under harsh conditions.
Back in 2011 my garage sink counter (Poplar) was looking pretty bad after 10 years with spar varnish.
The plastic laundry sink was indelibly stained so it was time to replace it as well (around $60). Took a sander to the top out in the back yard (with lots of trees around.
Sprayed about 6 coats of SPI (Southern Polyurethanes Inc.) Universal clear on it. To get a little extra counter space I fitted a piece of an old pine 1"x12" from the kitchen of our first house (1966) and gave it three coats as well. This particular clear is for folks like me who don't know what they are doing and at $40 a quart it is within reason. You do have to buy a quart of activator for another $40 but that makes two sprayable quarts of clear. That's enough to do quite a few wood projects.
After 7 years the counter still looks pretty good. It gets hard use every day.
Back in 2011 my garage sink counter (Poplar) was looking pretty bad after 10 years with spar varnish.
The plastic laundry sink was indelibly stained so it was time to replace it as well (around $60). Took a sander to the top out in the back yard (with lots of trees around.
Sprayed about 6 coats of SPI (Southern Polyurethanes Inc.) Universal clear on it. To get a little extra counter space I fitted a piece of an old pine 1"x12" from the kitchen of our first house (1966) and gave it three coats as well. This particular clear is for folks like me who don't know what they are doing and at $40 a quart it is within reason. You do have to buy a quart of activator for another $40 but that makes two sprayable quarts of clear. That's enough to do quite a few wood projects.
After 7 years the counter still looks pretty good. It gets hard use every day.
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TerryH
Well-known member
TerryH, I don't have a booth but catalyzed polyurethane clear automotive finish is what I use when I want a piece of wood to hold up under harsh conditions.
Back in 2011 my garage sink counter (Poplar) was looking pretty bad after 10 years with spar varnish.
The plastic laundry sink was indelibly stained so it was time to replace it as well (around $60). Took a sander to the top out in the back yard (with lots of trees around.
Sprayed about 6 coats of SPI (Southern Polyurethanes Inc.) Universal clear on it. To get a little extra counter space I fitted a piece of an old pine 1"x12" from the kitchen of our first house (1966) and gave it three coats as well. This particular clear is for folks like me who don't know what they are doing and at $40 a quart it is within reason. You do have to buy a quart of activator for another $40 but that makes two sprayable quarts of clear. That's enough to do quite a few wood projects.
After 7 years the counter still looks pretty good. It gets hard use every day.
Hey Bob, that's very cool. I plan to do more automotive finishes on my projects from now on.
TerryH
Well-known member
Probably not the best way to do it and of course there is that whole stay married thing to think about also. lol...
I'm going to take off the 'backsplash' and remove the 2x6 top from this workbench and put a top of hardwood, add two ww vises, and change the dimensions a bit. My goal is to have the closest I'll likely ever get to a 'real' traditional ww bench, even though it may live most of its life just being an extra flat surface.
The existing bench top is 71-7/8" x 27-1/4" while the frame under it is 48" x 29-1/8". What I plan is about 60" x 30", maybe have a little front lip, the back and left side flush to the frame and the remaining length hanging over the right. This is somewhat arbitrary I may wind up keeping it flush to the frame skirting instead. Should I put the tail vise on the side that will be flush with the frame, or the side that overhangs? I plan for the tail vise to go the full depth of that side, mounting the hardware in the center. I have two of these vise kits.
Taking the 2x6's off the top and putting on either 3/4 or 4/4 hardwood shouldn't make the bench significantly lighter, it's pretty heavy as is but I also plan to put cabinet walls on the bottom shelf area and install drawers for these L-boxxes for storage.
I used to have access to a few of the Chris Schwarz books about traditional benches, tool chest/cabinet, and hand tools. I'm not an expert but I have read through several sections a few times. One thing while I do like his approach to design, he prefers SYP for a bench top which while I understand his reasoning I don't really want that. This isn't going to be a furniture piece, I'm not mostly focused on aesthetics; it will get plenty of use. I quite like Jim's cabinet maker's bench and would want something similar to that. I'd like your opinions on whether soft vs medium vs hard wood top is best.
Here is my selection of woods if you can give me a recommendation, I know the 'old world' standard is birch, I've seen plenty with maple that I like, what I was considering is striping multiple species such as walnut and maple. Would that be a bad idea in the long term?
I only have a 6" jointer, and 12" lunchbox planer. This project will give me an excuse to buy a dowel jig, maybe also a rip fence for my band saw. My table saw is the Ridgid jobsite saw, while I appreciate the benefits of a nicer one with a good blade I should be able to work with whatever I need slowly at least.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
The existing bench top is 71-7/8" x 27-1/4" while the frame under it is 48" x 29-1/8". What I plan is about 60" x 30", maybe have a little front lip, the back and left side flush to the frame and the remaining length hanging over the right. This is somewhat arbitrary I may wind up keeping it flush to the frame skirting instead. Should I put the tail vise on the side that will be flush with the frame, or the side that overhangs? I plan for the tail vise to go the full depth of that side, mounting the hardware in the center. I have two of these vise kits.
Taking the 2x6's off the top and putting on either 3/4 or 4/4 hardwood shouldn't make the bench significantly lighter, it's pretty heavy as is but I also plan to put cabinet walls on the bottom shelf area and install drawers for these L-boxxes for storage.
I used to have access to a few of the Chris Schwarz books about traditional benches, tool chest/cabinet, and hand tools. I'm not an expert but I have read through several sections a few times. One thing while I do like his approach to design, he prefers SYP for a bench top which while I understand his reasoning I don't really want that. This isn't going to be a furniture piece, I'm not mostly focused on aesthetics; it will get plenty of use. I quite like Jim's cabinet maker's bench and would want something similar to that. I'd like your opinions on whether soft vs medium vs hard wood top is best.
Here is my selection of woods if you can give me a recommendation, I know the 'old world' standard is birch, I've seen plenty with maple that I like, what I was considering is striping multiple species such as walnut and maple. Would that be a bad idea in the long term?
I only have a 6" jointer, and 12" lunchbox planer. This project will give me an excuse to buy a dowel jig, maybe also a rip fence for my band saw. My table saw is the Ridgid jobsite saw, while I appreciate the benefits of a nicer one with a good blade I should be able to work with whatever I need slowly at least.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
CRSINMICH
Well-known member
cheechi: The answer to a lot of your questions will depend on what kind of woodworking you expect to do and how frequently you will use your bench. For instance, if you think you'll be using bench dogs or holdfasts then that will affect the design of the top as well as the supports underneath. Of course, a lot of the decisions will come down to personal preference and budget. Don't overthink it, but try to anticipate what you may need. I vote for having a bit of overhang on the front edge of the top. I do a lot of clamping that way. I'm right handed and I have my face vise on the left end of the bench and the tail vise on the right end. I just recently added the tail vise and it has already proved to be invaluable.
I was debating a clamp edge since I will have the two vises, but I think you are right. How big is the lip on yours?
I plan for two rows of dogs 6" in from each edge for the tail vise. Haven't decided on where or how many for the face vise. I was planning to orient my vises the same way as you just because of how the room is set up though if I had my preference I'd do two tail vises. Just not sure how much benefit that would give me.
I intend for this bench to be my planing/sanding area as well as assembly, stain area (covering the bench with a sheet of plastic so that shouldn't affect wood or coating choice) anything you need to clamp a piece whether it be cabinet assembly to planing one board I intend to do here. hand saws, drilling, palm router, etc etc. I may build a little square section for small things like the pocket hole jig to just set in a recess and be clamped down. It will see some power tools use and some hand tools use, the power tools would all be the handheld variety as I intend for the bigger toys to have their own homes someday too.
I will never be a furniture grade cabinetmaker. Maybe someday I will achieve something like a shaker style dresser or something. I like simple. It's just that I like wood better than metal.
I plan for two rows of dogs 6" in from each edge for the tail vise. Haven't decided on where or how many for the face vise. I was planning to orient my vises the same way as you just because of how the room is set up though if I had my preference I'd do two tail vises. Just not sure how much benefit that would give me.
I intend for this bench to be my planing/sanding area as well as assembly, stain area (covering the bench with a sheet of plastic so that shouldn't affect wood or coating choice) anything you need to clamp a piece whether it be cabinet assembly to planing one board I intend to do here. hand saws, drilling, palm router, etc etc. I may build a little square section for small things like the pocket hole jig to just set in a recess and be clamped down. It will see some power tools use and some hand tools use, the power tools would all be the handheld variety as I intend for the bigger toys to have their own homes someday too.
I will never be a furniture grade cabinetmaker. Maybe someday I will achieve something like a shaker style dresser or something. I like simple. It's just that I like wood better than metal.
ez-duzit
Well-known member
I like having a woodworking vise right in the middle of the bench, which precludes having an uninterrupted apron. Better would be a pair of vises, one at each end, hung under the overhangs, which would facilitate supporting long workpieces, but could interfere with installing a tail vice. Though the twin-vise arrangement might be a good alternative, as you could still use bench dogs in the other direction, while retaining the ability to hold long pieces.
Shown are a couple of my benches.
Shown are a couple of my benches.
there's a 'dual' vise with a bike chain mechanism that has two handles. I think it's a Veritas, i was looking at that but honestly I think that might be too busy on 'only' a 5 ft long side.
Two singles might be better, even getting the same end result as the dual. If you were to do two face vises how far apart would you put them?
Two singles might be better, even getting the same end result as the dual. If you were to do two face vises how far apart would you put them?
ez-duzit
Well-known member
At each end, under the overhangs, as stated.
OP
jimreed2160
Well-known member
chee--I think CS likes syp because it is easy to tame the top and get it flat for working. Hardwood, esp at your proposed size, would be a REALLY tough job without some heavy duty machinery.
As for the vise placement, I LIVE at the right hand corner of my bench. The dogs on the tail vise are just so convenient. It is a quick and easy place to hold the wood and plane (right to left). I could count on my hand the times I have used the shoulder vise. Of course, that could change. Until recently it was blocked by the table saw. But I did not miss using it.
I have a workbench like yours (mine is a HD special) and really like it for general work. There is nothing on my bench to prevent racking, so if I used it for plane work it would surely start to come apart. My suggestion is to use diagonal bracing on front and back. Maybe a sheet of plywood on the back legs. A little bit of cross bracing and tightening up should make it just fine.
Good luck with your bench project.
As for the vise placement, I LIVE at the right hand corner of my bench. The dogs on the tail vise are just so convenient. It is a quick and easy place to hold the wood and plane (right to left). I could count on my hand the times I have used the shoulder vise. Of course, that could change. Until recently it was blocked by the table saw. But I did not miss using it.
I have a workbench like yours (mine is a HD special) and really like it for general work. There is nothing on my bench to prevent racking, so if I used it for plane work it would surely start to come apart. My suggestion is to use diagonal bracing on front and back. Maybe a sheet of plywood on the back legs. A little bit of cross bracing and tightening up should make it just fine.
Good luck with your bench project.
Current state of the miter station. I made and installed 3 drawers in the lower left cabinet. I have yet to put the top drawer front on as I am going to make a pull out "work surface" between the supports of the drill press shelf. Realistically the pull out shelf will be used to hold plans/cut lists when doing projects.
I also made the dust shroud for the miter saw. There is a very noticible difference when it is used with DC and when it's not. Its removable and held on my magnets.
Also finished the right side hardware box holder.
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I also made the dust shroud for the miter saw. There is a very noticible difference when it is used with DC and when it's not. Its removable and held on my magnets.
Also finished the right side hardware box holder.
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Attachments
I made the pull out work surface today. simple and pretty strong. Will work perfect for it's I ended purpose. I still need to attach the photo for the pull out surface. After that I need to make all of the drawer handles and then sanding and finish. 
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Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
