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Bench Reconfiguration Diary


Si600

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22 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

Maybe @Christine can give you some pointers.  You've seen the Sharpening Guide at the top of the Build Diaries haven't you?

I have up to a point. I don't have a wet grinder so I've got a honing guide. My waterstone fell off the bench and smashed the corner off whilst I was whaling away with the chisel earlier. Not happy about that.

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A few days of despondency and general meh.

Really hacked off by this:

IMG_20200601_143227.jpg

This where I'd got to when I was moaning:

IMG_20200529_113834.jpg

To make me feel better, my shopping turned up, this is the screw and handle. Just going on a hypothetical box between the jaw edges, the screw location and the opening, that box is going to be 220mm x 220mm x 140mm when it's finished.

IMG_20200601_153815.jpg

I decided that I'd change approach on chopping this section out. The chisel probably could be sharper, but it's mostly poor technique that was the problem, as any fule kno.

One finished:

IMG_20200601_183114.jpg

The view from the bench as it were:

IMG_20200601_183136.jpg

Edited by Si600
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Both "halves" of the front leg are finished. A long not quite a mortice for the St. Peter's cross and two housing dados.

IMG_20200606_173156.jpg

One housing dado I'm happy with, and one I'm very happy with. Bearing in mind I've only made about ten in my entire life!

IMG_20200606_173202.jpg

Checking the screw fits the dados before gluing. You can see the full width of five pieces in this test.

IMG_20200606_173713.jpg

And glue stops play for the day. I'm not going to glue all the bits in at once, getting the stretchers (?) square was hard enough as they slid around under clamping pressure.

IMG_20200606_182439.jpg

Edited by Si600
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Fück. I've just realised I've made a mistake. The big stretcher has to come off.

Maybe.

I've not left enough space vertically for the nut on the screw. I can cut a triangle out of it to fit, or I can move it.

Vote Now!

 

*Edit*

That's not coming off, at least not without making more of a mess. Small notch out of the stretcher then.

Edited by Si600
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Technical query.

The nut that goes on the back of the screw is lining up with the retaining screw holes nearly bang on the glue lines.

I can twist the nut so that they go into solid wood, or I can have it square. They're only retaining screws, AFAIK anyway, so will they be OK in the glue line?

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First up, some horror show shots for @Geek99 to demonstrate that Build Diaries isn't only populated by the likes of skilled genii. There are those who are embarking on their first serious woodworking projects 😉

The notch for the vice screw nut and housing dado the screw goes through.

IMG_20200607_192738.jpg

IMG_20200607_192742.jpg

This hole is for the pin that holds the top of the St Peter's cross.

IMG_20200607_192751.jpg

Infill between the stretchers before the other part of the leg goes on.

IMG_20200607_192806.jpg

The other side of the leg. The drill bit is to align the holes, as that is a critical point in the operation of the vice.

IMG_20200607_193723.jpg

IMG_20200607_193649.jpg

Hopefully my witterings about laminations and four fifths of a leg now make more sense to @SpondonBassed.

Edited by Si600
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Just a couple of pictures to demonstrate how far I've got.

If anyone cares my entire tool kit for doing this is generic DIY shed hardpoint handsaw, 350mm tenon saw and 20mm chisel. A Record no. 5 and Stanley no. 60 planes and my luxury, (sounds like desert island discs) a Starrett combination square.

The supervisor came down to check up on progress.

IMG_20200609_180818.jpg

IMG_20200609_180807.jpg

Obviously now I've posted the pictures even I can see a set square, steel rule, marking knife and big rubber mallet which are also in my tool set!

Edited by Si600
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More has happened. Will the horror never end I hear you cry.

First up, a little tidying up on the front leg, chamfering the edges, squaring off the foot and so on. The foot is going to have a filler before it's finished.

Today I've added the first half of the back leg. I don't glue both sides on at once simply because they move so much. The little clamps doing nothing are end stops so I know that the legs are parallel. The only way I could think to do it was running a tape measure alongside a square to ensure that the outside dimension was the same top and bottom.

IMG_20200612_165731.jpg

Then it's just a case of getting glue on it and squeezing it up.

IMG_20200612_170740.jpg

IMG_20200612_170749.jpg

Of course, the thing moved despite the stops, any tips on how to avoid that happening? Less glue, screw it together?

Edited by Si600
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54 minutes ago, Si600 said:

More has happened. Will the horror never end I hear you cry.

First up, a little tidying up on the front leg, chamfering the edges, squaring off the foot and so on. The foot is going to have a filler before it's finished.

Today I've added the first half of the back leg. I don't glue both sides on at once simply because they move so much. The little clamps doing nothing are end stops so I know that the legs are parallel. The only way I could think to do it was running a tape measure alongside a square to ensure that the outside dimension was the same top and bottom.

IMG_20200612_165731.jpg

Then it's just a case of getting glue on it and squeezing it up.

IMG_20200612_170740.jpg

IMG_20200612_170749.jpg

Of course, the thing moved despite the stops, any tips on how to avoid that happening? Less glue, screw it together?

Screw it then take the screws out when glue is dry and dowel the holes?

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It's got legs, it knows how to use them...

Well sort of.

The nut has been fitted, I don't think that the face is actually square, but I'm not sure I can get it out now either.

IMG_20200615_171927.jpg

All cut to length, not cut brilliantly unfortunately, but hooray for planes. Being blockboard the end grain is all over the place so it's a bit of a pig.

IMG_20200615_171948.jpg

IMG_20200615_172808.jpg

Screw fitted for test and a trial fit to make sure that the bolt holes in the top plate actually line up.

IMG_20200615_172838.jpg

From the end. The astute amongst you will notice that the front leg doesn't actually touch the floor. This is deliberate.

The floor isn't level, I considered making the legs to fit, but then decided that if I end up moving it, which once we change our heating system and the big brown 5000 litre oil tank goes, I may very well do, having legs that only fit one spot of floor is a bit restrictive!

It's currently upside down on the bench being varnished.

Edited by Si600
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There's nothting quite like a good bench WIP. Thanks.

One thought on your latest progress. Usually the leg-side vice chop extends all the way to the top of the bench - ie.. the leg is flush with the side of the bench. Your latest photos show a lip between the bench top and the leg. Are you planning on leaving it this way, or do you have some work left to do on the edge of the bench?

Also, where is the cross coming from? I'd love one of these, but have been reluctant to spend Benchcrafted money on one.

Edited by samhay
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Making a set of legs: A critique.

Today I R put the legs on the bench.  Points in no particular order.

1) It's solid AF.  I can't make it rack front to back, side to side is a bit sloppier.

2) It's as near square as dammit lengthwise. Vertically from the bench top not so much unfortunately.

3) The individual sets of two laminations are four square, which I'm very happy with.  As full units they're not great, the back leg in particular is very out on the cut dimension.

4) It's a little short as @samhay points out above.  I had always planned to make it the same size as the bench top excluding the edging, but why, I don't know.  There's no reason to have done that, except, and this is in hindsight rather that being planned, it can have a removable fixed jaw plate which can be swapped if it gets tatty. Saves having to repair the leg proper, but I've only just thought of it.

In general, I'm happy with what I've made.  Yes, more care could have been taken, more thought should certainly have gone into it but I've learnt a lot and I've enjoyed doing it.

The next step is cutting the chop, no idea why it's called that, and making the cross.  Again, as pointed out above, Benchcrafted crosses, although nice, are shockingly expensive.  I have seen a guy who uses a sliding thing at the bottom, like a peg board but with a length of bicycle chain as a mechanism. http://ancorayachtservice.com/?page_id=196

Here is my St. Peter's Cross......

IMG_20200619_091235.jpg

It's a length of 20mm square mild that my brother in law had in stock behind his workshop.

Edited by Si600
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Oh, and to steal a quote from the doyen of Build Diaries, this is how I'm doing it. It doesn't necessarily follow that this is a) the right way, b) the only way, or c) it'll ultimately even work.

Edited by Si600
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Funnily enough I read the first post and thought... leg vice...

One day I would like enough bench space to fit both my big metalworking vices (both found at the recycling bank in the days when you could make withdrawals - ones a record No. 3 🙂 ) about 3 foot apart so I can hold long things at both ends.

 

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