Hello John, you’re a hard man to find! your web page is down, (SORRY exeter I’m new to this!!!)
I’m building a four foot long version of your ‘New Fangled Workbench’. Some little questions arise:-
Pilot holes for lag-bolts into endgrain – (I’m using ‘Red Pine’ – Douglas Fir is a bit steep over here!) -just little thin full depth holes or drilled right out leaving only the thread to bite? -OR……….
Would big cross-dowels be safer? -I tell people that you say it’s rock solid, but they’re sceptical (-I’m with you!)
I’m tucking the bench (left-handed) into a corner of my 7’6″ workshop. Do the pipe ends HAVE to protrude out of the end like that? I’m trying to arrange the crossmember at that end to come back a bit to support the pipe ends drawn in on fullest extension of the Ponies at t’other end.
I find that with a 13/4″ square hardwood vice jaw (on the front vice) – and a 22mm hole for the pipe -I’m 3/8″ from the bottom edge of the hole to the bottom of the 3″ rail. Is that OK, or should I thickness the jaw down an eighth or so and come up with the hole? (The MDF comes out at 18mm over here) I could always glue on an hardwood strip to the bottom of the rail.(22mm gives me 0.5 -1mm clearance on 21.3mm.-ish O/D british black pipe-which is RED!)
Should I consider little knees (triangular brackets) to re-inforce support for the front horizontal rail – which is kiln-dried English ash. (what else?)
The chaps at the wood-yard were so impressed with your design that I had to give them a copy of the pdf! Everyone I’ve shown it to has gone off looking very pensive….!
Roger D. from Oxford UK.
Replies
Roger,
I'm sorry you couldn't reach me sooner, the site has had problems, I wasn't able to get on either until a few minutes ago.
Drill the hole so that the thread has a full bite, or even a bit oversized, making the hole undersized just risks splitting the rail. I'm not familiar with red pine so a little experimenting might be in order.
I found the screws alone were adequate. I'd try the screws without the dowels first, you can always add them later. Tighten the bolts to just a bit past snug and they should hold well without risking stripping. Check their tightness once in awhile since they might loosen from the frame members shrinking.
You could certainly recess the left end support piece to keep the ends of the pipes from sticking out.
If I'm following your description, having 3/8" below the hole for the pipe should be adequate.
I doubt that the front rail will need extra support.
John White
Dear John,
Thankyou for that, I'm just at the point of measuring up prior to taking the plunge with the drill press (hanging off the edge of my old kitchen table...). Certainly, lag bolts are a lot less demanding than Cross dowels!
Thanks for the other advice too. All most helpful, you certainly hit on a gem with this bench!
Your N-FWB video wouldn't load, by the way. I have to come looking for your reply...the links don't....Gates offered me a 'Windows Improvement Program' for the 'Cannot be Displayed' pages(!) - but I suspect there's something adrift at the Taunton end. I made the link via looking up N-FWB forum messages and picking up your message that way.
Thanks again, all the best!
Roger
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