Replies

1. 
   BG | Feb 04, 2003 01:33am | #1

   Tea Bag,

   Welcome !  We will all be anxious to see your new bench when you get around to it.  Many of us don't have 40 months into the woodworking let alone 40 years.  You've probably noticed we have strong opinions ..we don't let lack of knowledge get in the way of those opinions either...lol.

   Looking forward to your words of wisdom.  thanks

1. 
   jgaiennie | Feb 04, 2003 03:45am | #4

   Well put BG

   jdg

2. 
   keith1947 | Feb 05, 2003 12:28am | #6

   Thanks for the friendly welcome and comments from you all.

          I have seen many changes over the years to the regulations covering machine tools and one of the biggest is the braking (forced stopping)of things like table saws and spindle moulders. This stops the use of dado cutters in table saws( NORMS favourite system of cutting joints.) This now means that grooving in wide boards is generally done with noisiest ,dustiest (but versatile)machine the ROUTER!

                          when I get round to building my bench I will use two RECORD vices, one quick release as side vice and the other with heavy timber block fitted to moving jaw( to take bench dogs )as tail vice. I do like a tool well in the top and will have a mix of drawers and cupboard/trays under.The top will probably be BEECH a good compromise on cost and stability.

                        just thinking about it gets me excited .It's good when you can work at your hobby.                    

                             keep up the good work. regards Tea-bag.

1. 
   AlanTurner | Feb 05, 2003 01:54am | #7

   Welcome aboard.  I am interested in your staement that UK regs requiring machine tools to have stops prevents the use of dados.  Why is this?  Is it because the threads are reversed on a right hand tilt saw?  The answer is probably obvious, but not to me.  Oh well.

   Is this regulation applicable only to the industrial setting, or to all tools sold in the UK, even for amueter use?

   Finally, I just am finishing my bench, which has a rather traditional tail vice, with metal works, and never having had one before, I am in love, and have no idea how I lived for so long without one.  It is indeed a stout holding device.  Beech I think is the EU equivalent of maple here, which is what I used.   Have fun making yours.  I thoroughly enjoyed building mine.  The quick action vise is going on tonight, and then for the finishing.  It is already in use.  I too added a tool well across the back.  My old one had it , and it is where my commonly used measuring and marking tools live.  No other tools reside there on a permanent basis, but there is an old wood mallet, shims, scraps of sandpaper, and cauls.  Also, sawdust from time to time, esp. from the router.  Ugh.  Wish there was a good way to collet dust from these noisy, dusty, ubiquitous beasts.

   Feel free to post some of your work here as well.  We all enjoy seeing the accomplishments of others.

1. 
   keith1947 | Feb 06, 2003 12:38am | #9

   I believe that braking is applied to all saws ,trade and hobby(diy)but don't quote me.As the thread on saw spindles is reversed the weight of dado blocks will undo nuts when braking cuts in .If this is wrong somebody will tell me.

         Translation please?when some of the sizes of timber are given they are written as  8/4 or 4/4 am I right in thinking that this means eight quarters or four quarters (2 inches or 1 inch) and how long is a three penny nail.  Education is a wonderful thing I must see if I can get some.

                  I,m busy for the next 12 weeks so the bench will have to wait but Iwill post photos of it during construction so watch this space.

                            keep in touch  regards TEA -BAG.

1. 
   AlanTurner | Feb 06, 2003 01:30am | #11

   You are correct; quarter means quarter of the inch, in the rough. Presumably after it is kiln dried. So, 4/4 should be a good, full inch in the rough, and finish to 13/16's or a bit better. This is used for hardwoods only. Softwoods, or dimensioned lumber, is sold in sizes such as 2 x 4, which today means 1.5" x 3.5", and used to mean 1 5/8" x 3 5/8". When this change in actual sizes occurred I am not sure, but perhaps the 60's or early 70's, but I really am not sure. The dimensioned lumber is quite a bit more moisture laden that cabinet grade hardwood. I use little of it, so can't quote moisture content limits.

   As to the nail sizes, I thought we on this side of the water took the penny designations from the UK, but perhpas not. A 16d nail is 3.5", but as to others, I would need to see a conversion chart to be sure. I use no nails in the shop to speak of.

   Have fun with your bench when you are able to get to it.

2. 
   GregB126 | Feb 05, 2003 03:37am | #8

   Tea bag,

   I wonder if you've seen the David Charlesworth workbench design?  It is now being manufactured commercially in the U.K. and is viewable on his website (http://www.davidcharlesworth.co.uk/).  It has a two part top, with a sort of tool well in the center between the two.  Actually, the well consists of segments of 1/4" plywood which foat in grooves in the bottom of each of the two top's inside faces.  This enables them to slide back and forth, or be removed, when one wishes to use that space for such things as clamps, holding the work from the back side.  The top is thus narrowed, as perhaps might be useful for some kinds of veneering.  A complete description and recommendations for dimensions are in the beginning of his first book.  It made a lot of sense to me.  I hope to make one this spring.

   Cheers,

   Greg

1. 
   keith1947 | Feb 06, 2003 12:53am | #10

   THANKS     I had a look at the site and the bench is along the line I was thinking ,with two metal vices and bench dogs .

                 must go ,got a drawer unit to price in american black walnut, chestnut or ash (customer will decide later)

                                                     regards tea-bag.

3. 
   waterhead | Feb 07, 2003 10:58pm | #16

   Tea Bag,

   You are absolutely right about the wretched EC rules concerning tool safety. Modern stuff can't use a dado blade because electric braking will mean the heavy assembly unscrews. On my RAS I can still use a dado but the arbor is rather short so next on my todo list is turning up an arbor extension on my Myford.

   Chris

2. 
   RANGERP75R | Feb 04, 2003 02:41am | #2

   tea bag

      Welcome to the forum. We're pretty well represented here from all over the world with plenty of empty seats available. The nice thing here is regardless of your level of skill, you still get to put in your 2 pence worth. Everybodies 2 pence is worth exactly the same, 2 pence. ha..ha..

      Be especially careful of a fellow countryman of yours. He goes by Richard J (at least today). We highly expect he's over here on something similar to our U.S. Federal Witness Protection Program.

      Good luck with the bench and if you need anything, post a message and you will most likely get response. Cheers to you and the Mrs.

   Have a great day(well, early morning there)

   sarge..jt

3. 
   GregB126 | Feb 04, 2003 03:38am | #3

   Tea Bag,

   Welcome.  I have a particular affinity for my "cousins" back on the olde sod (as well as those down under, but then, who wouldn't like those blokes), which is no doubt reflected in some of my posts.  If you are in a less serious mood, you may like to check out the "Cafe" section, where you will find recent discussions touching on Haggis-induced-psychosis (so aptly tagged, "Hip") and HP sauce, things with which you might have a passing familiarity.  (I don't, but as Sarge suggests, a lack of personal knowledge isn't necessarily an impediment to expression.)

   You may also notice a few discussions concerning the use of blade guards and splitters (our sort-of version of  a riving knife).  I believe one of the reasons some of our power tools are less expensive here is that the same machine could not be sold in the U.K., being unable to qualify under safety regulations.  So be careful what you yearn for.

   Apart from that, I second everything Sarge said.

   Cheers,

   Greg

4. 
   RickL750 | Feb 04, 2003 04:15pm | #5

   Welcome to you and the Mrs. It's always nice to see new woodworkers join this forum.

   Reguards,

   RickL

5. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Feb 06, 2003 02:21pm | #12

   Hi teabag,

   I was as confused as you when I first came across the US terminology.  By the way, our 'timber' is their 'lumber'.  In US parlance, timber is a freshly felled tree (I think, correct me if I'm wrong).

   Anyway, here is the explanation to nail sizes and the reporting of all sizes in quarters of an inch.

   Cheers,

   eddie

1. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 06, 2003 02:54pm | #13

   Timber as a collective noun also includes standing timber, trees not yet cut. As a singular noun, a timber is a more or less large piece, usually sawed on four sides, but sometimes only on one or two, as for mine timbering, earthworks, cribbing, etc. It's hard to pinpoint the size threshold where a board becomes a timber, but if the minimum dimension is 6" it's getting close.

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Feb 06, 2003 02:58pm | #14

   Thanks for that, Uncle Dunc,

   Our local terminology is that anything square-sided which used to be a tree is called 'timber', eg:  1" x 1/2" is timber, but specialty shaped boards are called 'mouldings', the same as the US.

   Cheers,

   eddie

2. 
   crt2cu2 | Feb 07, 2003 01:04pm | #15

   Or: TIIIIMMMMBBBEEEERRR as in what one shouts when a tree is falling -like Paul Bunyan.

   Welcome to our new friend from across the pond. It sure is cool to correspond from woodworkers in distant lands. We should take a poll and list the nationalities represented.

   sawick