Replies

1. 
   Curtis | Feb 20, 2006 06:29pm | #1

   Very nice job.

   I realy like the wedge idea!

    

   C.A.G.
2. 
   WillGeorge | Feb 20, 2006 08:21pm | #2

   GREAT BENCH! Now Ya' need some work on that floor! Great job..

3. 
   rpholland | Feb 22, 2006 04:00am | #3

   Nice looking bench, you need to get a few dings in the top, looks so nice I would not want to use it. How long did it take to build ?

   Robert

1. 
   Jim in Hudson | Feb 22, 2006 06:57am | #4

   yeah, I can't wait to get those dings in it. It took me about two weeks, working coupla hours here, coupla hours there, each day. The reason I couldn't dig in full throttle was the wife thought I was spending all that time in the shop restoring a 100 year old Victorian door for our house. Got'm both done

1. 
   merlvern | Feb 22, 2006 04:56pm | #7

   can you tell me more about "getting the wife" to think something? tee hee.

1. 
   Jim in Hudson | Feb 22, 2006 05:09pm | #8

   Well, maybe I only thought she thought that.

1. 
   merlvern | Feb 22, 2006 05:15pm | #9

   curses!...i thought you had figured out a method of wife deception i could use.btw. that bench is really nice, one question, why the rim around the top? i would have thought you'd want it level?

2. 
   Jim in Hudson | Feb 22, 2006 05:30pm | #10

   The top is flat except for the tool tray, like most work benches I've seen.

3. 
   merlvern | Feb 22, 2006 05:33pm | #11

   i see....misread the pictures. really nice. do you have a preference for any particular bench dogs? i see that you have holes.

4. 
   SpartyBill | Feb 22, 2006 05:38pm | #12

   That looks great, hopefully this summer I will be starting a similar project.  You made the top from Red Oak, are those 1 X 8's ??  Also, what is the total thickness of the top ?  Did you use something underneath the Red Oak ????  Thanks....

5. 
   Jim in Hudson | Feb 22, 2006 05:44pm | #14

   I used 8/4 red oak, after milling it was about 1 7/8" thick. The work top is 14" wide, made by edge gluing two boards together. The original plan called for 2" thick, but I couldn't get there with the rough lumber I had. I think it'll work.

6. 
   Jim in Hudson | Feb 22, 2006 05:49pm | #15

   Couple more pics

   
7. 
   PeteBradley | Feb 22, 2006 08:11pm | #16

   Looks like the top is a floating panel in a frame, true?Pete

8. 
   Jim in Hudson | Feb 22, 2006 08:57pm | #17

   Right, tongue and groove on all sides of the tool tray, and three sides of the main top. The front of the main top is screwed to the front side board. No other fasteners or glue except for the double tenoned guide bars in the vise cheeks. The horizontal stretchers between the legs frt to back are wedged tenons top and bottom.

9. 
   AlanWS | Feb 28, 2006 03:11am | #19

   Very nice! Those wedged stretchers look like a very solid knock down joint. Since you mentioned using a bandsaw for the dogs, I presume you used power tools making the bench too. Roy's was pretty small, wasn't it? The 14" wide working part of the top excludes the tool tray, but includes the apron? How long is it?It looks like a very nice bench. Keeping the end vise from racking when you use the dogs might be the trickiest part, possibly requiring something clamped into the far end of the vise. It seems you may still be thinking about this, as there are no dog holes yet in the vise jaw. Or do you have something else in mind?

10. 
    Jim in Hudson | Feb 28, 2006 07:26am | #20

    The top board is 5' x 14", the apron adds two inches on each end and side so the "work top" is about 16" x 5'4". The tool tray is 6 1/2 wide. Yes, I used the band saw to cut the dovetails and drilled and cut out the waste with chisels. The lumber was milled on my jointer and planer. I haven't cut the mortises in the vise cheeks yet to effectively use the bench dogs, but will. I also plan to add some holes for some hold downs that I have a local blacksmith making for me. I agree the vises are not the most modern, but I wanted the old style. I'll just work around the disadvantages. One thing I've been wondering about, is two inches thick enough for the holddowns to work effectively. I haven't had them before and don't know if there's some requirement in thickness that I'm not aware of. Any thoughts?

11. 
    pzgren | Mar 01, 2006 08:10am | #24

    Jim,<< One thing I've been wondering about, is two inches thick enough for the holddowns to work effectively. I haven't had them before and don't know if there's some requirement in thickness that I'm not aware of. Any thoughts?>>As long as your hold downs (hold fasts?) are less than about 10" or so long, they should work fine; shorter (6 - 8 inches) will probably work a bit better; longer, somewhat less well, but still usable. As long as there is sufficient wood for the shaft to grab, length is generally not too much of an issue; 2 inches should be fine for most applications.If you're using the screw type (like the Veritas) they should work just fine.James

12. 
    Jim in Hudson | Mar 01, 2006 08:19am | #25

    Thanks, Yeah "Holdfast" is the correct term. Feel a little better about it now.

13. 
    John_D | Mar 01, 2006 02:21am | #21

    Roy's was for his small daughter. :)My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

14. 
    Jim in Hudson | Mar 01, 2006 02:24am | #22

    He must of kept the prototype for his shop, as I've seen it used in subsequent shows.

15. 
    John_D | Mar 01, 2006 02:41am | #23

    Well... the bench for his daughter might well be in his shop too.  I don't recall the age he said, but was certainly of an age where she'd still be living with her parents.My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.

16. 
    Jim in Hudson | Feb 22, 2006 05:41pm | #13

    You can't see it in the pics, but I have wooden dogs, 3/4" x 1" x 6", that have a small slot cut in the side with the bandsaw, with a splinter inserted in the sawcut, to act like a spring, so the dog is held in the "dog hole". Ya just push it up with your finger from the bottom.

4. 
   Hoobs | Feb 22, 2006 07:08am | #5

   Hot dangit, that there be a fine lookin' specimen! Why the use of those wedges? But, yeah, that is nice.

   Josh

1. 
   Jim in Hudson | Feb 22, 2006 07:29am | #6

   The mortise in the leg is tapered 10 degrees on the bottom, and 5 degrees on the top, with corresponding degree cuts on the part of the tenon inside the leg, so that when you drive in the wedge, its locked with no glue. The old boys had their tricks didn't they.

1. 
   WillGeorge | Feb 26, 2006 01:02am | #18

   The old boys had their tricks didn't they. Mine was a Brunette...