Replies

1. 
   TomS | Sep 10, 2005 05:10am | #1

   If you are going to build that bench you should go ahead and make a leg vise and crochet as shown in the article.  You can get a wooden screw from Howard Card at Crystal Creek Mill in DeWitt, NY (for authenticity).  For a holdfast, the magazine also has a 'review' of those tools and lists sources.  I have a couple from Phil Koontz on the way for my bench. 

   http://www.galenavillageblacksmith.com/

   http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/ThosS/visescrews.jpg

   Tom

1. 
   IBLD4U | Sep 12, 2005 01:17am | #4

   Thanks for the reply, Tom. I am planning on authenticating the bench w/ all if it's accessories. I migh even do a bit of decorative routing to the legs and trestles just for the heck of it. I have found that the local steel suppliers often have an abundance of rough sawn dunnage left in the yards and are only too happy to have it removed for free. I used to do this when I was building shadow boxes and plaques for military customers. This will be a fun project that I can keep and enjoy for years to come. Again, thanks for the reply and happy wood working.

   Paul

1. 
   Ricks503 | Sep 16, 2005 06:15pm | #13

   I almost forgot, make sure to include a deadman on the front of the bench1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go        4 - get a new board and go back to step 1

1. 
   philip | Sep 17, 2005 12:43pm | #16

   Rick, what on earth is a "dead man"?Philip Marcou

1. 
   BG | Sep 17, 2005 05:23pm | #17

   philip,
   http://www.woodcraft.com/articleprint.aspx?ArticleID=359
   saves a lot of words....

2. 
   BG | Sep 17, 2005 05:33pm | #18

   IB,
   If you have not seen this...
   http://woodcentral.com.ldh0138.uslec.net/cgi-bin/archives_handtools.pl?noframes;read=23532

2. 
   woodsplicer | Sep 16, 2005 04:21pm | #12

   I am interested in getting the wooden screw from Howard Card at Crystal Creek Mill in Dewitt. NY.
   Please let me have their full address and website or email.
   Thank you.Woodsplicer

3. 
   woodsplicer | Sep 17, 2005 05:16am | #15

   In your earlier post you mentioned wooden screw from Howard Card at Crystal Creek Mill in Dewitt. NY.
   Grateful if you can let me have their full address ,web site or email. I am interested in buying it.
   Thank you.Woodsplicer

1. 
   TomS | Sep 17, 2005 08:13pm | #21

   Woodspicer,

   Here is the contact info for Howard Card.Crystal Creek MillP.O. Box 41DeWitt, NY 13214Telephone: (315) 446-1229email: [email protected]

   No web site of which I am aware, so give him a call.  He'll be very helpful and interested in your project.

   Good luck with your bench.

   Tom

2. 
   WillGeorge | Sep 10, 2005 07:03pm | #2

   hickory..

   Use it.. A wonderful wood... Not that hard to work with AND usually alot cheeper en' Hard Maple.. At least where I.. Shop

   ALL my bench Tops ARE NOT glued.. On a 3/4 inch plywood base AND Just set in a recess...Just threaded rods and the other hardware holds the top together (Underside is marked by Number to get it all back together where they were......

   I can take it all apart and run through a planner and looks like new!

1. 
   IBLD4U | Sep 12, 2005 01:22am | #5

   I used some Hickory recently on some cabinet face frames as well as some Alder. I haven't worked with Ash in quite a few years however. Here in the Atlanta area people have a propensity to ask for Red Oak, Maple and Cherry most of the time. I hope to get some Hickory or White Oak for the legs and Trestles. Thanks for taking time to reply and Happy Woodworking.

   Paul

3. 
   WillGeorge | Sep 11, 2005 06:19pm | #3

   hickory..

   I'd use it for EVERYTHING.. Hickory is a wonderfull wood.. As most get WRONG... NOT that hard to work with..

   Sorry.. I just LOVE Hickory AND Ash AND Sycamore.. ANd Purpleheart

4. 
   ram | Sep 14, 2005 11:21pm | #6

   The bench in that article looks great.

   One thing, I've heard that the high tannin levels in Oak can react with tools and so is not optimal for bench top material. Anybody know if this is true/rumor?

   -robert

1. 
   JohnWW | Sep 14, 2005 11:26pm | #7

   The reaction between oak and metal requires enough moisture that the surfaces are actually damp which shouldn't occur in a shop setting.

   John W.

1. 
   WillGeorge | Sep 16, 2005 02:40am | #10

   If I'm thinking right.. Just causes black stains on the wood.. Underside of the bench and shouldn't be a problem.. You could always use a strip of wood of another typ between the Oak and Metal...

5. 
   PlaneWood | Sep 15, 2005 02:06am | #8

   I got lucky when I made my workbench.  I found some 6" white oak timbers stuck in the mud in the bayou behind the house here.  Had to tie a rope on em and drag them out with my pickup.  Washed them off with the water hose and let them dry in the sun for a few weeks.  Sawed them out to 4"x5" and they were beautiful.  I think they had been abandonded or tossed into the bayou years before by a construction crew.  Was 6 of them about 8' long.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
   PlaneWood

6. 
   Ricks503 | Sep 15, 2005 09:31pm | #9

   I have not used it, but I really like the looks and quality of the twin screw end vise.

   I just use regular hold fasts that I picked up at Woodcraft and like them a lot. I plan to set up and use bench dogs but have not yet decided which type to make or to just buy some.  I was thinking of a square top with a circular body to just drop in the holes.

   1 - measure the board twice, 2 - cut it once, 3 - measure the space where it is supposed to go        4 - get a new board and go back to step 1
1. 
   WillGeorge | Sep 16, 2005 02:46am | #11

   My suggestion.. GET an pattern makers vice.. I think woodcraft and others have for around $200.00...They are wonderful to use..... Well, I LOVE mine!http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?DeptID=2081&FamilyID=3516

7. 
   Samson | Sep 16, 2005 06:46pm | #14

   That bench plan is indeed intriguing.  I wish the article had said a little more about some things though, like the advantages of having the legs flush with the edge of the top.  It seems potentially problematic, if for example, the top expands or contracts such that the leg is no longer perpendicular to teh bench top and parallel to the edge of the top. 

   I do like the deadman alot. 

   The crochet thing seems unecessary if you have a modern vice.  I could see how in olden times, it, when combined with the deadman would be used for edge jointing in much the same way a retractable stop block is useful in surface  planing.

   I guess I'm also sceptical of the use of wet wood for the base thing.

    

8. 
   theo | Sep 17, 2005 05:57pm | #19

   I used threaded rod to clamp the top of my bench together during glue up, but pulled all the threaded rod out afterwards. It was less expensive than buying the large bar clamps I would have needed otherwise.

   Theo

9. 
   theo | Sep 17, 2005 06:16pm | #20

   I hadn't heard the word "dunnage" before, so I looked it up...turns out that packing material arriving at NA ports is a major source of threatening insects from abroad. Seems that packing material with bark attached is the most troublesome. One of the articles I read mentioned wooden cable spools as a recent problem in Vancouver b/c of excessive amounts of barked wood used in their construction. Seems like it might almost be better just to burn all that stuff on arrival, with some things, like cable spools, made from steel instead.

   Seems like there's no free lunch anywhere ;)!

   Ted