# My first workbench



## ajbell (12 Jan 2007)

Hi All

Decided it was time to take the plunge and stop sharpening
my planes and actually make something!

So I have started on my first 'proper' workbench 
(I currently use an early B&D workbench)

I am kind of following the Ian Kirby 'Simple Workbench' design
in the Scott Landis Workbench book.

I have chickened out of making my own worktop and bought
a firedoor off ebay (£20 +£10 delivery).

The frame will be B&Q's 'finest' pine 70x70mm for the legs
and 70x44mm for the rails and stretchers.

I cut the legs roughly to length with a handsaw 

Cutting the bridle joint at the top of the legs was a real pain as I have no drill press or mortiser  
so I used my triton and homemade router table (my first project)

Here is a picture of my router table:







The joint is 70mm deep and 1inch wide (sorry about the units!) and after a few hours of trying to get the right set up correct I finally made the cuts.

I used a fence to control the position of the cut but had to do this in
3 passes to get the correct width. I used paper for fine adjustment.






They don't look too bad - apart from the stange contoured bottom as I cut them in 3 passes - better sort this out before I make my tenons to fit.






For the leg motices I used the router table and lowered the wood onto the
cutter (carefully!) I used a fence on either sied of the workpiece and a stop block fore and aft to control the mortices. My cutter was 50mm in length so I had to work from both faces of the legs to form the through mortice. Unfortunately this meant that the mortices were not 100% aligned trhough the thickness so I need to use a chisel to remove the ridge at approx half the through depth

For the tenons I used ahome made sled as below:






I removed the square corners using a chisel.

The fit of the M&T joints ranged from sloppy to fits like a glove
to hammer time! But I was happy as this was my first attempt cutting M&Ts.

I reinforced the tenons for the stretchers by gluing on additonal blocks on either side and used M8 bolts so I could take the bench apart (the end frames were glued)






The frame is as below:





The bench now looks as below:






Here are some of my planes:






I still have to fit the vice and dogs etc...





Andy


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## Lord Nibbo (12 Jan 2007)

A good write up but we need pics!


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## ajbell (27 Jan 2007)

Lord Nobbo

Sorry - it took me quite a while to work out how
to post the pictures!

The bench is very must a first attempt but it seems rock
solid.

I am going to screw the top from beneath to the rails.

I may trim the edges with hardwood, I am trying to get the
courage to visit my local timber supplier but I am not
sure what to ask for yet!

Andy


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## Paul Chapman (27 Jan 2007)

That looks good, Andy =D> When I lipped the top of my bench (which is made from MDF) I used softwood. I've found that it doesn't get much wear on the edges and it's lasted very well. So if you want to save some money you might want to consider softwood. Here's a picture of mine 






Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## Evergreen (27 Jan 2007)

Andy

Good stuff! Looks very solid and practical to me. I greatly admire those who build their benches with all hardwoods but I'm a "chipboard and pine" man myself (mine has to fold up against the wall when I put the car away!).

Regards.


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## ajbell (27 Jan 2007)

Thanks Paul & Evergreen!

I am really chuffed with it (little amuses the simple)
just have to decide on the vice attachment and also
need to make faces for the vice (can these be softwood?).

I will hold off on the lipping till I decide the best way forward.
i.e soft lipping (cheap), hard lipping(more expensive) or no lipping (cheap and easy!)

Andy


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## MIGNAL (27 Jan 2007)

I thought I was looking at a picture of my own bench, it's almost a carbon copy. Nice. I also see you have some real woodworking planes and I don't mean those metal things either.


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## ajbell (27 Jan 2007)

Mignal

Have you looked it your workshop recently ?
Maybe I pinched your bench!

As you can see I do have some woodies - 
but I am still at the stage of trying to set the depth
of cut.

Oh and I think one may be for rebates? I don't have a clue really!

Andy


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## mambo (27 Jan 2007)

ajbell":3ulda7e8 said:


> and also
> need to make faces for the vice (can these be softwood?).



you`ll find these need to be hardwood or birch ply is a good alternative(many old fashened hardware/lumber stores have offcuts of these types of board you can get for a good price


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## Philly (27 Jan 2007)

Andy
Well done!! Looking great, you must be very pleased?
Look forward to seeing you knock out your first project on your new bench.
Best regards
Philly


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## Waka (27 Jan 2007)

Andy 

Looks a good solid bench, now what's the first project?


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## ajbell (27 Jan 2007)

Waka

I think the first project is a toy chest
for our son. He is 6mths old now and my wife thinks
he will be at Uni by the time I get round to making it!

My worry is do I make it in pine or hardwood such as beech or ash?

I want to use my handtools as well as the router.

I only have a small bandsaw and no table saw (I have a circular saw)

I love the idea of using 'proper' wood but have no experience
with preparing it so It is easier to just pop down to B&Q or Focus.

Andy


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## Alf (27 Jan 2007)

Andy, nice workmanlike bench.  I think the wooden plane you think may be for rebates could well be a moving fillister (so yes, for rebates!). Looks like the nicker blade may be MIA, but on the other hand it appears to be "shoulder boxed", i.e. the angled inset of boxwood to take the maximum wear at the corner, which is a sign of a better quality plane.

As far as taking the plunge into hardwoods or not, having just been tackling my first project in pine for years I can only suggest you do yourself a favour and start using some nice hardwood PDQ! How about poplar? That's fairly tool-friendly, cheap, and if necessary you could get it ready planed up... :-$ 8-[ 

Cheers, Alf


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## brianhabby (27 Jan 2007)

Nice bench Andy. I like the way you have strengthened the rails with the tenons on. I've still to make my bench so I might just steal your idea.

Looking forward to your next project,

regards

Brian


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## Shadowfax (27 Jan 2007)

Nice looking bench, Andy. No frills but good for anything.
A bit of advice, though. I know it's not finished but please round over the corners of your blocks on the ends of the rails.
Twice I have damaged one of my hands reaching forward without looking and have caught my hand on a corner like those. The first time the corner was on a stack of glass - blood everywhere, including the floor in A and E!
The second time was on the corner of a fixed block of wood.
Strangely the second one didn't do too much damage but it hurt a helluva lot more.
Hope you don't mind the suggestion. You were probably going to do it anyway but I thought I would mention it. Getting blood all over your work is not to be recommended!
Well done.

SF


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## Paul Chapman (27 Jan 2007)

ajbell":2g9ssuyj said:


> just have to decide on the vice attachment and also
> need to make faces for the vice (can these be softwood?).



I would always use hardwood for the vice faces - I think you will find that softwood is just not up to the job. I used some mahogany for mine. I got it from a couple of shelves that I took down when I moved into our present house.

As regards fitting the vice, there are generally two ways. You can either use coach screws from underneath, or coach bolts, bolted right through the bench top with the head of the bolt sunk beneath the surface. For a relatively thin top, I reckon that bolting right through is best and certainly stronger (those Record vices are quite heavy). However, I'm not sure what the core of the fire door you have used is made from and whether that may determine how you fit the vice. You will, in any case need to fit a block of wood underneath the top to act as a spacer to bring the top of the vice jaws about an inch below the bench surface, then when making the vice jaw faces make them level with the bench top (but you probably knew that already  )

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## ajbell (28 Jan 2007)

Thanks all for the kind words.

I will think about Poplar, I had not thought of it before.

I will also round the blocks, good idea.

The top is 2" thick - it looks like it is made of laminated softwood
I may go for the bolts through the top (just need to learn how to plug!)

Brian - I used the Workbench Book by Scott Landis for inspiration.

Andy


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## Paul Chapman (28 Jan 2007)

ajbell":yj8hxasu said:


> I may go for the bolts through the top (just need to learn how to plug!)



No real need to plug the holes (other than for the sake of appearance) - just make sure that the heads of the bolts are just below the surface. I've never bothered to plug mine.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## ajbell (28 Jan 2007)

Paul - that means I have no excuse now for not finishing
my bench! 

I have been putting of attaching the vice as
I love my nice clean 'table' and am worried that I will mess
it up by cutting the recess for the vice.

Oh well - that is a job for next week, better study 
my Workbench book for the 1000th time for inspiration!

Andy


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## Paul Chapman (28 Jan 2007)

ajbell":17yrj4lc said:


> worried that I will mess
> it up by cutting the recess for the vice.



You don't have to have a recess unless you want the inner vice jaw and facing to be flush with the rest of the front of the bench. I didn't bother and just bolted mine on. The Workbench Book which you have shows four different ways of fitting a vice - edge mount; flush mount; flush mount behind apron; and mortised mount. While there is some advantage in having the inner jaw and facing flush with the bench front, I've been quite happy with the edge mounting.

One other point where I don't like the fitting in The Workbench Book is that they show the vice facings fitted with wood screws. Older Record vices had threaded screw holes so that you could fit the vice jaw facings with machine screws, screwing through the wooden facings and into the metal jaws. If your vice has threaded holes and you can use machine screws that's fine. The later vices had plain holes. If yours has plain holes don't be tempted to use wood screws. The jaws of the vice toe in towards the top and the leverage this exerts will tend to work the screws loose. I would (and have) use machine screws and nuts. This will mean that on the rear jaw you have two nuts protruding at the back of the vice and you will have to drill two shallow holes in the bench front so that the jaw can go up flush when you fit it.

Hope this helps.

Cheers :wink: 

Paul


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## ajbell (28 Jan 2007)

Paul

Thanks for the vice fixing suggestions - I think I will
go back to the book and look at all the alternatives.

Andy


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## Nick W (28 Jan 2007)

Now then Alf, do you mean Poplar or are you falling into the trap of mis-naming Tulipwood. If you do know where to get the real stuff, please share as I'd really like to get my hands on some.


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## Colin C (28 Jan 2007)

Nick W":l067ho1n said:


> Now then Alf, do you mean Poplar or are you falling into the trap of mis-naming Tulipwood. If you do know where to get the real stuff, please share as I'd really like to get my hands on some.



Dont Craft supplies do it :-k


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## Alf (29 Jan 2007)

D'you know even as I typed "Poplar" I thought "bet we get a re-run of the great poplar naming controversy of '06" but I couldn't be bothered to look up the latin name :lol: I mean the stuff you _can_ get hold of - American Yellow Poplar, wotsit tulipifera. 

Cheers, Alf


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## Jake (29 Jan 2007)

Alf":3mwdkgeh said:


> D'you know even as I typed "Poplar" I thought "bet we get a re-run of the great poplar naming controversy of '06" but I couldn't be bothered to look up the latin name :lol:



Look it up? What, is your knowledge of Linnaean taxonomy really that poor? For shame. I trotted that lot straight off the top of my head, honest. 



Alf":3mwdkgeh said:


> I mean the stuff you _can_ get hold of - American Yellow Poplar, wotsit tulipifera.



Tulipwood. Calling it poplar is just as much a misnomer in 'murrica.

I ain't jumping off this tiny one man bandwagon so soon!


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## Alf (29 Jan 2007)

Jake":dvbalp6n said:


> Look it up? What, is your knowledge of Linnaean taxonomy really that poor? For shame.


I feel that shame. 



Jake":dvbalp6n said:


> Tulipwood. Calling it poplar is just as much a misnomer in 'murrica.
> 
> I ain't jumping off this tiny one man bandwagon so soon!


But my Collins Complete Woodworker's Manual, wot was my first proper woodworking book and all-round refer-back-to bible, calls _dalbergia fructescens_ Tulipwood. Mind you it calls _liriodendron tulipifera_ American Whitewood (as well as Yellow Poplar, Tulip Poplar - perhaps you'll take that one?  , Tulip Tree and Canary Whitewood.) Nowhere does it call it Tulipwood. But that's not the point. The point is you tend to remember what you were first taught plus common names don't always have anything to do with what's actually correct.

I hitch my hobby pony to your tiny bandwagon and defy you to drive it somewhere else if you dare! :wink: :lol: 

Cheers, Alf


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## ajbell (29 Jan 2007)

Wot??? 

I was worried enough about visiting my first timber
yard to buy 'proper' wood; now I am petrified  

(that was not meant to be a wood joke)

Just when I had it in my mind to ask for poplar
I am confused again.

Could someone please write me a note and I will
had it to the man behind the counter?

Andy


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## Alf (29 Jan 2007)

See, Jake? Nick? Now look what you've done! #-o

Andy, odds are if you ask for poplar you'll get offered the right stuff I reckon. But I defer to our learned brethren who can do some work undoing the damage by thrashing out a definitive definition of what to ask for. :wink: 

Cheers, Alf


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## Jake (29 Jan 2007)

I'd ask for Tulipwood, or Canary Whitewood. 

I've never heard anyone (except it seems, Collins) confuse either of those with anything other than the one you want. 

American Poplar would also work - despite being wrong.


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## Wanlock Dod (29 Jan 2007)

Although genuine English Poplar is available for free, it tends to be in sizes better suited to turning, and also require quite some patience for the drying. I think that it is probably locally known as _Timbrus Combustibulus_

Cheers,

Dod


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## Jake (29 Jan 2007)

As it used to be used for matchsticks, that's very apt. 

Fruit punnets, too, apparently.

You can buy it as timber, not that it is anything like as common as the ubiquitous tulipwood, e.g.
http://www.ramsaytimber.co.uk/stock.html


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## ajbell (31 Jan 2007)

Thanks All

That is all perfectly clear now :roll: 

So lets assume I know what species of
timber I want.

Time for more silly questions:

1. Does it come in a standard range of thicknesses 
and widths? 

2. Is it typically supplied in 8 ft lengths

3. Will it be rough sawn or planed?

4. Is the answer to all of the above "It depends on supplier and/or species"

Andy


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## mambo (31 Jan 2007)

yep 4. :lol:


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## ajbell (1 Feb 2007)

Mambo

Thanks

Andy


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## George_N (1 Feb 2007)

Alf":18n5c8ve said:


> But my Collins Complete Woodworker's Manual, wot was my first proper woodworking book and all-round refer-back-to bible, calls _dalbergia fructescens_ Tulipwood. Mind you it calls _liriodendron tulipifera_ American Whitewood (as well as Yellow Poplar, Tulip Poplar - perhaps you'll take that one?  , Tulip Tree and Canary Whitewood.) Nowhere does it call it Tulipwood. But that's not the point. The point is you tend to remember what you were first taught plus common names don't always have anything to do with what's actually correct.
> 
> I hitch my hobby pony to your tiny bandwagon and defy you to drive it somewhere else if you dare! :wink: :lol:
> 
> Cheers, Alf



_Dalbergia_ is rosewood IIRC.


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## Alf (1 Feb 2007)

George, yeah, believe so - Collins says Pau Rosa (Jake may not though...? :wink: ) Definitely very different from Pop-, Tuli-, er, the other stuff. More expensive for a start I imagine.

Cheers, Alf


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## Jake (1 Feb 2007)

It is indeed, but there is a "Brazilian Tulipwood" apparently, which is a member of the rosewood family. If you get offered that by mistake, you are likely to choke at the price.


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## George_N (2 Feb 2007)

Brazilian tulipwood is _dalbergia variabilis_, which is of the rosewood family.


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## Jake (2 Feb 2007)

Wikipedia says Collins is wrong about that Tulipwood too, Alf ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulipwood

So there. If Wikipedia is right, that is.

I almost begin to see why gardeners do use Latin names...


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## Jake (2 Feb 2007)

And Collins is wrong about Pau Rosa too, apparently, which is, it seems, "Swartzia madagascariensis" or "Swartzia fistuloides", so not a rosewood at all (although pau rosa is portuguese for, err, rosewood).


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## Alf (2 Feb 2007)

It's not even as if I really care about this either way... ](*,)

Cheers, Alf


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## Jake (2 Feb 2007)

Oh well, forgive me for being interested in wood.


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## woodbloke (2 Feb 2007)

To add my 2p's worth there is also American Whitewood (Liriodendrom tulipifera) and also Tulip Wood (Dalbergia Olivera) from Burma, not to be confused of course with Tupelo (nyssa aquatica) ...extracts from two little books (The International Book of Wood and Timbers for Woodwork, 1947 :shock Fuel for thought - Rob


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