26 cubic feet of southern yellow pine

[MickCheese]

Mark

Looking forward to this, was only looking at your display cabinet yesterday, need some inspiration for a future project myself. I really liked that!

I am sure you have the necessary skills but just remember this is a workbench, so this time no making the stand several times to improve the 'grain direction'.

Mick

 

[gasman]

ha bl@@dy ha Mick!

 

[Roughcut]

So far the plans are as follows:
- a roubo-style bench similar to the one in Chris Schwartz's book. The top will be about 2400 x 650 x 90mm (but I need to get 3 widths out of the 300 mm SYP boards - I think it will be OK. Legs will be 125 x 125, height 900mm. I am going to put in a Veritas twin-screw vice instead of the leg-vice
- at the moment probably a Veritas tail vice which `i will make either a shoulder vice or more likely wagon vie from.
I can't find the PDF of how to install the Veritas tail vice - does anyone have a copy?
Was toying with a Moxon but actually am more tempted by a little bench on a bench - to do my inlaying etc on
Best regards
Mark

Not sure if this is the Veritas pdf you require?: http://www.axminster.co.uk/downloads/950966_manual.pdf

 

[gasman]

Two developments - first I have completed my bench on a bench... 2 photos attached here

I am basically delighted with this. It has 2 wooden threads on the vice with a little bit of slack to allow for some uneven clamping. The threads were made using the Axi thread cutter which, once I had a sharp cutter worked beautifully to cut the threads to an inch and a half.
3/4 inch holes for the dogs and I got some veritas pups which work well after waxing the holes. The handles are cut-offs from some 60mm turned teak I have just made 2 lamp standards out of. If anyone is interested I can post details of the 'garters' I made for each thread to hold the outer jaw captive.
Then, a long days work on Monday where we chopped up half the 26 feet of SYP into 30 boards each 2440x100x50, then thicknessed each down to about 45 mm - this has been amazingly efficient on the wood - because the original board were 4890 long (16 feet!) I got 2 lengths out of each so just of the original 5 boards will make both tops which will be 2440 x 100 x 650 or thereabouts
Also chopped up 3 of the remaining boards to the rest of then bench - so actually I bought 2 whole boards too many as it was all so efficient. How rarely does that happen?
Photos of progress shortly
Cheers
Mark

 

[Tierney]

Looking good. Personally, I'm not convinced about the benefits of a bench on a bench; but, your workmanship is excellent!

DT

 

[marcros]

I like the bench on bench idea- like a Nixon but with the added benefit of support for the dovetail tail board when marking pins. It brings the work much closer to the eyes and probably at a position where you can stand much more upright

 

[gasman]

With a bad back i think this bench is going to be invaluable for doing dovetails etc on wide boards - I love it already
Regards
Mark

 

[morfa]

Do you have plans for the benchtop bench?

Looks very handy.

 

[gasman]

It's kind of like this one I found then I just made it up. It measures 600 x 350 x 250 high

Also over the last couple of days I have laminated the legs... 900 x 48 x 100 glued together in 3's then run over the planer and through the thicknesser to get these 4 which are 140 x 98 x 900 each - chunky!

Cheers
Mark

 

[gasman]

Laminating the top - these are some serious chunks of wood. 4 of the '4x2s' laminated together with titebond 3 placing the flattest smoothest sides together for the top
I have now done 3 of these so far:

I bought some more Bessey K clamps from this place http://www.toolsandtimber.co.uk - best price I could find by far - £125 for 4x300mm K clamps. The front 3 boards will be shortened as the tail vice will form the right hand 450mm or so
No idea how I will be able to manhandle the top when it is all jointed - it is going to weigh about 100 kg I think
Cheers
Mark

 

[gasman]

Sorry checked it was £115 for the 4 pack of Bessey's - doing them a disservice