Anyone with big machinery here, willing to help??

[Fanous]

Hi Fanous, once you get the machining done do you plan to glue up into a single slab top? I can see a future problem as there’s a horizontal top rail and ( I assume but can’t see) all 4 legs mortised into the top - that sets up a big cross-grain movement fight. If you’re heading to a split top design or can allow for movement some other way then all good.

Cheers,
Phil

You are correct, that would be an issue. My top will be split, dry mortice & tennon alignment between top and legs, with M10 long bolts through the top rail into metal thread inserts in the top. Sould be fine, and allow some movement.

Thanks for the note

 

[Craig22]

When I built my Klausz bench, the quarter 6 foot, 4" thick sawn beech had a twist, which the thicknesser just followed. To get the twist out I made a planing cradle. Basically thick MDF screwed together into a U shape. Multiple screws through the sides into the beech planks held them true. Once one face was out of wind, it was easy to plane and thickness the other three faces true.

All of that on a hobby grade Axminster planer like Axminster Craft AC250PT Planer Thicknesser .

 

[Fanous]

When I built my Klausz bench, the quarter 6 foot, 4" thick sawn beech had a twist, which the thicknesser just followed. To get the twist out I made a planing cradle. Basically thick MDF screwed together into a U shape. Multiple screws through the sides into the beech planks held them true. Once one face was out of wind, it was easy to plane and thickness the other three faces true.

All of that on a hobby grade Axminster planer like Axminster Craft AC250PT Planer Thicknesser .

That's exactly the machine I have at home. I managed to get the top and bottom surfaces quite nicely. But I struggled with this heavy timber, to push it against the fence in a consistent manner, so I would get flat and square face. Machine just not made for this... I believe it will serve me well for just about anything else.

Anyway, EliteWood already processed the wood for me, so I'm picking it up soon, and it should be just about perfect with the gear they have at hand.

 

[Craig22]

Result!

I forget how I put the massive planks over the planer. But I have a pair of roller stands, so I probably set them up to support the timber as I fed it through.

This attached image was not-quite finished. I replaced the front vice of the Klausz design with a monster old Record vice. Quarter sawn beech top and sapele underframe. I've re-sited it from the garden shed (where I built it) to my garage workshop. I enlisted two large neighbours to resite it. The easy thing is the top is held onto the underframe using two large diameter dowels - so you can lift (not easy!) the top off, and move the frame independently of the top.

It is still a joy to use.

What you can't see in that picture is the hornbeam bench dogs I made.

The front and tail vices grip a *** paper (1 thou thick) tight over their entire area. I don't smoke, but a *** paper is 1 thou (25um) and is a good test, so I keep a pack handy.

 

[Fanous]

Result!

I forget how I put the massive planks over the planer. But I have a pair of roller stands, so I probably set them up to support the timber as I fed it through.

This attached image was not-quite finished. I replaced the front vice of the Klausz design with a monster old Record vice. Quarter sawn beech top and sapele underframe. I've re-sited it from the garden shed (where I built it) to my garage workshop. I enlisted two large neighbours to resite it. The easy thing is the top is held onto the underframe using two large diameter dowels - so you can lift (not easy!) the top off, and move the frame independently of the top.

It is still a joy to use.

What you can't see in that picture is the hornbeam bench dogs I made.

The front and tail vices grip a *** paper (1 thou thick) tight over their entire area. I don't smoke, but a *** paper is 1 thou (25um) and is a good test, so I keep a pack handy.

Very nice bench! Mine is a bit simpler. I'm going to install a Sjobergs vice, should be a good one. For now just the face one. But I'll make sure to keep some space for the tail one, if I ever decide I'll also want one. I've also made my bech in a way so it can be dismantled to smaller bits and bobs. Last thing I'm chasing is some sort of rubber to put under the feet, so it would not slip. Any advice?

The rollers would help a lot, no doubt. I think with them I would manage. But I don't have them yet, so had to find a way round it. And I did - someone else.. haha

 

[Craig22]

The Klausz is so hefty it just stays put. No rubber needed.

But if you need some for yours I think I'd just select something that looks sensible from eBay or Amazon.

 

[Fanous]

The Klausz is so hefty it just stays put. No rubber needed.

But if you need some for yours I think I'd just select something that looks sensible from eBay or Amazon.

I've already bought some rubber pads that looked like a good choice from amazon, put them down on the floor, stepped on it, moved about a bit, and it's not really doing any gripping... So the hunt continues. If I at least knew the chemical compound / naming for the right kind of rubber, then I would be able to google something matching it.

 

[Craig22]

The alternative is to screw some angle bracket to the legs of the bench, and screw in to the workshop floor. Forward Metals is the go to place Forward Metals | Online Metal | Custom cuts to your specification . Aluminium angle is cheap.

2" x 2" x 1/4" is £13.22 per metre. But there is lots of choice. They will cut lengths for you. First cut is free, and others are 50p each. And a choice of lengths too if you don't need a metre.

Used them a lot for other projects.

Craig

 

[Fanous]

The alternative is to screw some angle bracket to the legs of the bench, and screw in to the workshop floor. Forward Metals is the go to place Forward Metals | Online Metal | Custom cuts to your specification . Aluminium angle is cheap.

2" x 2" x 1/4" is £13.22 per metre. But there is lots of choice. They will cut lengths for you. First cut is free, and others are 50p each. And a choice of lengths too if you don't need a metre.

Used them a lot for other projects.

Craig

Thanks for the note. Screwing it to the floor will be the very very last thing I will attempt, should everything else fail. Not fond of that idea, though I reckognise it would 100% work.

 

[Cabinetman]

I've already bought some rubber pads that looked like a good choice from amazon, put them down on the floor, stepped on it, moved about a bit, and it's not really doing any gripping... So the hunt continues. If I at least knew the chemical compound / naming for the right kind of rubber, then I would be able to google something matching it.

Probably the best most grippy rubber I can think of will be cut from Formula One racing car slicks, failing that old car tyres, I tried once to cut some from an old car tyre and it’s not easy at all!

 

[paulrbarnard]

The alternative is to screw some angle bracket to the legs of the bench, and screw in to the workshop floor. Forward Metals is the go to place Forward Metals | Online Metal | Custom cuts to your specification . Aluminium angle is cheap.

2" x 2" x 1/4" is £13.22 per metre. But there is lots of choice. They will cut lengths for you. First cut is free, and others are 50p each. And a choice of lengths too if you don't need a metre.

Used them a lot for other projects.

Craig

I just screwed a couple of wooden blocks to the floor and the bench legs but up against them, that stops any bench sliding and I can still move the bench away from the blocks if I need to. Does involve a bit of grunting though…

 

[Fanous]

Probably the best most grippy rubber I can think of will be cut from Formula One racing car slicks, failing that old car tyres, I tried once to cut some from an old car tyre and it’s not easy at all!

Haha, formula tyre would arguably not be suitable, unless I can warm it up before each use I thought about pushbike tyres as well. Ma ybe some road bike tyre. I only need 50mm diameter to cover - adjustable feed.

 

[Bartfatboy]

If you type “levelling castor wheels” into Amazon there is a good selection of heavy duty castors with very grippy levelling pads that don’t slip. I have them on my lathes and milling machines and once levelled they don’t move at all.

 

[Fanous]

If you type “levelling castor wheels” into Amazon there is a good selection of heavy duty castors with very grippy levelling pads that don’t slip. I have them on my lathes and milling machines and once levelled they don’t move at all.

Thanks, I already have leveling legs on it, just the plastic portion of it is very hard and does not grip. So I won't be looking into castors. But thanks

 

[Bartfatboy]

Ah, I’ve just bought some 3mm rubber floor cover for my van (Rubber Flooring Garage Sheeting Matting Rolls 1.2M and 1.5M Wide X 3MM THICK) and have some off cuts that I could post to you if you’re interested. It’s very grippy, I put four hard plastic smooth bottomed boxes on it and did a 400 mile plus round trip with a quarter of that on very twisty country lanes and they didn’t move at all.

 

[Jameshow]

Friction is rather high, and they are set in quite nicely. I actually had to hammer them out after a trial fit! So I'm confident that's there to stay.

About Renault and Vauxhaul... Not sure how to take this comment. I have a feeling you think I'm a dung engineer (I'm not..), and you drive one of those... To answer your question... No... Been in VW group, Jaguar Land Rover, and now a new place I'm not gonna tell you about

Spot on had a vauxhall master 2.2 van which was trouble.

Now have a transit 2.2 early euro 6 which has dpf trouble!

Should have gone for old lt35!

Our caravelle 2.0 dsg has been brilliant never missed a beat. We also have a 20yo polo 1.2 which is great little car too!

Cheers James

 

[Fanous]

Spot on had a vauxhall master 2.2 van which was trouble.

Now have a transit 2.2 early euro 6 which has dpf trouble!

Should have gone for old lt35!

Our caravelle 2.0 dsg has been brilliant never missed a beat. We also have a 20yo polo 1.2 which is great little car too!

Cheers James

I had DPF issues on Mazda 6 - never again!

Now I'm a proud owner of Skoda Superb, which I worked on a lot, so I get to see the fruits of my labour, which is rewarding in it self.

Alright then, I'll tell you where I'm at now. Polestar! I bet you never heard of it I test drove the Polestar 2 car. What a great little machine. Highly recommend booking a test drive, it's a freebe