bench ideas.

[n0legs]

Some great ideas and some lovely benches, loads of inspiration =D>

 

[Biliphuster]

For those who may be slightly intimidated by the benches being shown off here, I present you with an an option one could charitably describe as "approachable".

Also, woodbrains, what bench! The fact that you can use two dogs in the tail vice without having to hold work out over the void is particularly clever. How big are the legs? The top looks very heavy and must need substantial support.

 

[woodbrains]

For those who may be slightly intimidated by the benches being shown off here, I present you with an an option one could charitably describe as "approachable".

View attachment 25

Also, woodbrains, what bench! The fact that you can use two dogs in the tail vice without having to hold work out over the void is particularly clever. How big are the legs? The top looks very heavy and must need substantial support.

Hello,

You have a very useful bench, which is ideal for anyone and eminently makable. This is as good a model as any for those aspiring to make a proper bench. TBH I think this bench is preferable to any of the cheap commercial ones available, so anyone considering buying should make!

The reason I showed mine, was to prove that something a bit OTT can also be done without a bench to do it on. My first bench, which I still have and is every bit as good as the one I've shown, was built with a similarly substantial beech top. At the time, the only machinery I had was a lunchbox planer, a cheap B and Q power plane, an electric drill and a skill saw. I made the bench from rough sawn stock and it turned out fine. This bench was not accessible when I made the bench top shown above, and although I now have a planer and thicknesses and bandsaw, tablesaw etc. I still had to make the top without a bench. There are ways if you want to do it and have the energy.

The bench base above was not intended for that use, it was meant for a kitchen sink unit. The legs are about 2 in round and might seem a bit weedy for the heavy top it supports. If it wasn't for the fact that it was available and too good not to use, I would have built a heavier base, like my other bench ( I might photograph that one next week) which has 4 by 4 legs and 6 by 2 stretchers and massive through tenons. However, the sink unit base has a fairly strong frame and panel back and sides, well spliced into the round legs, and veneered birch ply base and drawer box base, so the whole thing is fairly substantial. It seems to resist racking during planing operations very well indeed. Anyway, the weight of the top is born through the legs in compression, which is fine. The only thing I don't like too much is visually, the proportion of the legs isn't great, but I'll live with it fo now!

The top is a little over 3 inches thick with a 4 inch thick front that just lips over the front rail of the base. If you notice down the centre there are 2 darker stripes of timber and a wide beech plank between. The tail vice screw runs under that part, which is a little less thick here so the screw did not finish up being below centre of the tail vice cheek. The strips of hark wood were actually done because all the beech I had would make up a top about 1 inch narrower than I needed, so putting 2 1/2 in strips in here gave me the width I wanted. They look nice too, but weren't included for aesthetics alone!


Mike.

 

[custard]

Unfortunately, the long veritas planing stops are unavailable in this country, for some unknown reason, I was only able to get the short and medium sizes.

Classic Hand Tools will order in the long ones if requested.

 

[woodbrains]

Unfortunately, the long veritas planing stops are unavailable in this country, for some unknown reason, I was only able to get the short and medium sizes.

Classic Hand Tools will order in the long ones if requested.

Hello,

Thanks for the tip.

Mike.