Maple Workbench

[Ttrees]

I wouldn't want to use MDF, rather some 3" hardwood so they can be planed up together when needed.
If I was picky I would make the widths whatever thickness needed along with another designated timber to raise them up to my bandsaw table height,
or whatever machine you fancy, to aid crosscutting or whatever operation if in a tight space.
Tom

 

[mbartlett99]

Ah see what you mean. Got two shops - nasty cold garage for making noise and pretty nice one for being quiet (ish). Work table with mdf top for lay up/finishing/mess which I don't care about much.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'll try that - usually have some mdf strips kicking around which I use when finishing.

Does anyone know if a 19mm holdfsts will work ok in a 20mm hole btw?

As long as the top is thick enough you're OK. They'd struggle only in a thin top.

 

[mbartlett99]

Cheers Phil, thought they should but ...

 

[mbartlett99]

Busy couple of days working on this and a few other things - would be lovely to tackle one thing at a time.

With the base done I moved onto the top yesterday and its been pretty full on - glad I won't be doing this all the time. I'd done some machining last week to get the boards roughly right and ten given them some time to work out their kinks. PT which had always been so precise suddenly decided to come out of adjustment so that set me back unexpectedly. Anyway, got them pretty good and then tuned em up by hand - its been a while since I hand planed such a large amount and my shoulders told me so after.

It was good practice to get the eye in and do some proper jointing. I was even more glad that I'd played with cascamite last week - had an issue with the mix so time to glue up.

As you can see I'd got a cheap fire door to act as as a base - had been recommended on here a few times - and it padded out the thickness. I am taking a risk with cupping on the maple but hopefully I've been patient enough! Glue up was pretty straightforward - cascamite gave me a bit more open time and didn't need much clamping to close up although I still used as many as I could.

 

[mbartlett99]

While that little lot was hardening up I moved onto the vice. I'd always wanted one of those veritas twin screw jobbies but they are pretty expensive so I got lucky last year when one came up unwanted - shows how long I take to think about it I suppose. Had a nice short lump left from the boards that made the base so got laid into it.

I cut the main holes on the press which then I put against the apron to get my alignment. The instructions are dead easy to follow but making the holes freehand in the apron took a while - I only had a forstner bit that size not an auger bit.

Progress here was pretty quick and even rounding the corners with the scms/plane/rasp didn't take too long.

 

[mbartlett99]

Today it seemed like I could see the finish line; clamps off, No7 sharpened and out of the blocks. I had expected flattening something this size to be harder for some reason and yes I was sweating but she came in bit by bit. Took most all the morning but had it by lunch.

Cleaning up took a while though.

 

[nabs]

looking good - nice shed too!

 

[mbartlett99]

Ta, just need the 42" flatscreen and a bar then no real need for the house. Hammock strung across she'll be right

 

[mbartlett99]

Thought I'd better finish this off - it got a little hectic recently.

After I'd drilled the holes for the vice and screwed in their backnuts I shot in a few 10mm dominoes to help me hold it in place while I got the clamps on.

I couldn't figure out how I could clamp the ends - top is 2200mm long - so took the easy option of screwing them on and plugging the holes. I guess it allows me to put another vice on at some point should I want one - thats my story anyway.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ta, just need the 42" flatscreen and a bar then no real need for the house. Hammock strung across she'll be right

At the house I l had to leave I had a pit, decent joiner's bench, a jeweller's bench, a welders bench and a big general purpose one. A TV, HiFi, beer fridge, 25 power points and pot belly stove. Such is life.