My new workbench WIP

[mpooley]

Hi all
I have decided to refurbish my bench and hope you will enjoy watching me cock it up lol

This is my bench at present - notice that i always keep it clear :?

I have decided these things allready

1. Keep it the same size
2. make it flat - not like the present one
3. add a tail vice
4. add a vacuum inside the bench for my sander - router - biscuit joiner etc
5.add at least one good quality full extension drawer for screws
6.maybe add more tool storage drawers
7.I would like a tool tray thingy to enable me to keep the top clear but i dont want one in the bench - maybe a pullout tray at one end?????
8. keep the 4 electric sockets already built in plus use the auto one fitted to vacuum.

I'm almost decided to use 4mtr beech kitchen worktop cut in two and joined to make a 2mtr x 1200mm top same size as my present one.

am thinking of an oak edge to the top 150mm at front with dog holes in it - maybe same all round not sure ?

I have aquired this device being chucked out at a local machine shop

Im thinking to make this into a wagon vice on the right hand corner

its got 450mm of travel I can shorten it. do you think i should ? I can't see much reason to have it travel much more than 200mm ?

any and all suggestions welcome 8)

Mike

 

[xy mosian]

Hi Mike,

Great project, and for yourself.

The 'Wagon Vice' mechanism. Leave it alone, unless you have a pressing need to shorten it. Shortening involves more work, and in my experience would be regretted sooner or later.

At that length it could form the basis of an add hoc drive for a router used for say, fluting chair legs.

xy

 

[mpooley]

At that length it could form the basis of an add hoc drive for a router used for say, fluting chair legs.

interesting -not sure how you mean though

Ahh! I think i know what you mean now as I had thought about making something like that out of it, But im not sure how you would do it once it was in the bench?

Im very hopefull of getting another one though

mike

 

[Boz62]

Coincidently I've just been re-reading Chris Schwarz' "Workbenches" book. He does try to downplay wagon vices. To paraphrase - they are nice to have, but don't expect them to solve all your problems! He highlights that a long "throw" does not mean you can make dog hole spacing larger, as in practice, all you do is end up turning for ages to get end to end of the travel. The design in his book has approx 5.5" travel, with 4" dog hole spacing.

Boz

 

[mpooley]

Can I ask - what are the pro's and cons of having the face vice right at the left hand end of the bench as opposed to how I have it at the moment - to the left of centre?

I am looking at lots of bench designs at the moment and I have noticed a lot of them have the vice right at the end like this?

thanks

Mike

 

[OPJ]

I'm in favour of having the front vice in from one end... There's also a debate as to whether your vice should be towards the right or left-hand end, regardless of whichever hand you use! One clear advantage of having a vice on the end is that you'd have a clear run at the 'bench for planing, scraping and sanding large panels.

If you bring the vice inwards a bit though, I reckon it would be easier to hold something and work on it from either side. I'm not sure how comfortable it would be to cut dovetails, for example, to the left of a vice fitted on the end.

 

[mpooley]

thanks Olly

I am working on a sketchup plan of it and will probabaly post it for perusal tomorrow :roll:

 

[mpooley]

thanks Olly

I am working on a sketchup plan of it and will probabaly post it for perusal tomorrow :roll:

Have done the plan but dont know how to post it ? anyone know?


mike

 

[mpooley]

I think i can only post a pic of the plan not the plan itself

so here it is. any comments and suggestion would be appreciated 8)

 

[Boz62]

Ooooh, I like that I like the deadman and the wagon vice. And I like the drawers in the end.

My only two areas of thought are:
1) Personally I would not put a lip on the front, so I can clamp items flat on the top with a quick-clamp or F-clamp. Legs and deadman I make flush with the front edge of the worktop and front of the back jaw of the vice. All for easier clamping items vertically on the front. If I can get a clamp behind the legs as well all the better. Can you tell - I like to be able to clamp everywhere :shock:
2) I personally wouldn't put a foot board in - I like to be able to get under the bench to sweep out the spiders and any Stuff I've dropped...

I'm envious of your space, to be able to have such a good sized bench, that you can get all around.

Boz

 

[mpooley]

Ooooh, I like that I like the deadman and the wagon vice. And I like the drawers in the end.

My only two areas of thought are:
1) Personally I would not put a lip on the front, so I can clamp items flat on the top with a quick-clamp or F-clamp. Legs and deadman I make flush with the front edge of the worktop and front of the back jaw of the vice. All for easier clamping items vertically on the front. If I can get a clamp behind the legs as well all the better. Can you tell - I like to be able to clamp everywhere :shock:
2) I personally wouldn't put a foot board in - I like to be able to get under the bench to sweep out the spiders and any Stuff I've dropped...

I'm envious of your space, to be able to have such a good sized bench, that you can get all around.

Boz

thanks Boz - Im putting the front board on to allow me to bury the vice behind it and as Im using my present base I need to bring forward the face to accomodate the deadman - i cant see how to do it otherwise?

the face will be flush with the vice and the deadman.

the bottom is already solid so i cant alter that exept for removing the board under the deadman rail which will allow my toes to get under - so i might do that

the Base was made years ago and is as solid as a rock and i kept it down to the floor as i hate an open bench from the respect of dust and shavings getting under there.

I agree about the clamping but om hoping that the two sides that do overhang will be enough and that the deadman will be good enough for the front ?

Mike

 

[Boz62]

Hi,

OK, I can see where you are coming from. That all makes sense.

Yes, the only other option for the vice is to only have a rear jaw for the vice. This to the full depth of your existing front board. But then have a extended lipping for the remaining front edge, so it's thin enough to clamp to.

Yes, the deadman will help a lot - particularly as you have the vice between the legs and can get it behind the vice which your current arrangement. I suppose it depends how you attach the deadman. Usually they seem to be like a simple sliding cupboard door. This is fine if they are primarily for vertical support. But if they need to be a front/back clamping surface, as you are doing here, they need to be a lot better located.

Hmmm, the above two para's really contradict each other . As usual, it's a matter of where to compromise, to suit how you will be using it. Hang on, presumably the back edge can be overlapping for the full length, so you can have the best of both worlds, depending which side of the bench you use

Boz

 

[OPJ]

It's looking very good, Mike. I agree with boz's thoughts on removing the footboard/plinth rail. Think of the comfort a plinth adds to a kitchen unit when you're in there washing your hands at the end of the day... It really will be that much nicer for you if you can get your toes underneath! :wink:

If you don't like the thought of all those shavings gathering underneath, perhaps you could store your least-used power tools and cases under there, if you have any that are slim enough?

I think that the sliding board jack/dead man is all you're going to need; no need to worry about using the legs. How much clearance is there behind? What are you thinking of fitting in these dog holes? I only worry that there may no be enough length between the back of the board jack and the carcase hiding the drawers...

I assume you're fitting drawers at both ends?

 

[mpooley]

Yes Boz I can use the back edge easily enough

olly - unfortunately I cant get my feet under as the bottom is a solid beam to the floor,

I have always had an overhang at the front so its never been a problem,

I have done another design where i left the over hang but then i worried it would not be sturdy enough so i added some leftover doug fir beams to beef it up and support the wagon vice properly

I thought this might be too much so i canned it but maybe i should re-think ?

this is it - it didnt have the sliding deadman but that could be fitted

Im not sure what i am going to use on the deadman just pegs for support i expect - you are right there wont be much room behind the holes in the present design,

thanks

Mike

 

[Boz62]

I agree with Olly. As long as the deadman has good front/back location and there is enough room behind it to squeeze in the head of a clamp, then legs are less relevant. You'll just need to watch your shins on the body of the clamp sticking out :shock:. As you can clamp vertically on the back edge, the front edge is non-critical as well.

So I would focus on a solidly located sliding deadman, and a sacrificial front board/vice back jaw. That, with the back edge for clamping and the wagon vice, should give you enough flexibility to let you handle most things likely to come up.

And the spiders have a nice undisturbed space underneath :wink:

Good luck

Boz

 

[mpooley]

I agree with Olly. As long as the deadman has good front/back location and there is enough room behind it to squeeze in the head of a clamp, then legs are less relevant. You'll just need to watch your shins on the body of the clamp sticking out :shock:. As you can clamp vertically on the back edge, the front edge is non-critical as well.

So I would focus on a solidly located sliding deadman, and a sacrificial front board/vice back jaw. That, with the back edge for clamping and the wagon vice, should give you enough flexibility to let you handle most things likely to come up.

And the spiders have a nice undisturbed space underneath :wink:

Good luck

Boz

so are you saying that you think my first design is the best ?

when you say"As long as the deadman has good front/back location"
im not exactly sure what you mean - if i make it too tight it will be awkward.
as i understand it the bottom runs on an upturned v shape and the top locates in a slot.

Mike

 

[Boz62]

Yes, your first design, now I understand it

I am worried about that style of deadman for this application, with the V slot at the bottom. It's OK with a plain dog in it, supporting the weight of a workpiece. But if you try to clamp anything to it, it will tend to pull towards you (there is bound to be slight unevenness over the length of the track so any gaps will allow it to) and rise up on the V. At the least it will give varying height as you set it, at worst it will pull off the track. I think you'd be better to replace the V at the bottom with a groove or a well screwed-in batten so it is working against a flat face.

Boz

 

[mpooley]

Ok yes i see that - i can easy modify that thanks

I have never used one before so these practical points are helpfull

Mike

 

[OPJ]

I think you should stick with the board jack/sliding dead man idea rather than trying to get something similar with the legs. I also do think you will need somewhere to tuck your toes under when you're working at the 'bench - even if it means bring that front face forwards a few inches...?

 

[Boz62]

More for completeness than specifically for this application, I've finally remembered where I've seen a variation on this beefing up thing. Not on a deadman but on a sliding leg vice by Bill Liebold discussed by Chris Schwarz on his blog a while back. Here a lot more force will be applied than in your deadman, but the upper slot is beefed up with a steel angle. Interestingly the V grove arrangement at the bottom is kept, which seems counter-intuitive to me. Bill makes a comment about the V at the bottom of the page.

I don't think your top slot needs this much work, but I still think a hardwood batten making a slot at the bottom would be simpler and easier to adjust. If it is a bit rattly you can always fit a brush strip behind the slots

Boz