New workbench thread

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karl":2f14oy77 said:
But I have been musing over the Veritas range of Wonder dogs/pups and hold downs.
I have some of the pups, they are very useful and the hold downs are on the wish list. :roll:
 
The whole range is excellent. I am using the Wonder dogs to hold my seat on the bench while I scrape out the shape. Seen here:

DSC_0025.JPG


I did have the hold-downs but lost them! I think i'll go with holdfasts when I replace them:

s300102a.jpg
 
karl":14dqwhb0 said:
I don't use an end vice

:shock: :shock: :shock: How can any woodworker function without an end vice :? :? :? Or the Veritas Wonder Dogs and Wonder Pups for that matter........

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
Paul Chapman":2ja0o3ep said:
karl":2ja0o3ep said:
I don't use an end vice

:shock: :shock: :shock: How can any woodworker function without an end vice :? :? :? Or the Veritas Wonder Dogs and Wonder Pups for that matter........

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Hi Paul

Well, I was planning on using a Wonder Dog instead - the only possible use I can see that I would get from an end vice is to secure timber laterally whilst planing/chiseling etc. This function could just as easily be achieved with a WD and my pine stops shown earlier, unless i'm missing something???? Your input is appreciated, as always.

Cheers

Karl
 
Hi Karl,

I think a tail vice gives you so many more options. Here are a couple of examples. In this picture I was cutting biscuit slots in a long piece of oak and needed to ensure that the fence of the biscuit jointer was pressed firmly against the side of the wood

Competition18.jpg


I held the wood between the dog on the vice and the one on the bench then, additionally, had two Wonder Pups positioned to avoid any sideways movement

Competition19.jpg


In this next picture, I was planing three thin pieces which needed to be the same width. I cramped them together with two fret cramps, then held the sandwich between dogs and again used Wonder Pups to restrict any sideways movement. Also, until the edges were planed, they were not flat so the combination of dogs and pups held them securely without them wobbling about

Competition37.jpg


I also use combination and multi planes which have fences and again find that the combination of dogs and pups useful. You could, in theory, do it all with the Veritas pups and dogs but an end vice makes it easier and faster.

However, having said all that, it's very much a question of how you work and personal preferences. Many woodworkers don't see the point of end vices and manage perfectly well without one - I'd be lost without mine :)

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
Ok, thought i'd resurrect this post as I plan to give the 'bench a bit of a makeover.

It is still in its orignal condition, complete with MDF vice jaws :oops:

I have some Oak with which I intend to lip the MDF top, some nice 2" Oak for the vice jaws, and plan to put some nice big full extension drawers in the cabinets underneath to house "The Collection" :oops:

I am also going to put a sheet of white backed hardboard on the top as a sacrificial surface. What is the best way of attaching? I want it to be easily removeable (for wheh it gets covered in glue etc). Or maybe i'll just contact adhesive it in place and worry about replacing it when the time comes.

Cheers

Karl
 
On my old metalworking bench I used sacrificial hardboard tops for the last 20 years. Just held in place with brass pins at 300mm spacing, and used a punch to make sure they were below the surface. Held together well, and came up easily whenever it needed replacing. No dog-holes though, so that may influence your choice

Boz
 
Karl":e599njx1 said:
I am also going to put a sheet of white backed hardboard on the top as a sacrificial surface. What is the best way of attaching? I want it to be easily removeable (for wheh it gets covered in glue etc).

Hi Karl,

Just a thought - how about some heavy-duty double sided tape? Probably three strips would do - one down each end and one in the centre. Should be easy to get off by just twisting the hardboard.

I'm always quite amazed at how well this stuff sticks, yet it's easy to get off. But it's worth using the heavy-duty stuff.

Did you get the longer chain sorted out on the vice?

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
Would the thickness of the double-sided tape coupled with the flexibility of the hardboard not lead to firstly a non-solid surface and secondly ripples?

xy
 
Paul Chapman":ukopg4fq said:
Karl":ukopg4fq said:
I am also going to put a sheet of white backed hardboard on the top as a sacrificial surface. What is the best way of attaching? I want it to be easily removeable (for wheh it gets covered in glue etc).

Hi Karl,

Just a thought - how about some heavy-duty double sided tape? Probably three strips would do - one down each end and one in the centre. Should be easy to get off by just twisting the hardboard.

I'm always quite amazed at how well this stuff sticks, yet it's easy to get off. But it's worth using the heavy-duty stuff.

Did you get the longer chain sorted out on the vice?

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Hi Paul - no I didn't get the chain sorted - got used to using both screws to tighten the vice. But will defintely add that to the list of stuff to sort out.

How did you stick your hardboard surface down? I'd just be a bit worried about the board flexing inbetween the self adhesive tape.

Boz - I thought about bradding it in place, and that may be what I end up doing. If I lay out the dogholes first, I can set the brad arrangement around them.

Cheers

Karl
 
xy mosian":33bxk7ct said:
Would the thickness of the double-sided tape coupled with the flexibility of the hardboard not lead to firstly a non-solid surface and secondly ripples?

xy

XY - you beat me to it :lol:

Cheers

Karl
 
I wouldn't have thought so, xy :-k Even the heavy-duty tape is very thin so I think the effect would be negligible.

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
Karl":2gl9ueoh said:
How did you stick your hardboard surface down?

What hardboard surface :? I've never used a sacrificial top on mine - never really seen the need for it. I just wax it occasionally and that keeps it in good nick - and any glue just "pings" off :)

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
My mistake Paul - I thought you had a sacrificial hardboard top.

Cheers

Karl
 
Karl":o5zemyzc said:
I'd just be a bit worried about the board flexing inbetween the self adhesive tape.

Or you could use, say, three strips of tape length-ways. If there were to be any flexing it would probably be in the length rather than the width.

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
Paul - yes, a little experimentation may be in order. As you say, the tape isn't that thick, so placed lengthways on the bench it would have minimal impact on the overall flatness.

Cheers

Karl
 
Quick update.

I decided to relace the top of the bench. It had begun to sag due to a large oversight on my part - the cabinets on which it rested are 1000mm wide, and there was insufficient support underneath to prevent sagging.

So I stripped it all back and this is what it looked like

DSCF1433.jpg


I then fitted some 4x2 supports inside the cabinets which would provide additional support to the underside of the top

DSCF1437.jpg


A new top was then placed on top - 4 sheets of MDF. I have decided not to bother with the white hardboard top. Instead I used Paul C's suggestion of double sided tape to stick down the last piece - what a great idea! I initially doubted whether it would work, but it turned out great. The tape is very thin, so doesn't cause any deflection in the work surface ( I ran 4 pieces down the length of the top), and it provides sufficient grip that the piece cannot be moved sideways, but can be lifted if it ever needed to be replaced. :D

Anyway, here's a pic of the new top

DSCF1434.jpg


I finished the top surface with a coat of cellulose sanding sealer, a couple of coats of melamime lacquer and a quick coat of wax. Quick work, as the sealer and lacquer were dry within about 5 minutes.

The green circles you can see in the top are for the holdfasts which I have ordered from Axminster for my edge jointing jig - see the Hand Tool section if you want further info.

DSCF1436.jpg


Aside from holding my jointing jig I reckon they will come in very useful for clamping all manner of things to the bench. I've bought a couple of spare collars just so that I can play about with any further locations I may want to site one.

Next up - re-fit the Veritas vice and lip the bench top.

Cheers

Karl
 
I managed to get the front aprons and the rear piece lacquered and mounted today.

DSCF1439.jpg


I finished the AWO boards with the same finish as the top - a coat of sanding sealer and a couple of coats of Chestnut melamime lacquer. It is a great product - dry in about 5 minutes (so you have to work quickly), and gives a heat and waterproof finish.

I'm hoping to get the front vice fitted tomorrow, and hopefully get the dogholes drilled in the top.

Cheers

Karl
 
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