Workbench Build aka Paul Sellers style

[thetyreman]

cycling to the woodyard to get some titebond III soon, I'm getting a new batch of glue for this.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Make sure you know which is the side you are to use - you don't need to flatten the whole of the underside, just where it fixes down. All (most of) your splits, knots, snipe etc. can be put where it they will not to be seen again.

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p61864? ... build%20d4 nearly half the price, and perfectly good.

 

[NickN]

Not sure how much you like planing (I will be finding out at a workshop soon how much I do) but it looks to me from the photos as if the PAR you're using for the top may possibly need a bit more 'P' added to the 'AR' to make for a nice close fitting laminated result.
I think Paul Sellers mentions it in his video of this bit, the fact that even fresh from the timber yard the pieces all need a bit of work first. That said, if you glued as it is above I am sure it would still all work ok - I'm only just beginning down the woodworking road so don't have the highly valuable years of experience to know whether I'm talking rubbish or not!

 

[thetyreman]

Not sure how much you like planing (I will be finding out at a workshop soon how much I do) but it looks to me from the photos as if the PAR you're using for the top may possibly need a bit more 'P' added to the 'AR' to make for a nice close fitting laminated result.
I think Paul Sellers mentions it in his video of this bit, the fact that even fresh from the timber yard the pieces all need a bit of work first. That said, if you glued as it is above I am sure it would still all work ok - I'm only just beginning down the woodworking road so don't have the highly valuable years of experience to know whether I'm talking rubbish or not!

you are not talking rubbish, far from it, it's actually just the photo, in real life there are no gaps when clamped together.

 

[NickN]

Thanks for the reassurance, and that's good, must be good quality stuff too. Haven't found a good timber merchant where I am except one that might be, but I believe is Trade Only, called Harlows.

Looking forward to the next round of photo updates.

 

[sundaytrucker]

Thanks for the reassurance, and that's good, must be good quality stuff too. Haven't found a good timber merchant where I am except one that might be, but I believe is Trade Only, called Harlows.

Looking forward to the next round of photo updates.

We are in the same county. I am ordering some softwood tomorrow, mix of PAR and rough sawn for a small bench build from Premier in Worcester city centre, Diglis area. It is to build my first bench with hand tools so other than selecting the best possible boards I am not too worried about the timber, the completed bench will be sat in a crappy garage and will most likely get replaced with a posher and more suitable bench once I have a better idea of what I want.

There is a place called Whitney Saw Mill which is in the Hay On Wye area and was recommended. I plan to visit once the bench is built to pick up some 'proper' timber.

 

[thetyreman]

just glued up the top, there's no going back now, clamping it was not easy and there was plenty of swearing lol

 

[memzey]

You know the rules; pictures or it didn't happen!

 

[thetyreman]

here's some shots as evidence :lol:

it's the underside though so there's quite a few knots, it's not perfect but I smashed them together as best as I could before drying, now just to wait 24 hours...lots more laminations to do before I even start planing.

 

[Wizard9999]

Following the thread with interest. To my eye that glue up looks better aligned than the dry run. Nice job!

Terry.

 

[MarkDennehy]

It's the fun thing about gluing up a workbench top - if you do it right, you'll swear a lot. And if you do it wrong, you'll invent new swear words.

 

[Bm101]

It's the fun thing about gluing up a workbench top - if you do it right, you'll swear a lot. And if you do it wrong, you'll invent new swear words.

Mark, when you become a London window cleaner they send you on special sweary course paid for by the Guild. If you take up woodworking as a hobby you're already miles ahead. I'm doing a phd. I make up my own language now. You know those fellas with tourettes? Amateurs mate. I'm going to buy a Mynah bird to see how far I can take it before it keels over from natural selection.

 

[thetyreman]

more swearing today, I glued up the wellboard, probably the most boring part so far, tomorrow I will laminate the aprons, benchtop is looking good, there's going to be a hell of a lot of planing ahead of me, pics to follow ASAP

 

[Grawschbags]

I feel your pain.... I'm still finding surface to plane!

Did you use a guide to cut your mortise'?

I cut one leg, and they didn't align when they met in the middle after chopping from both sides! My legs are pretty square, so I reckon I was going in squint with the chisel. Lesson learned for the next ones!

Graeme

 

[thetyreman]

I feel your pain.... I'm still finding surface to plane!

Did you use a guide to cut your mortise'?

I cut one leg, and they didn't align when they met in the middle after chopping from both sides! My legs are pretty square, so I reckon I was going in squint with the chisel. Lesson learned for the next ones!

Graeme

I felt a lot more confident by the 3rd and 4th joint so keep on going, I also sharpened my chisel in between every single joint to make certain it was razor sharp. I think a guide would have been helpful though and made it a lot easier, let me know how it goes when assembling it together.

 

[thetyreman]

here's a shot of the aprons, just one more to glue up (on the right).

I could have done them together but it created a twist when rehearsing so didn't want to risk it, plus it's even more stressful if there are mistakes, double the risk, so I'll just wait another day!

This Weekend I am hoping to get outside on the sawhorses if the weather's good.

 

[Grawschbags]

Thankfully I haven't cut the tenons yet, so I can make one fatter to accommodate my balls up. Although I may still discard the leg and start over...

I too chickened out of gluing both aprons together. Looks like you've done a neat job on the one you've glued.

 

[thetyreman]

second apron is almost dry! all laminations are now done, I am celebrating and getting a beer now, we'll see how I feel in the morning.

I went for a hypster looking photo just to make it more appealing for this next photo :lol:

next update should be sunday or monday.....when planing begins.

 

[thetyreman]

Thankfully I haven't cut the tenons yet, so I can make one fatter to accommodate my balls up. Although I may still discard the leg and start over...

I too chickened out of gluing both aprons together. Looks like you've done a neat job on the one you've glued.

depends how much you've over done it mate, you could always fill the gaps with epoxy, although it wouldn't cost a lot to just buy another one, best of luck either way

 

[Wizard9999]

second apron is almost dry! all laminations are now done, I am celebrating and getting a beer now, we'll see how I feel in the morning.

And a very well deserved beer that will be sir! Fingers crossed for dry weather at the weekend where you are.

Terry.