Workbench Build

[Fitzroy]

Once all the tops were glued up things got a little too snug and no amount of malleting could seat them. So the tops had to come off, and some fanangling of the joints ensued. With each top weighing 40kg and the legs at 7kg (ish) it’s bloody exhausting taking it apart, adjusting, and test fitting again. But after a little while all the joints seemed good and after rebuilding the frame the tops slid on lovely.

If I were to redesign the bench I’d not have the legs as through mortises, but hey ho! I cut one down and planed it flush to see how hard this was. Thankfully the sycamore is easy to work and it looks like it will be ok.

I also pondered all the remaining jobs and think I have a plan to work through to complete it. I’m targeting end of the year for the 101 remaining tasks.

I may or may not fix the cock-up on the back right corner, don’t ask!

Fitz

 

[Cabinetman]

Looking good, I agree about the through tenons, can’t imagine why they ever did it that way to start with, but they were French.
What is the purpose of the wide gap up the middle? Mine will have one but only an inch for a planing stick.
"No it’s not a mistake I was going to have a shoulder vice but decided against it" or you could add a bit and create a notch, all the fashion over the pond on old Roman style benches.
Ian

 

[Orraloon]

That really is a big beast of a bench. A bench for a lifetime of work. A few lifetimes even.

 

[Fitzroy]

I’ve always planned a leg vice on the bench, having installed one on my temporary (5yrs old now) bench and fallen in love with it. I’d hung my nose over the benchcrafted hardware but just couldn’t bring myself to spend that much money. I also decided I wanted a wooden screw.

The main wooden screw options are a Lake Erie or a Veritas, neither of which seem to be available in the UK. I surfed the interweb for a while and bumped into a few options available in the USA. Luckily I have a team member in the US and a colleague who had a trip. So a mail drop and tool mule were arranged and a rather lovely vice screw is mine.

The original bench plan was sycamore throughout but it’s all looking a bit same same. I’ve had a piece of waney elm in the shop for a while but never thought it long enough to use for the vice chop, on the weekend I figured it was probably ok.

Final decision was on a pin board or a cross cross type mechanism. Again £150 on the benchcrafed cross cross was too rich for me and I’ve order some steel to make my own. A problem for future me to see if he can solve.

The workmanship on the vice screw, bar, ,garter, and nut is impeccable.

How do you make such a perfect thread!

The vice chop is a piece of burry elm, one big cavity and the burrs were all black epoxy filled.

Fitz

 

[Cabinetman]

I’m jealous of that thread! I’m just planning to make my own, even though I’m in the States myself. What make is it please? I may change my mind, especially after seeing yours!
I’ve designed a quick release (top and bottom) for my leg vice- quite a departure from the standard one. Should work but only one way to find out!
Ian

 

[Fitzroy]

I’m jealous of that thread! I’m just planning to make my own, even though I’m in the States myself. What make is it please? I may change my mind, especially after seeing yours!
I’ve designed a quick release (top and bottom) for my leg vice- quite a departure from the standard one. Should work but only one way to find out!
Ian

It was from an individual maker, bought on eBay from seller cobiecat, also on Etsy under GreenRiverDesign.

 

[Cabinetman]

That’s Brill thank you.

 

[Orraloon]

Have to admit to a bit of vice envy as well.
Regards
John

 

[Fitzroy]

As mentioned I’m going with a cross mechanism in the leg vice rather than a pin board.

The cross is made from 12x40mm bright mild steel bar, 460mm long. The pins are 10mm stainless steel. I order a new 10mm Bosch bit to make the cuts and was disappointed that the holes have come out at about 10.1-10.2mm. Not sure what I did wrong.

With the holes cut the two halves of the cross had oversized dowels hammered into holes, locking them in one. They could then have the ends ground round and symmetrical. The grinder was taken out the workshop as the level of sparks was intense.

All marking was done with a Sharpie pen as a bluing agent and then scratched in.

A large mortice is cut in the chop and a hole drilled for the rod. The rod hole is 215mm long, started on the drill press and finished with a long bit in the hand drill. I was ecstatic when it came through the other side only about 1.5mm off the mark!

Got the cross installed in the chop and hung off a jerryriged pin in the old leg vice. Looks like it might actually work!

Now I have to take the tops off the bench again so I can work on the vice leg, and trim the tops square.

Fitz

 

[J-G]

I order a new 10mm Bosch bit to make the cuts and was disappointed that the holes have come out at about 10.1-10.2mm. Not sure what I did wrong.

?? - if you want holes 'to size' drill smaller and finish with a Reamer - - - Simples!

 

[Fitzroy]

?? - if you want holes 'to size' drill smaller and finish with a Reamer - - - Simples!

Thanks J-G , I’m a metal work newbie so I’d made an assumption a drill would drill the hole size stated.

Hopefully the slightly loose fit will not prove a problem.

Fitz

 

[--Tom--]

Great seeing the progress

 

[J-G]

Thanks J-G , I’m a metal work newbie so I’d made an assumption a drill would drill the hole size stated.

Hopefully the slightly loose fit will not prove a problem.

Fitz

I could have been more specific. The size that a Jobber Twist drill actually cuts is dependant upon many factors. Even though you used a 'new' drill and you ought to expect it to cut to size, they are not precision ground and the tip will not necessarily be dead centre.

I also assume that you used a single drill rather than start with a 'cenrte drill' followed by a smaller drill - - - both of which will help to get the final drill cutting to size.

If you really do need absolute precision, start with a centre drill, drill out to within 0.5mm and finish with a reamer. It takes more time but it's the only way.

 

[Fitzroy]

Bench disassembled, hard graft, and the cross mortice cut into the bench leg. Made a dowel for for the centre pivot but decided I need a proper clevis circlip pin, one on order. Mortice on bench leg intersected the tenon, luckily not to a depth that would hit the bolt.

All installed, and pleased as punch how it has come out. £35 in steel rather than £150 for a readymade unit. Next is the screw install.

Yes, that’s a leg vice holding a leg vice

Fitz

 

[Fitzroy]

Next up is installing the vice screw, which I need to make a 65mm hole through a 125mm thick leg!

The hole was marked up on the front and rear, an offset line 6mm in was divided such that a series of 10mm holes would remove most of the waste.

Holes had to be drilled from both sides with fingers crossed they matched up, they did!

I had made a 65mm hole template which was held in place with double sided tape and clamps. A 50mm router bit with a top bearing cut out the remaining waste from one side.

This left about 60mm of hole depth that had to be finished from the other side. I bought a 63mm top and bottom bearing cutter bit which allowed the end bearing to reference the hole already cut. But my oh my that’s a long cutter, I didn’t know what to expect making such a long and deep cut so tried to take very light passes.

There was some vibration but not too bad and the end result was great, a 66mm hole with sides perpendicular to the leg faces within about 1mm, very happy.

Fitz

 

[Cabinetman]

Brill, looks like it’s all going to work out! I can imagine the trepidation cutting that hole, apart from a hole saw which probably wouldn’t have worked very well at all, I think that was about the best way you could have done it.
I look forward to seeing how you will fix the big washer thing that holds the screw to the leg.
Ian

 

[imageel]

I only just saw this thread -too busy posting my own retrospective and way less detailed than your build thread!
Isn't that beautiful vice one made by Richard Macguire? I remember meeting him at a woodworking event at Cressing Temple Barns a few years ago - he is a very skilled guy and his products are super top quality with a fine attention to detail, however they are eye-wateringly expensive!

I too had to put a brave face on when I cut my dogholes and used a template and ring fence instead of a self-guided cutter - I used a Wealden TXL1416M that has a 67mm cutting capacity and it somehow seemed wrong to have that much sticky-outedness on the end of your router -

 

[Fitzroy]

It was getting late but I could feel the end in sight so my photos seemed to dry up with excitement.

The screw and nut in the hole had about 1-2mm of space so I marked the nut in a position that has equal play all round.

my plan was to always inset the run into a rebate on the back of the leg, and after some mental arguments i settled on a 20mm rebate. The rebate was cut by attaching two straight wooden strips, 10mm x 40mm, with double sided tape with the nut trapped between them. A palm router on a wide base with a top bearing bit was used to cut out the rebate. I cut the rebate 1mm oversized to allow for some differential movement as the grain in the nut is perpendicular to the grain in the leg.

With everything in the leg cut I reinstalled the vice chop and marked the hole on the back of the chop. The same drilling and routing procedure was used to cut the hole in the chop, but at only 75mm thick it was shallower cuts and much easier.

The brass garter could be slid in place and the vice tightened to hold it whilst screw holes were marked. After some umming and ahhing I decided to turn the garter 90 degrees.

The brass garter is very accurate and if the two sides didn’t align it would be obvious. The holes in the garter are 6mm and a 6mm lip and spur bit marked the centre of each hole perfectly. The supplied brass screws are chunky affairs and a 4mm pilot hole was needed, drilled on the drill press to ensure perpendicular.

The garter went on with the tiniest misalignment, estimate 0.2mm, which I fixed by opening up the top few mms of the pilot holes. I’d love to clock the screws but don’t know how without things being loose. But very pleased with the outcome non the less, the fact that the handle is vertical in the closed position is a lucky break.

One question I’m still toying with is whether to cut the nut to the width of the leg or not, either way I need to drill some screw holes to screw it in place. However, it doesn’t foul on the bench as is but once cut it’s done forever.

Opening and closing is a dream. I’m super happy with the cross mechanism as it’s home made and is spot on so far.

Fitz

 

[Fitzroy]

I only just saw this thread -too busy posting my own retrospective and way less detailed than your build thread!
Isn't that beautiful vice one made by Richard Macguire? I remember meeting him at a woodworking event at Cressing Temple Barns a few years ago - he is a very skilled guy and his products are super top quality with a fine attention to detail, however they are eye-wateringly expensive!

I too had to put a brave face on when I cut my dogholes and used a template and ring fence instead of a self-guided cutter - I used a Wealden TXL1416M that has a 67mm cutting capacity and it somehow seemed wrong to have that much sticky-outedness on the end of your router -

No it's not a Richard Maguire vice, as far as I know he is no longer producing vices and workbenches. However, there is plenty of inspiration in my build from watching his vidoes etc. His wagon/tail vice is a thing of beauty, mine will be much more agricultural.

The vice screw, nut and garter were from a maker on Etsy in the USA, postage to the UK would have been prohibitive but luckily my team is partly US based and someone was visiting last month and brought it back with them. It was about the same price as a Lake Erie screw but many times nicer.

 

[imageel]

It certainly is beautifully crafted and those threads - Wow!
TBH the little monogram carved into the screw end is reminiscent of Maquires work but maybe I'm mis-remembering it, certainly Google lens does not shed any light on it