If you're going to use "store bought" dogs, hopefully you have one to
act
as a pattern for the dogholes.

Can't stand the idea of steel or brass dogs!

If you're going to make your own dogs then you can make them to fit
the
dogholes.

Yeah they will be wood, too classic to me, I couldn't help it. Lignum Vitae
with white oak springs.

Either way, making a template and routing the dogholes on the inside
of
the bench frame is a lot easier, assuming the apron stock is thick
enough.

The tail vise will be a double ended John Nyquist, 8/4 maple splined to
the front, 47" or 48" long. The right end acts as a left jaw. It's dog holes
will be 1" square, each edge 4" apart, the bench is for small work.

The top will be around 2" thick,

Two inch solide or two 1" layers glued together? The latter will let
you route dadoes in the bottom of the top layer and in the top in
the bottom layer - for All Thread. Lots easier than trying to drill
LONG holes through the bench top.

Not like boards are laminated one on top of the other, but rather standing up
faces glued side to side. For reasons of others in this small thread I have
decided no allthread. The bench is too small, and not a radical level of humidity
changes occur here. I am using a Shark fine cut Ryoba, a few chisels and a
Stanley 71. I do it this way to create a little tradition for myself in learning
hand tools.

and am thinking of using four 3/4" allthreads from front to
back.

For the All Thread, if you go with a shoulder vise you really need
1/2" minimum All Thread through the "arm", it's spacer and
the front apron to tie them together.

As above. But it is a tail vise, not a shoulder vise. It's actually "L-ed"
into an end vise with one large dovetail using two LV bench screws
(cheaper than...).

The top is going to expand and contract - no matter what you do.
How you join the apron parts together is critical. Dovetails,without
an glue, will allow for movement on one axis, but not on the others.
This will allow for expansion and contraction where it's needed but
limit movement where it needs limiting.

The front apron is all hard maple, so the spline will be the same wood. For
that I will use the dado set on the table saw. If I have a #45 I would use that
instead. I really cannot figure out what you mean by dovetails without glue...?

If you're using splines to to aline the core to the apron - don't
use any glue. That's where the All Thread through the apron and
bench top will hold them together.

In California? Not much humidity here. It only effects "white pine" door jambs.

Really think through the apron joinery and how the assembly
will go - because the splines complicate things a bit.

http://home.comcast.net/~charliebcz/...CBbench28.html

Rather than All Thread and holes of somesort throught the bench top,
barrel nuts and the bolts that go with them can be used to hold
the apron front and back to the bench core. Had to use one on
the end of my bench that has the shoulder vise because I couldn't
think of any other way to do it (bottom of this page - with a tip
on doing barrel nuts)

http://home.comcast.net/~charliebcz/CBbench22.html

I know I have yakked about it with this bench before, but "should I"
use them at all?

Yes, unless it requires drilling 24" long holes. In that case
consider barrel bolts to hold the apron to the bench core.

Can't find them big enough. I like the idea though, and I can picture it. You
do mean steel cross dowels, right? Machine screws would go to them in the
main core of the top? That's a bit hard to work though. For "me" that is.

There are plenty of these homemade benches that don't have
them as I've seen online and in the books, if I did I would have to drill 43
holes, or maybe half that if I drill after sectional glue-ups...

Dimensions:

57" + 3/4" spline + 2" vise jaw apron " 2" outer jaw =61" + screw handle ends
26" deep, 2" thick top, all hard maple.

snip

Really consider dovetails for the apron. They're strong and yet
accomodate movement.

Okay I will, where can I gat a good look at such an assembly?

Alex - "newbie_neander" woodworker
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/

charlie b
another newbie a few steps ahead of you - my bench is done
already.