Quick, dirty, portable bench for planing?
 

Hi Folks:

I have a 24 inch wood plane and I want to joint construction
materials up to 12 feet long. Unfortunately I am learning that a plane is
only as good as the bench underneath it.

I currently have some 2x4s nailed to a wall and I hold the stock with
bar clamps. This works, but poles tend to come loose and I
occasionally run my hand into the wall studs. Consequently I go real slowly.

I am in the building construction phase and constructing a real bench would
just eat up time and have to be moved as I work on different areas in the
building.

If I could source them I would probably just get a pair of 3 foot diameter
3 foot high sections of tree trunk. That would be 200 or 300 pounds of mass
and I could then just roll the bench to a new location as required in a
matter of minutes.

I think you get the idea. I am looking for ideas of something quick to
construct and rapidly mobile to joint large stock.

Thanks for your ideas.

Jonathan

"Jonathan Mau" wrote in message
...

Hi Folks:

I have a 24 inch wood plane and I want to joint construction
materials up to 12 feet long. Unfortunately I am learning that a plane is
only as good as the bench underneath it.

I currently have some 2x4s nailed to a wall and I hold the stock with
bar clamps. This works, but poles tend to come loose and I
occasionally run my hand into the wall studs. Consequently I go real
slowly.

I am in the building construction phase and constructing a real bench
would
just eat up time and have to be moved as I work on different areas in the
building.

If I could source them I would probably just get a pair of 3 foot diameter
3 foot high sections of tree trunk. That would be 200 or 300 pounds of
mass
and I could then just roll the bench to a new location as required in a
matter of minutes.

I think you get the idea. I am looking for ideas of something quick to
construct and rapidly mobile to joint large stock.

Thanks for your ideas.

There all kinds of portable solutions Jonathan. But in your case, you need
something strong, portable and can be moved by one man. Tree trunks would
then prove to be problematic.

There is what I would do. There are a ton of plans for stacking, angled
wood sawhorses. I would make them wider and stronger than normal. I would
them come up with some kind of bench top. Maybe a plywood torsion box. I
would have the capability of putting some kind of bench stops on this bench
top to control the stock that is being planed. I would have some stops on
the bottom of the top to fit over the saw horses. I would just put some
scraps under the sawhorses to acheive some kind of minimal levelness.

One other thing. If you got a massive plane like that to lug around, I would
make a nice case for it. Maybe with some room for measuring tools.

Jonathan Mau wrote:
Hi Folks:

I have a 24 inch wood plane and I want to joint construction
materials up to 12 feet long. Unfortunately I am learning that a plane is
only as good as the bench underneath it.

I currently have some 2x4s nailed to a wall and I hold the stock with
bar clamps. This works, but poles tend to come loose and I
occasionally run my hand into the wall studs. Consequently I go real slowly.

I am in the building construction phase and constructing a real bench would
just eat up time and have to be moved as I work on different areas in the
building.

If I could source them I would probably just get a pair of 3 foot diameter
3 foot high sections of tree trunk. That would be 200 or 300 pounds of mass
and I could then just roll the bench to a new location as required in a
matter of minutes.

I think you get the idea. I am looking for ideas of something quick to
construct and rapidly mobile to joint large stock.

Three B&D Workmates, or some of the offbrands. One at or near each end,
one in the middle, and two 50 pound sandbags (or three, or four,
depending on your strength and weight) on the bottom shelf of each.
Relatively easy to move around--sandbags in a wheelbarrow, the rest by
hand--as needed. This isn't good for any big time face planing, but for
jointing 2x lumber, it should work nearly perfectly.

On 28 Jul 2005 14:47:16 GMT, (Jonathan Mau)
wrote:

I think you get the idea. I am looking for ideas of something quick to
construct and rapidly mobile to joint large stock.

Trestles. I can't work big timber without trestles.

Convenient height, good big and stable, and either nesting or hinged to
pack flat. They don't need to be the same length, which can be an easy
way to make them nest. A pair is essential, three or four are good when
cross-cutting with big offcuts.

Make the top from something thick, soft and disposable - maybe 2"x6",
4"x8" or bigger. Don't allow metal fasteners with a few inches of the
top surface. Now you can use a circular saw and just let it rip into the
top surface as much as you like. If they get too tatty, re-surface the
tops.

Make them solid enough to stand on, as decorating staging. One day you
_will_ do this !

Horses are useful for really chunky work too. These are Japanese
miniature trestles, about 12" wide and 6" high, just a thick board held
vertically by a couple of feet in halved joints. Four horses will lift
a table or bed frame off the ground for finishing work or similar.


Another idea is a Japanese planing beam. This is a thick beam (10"
square or bigger) with one end resting on the ground and the other
propped up on a lashed-together X frame. There's a planing stop at
wasit height, or a bit lower.

Tou use it, get a Japanese pull plane and work downwards, into the stop.

Prometheus wrote:
Considered railway ties yet? They certainly fulfill the *dirty*
requirement... but beyond that, they're heavy, and you can just nail
them to a couple of sawhorses. Not fancy, but I bet it'd work all
right. Put a little lip on one end by screwing a 2" x 4" to them, and
you'd be good to go.

Sounds like the original workmate, on a grander scale.

Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use: daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.patinatools.org

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:28:46 GMT, Dave in Fairfax
wrote:

Prometheus wrote:
Considered railway ties yet? They certainly fulfill the *dirty*
requirement... but beyond that, they're heavy, and you can just nail
them to a couple of sawhorses. Not fancy, but I bet it'd work all
right. Put a little lip on one end by screwing a 2" x 4" to them, and
you'd be good to go.

Sounds like the original workmate, on a grander scale.

That's about it- but I figure the extra mass would go a long way when
planing. Those workmates just don't seem to be large or heavy enough.

"Prometheus" wrote in message
Considered railway ties yet? They certainly fulfill the *dirty*
requirement... but beyond that, they're heavy, and you can just nail
them to a couple of sawhorses. Not fancy, but I bet it'd work all
right. Put a little lip on one end by screwing a 2" x 4" to them, and
you'd be good to go.

Sounds like the original workmate, on a grander scale.

That's pretty close to what I use. I've got two Lee Valley metal folding saw
horses that I attached 4x4s to. A little bit heavy to lug around, but
definitely workable. Great for supporting something heavy and great for
screwing things to them. I've often screw pipe clamp saddles to them for
holding things down while I work on them.

(Jonathan Mau) writes:


[...]


I think you get the idea. I am looking for ideas of something quick to
construct and rapidly mobile to joint large stock.

Maybe something like the "SuperJaws", ass seen he

http://www.right-tool.com/tritsja0supw.html

--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23

Andy Dingley ) writes:
On 28 Jul 2005 14:47:16 GMT, (Jonathan Mau)
wrote:

I think you get the idea. I am looking for ideas of something quick to
construct and rapidly mobile to joint large stock.

Thanks for the ideas folks. I am leaning towards some kind of nesting
horse or trestle maybe weighed down with sand of which I have in spades.

Jonathan

Prometheus wrote:
That's about it- but I figure the extra mass would go a long way when
planing. Those workmates just don't seem to be large or heavy enough.

The original looks to be made from 4X4s. Check it out in Landis' book.
Dve in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use: daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/
PATINA
http://www.patinatools.org

On 28 Jul 2005 14:47:16 GMT, (Jonathan Mau)
wrote:


Hi Folks:

I have a 24 inch wood plane and I want to joint construction
materials up to 12 feet long. Unfortunately I am learning that a plane is
only as good as the bench underneath it.

I currently have some 2x4s nailed to a wall and I hold the stock with
bar clamps. This works, but poles tend to come loose and I
occasionally run my hand into the wall studs. Consequently I go real slowly.

I am in the building construction phase and constructing a real bench would
just eat up time and have to be moved as I work on different areas in the
building.

If I could source them I would probably just get a pair of 3 foot diameter
3 foot high sections of tree trunk. That would be 200 or 300 pounds of mass
and I could then just roll the bench to a new location as required in a
matter of minutes.

I think you get the idea. I am looking for ideas of something quick to
construct and rapidly mobile to joint large stock.

Considered railway ties yet? They certainly fulfill the *dirty*
requirement... but beyond that, they're heavy, and you can just nail
them to a couple of sawhorses. Not fancy, but I bet it'd work all
right. Put a little lip on one end by screwing a 2" x 4" to them, and
you'd be good to go.