I am thinking about building a proper workbench. I see all kinds of ready
made tops available but I could spend the time to make one from scratch. The
other question is do I go for round or square bench dogs or do both?

What to do? Buy or build? If I build the top then what kind of wood do I
use? Maple? Beech? Something else? I am not in any particular rush but
would like to see it done by years end.

If you build square holes you can plane a face without clamping. Just
rest the end against the dog, directly behind the direction of planing.
I will post a pic of this on alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking.

You could also do this with a drop-down stop but then you would have to
stand to the side of the work instead of directly behind it.

"R. Pierce Butler" wrote in
. 1:

I am thinking about building a proper workbench. I see all kinds of
ready made tops available but I could spend the time to make one from
scratch. The other question is do I go for round or square bench dogs
or do both?

What to do? Buy or build? If I build the top then what kind of wood
do I use? Maple? Beech? Something else? I am not in any
particular rush but would like to see it done by years end.


Greetings....

Building your bench is part of the hobby IMHO, you can make it any shape or
size you desire, and you can suit it to your particular area of interest...

I read a book, called " The Workbench Book " to see what worked for other
folks, and built mine using various ideas from a few different
benches...you can see my bench he
http://bellsouthpwp.net/d/c/dchaynie...e/benchpageone.
htm

All one line...also another great bench site is he
http://www.workbenchdesign.net/

Make the top out of whatever you have, maple and beech are great, I used
southern yellow pine, it has help up well for a few years now...and it was
cheap...:

As far as the dog holes go...mine are round, I would make them square if I
had to do it over again, round holes quickly become oval...

hope this helps.....

DCH

"DCH" wrote...
Make the top out of whatever you have, maple and beech are great, I used
southern yellow pine, it has help up well for a few years now...and it was
cheap...:

As far as the dog holes go...mine are round, I would make them square if I
had to do it over again, round holes quickly become oval...

I think the oval dog holes might be the downside of making the top from
pine.

My first bench was based on Tage Frids design & has square dogs. The vices
are really handy & the bench gets used a lot. The square dogs work great,
but even though the bench is maple, and has three drawers in the base filled
with tools, it's too light and will move when used to hold maple for hand
planing.

So, I made a bigger heavier bench with a thicker maple top. This one has
round dog holes on the top, vices, and aprons. The round dogs work as well
as the square ones, plus they can be turned to hold odd shaped work. Also
holdfasts fit in the dog holes, and holdfasts are super handy. Use 'em
every day. And my handy carver's screw fits in the same holes. As do
dowels. And I think Veritas makes other devices that fit into the holes.

All in all, the round dogs are more versatile, and if you make the benchtop
of maple or beech, the holes should hold up just fine. Mine is just fine
after 15 years of commercial use.

The big bench, BTW, has a Veritas twin screw vice on one end & a typical
woodworkers vice on the front. The twin screw is really nice and I'd
recommend it. The smaller Frid design bench has the shoulder and tail
vices. They are both very handy; the shoulder vice is fairly easy to make,
but the tail vice is complicated. Real strong handy vice, though.

--
Timothy Juvenal
www.tjwoodworking.com

"R. Pierce Butler" wrote in message
. 1...
I am thinking about building a proper workbench. I see all kinds of ready
made tops available but I could spend the time to make one from scratch.
The
other question is do I go for round or square bench dogs or do both?

What to do? Buy or build? If I build the top then what kind of wood do I
use? Maple? Beech? Something else? I am not in any particular rush
but
would like to see it done by years end.


The latest ShopNotes covers building a relative HD one for about $100. They
claim it is a weekend project.

"R. Pierce Butler" wrote in message
. 1...
I am thinking about building a proper workbench. I see all kinds of ready
made tops available but I could spend the time to make one from scratch.
The
other question is do I go for round or square bench dogs or do both?

What to do? Buy or build? If I build the top then what kind of wood do I
use? Maple? Beech? Something else? I am not in any particular rush
but
would like to see it done by years end.

I made square ones for my bench (birch top). I found I can use round or
square hold downs in the holes. If I made another bench it too would have
square holes.

Dave

R. Pierce Butler wrote:
I am thinking about building a proper workbench. I see all kinds of ready
made tops available but I could spend the time to make one from scratch. The
other question is do I go for round or square bench dogs or do both?

What to do? Buy or build? If I build the top then what kind of wood do I
use? Maple? Beech? Something else? I am not in any particular rush but
would like to see it done by years end.


Go square.

Go hard maple. Do you live in DFW?, if so, hardwood lumber co can
plane the top and send it through the wide production sander to make it
ready to go.

Take your time and build a nice one. You won't regret it.

wrote in
oups.com:


R. Pierce Butler wrote:
I am thinking about building a proper workbench. I see all kinds of
ready made tops available but I could spend the time to make one from
scratch. The other question is do I go for round or square bench dogs
or do both?

What to do? Buy or build? If I build the top then what kind of wood
do I use? Maple? Beech? Something else? I am not in any particular
rush but would like to see it done by years end.


Go square.

Go hard maple. Do you live in DFW?, if so, hardwood lumber co can
plane the top and send it through the wide production sander to make it
ready to go.

Take your time and build a nice one. You won't regret it.


I have used Central Hardwoods on Rodney Lane in the past. I was very happy
with the quality of their stock.

wrote in
:

On 16 Aug 2006 07:31:25 -0700, wrote:


R. Pierce Butler wrote:
I am thinking about building a proper workbench. I see all kinds of
ready made tops available but I could spend the time to make one from
scratch. The other question is do I go for round or square bench dogs
or do both?

What to do? Buy or build? If I build the top then what kind of wood
do I use? Maple? Beech? Something else? I am not in any
particular rush but would like to see it done by years end.


Go square.

Go hard maple. Do you live in DFW?, if so, hardwood lumber co can
plane the top and send it through the wide production sander to make it
ready to go.

Take your time and build a nice one. You won't regret it.


Where is hardwood lumber company?

Gary

http://www.hlcdallas.com/


Central Hardwood's web page is at
http://www.centralhardwoods.com/index.html

I built a traditional European workbench last year and use it all the time.
Couldn't get along without it. I made the top from beech - good, straight
grain, hard, yet easier to work with than maple. My dogs are round, but I
put a bronze bushing in each so they will never wear out or get oval.


"R. Pierce Butler" wrote in message
. 1...
I am thinking about building a proper workbench. I see all kinds of ready
made tops available but I could spend the time to make one from scratch.
The
other question is do I go for round or square bench dogs or do both?

What to do? Buy or build? If I build the top then what kind of wood do I
use? Maple? Beech? Something else? I am not in any particular rush
but
would like to see it done by years end.

In article om,
Andrew Williams wrote:
If you build square holes you can plane a face without clamping. Just
rest the end against the dog, directly behind the direction of planing.
I will post a pic of this on alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking.

You could also do this with a drop-down stop but then you would have to
stand to the side of the work instead of directly behind it.

My workbench has round dog holes and I can do this too.


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 22:02:40 GMT, "R. Pierce Butler"
wrote:

I am thinking about building a proper workbench. I see all kinds of ready
made tops available but I could spend the time to make one from scratch. The
other question is do I go for round or square bench dogs or do both?

What to do? Buy or build? If I build the top then what kind of wood do I
use? Maple? Beech? Something else? I am not in any particular rush but
would like to see it done by years end.

I built one using 4x2 pine glued together butcher block style. Works
great.

I use 16mm round dog holes, but with "square-headed" steel dogs. I
turned up a 16mm round section on 20 x 20 square section bar stock.
The most used (abused?) dog holes are getting a little oval with 3
years of use. My plan is to maybe drill new holes in that area, and
epoxy in a brass bush, one day. For the moment the oval ones still
work fine.

Barry Lennox