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#41
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Work Bench
zxcvbob wrote:
Leon wrote: For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon Best thing I have found for the top is a used solid interior door. I bought a discarded hospital door for about $5 or $10 a few years ago. Would have cost me at least 10x that much to build a hardwood slab like that. Bob Have to agree ,Thats what I used ,two laminated together would make a very substantial bench top. -- Kevin (Bluey) "I'm not young enough to know everything." |
#42
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
"Leon" wrote in
: "Larry Blanchard" wrote in message news Somewhere recently I read about a woodworker that equipped his bench with T-slots instead of dogholes. I haven't really considered all the pros and cons of it, but the idea is interesting. Anyone here done this? Any opinions? IIRC I saw that too. WoodWhisperer maybe. I remember seeing some discussion about it here on the wRECk. Maybe that'll give you a starting point for further searches? Puckdropper -- On Usenet, no one can hear you laugh. That's a good thing, though, as some writers are incorrigible. To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm |
#43
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
On Dec 23, 12:28 am, Puckdropper puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:
"Leon" wrote : "Larry Blanchard" wrote in message news Somewhere recently I read about a woodworker that equipped his bench with T-slots instead of dogholes. I haven't really considered all the pros and cons of it, but the idea is interesting. Anyone here done this? Any opinions? IIRC I saw that too. WoodWhisperer maybe. I remember seeing some discussion about it here on the wRECk. Maybe that'll give you a starting point for further searches? The problem I see is you'd need a knob sticking out. If you want to hand plane something you need to set the dog below the surface of the stock. Unless you made your stop really long with the knob at the back end it would be in the way, and that would effectively reduce the length of your bench. Plus in the course of resurfacing the top eventually you'd get to where you had to remove it and make the slot deeper, even if you started with it recessed a bit. -Kevin |
#45
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
Leon wrote:
That bit of information probably would have been helpful. ;!) I am wanting a "flat" work bench to shape wood and or use for assembly of furniture. I really want to get something bigger than my TS top. LOL Personally, The only clear surface in my shop that I can use for furniture assembly is my table saw and small parts of the floor. If you really need a flat surface, really flat and really stable, then you need to build a torsion box with plywood on both sides and an optional easily replaceable hard board top. My work benches all have 2x6 tops made out of cheap, construction grade 2x's. They look good (like wood) and are strong enough for anything I've ever done. My main workbench is 30 years old, and has been used to build fine furniture, junk furniture, repair electric motors, rebuild gas engines, sharpen chain saws and about every other task one can come up with over a life time. I look at all the fancy "cabinet makers" work benches with the 3" hard wood tops, tool trays and what not and I shake my head... If I made one of these things I'd be afraid to use it, and besides, they generally have no storage in them and I would never build a bench, work bench, tool stand etc. without storage. I don't really care how big your shop is, you need more storage. Is my main bench top beat up? Damn right it is, but it looks better to me than the day I built it. I planned on having to refinish or replace it periodically, but no way, no how. This is cheap, soft construction grade pine. Whats nice about that is I was never afraid to use it, I could always replace it easily and cheaply if I wanted too, just never found the need. I might add I haven't seen much of the top in a few years, it is habitually covered in "stuff" If my memory is working, you are the guy that posted a picture of your bench in a once in a blue moon semi-uncluttered condition? -- Jack Using FREE News Server: http://Motzarella.org http://jbstein.com |
#46
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
On Dec 22, 7:06*pm, Larry Blanchard wrote:
Somewhere recently I read about a woodworker that equipped his bench with T-slots instead of dogholes. I haven't really considered all the pros and cons of it, but the idea is interesting. *Anyone here done this? *Any opinions? I don't know if this is going thru twice or not as my ISP connection went berzerk once I sent the message. Could htis be the plans you may have seen for a benchtop with T-slots? http://www.bobsplans.com/FreePlans/DNLD/Workbench.pdf It seems somewhat intriqing to me but I am also afraid of the top that is made entorely of MDF. I was wondering if a piece or two of MDF sandwiched between pieces of plywood would be better for a top. I can see where the T-slots could be extremely helpful and you wouldn't get the wear teh dog holes would probably cause in the MDF but I am afraid there may be other problems specific to the T-slots that may even be worse then screwed up dog holes.... ray |
#47
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
Phisherman wrote:
Any wood will work. My benchtop is glued up 2x4 pine studs, finished with danish oil. Spent lots of time flattening the top. I redo the top every 3-4 years. A good bench should be large, sturdy and heavy. Thats what I made my first bench out of but I ripped the things into 2x2's and glued them up. Still going strong after 30 years but that was my very first wood working project. I've since learned it's much better to use 2 x 6's as they are about as cheap, easier to find higher quality boards than the studs, and glue up is simple and fast. -- Jack Using FREE News Server: http://Motzarella.org http://jbstein.com |
#48
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
"Jack Stein" wrote in message ... Leon wrote: Personally, The only clear surface in my shop that I can use for furniture assembly is my table saw and small parts of the floor. If you really need a flat surface, really flat and really stable, then you need to build a torsion box with plywood on both sides and an optional easily replaceable hard board top. My work benches all have 2x6 tops made out of cheap, construction grade 2x's. They look good (like wood) and are strong enough for anything I've ever done. My main workbench is 30 years old, and has been used to build fine furniture, junk furniture, repair electric motors, rebuild gas engines, sharpen chain saws and about every other task one can come up with over a life time. I look at all the fancy "cabinet makers" work benches with the 3" hard wood tops, tool trays and what not and I shake my head... If I made one of these things I'd be afraid to use it, and besides, they generally have no storage in them and I would never build a bench, work bench, tool stand etc. without storage. I don't really care how big your shop is, you need more storage. Is my main bench top beat up? Damn right it is, but it looks better to me than the day I built it. I planned on having to refinish or replace it periodically, but no way, no how. This is cheap, soft construction grade pine. Whats nice about that is I was never afraid to use it, I could always replace it easily and cheaply if I wanted too, just never found the need. I might add I haven't seen much of the top in a few years, it is habitually covered in "stuff" If my memory is working, you are the guy that posted a picture of your bench in a once in a blue moon semi-uncluttered condition? Thanks Jack, I keep you comments in mind. The torsion box idea might be a good alternative. On the other hand I am not afraid of using a bench. ;~) Few of my tools or equipment look pristine. If I posted a picture of my bench it was a steel automotive work bench. Other than that I have a B&D work table about 3' square that I have had for almost 30 years. I would really like to remove the steel top from my current bench and hang it on the back side of a mobile "wooden" work bench so that I could fold it up and make my work surface area larger if needed. |
#49
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
I picked up a 3'6" exterior solid core plain door at a contractor's
garage sale for a few bucks. Works great. Has a tempered masonite type finish. Chuck P. |
#50
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
B A R R Y wrote:
I know what you mean. I'm 6' tall, and mobile bases usually add just enough to machines to be right for me. Even if I'm not wanting a machine to move, I like the extra height. Yup, eliminating that little bit of stooping saves a back-ache later in the day. I also picked up room for another shelf under the bench just by raising it a few inches, and there's no such thing as too much storage space. |
#51
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
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#52
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
DGDevin wrote:
B A R R Y wrote: I know what you mean. I'm 6' tall, and mobile bases usually add just enough to machines to be right for me. Even if I'm not wanting a machine to move, I like the extra height. Yup, eliminating that little bit of stooping saves a back-ache later in the day. I also picked up room for another shelf under the bench just by raising it a few inches, and there's no such thing as too much storage space. Not to mention how stored items help keep a bench in place! |
#53
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
Leon wrote:
"TD Driver" wrote in message ... I've built a couple of benches over the past 20 years and the best top was made from a hunk of bowling lane I picked up when one of the local establishments went out of business. I regret the day that I decided to leave that bench in the basement of a house we were renting. I bet that worked out well, did you find any nails in the wood? Of course. Some nails were found in advance of the cut, some were found during it. The former were removed with a great sense of satisfaction. The remainder not so much. |
#54
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
B A R R Y wrote:
Yup, eliminating that little bit of stooping saves a back-ache later in the day. I also picked up room for another shelf under the bench just by raising it a few inches, and there's no such thing as too much storage space. Not to mention how stored items help keep a bench in place! Exactly, loading up those shelves really stabilized a fairly small bench. I even used that to rationalize buying some heavy tools to put on the shelves. ;~) |
#55
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
Did the same thing, 2x4's on edge, but I drilled holes through each every
18" and used long all thread and torqued them together.. That was 25 years ago, still going strong Phisherman wrote: On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:00:32 -0600, "Leon" wrote: For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon Any wood will work. My benchtop is glued up 2x4 pine studs, finished with danish oil. Spent lots of time flattening the top. I redo the top every 3-4 years. A good bench should be large, sturdy and heavy. -- "You can lead them to LINUX but you can't make them THINK" Running Mandriva release 2008.0 free-i586 using KDE on i586 Website Address http://rentmyhusband.co.nr/ |
#56
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
On Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:11:24 -0500, B A R R Y wrote:
I think the people who install t-tracks in a bench don't do much hand tool work. I'm not going to get rid of my dogholes, but I very well might add a row or two of T-trak as an adjunct. |
#57
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
I think the people who install t-tracks in a bench don't do much hand
tool work. I'm not going to get rid of my dogholes, but I very well might add a row or two of T-trak as an adjunct. I guess I don't see the point, IF one already has the clamps and everything to go with dog holes. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
#58
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:55:09 -0600, -MIKE- wrote:
I think the people who install t-tracks in a bench don't do much hand tool work. I'm not going to get rid of my dogholes, but I very well might add a row or two of T-trak as an adjunct. I guess I don't see the point, IF one already has the clamps and everything to go with dog holes. Dogholes provide clamping every N inches - 6" on my bench. T-traks provide clamping anywhere (linearly). |
#59
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
On Dec 22, 9:44*pm, wrote:
Somewhere recently I read about a woodworker that equipped his bench with T-slots instead of dogholes. The problem I see is you'd need a knob sticking out. *If you want to hand plane something you need to set the dog below the surface of the stock. Well, think about it some more. Any size or shape dog of any material (wood, plastic, aluminum) can be mounted to a small shoe that rides in the bottom of the T slot, with a setscrew through the shoe to clamp the dog. There's no need for the T-slot to be accompanied by a stick-up bolt, of the metalwork milling holddown style. How about a dovetail slot instead of T slot? It doesn't need metal parts, and a wedged dovetail dog would be easy to build. |
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