Having now sorted out domestic arrangements I have now decided to convert
part of a garage to a permanent workshop and have started making the frame
for a workbench. Any ideas from the team on the best way/material to make
the worktop.

Many thanks.

Malcolm Webb

Malcolm Webb wrote:
Any ideas from the team on the best way/material to make
the worktop.



There are those amongst us who went to the store and bought
a solid core door. In our heads we used the thinking that
this would be a good "get by" but after a couple/few years
we joined the fraternity of Door Benchers.

UA100, Door Bencher since 1988...

"Malcolm Webb" wrote in message
o.uk...
Having now sorted out domestic arrangements I have now decided to convert
part of a garage to a permanent workshop and have started making the frame
for a workbench. Any ideas from the team on the best way/material to make
the worktop.

Many thanks.

Malcolm Webb


My latest bench, completed a couple of months ago, has 1" MDF topped with 1"
European birch laminated panel. It's edged with 2 x 3/4" white ash. Cost
approx $100. It looks nice (to me, anyway!) and weighs a ton, which is
exactly what I wanted. Actually, I haven't even fastened the top to the base
properly, but it's OK to plane on, if the plane is razor sharp. As a result,
I think I'll just pop some large rounded-over dowels into the base and drill
holes in the MDF, so that the top remains forever easily removable...

Check office remodels and Habitat for commercial 2" solid doors. They are
good for everything except heavy hammering and a ply top takes care of that.
For a small shop, split one to 18" and get two benches.
Wilson
"Malcolm Webb" wrote in message
o.uk...
Having now sorted out domestic arrangements I have now decided to convert
part of a garage to a permanent workshop and have started making the frame
for a workbench. Any ideas from the team on the best way/material to make
the worktop.

Many thanks.

Malcolm Webb

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 10:24:28 GMT, Unisaw A100 wrote:

There are those amongst us who went to the store and bought
a solid core door. In our heads we used the thinking that
this would be a good "get by" but after a couple/few years
we joined the fraternity of Door Benchers.

I've been thinking about using a door -- but a hollow one. Hollow? But,
wait! The reason for the hollow door versus solid is that a solid door
will not stay flat -- that is, flat enough to be a good glue-up surface.
Or that is my concern. A hollow door will stay flat -- in theory, as it is
akin to a torsion box -- and, to keep it from being pierced, I was thinking
of wrapping it with 2" thick wood and then laminating 1/2" mdf top and
bottom.

So, question: Has your solid core door stayed flat enough for a good
glue-up surface? My thinking is that a hollow-door will stay flatter than
a solid core door.

I am also thinking of the laminated hollow-core door approach as a
stable-flat base for the "Ultimate Tool Stand",
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/pla...l_Stand_1.html rather than
building the torsion box from scratch. Unlike using a solid core door as a
top -- and the frame of the table can help keep it flat -- in this tool
stand the "door" has to stay flat even if unevenly supported. -- Igor

I have used hollow core doors and laminated 3/4 MDF to both sides. My
current bench is 15 years old. I glued up 4x6 D Fir to make a top 33 inches
wide and 7 feet long. I have a pattern makers (Emmert) vise on one end and
two Wilton quick release vises on the other. Before I glued it up I cut
bench dog slots (1 x 11/2) in two of the edges that line up with the Wilton
bench dogs. The top was then run through a wide belt sander (both sides)
which cost me $25 to have done. The bench has been resurfaced twice in 15
years and is dead flat and weighs a ton so it won't move. Total cost back
then was $100. It is a beauty and gets lot's of compliments.
I do use an oil base poly on top so the glue never sticks.
max

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 10:24:28 GMT, Unisaw A100 wrote:

There are those amongst us who went to the store and bought
a solid core door. In our heads we used the thinking that
this would be a good "get by" but after a couple/few years
we joined the fraternity of Door Benchers.

I've been thinking about using a door -- but a hollow one. Hollow? But,
wait! The reason for the hollow door versus solid is that a solid door
will not stay flat -- that is, flat enough to be a good glue-up surface.
Or that is my concern. A hollow door will stay flat -- in theory, as it is
akin to a torsion box -- and, to keep it from being pierced, I was thinking
of wrapping it with 2" thick wood and then laminating 1/2" mdf top and
bottom.

So, question: Has your solid core door stayed flat enough for a good
glue-up surface? My thinking is that a hollow-door will stay flatter than
a solid core door.

I am also thinking of the laminated hollow-core door approach as a
stable-flat base for the "Ultimate Tool Stand",
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/pla...l_Stand_1.html rather than
building the torsion box from scratch. Unlike using a solid core door as a
top -- and the frame of the table can help keep it flat -- in this tool
stand the "door" has to stay flat even if unevenly supported. -- Igor

Depends on your needs, price, and patience. For many things, a 1" sheet
of MDF(a pair of them gives you a 2" top if you desire), 3/8" maple
surface if you are ambitious, 4" maple edges then vises, etc and you are
done. It is even possible to skip the edging and have a decent benchtop
for the price of the MDF

Malcolm Webb wrote:
Having now sorted out domestic arrangements I have now decided to convert
part of a garage to a permanent workshop and have started making the frame
for a workbench. Any ideas from the team on the best way/material to make
the worktop.

Many thanks.

Malcolm Webb

"igor" wrote in message

I've been thinking about using a door -- but a hollow one. Hollow? But,
wait! The reason for the hollow door versus solid is that a solid door
will not stay flat -- that is, flat enough to be a good glue-up surface.
Or that is my concern. A hollow door will stay flat -- in theory, as it
is
akin to a torsion box -- and, to keep it from being pierced, I was
thinking
of wrapping it with 2" thick wood and then laminating 1/2" mdf top and
bottom.

So, question: Has your solid core door stayed flat enough for a good
glue-up surface? My thinking is that a hollow-door will stay flatter than
a solid core door.

My "solid core" door benchtop has stayed flat for a few years now.

Your idea of using a hollow core door, which uses a principle known as
"stress skin" construction to maintain flatness, should work well providing
you overcome the lighter weight issue (you generally want a heavy benchtop,
which the solid core door gives you) with additional "skins", as you
describe above.

Let us know how is works out.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/04

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 13:40:19 -0600, tzipple
wrote:

Depends on your needs, price, and patience. For many things, a 1" sheet
of MDF(a pair of them gives you a 2" top if you desire), 3/8" maple
surface if you are ambitious, 4" maple edges then vises, etc and you are
done. It is even possible to skip the edging and have a decent benchtop
for the price of the MDF


my main bench serves duty as outfeed for the table saw and as
assembly/ general purpose bench. the top is a full sheet of 3/4" MDF
with a full sheet of 3/4" melamine on top of it. the frame is fairly
heavy timber locally milled pine- 4x6, 4x8 and 1+"x8 rough sawn, a few
years dry when I got it.

igor wrote:
I've been thinking about using a door -- but a hollow one. Hollow? But,
wait! The reason for the hollow door versus solid is that a solid door
will not stay flat -- that is, flat enough to be a good glue-up surface.
Or that is my concern. A hollow door will stay flat -- in theory, as it is
akin to a torsion box -- and, to keep it from being pierced, I was thinking
of wrapping it with 2" thick wood and then laminating 1/2" mdf top and
bottom.

I'm thinking that one maybe didn't get baked quite long
enough.

So, question: Has your solid core door stayed flat enough for a good
glue-up surface?

I haven't a clue. Back in the day we used to make plastic
laminate tops with 1 1/2" hollow core metal substrates. I
have one of those that's 3' X 5' that I use for an assembly
table top. It's very flat.

My thinking is that a hollow-door will stay flatter than
a solid core door.

I think you need to look at torsion boxes.

I am also thinking of the laminated hollow-core door approach as a
stable-flat base for the "Ultimate Tool Stand",
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/pla...l_Stand_1.html rather than
building the torsion box from scratch. Unlike using a solid core door as a
top -- and the frame of the table can help keep it flat -- in this tool
stand the "door" has to stay flat even if unevenly supported. -- Igor

Again, I think you need to look at torsion boxes.

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 21:00:05 GMT, Unisaw A100 wrote:

igor wrote:
I've been thinking about using a door -- but a hollow one. Hollow? But,
wait! The reason for the hollow door versus solid is that a solid door
will not stay flat -- that is, flat enough to be a good glue-up surface.
Or that is my concern. A hollow door will stay flat -- in theory, as it is
akin to a torsion box -- and, to keep it from being pierced, I was thinking
of wrapping it with 2" thick wood and then laminating 1/2" mdf top and
bottom.

I'm thinking that one maybe didn't get baked quite long
enough.

So, question: Has your solid core door stayed flat enough for a good
glue-up surface?

I haven't a clue. Back in the day we used to make plastic
laminate tops with 1 1/2" hollow core metal substrates. I
have one of those that's 3' X 5' that I use for an assembly
table top. It's very flat.

In your post above I thought you said you indicated you used a solid-core
door as a benchtop. That's why I asked.

My thinking is that a hollow-door will stay flatter than
a solid core door.

I think you need to look at torsion boxes.

I am also thinking of the laminated hollow-core door approach as a
stable-flat base for the "Ultimate Tool Stand",
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/pla...l_Stand_1.html rather than
building the torsion box from scratch. Unlike using a solid core door as a
top -- and the frame of the table can help keep it flat -- in this tool
stand the "door" has to stay flat even if unevenly supported. -- Igor

Again, I think you need to look at torsion boxes.

Well, that raises the basic question as to the effective difference in this
application between a torsion box and a typical hollow-core door --
especially after 1/2" or 3/4" mdf is added top and bottom. I don't have
any hollow-core doors in my house to try torquing. I can surmise that 3/4"
mdf as the internal grid in a torsion box could help resist torquing better
than the honeycomb inside a hollow door, but maybe the mdf is
overengineered for this - again, compared to a hollow-core door sandwiched
between 1/2" or so mdf. -- Igor

igor wrote:
In your post above I thought you said you indicated you used a solid-core
door as a benchtop. That's why I asked.


Sorry about that. I do have the Door Bench and mostly use
it to pile crap on. The assembly table is mostly where most
work gets done. That and the outfeed table for the saw but
I'm working on a New Year's resolution to not be doing
that/leave it alone and let it be an outfeed table.

By the way, I meant to ask, why do you feel it's so
important to have a "supeflat" surface for glue ups? Reason
I ask is I'm pretty certain that most clamps with out do
anything you put into flattening a top. This of course is
not to say I'm recommending that you use the drive way for
glue ups, just that I've never given it much thought/if I do
I'm pretty certain I'd be right back where I am.

UA100

Dave Balderstone wrote:

I used a solid core door with maple flooring laminated on it, hickory
around the edge. Toobye and fourbye for the frame.

Pics of the process at http://www.balderstone.ca/workbench/

djb

Hey Dave,

Nice workbench! Thanks for great pictures.

-Peter De Smidt

In article , Peter De Smidt
pdesmidt*no*spam*@tds.*net* wrote:

Nice workbench!

Ta.

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 23:23:56 GMT, Unisaw A100 wrote:

By the way, I meant to ask, why do you feel it's so
important to have a "supeflat" surface for glue ups? Reason
I ask is I'm pretty certain that most clamps with out do
anything you put into flattening a top. This of course is
not to say I'm recommending that you use the drive way for
glue ups, just that I've never given it much thought/if I do
I'm pretty certain I'd be right back where I am.

As I'm on the early part of the ww learning curve, my concern is based on
some reading & research. For example this article on torsion boxes:
http://www.diynet.com/diy/shows_wwk/episode/0,2046,DIY_14350_26946,00.html
and this one on a rollable tool bench:
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/plans/UTS/Tool_Stand_1.html

There is max's post in this thread which suggests an additional
confirmation of my concern. And, it makes some sense to me, especially
when gluing up cabinet boxes. Anyway, my sense is that there are MANY
variables when woodworking (as with many other things) and so I try to
reduce the variables where I think I can. For example, doing a TS tune-up
to a few thousandths of an inch, even though being off by 100th of an inch
is probably OK when it comes to many TS cuts. If you are asking if I've
had some experience that has taught me the need for a "superflat" top --
not yet. -- Igor

I will frequently glue up stuff on winding sticks. You lay two straight
sticks (key word, straight) on your bench and glue up on top of the sticks.
It doesn't matter if your top is cupped. The sticks work well.
max

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 23:23:56 GMT, Unisaw A100 wrote:

By the way, I meant to ask, why do you feel it's so
important to have a "supeflat" surface for glue ups? Reason
I ask is I'm pretty certain that most clamps with out do
anything you put into flattening a top. This of course is
not to say I'm recommending that you use the drive way for
glue ups, just that I've never given it much thought/if I do
I'm pretty certain I'd be right back where I am.

As I'm on the early part of the ww learning curve, my concern is based on
some reading & research. For example this article on torsion boxes:
http://www.diynet.com/diy/shows_wwk/episode/0,2046,DIY_14350_26946,00.html
and this one on a rollable tool bench:
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/plans/UTS/Tool_Stand_1.html

There is max's post in this thread which suggests an additional
confirmation of my concern. And, it makes some sense to me, especially
when gluing up cabinet boxes. Anyway, my sense is that there are MANY
variables when woodworking (as with many other things) and so I try to
reduce the variables where I think I can. For example, doing a TS tune-up
to a few thousandths of an inch, even though being off by 100th of an inch
is probably OK when it comes to many TS cuts. If you are asking if I've
had some experience that has taught me the need for a "superflat" top --
not yet. -- Igor

Unisaw A100 wrote:

By the way, I meant to ask, why do you feel it's so
important to have a "supeflat" surface for glue ups? Reason
I ask is I'm pretty certain that most clamps with out do
anything you put into flattening a top. This of course is
not to say I'm recommending that you use the drive way for
glue ups, just that I've never given it much thought/if I do
I'm pretty certain I'd be right back where I am.

Tom Plamann, admired & envied by many of us, uses these. ;-)

http://plamann.com/sys-tmpl/inthesho...piii&UID=10003

-- Mark

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 01:03:25 GMT, "Mark Jerde"
wrote:

Tom Plamann, admired & envied by many of us, uses these. ;-)

http://plamann.com/sys-tmpl/inthesho...piii&UID=10003

-- Mark

Well, at his site he does say this: "I am a designer, woodworker who
specializes in high-end projects." If his clients pay enough for him to
have granite work tables, I s'pose so. (As if the photos of his work did
not provide enough evidence.) More power to 'im. -- Igor

igor wrote:
On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 01:03:25 GMT, "Mark Jerde"
wrote:

Tom Plamann, admired & envied by many of us, uses these. ;-)


http://plamann.com/sys-tmpl/inthesho...piii&UID=10003

-- Mark

Well, at his site he does say this: "I am a designer, woodworker who
specializes in high-end projects." If his clients pay enough for him
to have granite work tables, I s'pose so. (As if the photos of his
work did not provide enough evidence.) More power to 'im. -- Igor

From your earlier post in this thread,

As I'm on the early part of the ww learning curve, my concern is
based on some reading & research. For example this article on
torsion boxes:
snip
There is max's post in this thread which suggests an additional
confirmation of my concern. And, it makes some sense to me,
especially when gluing up cabinet boxes. Anyway, my sense is that
there are MANY variables when woodworking (as with many other things)
and so I try to reduce the variables where I think I can. For
example, doing a TS tune-up to a few thousandths of an inch, even
though being off by 100th of an inch is probably OK when it comes to
many TS cuts. If you are asking if I've had some experience that has
taught me the need for a "superflat" top -- not yet. -- Igor

Plamann thinks a flat surface is good. g Wanted you to know you weren't
alone.

OTOH here are a pair of Workmates.

http://plamann.com/sys-tmpl/inthesho...piii&UID=10017

-- Mark
(Yes, I have spent a lot of time at TP's site. ;-)

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 01:30:40 GMT, "Mark Jerde"
wrote:

Plamann thinks a flat surface is good. g Wanted you to know you weren't
alone.

Yes, in spite of the subtlety that is granite, I think that photo does
suggest the importance of being flat.

OTOH here are a pair of Workmates.

http://plamann.com/sys-tmpl/inthesho...piii&UID=10017

-- Mark
(Yes, I have spent a lot of time at TP's site. ;-)

And, you do have a good eye. Maybe two.

I built the bench with the 3 layers of 3/4" MDF that woodsmith published
a couple of years ago. I'm sure it isn't as nice as a maple bench, but
it is dead flat and takes all the abuse I've thrown at it. I do
refinish the top every year with a new coat of tung oil and some shellac.
I even have put in holes for bench dogs and they have held up nicely.

I mostly build furniture and needed a large bench. A smaller bench
wouln't be nearly as expensive to make out of maple, which would have a
much larger "OOOO AHHHH" factor.

Jim
(Malcolm Webb) wrote in
o.uk:

Having now sorted out domestic arrangements I have now decided to
convert part of a garage to a permanent workshop and have started
making the frame for a workbench. Any ideas from the team on the best
way/material to make the worktop.

Many thanks.

Malcolm Webb

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 01:16:53 GMT, igor wrote:

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 01:03:25 GMT, "Mark Jerde"
wrote:

Tom Plamann, admired & envied by many of us, uses these. ;-)

http://plamann.com/sys-tmpl/inthesho...piii&UID=10003

-- Mark

Well, at his site he does say this: "I am a designer, woodworker who
specializes in high-end projects." If his clients pay enough for him to
have granite work tables, I s'pose so. (As if the photos of his work did
not provide enough evidence.) More power to 'im. -- Igor

Well, they're not free, but if you have a quarry nearby, sometimes
they sell granite sheets with defects for a discount. But why not
just glue up a thick hardwood top and plane it down periodically? I
can't imagine that your benchtop flatness needs to be within .001"
unless you're making jet engines out of maple or something. I made do
with a bench made of 3/4" pine plywood and some 2"x4"s from the Borg
for several years, and it worked all right for just about everything.
I had to screw it to the wall to keep it from sliding around when
doing certain things, but once that was done, it was just fine- and
it's still flat, even after being moved a couple of times. Total cost
was about $40.
Aut inveniam viam aut faciam

Prometheus responds:

I
can't imagine that your benchtop flatness needs to be within .001"
unless you're making jet engines out of maple or something. I made do
with a bench made of 3/4" pine plywood and some 2"x4"s from the Borg
for several years, and it worked all right for just about everything.
I had to screw it to the wall to keep it from sliding around when
doing certain things, but once that was done, it was just fine- and
it's still flat, even after being moved a couple of times. Total cost
was about $40.

On occasion, I'll go to a local cabinet shop. Most of them use mobile assembly
benches that vary in height (18" to 24"), with space under for the odd tool.
I've never seen a torsion box used there, nor a piece of granite. Tops are
often plywood on the larger, MDF on the smaller and are reasonably flat. Some
are even covered with carpet, a trick I like to use when assembling expensive
woods or finished pieces. The flatter an assembly bench top is, the easier it
is to keep everything square, but a lack of even .01 flatness is not going to
cause a massive out-of-square condition for a careful woodworker. And a
careless woodworker isn't going to get a square assembly no matter what he or
she uses.

Charlie Self
"Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of
nothing."
Redd Foxx

igor wrote:
As I'm on the early part of the ww learning curve, my concern is based on
some reading & research. For example this article on torsion boxes:
http://www.diynet.com/diy/shows_wwk/episode/0,2046,DIY_14350_26946,00.html
and this one on a rollable tool bench:
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/plans/UTS/Tool_Stand_1.html


OK, I'm with where you are but I can't help but to think a
thing or two about all of this. Firstly, wooddorking ain't
rocket science but one thing I do know is you ain't born
knowing all the variables that come into play (1).

OK, stop scratching your head and wondering, "Is he about to
go off on some ramble/when can I stop paying attention?".
I'll get there.

Torsion boxes are a great thing but aren't absolutely
necessary (2). I would start with a good and stout work
surface first. Two layers (or for a couple few dollars more
three layers) of MDF will make a fine surface to work from.
To that I would build a good base beneath it. Four by fours
and some aprons/rails going around or full blown cabinets
(storage/adds more mass), what ever you want/need. In the
end you are concerned about bowing/cupping/twisting you can
shim from underneath/pull up/push down until the top is
flat(ter). The point here is to have something that won't
go rolling around the floor.

As for tolerances, I'm of the opinion that you take a
string, pull it taut across the surface and get it trued up
by eye. Anything after that is working in the hunnerts of
an inch and not worth finding yourself puking up in the
corner of your shop over.

Now, something to think hard on, to "successfully" build a
torsion box you'll find that it's better/easier if you have
a flat surface to start with/build the torsion box on. I'm
not saying it can't be done without it, just that it will be
harder/you'll be fiddling with it a whole bunch more.


There is max's post in this thread which suggests an additional
confirmation of my concern. And, it makes some sense to me, especially
when gluing up cabinet boxes.


I'm going to interject a thought here on box assembly.
*Normally* a box isn't too huge. We occasionally do a big
item though really most projects aren't. When you assemble
a box you will/should be checking the parts and pieces as
they relate to each other, not to the assembly surface
below. In other words, are the sides square to the
bottom/top? You can have a gap big enough to drive a Buick
through in the table below but that doesn't matter as long
as you are squared up.

This is not to say it doesn't help/you shouldn't care, you
really should, but...

Now, having said all of that, boxes flex/have some give
during constriction. An example. You can put two sides
together along with the tops and bottom and depending on the
size of the box you can be out of square by a half an inch.
It's probably not going to matter because you'll go to fit
the back and pull it all to true during that phase of
things.

Please do not think for a minute that I'm advocating bad
construction/it'll be fixed in the end, just that this is
one of the variables you will be thinking of during
assembly.


Anyway, my sense is that there are MANY
variables when woodworking (as with many other things) and so I try to
reduce the variables where I think I can. For example, doing a TS tune-up
to a few thousandths of an inch, even though being off by 100th of an inch
is probably OK when it comes to many TS cuts. If you are asking if I've
had some experience that has taught me the need for a "superflat" top --
not yet. -- Igor


There are two arguments on machine set up. One is that wood
moves enough to make any sphincter puckering machine set up
not worth the time and then there's the "I would prefer to
remove as many variables as I can from the equation/it's my
$150 and I bought a TS-Aligner JR so go **** off". I prefer
the latter over the former though I can't tell you that all
my processes are at zero, just that I'm as close to zero as
I can get so I'm not off in the corner of the shop puking my
guts up.

(1) Whole books have been written on the subject/a life's
time could be spent studying it/I can't right off hand think
of a better way to waste my spare time.

(2) Torsion boxes are best suited for spanning long
unsupported lengths or when something needs to be light(er)
weight. They are fun to make and in the end you'll find
yourself showing them to anyone who will stop for three
minutes to hear you go on about them.

UA100, who really is agreeing with you more than you might
think but thinks that "dead flat" isn't anything to lose
sleep over...

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 13:48:39 GMT, Unisaw A100
wrote:

igor wrote:

Anyway, my sense is that there are MANY
variables when woodworking (as with many other things) and so I try to
reduce the variables where I think I can. For example, doing a TS tune-up
to a few thousandths of an inch, even though being off by 100th of an inch
is probably OK when it comes to many TS cuts. If you are asking if I've
had some experience that has taught me the need for a "superflat" top --
not yet. -- Igor


There are two arguments on machine set up. One is that wood
moves enough to make any sphincter puckering machine set up
not worth the time and then there's the "I would prefer to
remove as many variables as I can from the equation/it's my
$150 and I bought a TS-Aligner JR so go **** off". I prefer
the latter over the former though I can't tell you that all
my processes are at zero, just that I'm as close to zero as
I can get so I'm not off in the corner of the shop puking my
guts up.


(1.) "A man walked along contemplating suicide; at that very moment a
slate (roof) tile fell and killed him...."'

Soren Kierkegaard.


(2.)"Current plate movement can be tracked directly by means of
ground-based or space-based geodetic measurements; geodesy is the
science of the size and shape of the Earth. Ground-based measurements
are taken with conventional but very precise ground-surveying
techniques, using laser-electronic instruments. However, because plate
motions are global in scale, they are best measured by satellite-based
methods. The late 1970s witnessed the rapid growth of space geodesy, a
term applied to space-based techniques for taking precise, repeated
measurements of carefully chosen points on the Earth's surface
separated by hundreds to thousands of kilometers. The three most
commonly used space-geodetic techniques -- very long baseline
interferometry (VLBI), satellite laser ranging (SLR), and the Global
Positioning System (GPS) -- are based on technologies developed for
military and aerospace research, notably radio astronomy and satellite
tracking."

http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/te...rstanding.html



(3.)"You can observe a lot just by watching."

Yogi Berra.

Here is one last vote for the "Solid Core" door bench.

I picked up a couple of blemished gypsum core "solid" core doors 12 years
ago. I built my "temporary" bench from the 48" wide door and it has served
me well for all this time. The frame around the door is 2 x 4 under the
edges and around the perimeter. The base is 4 x 4 southern pine, untreated
done in a trestle configuration bolted together within the dadoes. It is
heavy, it is flat and it is strong..... and yes it is pretty dinged up at
this point in time. But, I will retain the base and replace the top perhaps
with hardwood this time.

The other door I picked up, has been used across saw horses as a great
take-down assembly table / workbench. While it is heavy to move on and off
the horses, it stores against the wall until another day.

Dennis Slabaugh
Hobbyist Woodworker
www.WoodworkingHobby.com




"Dave Balderstone" wrote in message
tone.ca...
In article , Peter De Smidt
pdesmidt*no*spam*@tds.*net* wrote:

Nice workbench!

Ta.

Tom Watson wrote:
On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 13:48:39 GMT, Unisaw A100
wrote:


igor wrote:


Anyway, my sense is that there are MANY
variables when woodworking (as with many other things) and so I try to
reduce the variables where I think I can. For example, doing a TS tune-up
to a few thousandths of an inch, even though being off by 100th of an inch
is probably OK when it comes to many TS cuts. If you are asking if I've
had some experience that has taught me the need for a "superflat" top --
not yet. -- Igor


There are two arguments on machine set up. One is that wood
moves enough to make any sphincter puckering machine set up
not worth the time and then there's the "I would prefer to
remove as many variables as I can from the equation/it's my
$150 and I bought a TS-Aligner JR so go **** off". I prefer
the latter over the former though I can't tell you that all
my processes are at zero, just that I'm as close to zero as
I can get so I'm not off in the corner of the shop puking my
guts up.



(1.) "A man walked along contemplating suicide; at that very moment a
slate (roof) tile fell and killed him...."'

Soren Kierkegaard.


(2.)"Current plate movement can be tracked directly by means of
ground-based or space-based geodetic measurements; geodesy is the
science of the size and shape of the Earth. Ground-based measurements
are taken with conventional but very precise ground-surveying
techniques, using laser-electronic instruments. However, because plate
motions are global in scale, they are best measured by satellite-based
methods. The late 1970s witnessed the rapid growth of space geodesy, a
term applied to space-based techniques for taking precise, repeated
measurements of carefully chosen points on the Earth's surface
separated by hundreds to thousands of kilometers. The three most
commonly used space-geodetic techniques -- very long baseline
interferometry (VLBI), satellite laser ranging (SLR), and the Global
Positioning System (GPS) -- are based on technologies developed for
military and aerospace research, notably radio astronomy and satellite
tracking."

http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/te...rstanding.html



(3.)"You can observe a lot just by watching."

Yogi Berra.

(4.) "Bark of tree look good to squirrel"

Roaring Chicken.

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 13:48:39 GMT, Unisaw A100 wrote:

[snip]

UA100, who really is agreeing with you more than you might
think but thinks that "dead flat" isn't anything to lose
sleep over...

Agreed. And thanks. -- Igor

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 09:41:31 -0500, Tom Watson
wrote:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/te...rstanding.html

Great OT link. Like the World Book of yore, but free. I've bookmarked it
and will forward to friends' kis of the age where a geo report is needed
for school. Some gov't agencies do great stuff.

(3.)"You can observe a lot just by watching."

Yogi Berra.

You can miss a lot just by watching.

Igor.

A nice thing about gyp board core doors (actually a fire
rated door) is they are lighter than particle core doors.

Ua100