planing bench

[daver828]

I am trying to come up with a saw horse, of sorts, for use with a Japanese inspired planing bench, which is in reality a 10 x 10. I have tried several different saw horses and every time the pressure used in planing causes the saw horses to tumble. I thought about extending the legs more diagonally thinking it would give more stability, but I haven't come up with anything that works satisfactorily. Here is what I would like, and maybe someone here can help.

I need something strong, yet light, within reason. It needs to support a 6 to 8 ft piece of timber which will be used to plane other, smaller pieces of timber. And it needs to preferably be able to break down and set back up frequently. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[froglips]

Have you seen these pics? http://www.daikudojo.org/Classes/index.htm

I'd think massive bridal joints along those lines would resist racking in both directions. Plus, you might be able to reduce the need for as much material in the sawhorses.

Might also look at timber frame construction for joint ideas.

I never thought I'd hear an 8' 10x10 be referred to as "portable"

Jim

 

[Guy in Paradise]

It seems that the legs would have to slide up into a joint on each side of the beam, probably at an angle, and then wedges could be driven to lock it all together.

If rails are put on each side of the beam in a slight wedge angle, then the legs could have tenons that slide and lock into the rails.

An interesting problem.

 

[timf67]

What about a trestle style base connected with the veritas bench bolts: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=31147&cat=1,41637
for dissasembly. You could then do what I did for my workbench and have the top (beam in your case) merely sit on the base using 2 steel locating pins on the base with steel slip shoulders mounted into the top.

 

[CarvedTones]

Here is something from left field...

The problem results from you being anchored to the floor pushing against the big timber which is not anchored as well. If standing right beside the timber and planing is common, you could drill some large holes from side to side through the timber and use a length of closet rod as a "body prop". For example, if you are planing Western style, having it right behind you where you are not quite sitting on it would put a lot of your anchoring counterforce directly on the timber. Similarly having one you are almost leaning over for pull motion would do the same.

 

[dkeller_nc]

I need something strong, yet light, within reason. It needs to support a 6 to 8 ft piece of timber which will be used to plane other, smaller pieces of timber. And it needs to preferably be able to break down and set back up frequently. Any ideas? Thanks.

I've not set up a japanese-style planing beam, but I'm going to suggest a support method that is incredibly sturdy, yet reasonably light and portable - the Chris Schwarz style sawbench. There's a free plan on his blog - I tried to attach a copy to this post, but the file upload failed for some reason (twice). If you send me your e-mail by PM, I'll forward a copy to you. The file size is small - 124 KB.

I've built these out of some southern yellow pine, and the draw-bored joints and their wide stance makes them incredibly stable. Besides my workbench, these are the single most-used and useful shop furniture I've ever built.

 

[Tarhead]

Check out this year's FWW Shops and Tools edition for a break down-able sawhorse based bench. It appeared sturdy and flexible.

 

[CarvedTones]

- the Chris Schwarz style sawbench. There's a free plan on his blog -

http://blog.lostartpress.com/content/binary/2008-Sawbench.pdf

EDIT - scroll down to see a better link (other formats) from zapdafish

 

[willarda]

I made a pair of those sawbenches and they are very useful and sturdy. There is a hole in each end of the top for a holdfast, aand the shelf underneath for storing stuff out of the way.

 

[daver828]

thank you for the help

 

[jarrett]

I'm using a WorkMate as my worktop, thanks to advice from folks here, but I'm running into problems when I try to use my plane. If I don't step on the workmate with my foot, the table has the tendency to lift off the ground.

Is it my planing technique? Do I need to angle the wood differently in the bench to counter this? Or do I just need to nail the legs to the floor? :gar-La;

 

[CarvedTones]

I'm using a WorkMate as my worktop, thanks to advice from folks here, but I'm running into problems when I try to use my plane. If I don't step on the workmate with my foot, the table has the tendency to lift off the ground.

Is it my planing technique? Do I need to angle the wood differently in the bench to counter this? Or do I just need to nail the legs to the floor? :gar-La;

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but yes, it is your technique. Apparantly you aren't keeping your foot on the Workmate all the time or aren't keeping enough weight on it.

I was tempted to put a smiley or laugh on the end because it is something of a joke, but at the same time it is a serious comment. Those of use that work with light benches have to use body weight to compensate. Right now, I have some to spare. :rotflm: There, I snuck one in at my expense. :gar-La;

 

[dkeller_nc]

Jarret - I know you're joking, but you really might want to consider building the Schwarz sawbenches, perhaps scaling them up a bit for some extra height (but that will make them less useful as sawbenches). They are very easy to build with minimal tools and minimal materials, and they make really useful portable small workbenches in a pinch.

 

[zapdafish]

http://blog.lostartpress.com/2008/02/17/Free+Construction+Drawings+For+The+2008+Sawbench.aspx

nice, they even have the Schwarz plans available in sketchup

 

[Len]

The WorkMate is to low to properly support the end of a Japanese style planing beam.

Google has a picture from a book on Japanese Joinery showing the construction of a planing beam here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=dD...OskeQI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4

Since you've already got the beam, you just need some 1x3 and an end support block and you're in business. Note how the end support block goes against the wall to keep the beam from shifting. I've got that particular book, and if you're into Japanese joinery I recommend it.

Len

 

[jarrett]

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but yes, it is your technique. Apparantly you aren't keeping your foot on the Workmate all the time or aren't keeping enough weight on it.

I was tempted to put a smiley or laugh on the end because it is something of a joke, but at the same time it is a serious comment. Those of use that work with light benches have to use body weight to compensate. Right now, I have some to spare. :rotflm: There, I snuck one in at my expense. :gar-La;

Ha ha, okay, I don't feel so bad anymore when I end up lifting one end of my workmate several inches off the floor. The Schwarz Sawbench is one of the first things I read about when joining this site, and it is definitely in my future plans...I guess I'll just need to modify it to put a foot plate on each end!