Ken those are some nice looking butterfly's. The only time I made them they got wedged when I test fit them... Twice!!!
Thanks for posting pics!
Salem
Thanks for posting pics!
Salem
- Status
Thanks. I was very pleased with the way they came out.
The checks go about halfway or a little more at the ends through the slab. There is very little if any checking on the top side of the bench slab. On the bottom side there is a check pretty much all the length of the slab (which is why it is the bottom) although it is not one continuous split. It stops here and there and starts back up an inch or two to one side or the other of the original.
The slab seems very structurally intact. I don't think there's any danger of it splitting in two down the middle.
- Ken.
An ugly solution to the moving measurements, but it worked.
I had to re-square the edge of the bench that moved the most and get that leg back parallel with the rest of them instead of splayed out like it was. Once that was done, I had to cut 3 of my beautiful cross pieces in half and make half-lap joints in them. I then cut a 6" and 2 8" (for the longer cross-members) inserts to fill the gap I made in the original cross pieces. These were also half-lapped. I used pegs to hold everything together tightly.
It was a really ugly fix, but I made the inserts a little proud and then came back and planed and sanded them back to exactly level with the original cross pieces. It does seem to be holding very well with the epoxy and pegs. I now have a complete undercarriage for the bench.
Now to begin work on the front vise chop. I milled my board I'm going to use for that to exactly 2" thick and made a paper pattern to help lay out the chop. More pictures soon as that progresses.
- Ken.
I had to re-square the edge of the bench that moved the most and get that leg back parallel with the rest of them instead of splayed out like it was. Once that was done, I had to cut 3 of my beautiful cross pieces in half and make half-lap joints in them. I then cut a 6" and 2 8" (for the longer cross-members) inserts to fill the gap I made in the original cross pieces. These were also half-lapped. I used pegs to hold everything together tightly.
It was a really ugly fix, but I made the inserts a little proud and then came back and planed and sanded them back to exactly level with the original cross pieces. It does seem to be holding very well with the epoxy and pegs. I now have a complete undercarriage for the bench.
Now to begin work on the front vise chop. I milled my board I'm going to use for that to exactly 2" thick and made a paper pattern to help lay out the chop. More pictures soon as that progresses.
- Ken.
Got started on the front vice chop today.
I made a paper template to be sure I liked the dimensions and form. It also helped to line up the mortise with the slot in the bench leg.
I roughed out the form on the bandsaw.
I'll finish it with a drum sanding attachment for the drill press and give it a cove or roundover with a router bit on the front edge. It will be a little proud of the top of the bench so I can plane it level with the benchtop.
Finally some forward progress. I can actually begin to see an end in sight.
- Ken.
I made a paper template to be sure I liked the dimensions and form. It also helped to line up the mortise with the slot in the bench leg.
I roughed out the form on the bandsaw.
I'll finish it with a drum sanding attachment for the drill press and give it a cove or roundover with a router bit on the front edge. It will be a little proud of the top of the bench so I can plane it level with the benchtop.
Finally some forward progress. I can actually begin to see an end in sight.
- Ken.
Front Vise is finished.
I spent most of the weekend working on the front vise chop, parallel guide and wood screw. I pretty much got everything done except to cut the top to match the exact top of the bench. It is about a 1/4 inch proud right now. I'll wait until I do the final leveling of the bench top to cut the top of the vise even with the bench.
I'm really pleased with the way the front vise came out.
I also epoxied the good-luck coin to the bottom of the bench. I'm not really superstitious, but I am a firm believer in tradition and it is traditional to put a coin on the bottom of a bench for good luck.
This pretty much finishes everything that I need to do to the bottom and sides of the bench. It is about time to turn it over and let it stand on its own feet.
I went ahead and mixed up a batch of wipe-on poly, boiled linseed oil, and mineral spirits in equal proportions to use as a finish and applied a quick coat to the underside of the bench, crosspieces and feet.
Will be turning it right side up tomorrow or the next day.
I spent most of the weekend working on the front vise chop, parallel guide and wood screw. I pretty much got everything done except to cut the top to match the exact top of the bench. It is about a 1/4 inch proud right now. I'll wait until I do the final leveling of the bench top to cut the top of the vise even with the bench.
I'm really pleased with the way the front vise came out.
I also epoxied the good-luck coin to the bottom of the bench. I'm not really superstitious, but I am a firm believer in tradition and it is traditional to put a coin on the bottom of a bench for good luck.
This pretty much finishes everything that I need to do to the bottom and sides of the bench. It is about time to turn it over and let it stand on its own feet.
I went ahead and mixed up a batch of wipe-on poly, boiled linseed oil, and mineral spirits in equal proportions to use as a finish and applied a quick coat to the underside of the bench, crosspieces and feet.
Will be turning it right side up tomorrow or the next day.
Hey Ken that vise looks great! Did you make a pin for the guide yet?
I just put suede on my vise chop and front of the bench last night. Do you plan on doing something similar? I haven't used it enough to see if I like it. But I have used it on my wagon wheel vise and on the dogs and I like it there a lot.
And I love the idea of gluing in a coin. I will have to do that myself!
Salem
I just put suede on my vise chop and front of the bench last night. Do you plan on doing something similar? I haven't used it enough to see if I like it. But I have used it on my wagon wheel vise and on the dogs and I like it there a lot.
And I love the idea of gluing in a coin. I will have to do that myself!
Salem
The vise looks good Ken. Can't wait to see the finished bench standing on it's own two legs. :icon_thum I guess I wasn't aware of the coin for good luck story. I built my bench in 1993 but never put a coin under it. Hmmm! Wonder if that could explain some things. :nah:
Bill
Bill
I hadn't really thought about "making" a pin for the parallel guide. I was just going to use one of the two 3/8" drawbore pins that I used when I put the stretchers together. But turning a fancy pin might be a good lathe exercise.
I've got the piece of suede that came with the traveler vise and plan to use that on it. Hadn't really thought about putting leather on the front chop. Probably see how it works without first.
I think I heard of the coin business from one of Chris Schwarz books on the Roubo Bench. He also used a French Franc on his bench. I thought it was appropriate. Mine came from a trip to Paris when I was 13 years old. I just noticed the date reads the same right side up or upside down. Funny the things you notice when looking from different angles.
- Ken.
Right Side Up
It's been a while since I've worked on the top side of the bench. I finally got most of the details on the bottom and sides completed and stood the bench on it's own four feet.
I cut the tops off of the leg tenons close to level with the top.
I also finished cutting the tenon on the left-hand edge of the bench to fit an end-cap. I still need to make the mortise in the end-cap to fit over the tenon. That will be tomorrow's project.
I was at Jack's sawmill yesterday getting some cherry for another project and found a large 5/4 piece of wormy maple that will be ideal for the bottom shelf. I was planning on ship-lapping small boards to make the shelf, but with this piece I'll be able to cut a single piece of wood to make up the entire shelf.
More pics as I get to work on the end-cap and shelf.
- Ken.
It's been a while since I've worked on the top side of the bench. I finally got most of the details on the bottom and sides completed and stood the bench on it's own four feet.
I cut the tops off of the leg tenons close to level with the top.
I also finished cutting the tenon on the left-hand edge of the bench to fit an end-cap. I still need to make the mortise in the end-cap to fit over the tenon. That will be tomorrow's project.
I was at Jack's sawmill yesterday getting some cherry for another project and found a large 5/4 piece of wormy maple that will be ideal for the bottom shelf. I was planning on ship-lapping small boards to make the shelf, but with this piece I'll be able to cut a single piece of wood to make up the entire shelf.
More pics as I get to work on the end-cap and shelf.
- Ken.
Looks great Ken! You are getting close.
So you found a board wide enough to use as a shelf! Wow that would look cool. But I wonder if they would be more stabile in the other direction? I actually ran out of oak for mine. Ended up using some really crappy fir
. Oh well it works and is quite useful!
Salem
So you found a board wide enough to use as a shelf! Wow that would look cool. But I wonder if they would be more stabile in the other direction? I actually ran out of oak for mine. Ended up using some really crappy fir
. Oh well it works and is quite useful!Salem
Looks great Ken! You are getting close.
So you found a board wide enough to use as a shelf! Wow that would look cool. But I wonder if they would be more stabile in the other direction? I actually ran out of oak for mine. Ended up using some really crappy fir
Salem
Thought about that. The ship-lap would have given lots of room for expansion/contraction, but I figure if I just attach it with a few screws in the ends and allow about a 1/4" gap on the long edges I should be OK. It's pretty thick and I'll mill it minimally to keep it sturdy. The width between the cross-pieces is only 11-3/4" so it won't be very wide. It has a 1 inch ledge all around to rest on top of.
Heck, there is enough of it that if it doesn't work or feel right horizontally, I can always re-mill it and the left overs into short slats vertically.
It wouldn't be the first time I've started something over on this bench that I wasn't completely happy with.
- Ken.
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