Workbench build - tool cabinet shell complete

[merrill77]

I've been working hard on my bench...so hard that I've forgotten to take many pics and haven't really posted any of them. Some of you saw the bench top completed at the Raleigh shop crawl -- I'll start with the pics up to that point...which is mostly glue-ups for the top. Kinda dull, but I know you guys love pics!
(some pics were taken with a real camera and others with my phone...you'll know which are which and I apologize for the latter)

Boards milled for the top:

A bunch of the boards need grooves for the sliding trays or the wagon vices:

There are going to be a lot of glue-ups...there were a bunch of these:

This will be the center of the wider half of the bench top:

After cutting holes for dogs with a dado blade on the table saw and some more glue-ups, I have most of the components ready for the wide top:

The wide top is almost done:

And finally, add the outside edges:

Doing this as a series of smaller glue-ups made for a lot of steps, but I was able to keep the boards pretty well aligned. I was able to do several each day, so it wasn't too painful. On the upside, this approach allowed me to keep the boards very well aligned and limit waste. I started with 2 3/4" boards and my final top thickness was 2 1/2". After a few passes through the planer, I hit the target with a comfortable margin.


Thanks for looking!
I'll try to get find the pics for the apron that supports the tops and get those pics added soon.

Chris

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Re: workbench build

Looks like you're off to a good start Chris. Is this a design of your own, or are you following a plan?

Bill

 

[merrill77]

Re: workbench build

Looks like you're off to a good start Chris. Is this a design of your own, or are you following a plan?

Both. The design is mostly mine, but I have SketchUp drawings and step-by-step plans that I wrote for myself.

I started out looking at plans for the New Fangled workbench. I made some drawings with modifications from the original - I wanted dogs and a wagon vice. I then found some conflicts that would have been really frustrating if I had encountered them during the build. So then I put it into sketchup. I eventually restarted entirely from scratch, but have retained the planing beam and wedge almost exactly as it appears in the NFWB.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Re: workbench build

Thanks Chris. I wouldn't mind seeing your model if you don't mind posting it here. Also, I wonder if there is a way to post a SketchUp file to this site. Drawings and plans such as this might be helpful to other members in the future. I know Google has the 3D Warehouse, but I don't know if we have anything similar on NCWW. Just a thought.

Bill

 

[Bryan S]

Re: workbench build

You have a good start going there, keep the pics coming. A workbench is on my to do list and one of these days i will get around to it.

 

[Mike Davis]

Re: workbench build

Yep, me too. I wonder how a slab of walnut would do for a workbench?

 

[merrill77]

Re: workbench build

After glueing up the tops, the next step was to construct the support structure for the top. It's kinda like an apron, but it is removed from the edges, as much as possible, to allow clamping around all edges. This structure also supports the pipes for the pipe-clamp based wagon, face and end vices.

I have one picture of this step. There are two halves to the bench - one side is 12" wide and the other is 6" with a 6" gap between - for a total of 24" wide. The gap between the two allows for clamping around those internal edges as well the outside edges. It will also house sliding tools trays that can be flipped upside-down for a full-width solid surface. The three long gaps you see at the closest end of the tops house the sliding dog blocks for the wagon vices.

I don't have many good pics of this phase - as I was hurrying to get my shop presentable for the Triangle Shop Crawl. I finished the support structure and screwed the top to some sawhorses in time for the crawl. Fortunately, I found some pics in the shop crawl gallery.

Here it is from the end (forgive the ugly temporary base):

This one shows the clamps in place for a face vice on one side...with a temporary board in place for the face of the vice.

After getting the top assembled with the support structure, I was able to install the sliding dog blocks for the wagon vices. Again, a picture from the shop crawl is below. The sliding dog block has multiple holes for quicker adjustment and to compensate for the short travel of the pipe clamps (~1.5"). The blocks move on UHMW slides in grooves in top - with a little fine-tuning and wax, I was able to get really smooth movement. I'm really happy with the result - the dogs hold very well and the pipe clamps have plenty of power for this application. Having nearly 18" between the vices allows me to get a really good grip on larger items on two (or three) separate places on the workpiece. I've already used them a lot for the shelves I'm working on.

I was able to start using the bench at this point - thanks to the temporary base. Building a workbench is much easier if you have a workbench...so working on the legs and base will be much more pleasant now :>

 

[merrill77]

Re: workbench build

Thanks Chris. I wouldn't mind seeing your model if you don't mind posting it here. Also, I wonder if there is a way to post a SketchUp file to this site. Drawings and plans such as this might be helpful to other members in the future. I know Google has the 3D Warehouse, but I don't know if we have anything similar on NCWW. Just a thought.

I do plan to share the files once I've finished the bench and incorporated my on-the-fly changes changes back into the design.

Bill, if you'd like to PM me with your email, I'll send you the sketchup file. It has about a zillion layers that I used for in-progress screenshots for my step-by-step plans. That may be confusing for people, so I'd appreciate comments on how I can clean it up for general use.

 

[MagGeorge]

Re: workbench build

Surely, you will have your hands full at the show. Those are lovely pieces!

 

[merrill77]

Re: workbench build

I don't have a good picture of the support structure for the top, but here is a picture from my sketchup model. The 2.5" thick oak top sections are plenty stiff on their own and the 4" wide supports add to that. They are secured to the tops with pocket-hole screws. At a later time, I may reassemble with glue, but it doesn't seem to need it for rigidity. The main purpose of the supports is to align the tops and support the pipe clamps for the various vices. This pic shows the pipe clamps for wagon vices and face vice in place. Also note that the supports are strategically located away from the edges of the top - allowing for easy clamping around all edges.

Next I started working on the legs. They are glued-up from a bunch of smaller parts. I did the assembly in place to ensure a perfect fit for each leg. At this point, they are simply screwed to the aprons. It turns out to be very sturdy, but could be glued at a later point if needed. If I decide my bench is too high, I can dis-assemble and cut down the tops of the legs to shorten the bench.

Then I started working on the feet. Instead of cutting large mortises and tenons, I glued-up the leg-to-foot joints from components, forming the mortises in the feet around the leg tenons. This created mortise and tenons with a perfect fit at each joint. This picture shows it in progress. Because forces across the width of the bench do not get as much strength from the geometry of the design, these joints are glued.

After assembling the feet, I added a pair of stretchers between them. They are 1"x4" white oak, secured bed-bolt style. After taking it off the temporary base, I have a usable bench!!!

I still have quite a bit of work left. I need to put together the remaining vices, the planing beam and then build a cabinet below, to keep frequently-used tools close at hand. The cabinet will be somewhat smallish - so as to not interfere with clamping on the top. As pictured, the 6-foot bench weighs in at 166 pounds (not including the pipe clamps). I expect the cabinet and drawers will add at least another 100 lbs, empty. The remaining work should be very enjoyable, now that I have a decent workbench to do it on!!!

 

[W Burton]

Re: workbench build

The bench is really looking great!!! You have done a great job thinking it through and planning the construction process, and your sketch-up drawing looks fantastic. Sketch-up is one tool I need to learn to use. Excellent work.

Bill B.

 

[ScottM]

Re: workbench build

Great looking bench. Super job on the play by play. Now if I only can add 3-4 hours to my day then it would be on my list.

 

[petebucy4638]

Re: workbench build - the bench is usable!

You have given me an idea. I have a bazillion feet of white oak flooring. I'm going to plane and rip it into board, laminate it together, and make a new out-feed table with it. Thanks.

 

[merrill77]

Re: workbench build - the bench is usable!

My next step on the bench was the planing beam and wedge. This feature comes directly from John White's New Fangled Workbench (NFWB). It is basically a wedge on the bench-top and an adjustable platform to support a board while planing. It performs the same function as a sliding deadman, but it supports the entire length of the board...up to the length of the beam and workbench. It is adjusted by using the back end of a pipe clamp on a vertical pipe, fixed between the bench feet and top.

The pipe clamp end supports the beam. The NFWB design had the pipe in a slot in the beam, but my design would not accommodate much board width behind the pipe without interfering with other parts of the bench, so I used a metal strap to hold the beam to the pipe. So far, it seems to be working as required.

The pipe fits into holes in the top and feet of the bench. A screw secures the pipes tightly in place.

To make it easy to level the beam, I broke open a 99c plastic pocket level, removed the bubble sight and installed it into a mortise in the beam:

The beam is very convenient for working the edges of commonly sized panels. Once the beam height is set, no further adjustment is required. There is nothing to clamp/unclamp when flipping the panel over or around or switching to another panel.

Working the end of a panel is nearly as easy. The matching fence and wedge on the beam hold the bottom end of the panel square. However, I've found that if the top of the panel protrudes very far above the top of the bench, the bottom end of the panel tends to kick back towards me when planing the end grain hard. I've used a clamp to secure the bottom of the panel, but I'm looking for a better/quicker solution.

The fence and wedge on the beam are held in place by a few dowels - they are easily removed to allow the beam to slide all the way against the top. Since the top is 2.5" thick, it can handle the edges of boards as narrow as 2.75". Narrower boards would require a spacer to raise the edge above the top.

Here's a 3" board on the beam:

I had a stack of boards that had just been cut to width for some shelves and needed the blade marks removed before assembly. The planing beam worked exactly as advertised by Mr White - very quick and convenient. The ability flip the board over, switch to another board or reverse the board when the grain does not cooperate, without loosening or tightening a vice or clamp is really nice!

One of my concerns with the planing beam was that it would be in the way when not in use - that I'd be banging my legs against it all the time. So far, I'm pleasantly surprised that this has not happened. Yet. Ask me again in a few months.

That's my update for today. Next time I'll cover the tool trays.

Thanks for looking!
Chris

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Re: workbench build - the bench is usable!

Chris, I like the way you've done the beam, and I REALLY like the leveling mechanism you installed. After you've used the bench for a year or so, I'd be interested in your thoughts on what you'd do different if you had to do it over again. I've had mine almost 20 years now, and believe it or not, there are only a couple of things I'd change. I got lucky the first time.

Bill

 

[merrill77]

Re: workbench build - the bench is usable!

Chris, I like the way you've done the beam, and I REALLY like the leveling mechanism you installed. After you've used the bench for a year or so, I'd be interested in your thoughts on what you'd do different if you had to do it over again.

Thanks, Bill!

I've never had a proper workbench before, so I'm really loving this one. But I am sure I will find things to improve. I designed much of the bench to be disassemble-able for exactly that reason.

 

[merrill77]

Re: workbench build - the bench is usable!

You have given me an idea. I have a bazillion feet of white oak flooring. I'm going to plane and rip it into board, laminate it together, and make a new out-feed table with it. Thanks.

Sounds like a great way to make use of extra material. IIRC, white oak is a bit denser that red oak...that will be a heavy-duty outfeed table!

 

[ReynoldsJay]

Re: workbench build - the bench is usable!

There's nothing like a good workbench. Great job, love seeing the steps you went through. I put a bench together in constructing my shop, but a simple quick build. I look forward to when I can build something of this caliber. Inspiring seeing the steps and how it all came together. Thanks for sharing.

 

[bluedawg76]

Re: workbench build - the bench is usable!

that is one awesome bench! I really like the adjustable planing beam very cool setup!

 

[LeftyTom]

Re: workbench build - the bench is usable!

Chris, the workbench looks well laid out. :icon_thum The only downside is it makes me want to soup my bench up a bit.