[Brit]

Just a distant dream for me Mauricio. I will probably cry when I eventually get one and I'm not ashamed to admit it. 'Till then, long live the freakin' Workmate.

 

[SamuelP]

Here Here Brit.

 

[BrandonW]

Andy, many props to you for being able to do such fine work despite the Workmate! Since it's Easter weekend, I hope I'm not out of place quoting some scripture:

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master'" (Mat 25:21).

You shall be rewarded, Andy!

 

[Brit]

Thanks Brandon.

 

[carguy460]

I love reading all this bench talk, and seeing how everyone else solves the bench equation…I built my first bench when I bought my new house, about 3 years ago…at that time I didn't know what I wanted, how I would use it, or what the heck I was doing…now I regret it!!! My bench is 3/4" ply with a 2×4 frame…screwed to the wall…actually screwed to TWO walls. Yes, in my ignorance I built this thing in a corner of the shop. Even worse, I'm right handed and the left corner of the bench is the one buried in a corner…so my advice for anyone wanting a quick and dirty bench, DO NOT PUT IT IN A CORNER!!!! It has been a pain in the rear to work with it…the plus side of my ignorant bench design - I have a great reason to build a proper one!!!

 

[mochoa]

Anybody interested in a vintage screw for a leg vise?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/280857709520?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

 

[RandyM68]

That screw is ugly enough to fit right in, on my bench, but $26? I barely spent that much on the whole bench.

 

[Smitty_Cabinetshop]

That's a cool vise screw, not seen one with a handled end like it before…

 

[RandyM68]

I beefed up the leg vise, and added twin guide rods. Now it works great.

 

[mochoa]

Looks good Randy, I undersand what the bottom threaded rod does but why the other two.

 

[Bertha]

Randy, what's going on with the finger joints on the leg? I really love the appearance. I may steal it for myself

 

[mochoa]

I'm reposting this question here in case some one can help here that is not watching the Handplane thread.

If one of you has this screw on your leg vise (Lee Valley) can you please tell me the size of that square piece?

I've seen one sketch up model have it at 2 3/4" and another has it at 2".

I'm planning on buying the one from Lee Valley and I'm trying to fit it to be bench before glue up and before I have the screw in hand. Its backwards I know…

Thanks!

 

[RandyM68]

The reason for the finger joints is that all the oak you see on my bench came from an old day bed that I bought for forty dollars. At one time someone spent a lot of money on it, it was all solid oak, and a lot of the pieces were over an inch thick. The chop is made from part of the arms on the bed. The finger joints held them together. The inside piece is from the other end, but turned upside down.
When I first put it together, I just used the two screws. It worked, but it didn't track very straight, and would bind up when you cranked it in and out. I took it apart, and did it right. I added two one inch dowel rods running through bronze bushings. It slid in and out freely with out the nut on it.

On the first version, I tried to just capture the coupling nut on the back side between a couple of pieces of angle iron. That didn't work worth a damn. This time I morticed the hex about half way into the back. When I put it together, I planned to block the nut in solid, and drill it for roll pins so it didn't move in and out. I pushed it shut with my knee, reached down and adjusted the bottom nut, spun the coupler nut up snug, wiggled the crank a little 'til the hex lined up, and spun it tight. Hey wait a minut, why do I want to pin that nut in place again? So I can crank it in and out eight or ten inches when I adjust it? Now I can loosen it three or four turns to disengage the nut, spin the nut out of the way, pull it straight open, lay whatever in it, push it shut, and lock it down. It's much easier than turning that crank 40 or 80 rounds. I even took that knee busting crank handle off of it today. By the way, here's another attachment I made for the back side of my bench.

 

[bandit571]

I guess mine is a bit LOW TECH as far as a "bench" goes:

A view of the side with a saw vise attached:

Sabresawing out a handle for a handsaw:

This is the "main" part of the bench. I can also saw by clamping to the side of the bench:

or, I can clamp a board to edge plane. One end sits on a 2×4 stair railing, the other end is clamped to the main railing of my Back Porch

Note: For all of the Bench builders out there, REQUIRED READING: The Woodwright's Workbook. It will eventeach you how to make your own screws for your vises.

 

[RandyM68]

I do that, too. I'll clamp boards to posts, railings, kitchen tables, or whatever is convenient. Some guys get way too caught up in the idea, that you need a traditional workbench. They spend tremendous effort to make their's look just like someone elses. All you need it something solid that you can clamp boards to. All of the fancy vises, bench dogs, sliding deadmen and other stuff are nice. But if you can't figure out how to do it another way, you might have picked the wrong hobby.

 

[mochoa]

Does that router lift work pretty well? do those dowels do a good job of keeping the router square to the table? I love the simplicity of the design.

Bandit, you win the no excuses award for that on. You've figured out a way to do everything on that porch

 

[RandyM68]

I am going to put two inch long bushings on each dowel rod, to take wiggle out. It's not too bad right now, but it is easy enough to take it apart and fix it. I'll put some loose stop collars on the top and bottom of each, that I can cinch up rock solidly , for a long run of parts. I started trying to copy another lift design, and this is what I wound up with. I can't even copy someone else's idea right. Here is the one I was going for, if you do it right, it looks pretty rigid.

 

[Bertha]

Randy, you've got more clever inventions around your shop than I've seen in a long while

 

[RandyM68]

Thanks, Al. Everyone else thinks I'm just a dumb ***********************************.

 

[lysdexic]

Randy, I agree with Al. I enjoy people who just figure stuff out and make it happen. But Randy, between you and me, I KNOW Al is a dumb ***********************************.