Bench Update

[ssmith1627]

Still reading here just about every day but haven't posted in a few weeks -- working more on remodeling the house than on my shop. But finally back at it and thought I'd post a couple of pictures.

http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v...album01&page=4

Created the mortises for the vises, got the top flipped back over, the vises mounted and the top bolted to the base.

Just have to finish sanding the top, build the rest of the drawers and cabinet doors and coat everything in polyeurethane. Hope to be done with it this month so I can move on to the mobile base for my BT3K.

Steve

[jackellis]

Is the base for your workbench a torsion box or just a 2x4 frame with plywood on both sides?

[ssmith1627]

Just a 2x4 frame and then plywood. Then three plywood "cabinets" screwed together with another layer of Oak plywood on the outside of all that.

Pretty solid. This thing will weigh about 400 lbs empty when I get it done.

Steve

[venkatbo]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the updated pix... Its coming along great
Have a couple of ?s

1) In the vise pic (Upside Down View of Face Vise):
http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v...d=148_4838_IMG
the vise seems to be rightside up (word "Rockler" seems normal), but your title says otherwise. Unclear how this thing is mounted. Also, unclear is the purpose of those 2 parallel strips in front of the vice.

2) In the benchtop pic (Workbench Top - Ends Cut Flush):
http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v...8_4835_IMG_001
did you use a straight-edge guide and a 7 1/4" circular saw to do this ?

Thanks.

Best,
/venkat

[ssmith1627]

Yeah, that picture was just kinda silly more than anything. I had done that one mortise and fit the vise in place. I took the picture holding it up under the bench to see it in place like that......haha. If you look, the bench top and the vise are BOTH upside down in reality......the bench top is upside down on the base in order for me to make the mortises for the vises. Does it make sense now ?

I just put blue tape on the edges of the top to keep from scuffing anything as I was flipping the top upside down and back to rightside up. That's all that is. Gone now.

For the cutting, I measured 6 inches from a dog hole on one end and drew a line perpendicular to the face of the bench. The top is thicker than my circular saw will cut so I had to make two passes, one from the top and one from the bottom. It really comes back to me being a newbie as well -- I made somewhat of a disaster of that part and had to clean it up after. I thought I had stayed well away from the ends when glueing and screwing up the top but clearly I did NOT. So after hitting a screw on each end, I had to move in some and make another cut until I could get a clean pass with no screw in the way. Stupid me for letting that happen. It worked out fine in the end but what a stupid mistake.

Steve

[venkatbo]

Thanks for making it clear.
Good to know that the circular saw did not 'kickback' on hitting those nails. Ouch

400lbs ;!)... and its not going anywhere after you mount the saw

/venkat

[meika123]

**** fine lookin worktable. Were you not going to add a tool trough?

Dave in NC

[ssmith1627]

Add a tool to my workbench ? No, I don't think that's the purpose of this piece.

My next project is going to be a mobile base for my BT3100 to allow me to move it around, provide additional storage and provide support to the rail extensions I added to it. My shop is small so it'll be nice to have both the workbench and the BT3100 mobile like this. I can also position the two of them as needed for the workbench to give me outfeed support from the saw.

Then I saw some basic plans for a mobile cull bin. The stand for my BT3100 is going to become the stand for the router table I already built.

Just gotta get this little shop organized. It's a disaster right now ! Don't laugh:
http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v...d=147_4703_IMG

Steve

[venkatbo]

... Just gotta get this little shop organized. It's a disaster right now ! Don't laugh... Steve

Hi Steve,

Your shop looks just fine - totally disorganized...
Something to ponder...

On my first job out of school, my boss looked at my desk/cube and remarked - How could you work in this clutter, looks to me like your mind is cluttered as welll... Can't imagine how you can get anything done right! - and to which I quipped, Oh Harry, applying that same argument, I should say, since your desk is clean and there is no clutter in your office, that'd mean that yours is an empty mind, no ;?) Got promoted in 3mos instead of getting fired ;!)

btw, I'm curious - since you seem to be an accomplished handy-person (ww, remodelling etc),' am wondering if you are doing some aspects of this table to drawn plans or using your experience to do-it-on-the-fly... I know you were using a published plan for the original table, but if you have any self-developed plans, and don't mind sharing them, pl. share them when you can - I'm following your project with interest - 'am developing ideas for my own workbench, and would like to borrow some of your ideas, if you don't mind :-) Thanks.

Best,
/venkat

[ssmith1627]

Yes, my office here at work is quite the same as my shop at home......lol
At least I do know what is in each stack on my desk.
And I do have SOME idea of what I want to do with the shop at home -- just not enough hours in the day !

Accomplished ?? HA ! That's an illusion at best. The guys on this board are accomplished, not me. I bet they'd get a good laughing at you using that term and MY name in the same sentence. I'm very much new to all of this. I bought my BT3100 back in December -- my first table saw. Added a small drill press, a router, HF dovetail jig and a small collection of clamps.

We'll see how my remodeling looks in a couple of years.....if my crown molding is falling down from the walls or looking bad at the joints. I've enjoyed doing the work and learning along the way but I hated that crown molding, let me tell ya.

The workbench I'm building from the Dec/Jan issue of The Family Handyman. "rock solid workbench" I think they call it. No, definitely not off the top of my head. I'm doing an ok job of following their plans. Certainly not perfect but I'm happy with the results -- this is my first big project.

Steve

[Hoyden]

Nice job. This is an excellent start on the shop.

[meika123]

Add a tool to my workbench ? No, I don't think that's the purpose of this piece.

No Steve,
I don't think you understand what I was referring to. I meant a 4" wide trough along one side and one end to hold small tools out of your way while working. Like this:

http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct3.cgi?102

Dave in NC

[ssmith1627]

You're right, I mis-read your question.

No, I didn't have any plans for that. I think the large utility drawer just under the bench top would meet my needs for that.

http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v...d=147_4704_IMG

I won't know until I get started -- this is really my first workbench.

I do see the value in what you're suggesting -- it's just too late for my bench. I wouldn't go cutting into my top for something like that because the position of all the screws is lost now.

Steve

[meika123]

Whatever you say, Buddy. That "IS" one fantastic looking workbench. Youi should, indeed be proud, as I'm sure you are. Very nice job.

Dave in NC