Building Workbenches

[TEK]

Still not any real progress her (something making sawdust).
However, I do think that this build now has reached the top of my project que (some competition between this and a large french cleat system - it does however seems like the workbench build takes the first position)

I have made some changes to the design. To summarize the current plan is to build a split top roubo bench with a legvice and a wagon vice.
There will be a end cap on the wagon vice that will be attached using metal screws. Also the runners for the wagon vice will be attached with metal screws.
The reason for this (I try to keep it as traditional/old scool as possible) is that I do not find any other way to do this without cluing the end cap - and as the wagon vice might need adjustment I want to be able to "get to it".
If anyone has plan for a wagon vice with the end cap attached without screws I would love to get a copy/link/picture.

Except from that there will be no metal screws on the bench.
All joints will be drawbored blind tenon joints.
This included joining the top to the legs - so I have moved away from the special "roubo through joint".

The vice screws for both vices will be DIY wooden screws.
The leg vice will use a cross (DIY of course).
Each top will be 180cm lomg, 9cm thick and 23cm wide.
The gap between the tops will be 4cm.
Legs 16 x 8cm, streatchers 4 x 10cm.
The bench will be 90 cm high. This is higher than a "standard" bench, but I think it will work out for me as I dont do mutch hardcore planing and when I do I do not use the old style higher planes. With my current bench I often get back pain from crunching over it. I hope that it will be more comfortable to work by it with this height.
(I'm 180cm)

[JonMarsh]

TEK, why don't you build two and ship one to me? :W

In my dreams.... I like the Beech bench I bought from Rockler quite a bit, but you're going to have something special when you're done! :T

[Steve Manning]

Looking forward to seeing the build TEK. I love my Roubo (non-split top), it was big jump up from sawhorses and a plywood top.

[augerpro]

Could use some advice from ya'll. I'm finally back in a house and this time I'm trying to do the dust collection right. Primarily I'm approaching it in "layers": 1st is the tool's own dust collection port, 2nd by hoods where applicable (miter saw and router for sure), 3rd my own PPE, and 4th using plastic sheet to separate the area and using 2 household fans with the best HVAC type filter I can find attached. The main dust collector will be an Oneida Mini Gorilla cyclone unit.

For the workbench I'd like to make a router station (handheld work) and use the tabletop as the dust collection (aside from the tool's own port). Any ideas if this will work as expected? Any improvements? It could also double as a sanding station.

[TEK]

By router station and handwork, you mean doing router work with a handhelt router - right?

I would be a bit concerned that the walls and top lid will be in the way for you when working. But it will of course depend on the type of work you are doing. At least you should ensure that the walls are deatachable.

[ergo]

Maybe a 'down draft cooker hood' concept instead of just solid walls

http://www.falmec.ee/Tooted/KOLLEKTSIOONID/Design2/Down-Draft

Though I do also think these or any hard walls will get too much in the way....

Or a hanging 'pot' in right place with a big fan and filter inside... that should also be effective in pulling away the fine dust.

http://www.falmec.ee/Tooted/KOLLEKTSIOONID/E.ion-System/Spring-E.ion

... and a LED stripe around to illuminate the workplace under it

[Steve Manning]

I agree with TEK, I would think the top portion will get in the way and limit you to being able to only come at a part from one side. I think I would also be tempted to make a more typical, portable down draft table that can be moved out of the way when you don't need it. Tha way you also leave the top of your bench intact and stronger.

[Renron]

Jumping on the moving train, I too think I would opt for simple downdraft table for "hand work". That covered corner looks more like a spray booth collection point.
I like your design, but maybe put the downdraft near the middle, you could then slide the workpiece either way to continue sanding and not have to spin the wood around for dust collection. CFM air filtering is the key, not velocity.
Ron

[augerpro]

Thanks for the replies! Yes the top will be removable, and I'll have to do a mockup in cardboard to get the exact shape right. And yes, LED lights were part of the plan, as well as a rotating hose attachment at the top, so there would be a short section from the top down to the tool where it attaches vertically (Dewalt). This is actually an evolution of my old table. I liked it because I could clamp the piece at the front and/or end edge, or screw from below when that was the only option. My only movement was to the right, or forward (on the right side of the piece). When the top was too cutup I just threw on a new one. This new idea just adds integrated dust collection. The reason to use the hood is due to the fact that routers can throw quite a stream of dust out and you need a physical barrier to stop it for the dust collection to have any hope of grabbing it. The top of the table will be easily replaceable/modifiable so I'll see how this works. I've searched for anything similar for handheld router work and found nothing, and that is no doubt the biggest problem for speaker building IME.

[Renron]

Would love to see progress / mock up photos. I'm sure we all could use better dust extraction.

[TEK]

Some of the toolmakers that are good on dust collection, as festool, has solved mutch of this by adding dust collection on the underside of the router instead of just on the top.
That is however just efficient when routing edges.

[TEK]

Hmm, life happend and not mutch has been done on actually building the bench.
However, the idea still live on and I will build it.

Today I finished the screw and nut that I will use for the leg vice.
It’s actually some days ago (last weekend I think) that I made the screws (I made two).
The screws are made out of rowan tree that I personally got from Lofoten in the summer 2016.
It has bern drying in my basement since then. The scres are quite hard and when pressure is added the wood seems to become «polished». I think it will work great.
The nut is made out of beech.

Now I have the equipment and the process, so given I have suited wood it is guite easy to meke more (easy, but still a lot of work).

The screws are 60mm outer diameter and 45mm inside
The threads. The pitch are 15mm.
I’m very happy with the result.


In action:

https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aij7Bc-yER7bgddRBrd8Pn-ASpyj_Q

The screw is treated with this stuff:

Thanks renron!

Now I have to decide if I should use a screw like this for the wagon vice as well, or if I should make a smaller screw for that.

[Steve Manning]

Very nice TEK .... your making the rest of us look bad with all this real woodworking stuff. :W

[ergo]

Very nice project to do and I agree with Steve, this is truly a 'real woodworking'.
Even if it takes time to finish the bench it will outlive that time once it's done I'm sure.

[Renron]

TEK,
Excellent work and it is work making screws by hand. You should be very proud of those. Professional looking too. Welcome for the wax.
Life happens, I too have been busy but not on stuff that's much fun. 5 Acres is a lot of work.
Ron

[JonMarsh]

:T Very remarkable in a detailed and loving old school sort of way...

Reminds me I'm just a wires and sparks hack playing with batteries and flashlights in comparison!

[knowledgebass]

Looks great Tek! My bench is still a pile of lumber. Because of humidity variation where I live I settled for a more "high-tech" vise but would have loved a wooden screw (search Horvarter Vise - not even a metal screw!).

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[Renron]

Assembly bench

Here is my recent build, an Assembly table that also serves as a runout table for ripping and crosscutting full sheets of plywood. It is a torsion box build with 1/2" BB plywood. Pocket screws and Walnut dowels to hold the legs together. Holes go all the way through if I need to strap something like laminating a curve. The Red Spatula under the leg is because the floor is not level, this works great when I relocate the table for other work.

I also finally got around to building a silence box for the noisy Shop Vac. Tired of cleaning the filter I added a Cyclone. It is now possible to talk next to the running shop vacuum without screaming and I don't have to wear earplugs when vacuuming anymore. It's probably about 1/2 as loud as it was Db wise. Happy, Happy, Happy
Ron

[Steve Manning]

Looks like someone has been busy in the new shop ..... I'm loving the spatula Ron. Nice on the dust collection as well.

[TEK]

Very nice Ron! Like the setup.

[TEK]

Hmm, maybe I should should show-off my DIY cyclone?
I cant remember if I already have done so... let me know if anyone is interested.

[ergo]

Renron - nice bench and a very practical solution for vacuum too. I first added a Cyclone to my setup for the CNC dust collection, but seeing how effective that is I bought another one for garage vacuum too. I need to follow your lead though on building a contraption to put it on top of vacuum. Having it on side and without castor wheels does not allow it to be the easiest to move around.

TEK, yeah I remember yours. A very cool project with lots of angle grinder and metal scissors work - right ?
Surely worth to repost too.

[TEK]

Yup, you remember right.

Cyclone:


Dust extraction:


Some build pictures in this thread (norwegian text):

https://byggebolig.no/hobbysnekkerens-verksted/diy-sponavsug-msyklon

It was a fun project that bumped up my metal working skills a lot.
That it also did a lot for the air in the workshop was nice as well ;-)

[Renron]

Thanks for the complements guys. Both the bench and cyclone work very well. Watching the swirling dust in the cyclone makes me feel like 6 years old again. (embarrassed I enjoy watching it go round and round) I have plans and the 1/8" Lexan layed out to build a 5' tall clear cyclone like ClearVue size.
It's great to have the cubby holes in the workbench to stash the drill / screws / square / sander, whatever I'm working with. Don't tell the wife unit I took her spatula.....

Tek, I really like your DIY Cyclone, what size (HP) motor do you have and what size is the impeller? My Norwegian is a little rusty.
Ron

[Steve Manning]

I cheated ..... I just went ahead and bought a new larger unit. Yes it probably cost more, but it saved a lot of time.

[TEK]

Ron, it’s a 2hp fan, the intake/exhost is 125mm and the air speed is 1490CFM/42,15m3/min
I do not know the size of the blades.

It’s not a industrial quality fan, and it does bot have the more detailed peformance graphs that your professional fans typically has.
It gives quite good suction and sucks everything except heavy stuff with small surface, as larger metal screws.
However, I would still have liked it to be even stronger - maybe 3or 4 HP, but that would probably had required another filter.

Steve, that one is just really bad ass!
What model is it and are you happy with its performance?

[Steve Manning]

Here's the link TEK, https://lagunatools.com/classic-mach...-5-hp-cyclone/ It's not one of their big boys, but it nice step up from what I had and I really like the bin that roles out for emptying.

[Renron]

Nice Tek, I'm sure it'll suck the hair off a cat. Just what we need. Good job on building yours.
Steve, I'm jealous. That is a fantastic unit. And it comes in carbon black / grey, I'm sure E.T. would approve.
Ron

[TEK]

Now, what might be cooking here?





Is it a plain, or a bird or maybe the first leg of a workbench, the start of a leg vice and the track for a DIY criss-cross?

I have been wondering how to mount the criss-cross as I’m a bit sceptical to drilling a hole all the way from the endge of tge vice and the leg. I think I have a plan, will be interesting to see if it might work...

PS: it’s all live progress, so who know - it may not work out at all. I have never done this before8O

[Renron]

Go TEK Go ! I'm sure you'll make it work perfectly.
Ron

[TEK]

Hmm.
There seems to be some small difference between the dimension of the legs on my old and soon-to-be new workbench 8O

[TEK]

And I have a working vice


In action: https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aij7Bc-yER7bgddSTBi6b8q-DKhR0Q

However, not all is sunshine in the world of DIY-vices.
The criss-cross is working flawlessly - almost. It is made by 20x8mm steel, however - when I add enough force to the vice the steel actually seems to bend a little, transferring power from the jaw of the vice and into the steel.
It might be powerful enough anyway, and by giving the vice a bit more tilt in the top (easy to do by adding a shim in the lower track of the cross) might be enough to give it more holding force, if needed.
If that does not do the trick I guess my next option will be to replace the steel with something even more brutal (maybe 30x10mm will do)

In this video there is a piece in the jaw of the vice, and you can see that the lower part of the vice moves when the vice is tighten: https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%...%21124&o=OneUp

For now I actually think it will do just fone and will leave it as it is until the rest of the bench is done.

If anyone have a criss-cross for example from benchcraft, I would low to know if it is totally stiff, or if it have some flex?

[Steve Manning]

I've not seen one in person, but looking at this, https://www.benchcrafted.com/classicbench, I can see why you might be getting a little flexing.

[Renron]

Did anyone else look at the chop on the benchrafted site linked to by Steve and see the Ardent Baffle? LOL

[ergo]

It does indeed - shows that the build process of Ardent is involved enough to leave truly lasting memories for the 'minds eye' 8)

[cochinada]

Strange contraptions you guys use... 8O
@Tek, have you considered adding an electric motor to ...that thing? 8)

[TEK]

Ron: yes I did. It’s just so cool!
Joaquim:No, this build is old-scool stuff. I did use screws to mount the vice nut to the leg, and I still feel bad about it.
Wondering about taking it off and make a joint and glue solution instead. But then I cant easily swap it if it gets damaged...
I’m pondering the same about the end cap for the wagon wise. All solutions I see mount it using two big metal screws (for wood) while I would like to be able to mount everything without any metal screws.
But - it’s just so mutch easier and it may be disassambled later on, but not really old scool.

So no, no motor on this bench

[Steve Manning]

Strange contraptions you guys use... 8O
@Tek, have you considered adding an electric motor to ...that thing? 8)

A good solid work bench with good holding options is kind of a must.

[TEK]

Hmm, maybe a tenons and drawbore solution might work to mount the end-cap as well. That may be dissampled by removing the drawbored pin, given that the joint is not glued...
I would appriciate any references to wagon vice mounting that does not involves metal screws (with metal screws I have set many off)

[CADman_ks]

If you watch this attached video, at about 50 seconds or so, he clamps something that is wider, and if you watch closely, the it appears that the bottom of the vice moves a little bit after it's done clamping. AND, these arms are absolutely STOUT!! Very nice hardware indeed, and very a very nice commercially available bench. The plans to build one of these things is only $20, and that seems like a bargain to me...

[TEK]

Looks like this may actually happend this time around.
The build slowley progresses. I have got my small planer as well as my thicknesser out and habe used it to plane all the material to the base.
I have also glued up the the legs.


After the glue dried I have planed, adjusted and cut them to size.
I’m now in process of cutting the tenons on top of the legs. Two done, two to go!





I guess the next update will be when the base is done (might take quite some time - so maybe there will be a small update before that)

[TEK]

Making the tenons was fairly quickly done with a dado blade in the table saw.
Making the mortises is taking a lot more time, but I’m getting better at it.

The first took more than a whole afternoon. The last two was done in less time than that.
4 done, 12 to go (not including what is needed for the end vice)
Wonder how fast I will be when I get to number twelve ;-)

[CADman_ks]

M...
Wonder how fast I will be when I get to number twelve ;-)

Looks good!!

My experience has always been this: Just about the time that you're finished with something is just about the same time that you figure out how to do it efficiently...

[Steve Manning]

Coming along nicely TEK :T

[Renron]

My experience has always been this: Just about the time that you're finished with something is just about the same time that you figure out how to do it efficiently...

LOL. Ain't that the truth. TEK, just think how fast you will build the next bench!

That really looks awesome TEK, your doing what we all want to but just don't want to.

Ron