Drama of Workbenches (part 2)--Not really

So here is Josh's workbench version 2. I guarantee there will someday be a version 3. Why? My style of work has changed over the past year or so, and I would be naive to think that I would not change again in the future. Besides, I've already admitted I like my original bench's solid/laminated top. I'll be honest with myself (and to everyone else)... it just looks so much cooler...

This bench is based on Tom's Torsion workbench, which you can find all over the Web. It's a fairly straight forward build, and if you want, it can be really inexpensive (much less than $200) if you select your lumber carefully and then build your own vises.

I won't bore everyone with details on the build (other sites have done that for me and much better than I could). What you have are 4 torsion boxes all bolted together and supporting each other. This thing is heavier than my other bench (I used particle board for the the panels on the legs and back stretcher). This created the mass I was looking for, and the torsion design means I have NO movement or sway in the bench. It is definitely rock solid.

The only thing I will say is there is a LOT of lumber to cut in a design like this, and I did it all by hand. If you want to learn to cut a straight and perpendicular edge? Try a project like this or do a dog strip by hand. Cut after cut after cut...all the same thing... Either A) you'll get pretty good and finding what works and creating nice cuts by the end, or B) you'll get so fed up with it that the next time you look at a hand saw you'll scream and curl up in the corner. I won't tell you which corner I hid in...

The things I modified are fairly straight forward. I love my holdfasts, so those HAD to stay. I actually built a solid block underneath the top that I bored a hole though for my holdfasts. Each block is held in place by other bracing, and after a few months, I haven't had any issues in regards to the holdfasts not holding. If it ever comes to that, I'll just figure something else out. I NEED my holdfasts.

The other modification is the shoulder vise instead of a traditional English style face vise. This is mainly due to the fact that I REALLY got tired of the bars in the way, but I explained that in a previous post. I used a press screw I bought off Amazon. It gives me plenty of travel and pressure. Someday I'd love to have a wooden screw, but not until I can make my own, which is part of the reason why this one looks temporary.

The final change I made was the end vise. Where the original version of the bench called for a wooden handscrew to use as the end vise, I've modified that as well (though only after trying out the handscrew for a couple months first). For this vise I also used another press clamp from Amazon. I didn't want the screw to move in and out on the outside of the bench, so I used the clamping piece that you're supposed to use on the handle to attach the dog block and firmly attached the end of the screw to the dog in front of it. This limits my travel to only a couple inches, but I've drill two dog holes in the vise to compensate for the overall lack of travel. I've seen other versions of this that allow the screw to move in and out of the bench, but all I could
imagine was me running into it on the way to my plane cabinet. Not good.

So that's about it. I'm still working on my old bench to see what I can do to make it more stable and still able to move when I need to pack it up (for future reference). It will be some kind of monster by the time I'm done playing with it. Also if I find a new vise idea, I can easily try it out there first, and for now, it makes a great assembly table or extra work surface when I need it. I enjoy making them a whole lot more than buying them, that's for sure. Until then!

Josh

More Shop Storage - Nail/Screw Holder

I don't like walking around my shop just to grab stuff I use almost every time I'm out there. That has led me to my mission to get more organized. I was using peg boards, but it just wasn't enough, and if you didn't want to pull the pieces out of the board every time you pulled off a tool--or just wanted to reorganize everything--it was a pain in the rear.

So I've been on my mission. This time it was screws and nails. I hate digging them out of my toolbox. I really wanted something that was within easy reach of my bench, plus give me a place to keep things off of my bench while I'm working and this is the result. It's a single board about 5 inches wide with dados cut into it to allow for the small shelves.

I don't own a table saw--and really don't want one--so the dados would have to be cut by hand. This is the first time I've really done this on something other than practice, so I won't say I was nervous, but I was extra careful on the first one.

I started the dado by knifing my lines at 3/4". I set my first line, then used the actual shelf board to mark the other side. Marked the lines with the chisel and then made a second cut with the chisel to make a "V" for the saw to ride in.

Then sawed to the marked depth in each of the lines. Going back with the 3/4" chisel and chopping a little all the way down really made removing the waste simple.

Then the router plane quickly takes care of the rest...

This first one took about 20 minutes, but the others were about 5-10 minutes apiece. Easy...

And then it's just cutting the shelves to length and gluing them in. Doesn't get much simpler! Oh, and adding the cleat on the back to hang it from. I just used an off-cut piece from one of the other cleats. Up on the wall it goes!

An easy project completed, but I really enjoyed the practice. Besides, it's useful and only took about an hour. I'm sure someone can figure out another use for it too.

--Josh

Back Home

I do have to say, though, as busy as we were this weekend, when I unpacked my new Veritas carcase saw (rip), I couldn't wait to get into the shop and at least cut a tenon cheek with it. So that's exactly what I did. Went into the shop, made one cut, sighed, looked around the mess that is my shop, sighed again, then gently placed the saw into its new home in the saw till on the wall and turned and returned inside.

No matter how nice a trip is, there is always that feeling of contentment that hits as soon as you walk through the door of your home to confront the pile of stuff you dropped in the foyer as you emptied the car from the travel chaos. It didn't fail me this time either!

My wife and I had a great trip to Tucson and I finally got to meet some of her family for the first time. It was definitely a weekend well-spent. Some tourism, family, and friends, and a short 4 days later it's back to the daily grind. It's definitely something we'll have to be doing again in the near future.


That one cut didn't tell me a whole lot, other than it is capable of a smooth straight cut, but it did whisper of things to come. It also whispered that I should go ahead and stay out there and that there was plenty of time before bed for me to play...and it was persistent. BUT, I also--at the same moment--remembered that I was married and that pile of stuff in the foyer could alter how happily that would continue.

And so I waved goodbye for the evening to all my friends in the shop and promised everyone that I'd see them very soon...amazingly similar to my goodbye several hours earlier. Sadly, I realized I must be getting good at them...hopefully "Hello!" follows shortly!