Auxiliary Bench or the mini Holzapfel

[mike holden]

Got the Steve Latta inlay DVD's, and decided to make a couple endtables with stringing. Now in the video, Steve uses an auxiliary benchtop, and includes plans. So, I felt I needed one of those.
I have also had the hankering for an aux bench for carving, and have the FWW plans printed out for those.
Well now, as I started to build the two came together to make this:
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the mini holzapfel auxiliary workbench!

I had a couple 2X10's laying around for a couple years, a vise that was collecting dust, and the veneer screws that I bought used.

aux bench 02.JPG
aux bench 03.JPG
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[mike holden]

aux bench 05.JPG
I used a piece of plywood between the legs, the piece nearest the vise is cleared for the vise screw and guides, both are cleared for the clamp.

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The vise jaws have a partial hole cutout and a dowel as a rocker arm for clamping the angled legs.

So far, this has been a really satisfying piece of equipment.

Best part is that it give me confidence that when it comes time to make my own full-size bench, I am capable of doing so.

Mike

[mike holden]

The next problem that needed to be solved with the stringing involved the thickness of the stringing.
I was using walnut stringing set into red oak.

leg mockup 01.JPG

But, even with a new saw blade, my slices varied enough that pulling the stringing through the LN sizer was a pain. The sizer uses a scraper and the wood would build up and jam or snap. So, I needed to do something to control the thickness.

I came up with this jig.

thickness sander 01.jpg
A piece of plywood, with a fence pivoting from one end, and held in position by a threaded rod at the other.

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The threaded rod that controls the thickness.

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The pivot end. the knob is only there to keep the fence in place; I though I might need to lock the fence down, but that was not necessary.

The jig is placed just under the sanding drum and clamped to the drill table.
The fence is adjusted in, and a scrap run through and measured until the proper thickness is found.
I was surprised by two things, one that the feed through the sander was not difficult, you could feel the sanding going on, but it was very controllable, it did not try to throw the piece around; and two, the sanding dust did not go all over the place, there was some powdery stuff, but the majority just dropped by the sanding drum.

This was a lot easier to do than I thought, and will be kept in my bag-o-tricks for the future.

Mike

[David Gendron]

I realy like the small bench top bench! I think I could use one of these!
great post!

[John Thompson]

Very nice Mike. Like the SYP and the notch in the face of the vice to cant is a great idea I may pick up on. I've built the last 5 work-benches with SYP see no major need to use anything else as the price is right and it does an excellent job.

Sarge..