Finally have a bench

[Brian Ashton]

After 10 years of working on the 30 x 30 carvers bench (to the left of the new bench) I finally got a real bench to work on. I made the carvers bench about 15 years ago (a lee valley knock off) and dragged it with me to aus and in-between renting, university and a few other factors I simply couldn't get a bench sorted out… The other day I was at a joinery shop in brisbane and they had a 96 x 24 benchtop they needed to get rid of. Asking price was 50 bucks. In this country there's got to be $150 of wood in it! At first I thought it was pine and that it might be a risk in that it's too soft. But when I got home and started drilling the dog holes I realised it was quite a bit harder than pine. So I don't know what it is, other than it's not one of those god awful aus gum woods, but it'll do that's for sure. I took a day off work and spent the weekend ripping everything out of the garage and redesigning it to accommodate the new bench… I would have rather it was a stand alone bench but at this time there's not enough room so I screwed it to the wall.

I'm so happy! Sad isn't it

On it is the next instalments of shutters…

[Jim Matthews]

That's a smokin' bargain.

Fixing it to the wall eliminates the bane of my shop layout;
dropping tools off the back, into the growing pile of shavings.

If this top came with a vise, you got the timber for free.

Go figure how an Ozzey can fossick through the dunny and find an opal.
That's bonzer, mate.

(Not to be confused with - That's Bronzer, mate)
john_boehner_orange.jpg

[Gordon Eyre]

That's great Brian. A decent bench is a must for a serious woodworker. You got a steal on that top.

[Jim Koepke]

Wish it was that easy for me.

My bench build seems to be stuck on hold.

At least there is a small bench in the shop on which to work.

jtk

[Neil Schoepp]

Nice pickup there Bry! How did you drill the dog holes. Like, they have to be pretty straight other wise the dogs won't sit properly, right? Is it just a matter of paying close attention when drilling with the brace or is there a technique that I should use. I just picked up a 3" slab from a local high school that were replacing the shop benches and I'm a bit scared to drill the holes for fear of making them slanted, I am new to this hand tool thing but loving it more each day, it's just so, well, quite.

[Brian Ashton]

Nice pickup there Bry! How did you drill the dog holes. Like, they have to be pretty straight other wise the dogs won't sit properly, right? Is it just a matter of paying close attention when drilling with the brace or is there a technique that I should use. I just picked up a 3" slab from a local high school that were replacing the shop benches and I'm a bit scared to drill the holes for fear of making them slanted, I am new to this hand tool thing but loving it more each day, it's just so, well, quite.

Ya it took me a few head scratches to figure out how to drill the holes accurately. I have the benefit of a lathe where I made the jigs below. The lathe allows me to make the jigs absolutely true in that they're square to the bench and at perfect right angles to the shaft of the bit. The first one on the left allows me to start the holes and then I use the second one on the right to finish the hole. It has a 1/8 spigot that is exactly the same size as the bit so it aligns perfectly. Overall I suspect I would at best only be out by 1/2 a degree.

For a 3 inch deep hole you have a challenge. If you have access to a drill press you could build a jig that has a fairly large base. Clamp it to the drill press table and then drill a hole though it so you could then clamp it to the bench and run your bit through it to keep things square.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

I've got one dog hole that's pretty out of true, but hasn't been a major issue yet with anything other than the bushing for my lamp. If anything, a slight cant towards the workpiece can be helpful, although I usually add that to the dog faces themselves (see the LV brass bench dogs) Angle perpendicular to the vise travel doesn't seem to be as much of an issue. I suppose it could get a little finicky if you use a lot of bench-mount jigs that you want to be interchangeable over different spots with a piston fit, but for my work, I haven't found the dog holes I drilled with a brace and bit to be a major issue at all, other than I've got a couple of holdfasts that don't really work in some of the holes because the holdfasts are spot on 3/4" so they're very tight in most all the holes.

I think with a good eye and a straight bit, you could brace and bit it good enough for most all purposes if you've got a little experience under your belt, maybe a try square or two next to you to help sight. I suppose a power drill could as well, but I always can drill straighter with a brace.

The router with a plunge bit method, if you've got a good router, would probably make things nice and straight, too. Certainly starting via that method, you could finish up easily with whatever else, the initial hole guiding you.

[Jim Koepke]

Nice pickup there Bry! How did you drill the dog holes. Like, they have to be pretty straight other wise the dogs won't sit properly, right? Is it just a matter of paying close attention when drilling with the brace or is there a technique that I should use. I just picked up a 3" slab from a local high school that were replacing the shop benches and I'm a bit scared to drill the holes for fear of making them slanted, I am new to this hand tool thing but loving it more each day, it's just so, well, quite.

Neil,

Welcome to the Creek.

If you have a couple of try squares they can be set up on two sides of the hole being bored to help you keep the brace vertical by eye.

Eventually after using the brace awhile one gets the feel of vertical. For dog holes being off by a degree or two is not going to be that critical. A couple degrees toward the tail vise may be beneficial.

jtk

[Greg Works]

I made a jig using three pieces of mdf (it was handy). Glue two of these together, one of top of the other so you have a 1.5 inch board (trim if needed so you have a true edge). Drill holes the same size are your dog holes will be. I used a drill press so that I know they are vertical. If you don't have a drill press you get to practice drilling vertical on something you can throw away - it might take multiple tries until you are satisfied. Space them are far from the trued edge as you want the the dog holes to be from your bench edge. Space them as far apart as you want them to be on your bench. Glue the third piece to the trued edge at 90 degrees so that you have an "L" shaped jig. Clamp to your workbench and use a brace or drill to have vertical and evenly spaced dog holes. As you move the jig along the bench after drilling holes drop a dowel in the last hole to keep the spacing uniform. I'm not home or I'd post a picture. It's really very simple.


Greg

[Neil Schoepp]

Wow. Talk about getting me thinking. I don't have a lathe, though I wish I did. I have a drill press, well sorta it's a small delta bench top. It would be a lot of work to support the bench top while I moved it for each hole. I like the router idea but isn't that cheating . Use a square to keep your brace straight, duh I never thought of that. I'm so new that I am still waiting for my brace to arrive. I picked up a 10" Miller Falls from hyperkitten. Should be here early next week (grinning while I rub my hands together).
Greg. I may steal your jig idea. I built some shelving units a few years back and on a smaller scale built your jig for the shelf pins. I feel like a dope for not thinking of that myself.
Thanks for all the great ideas.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Depending on what you're bench is built out of, you might wish you had gotten a 12" brace - I know that extra bit helped a lot for my maple bench top, although keeping the bit sharp helps a lot.

(I also pre-drilled the holes with a standard twist bit in my eggbeater [or at least as deep as it would go] with a bit a hair smaller than the lead screw of the auger bit - small enough that the lead screw still pulls the bit through the wood, but large enough that it didn't need to displace so much wood - in the hard maple it makes the cranking a whole lot easier, especially after the first 10 holes! Learned that trick here, don't know who to credit it too, though)

[Brian Ashton]

Wow. Talk about getting me thinking. I don't have a lathe, though I wish I did. I have a drill press, well sorta it's a small delta bench top. It would be a lot of work to support the bench top while I moved it for each hole. I like the router idea but isn't that cheating . Use a square to keep your brace straight, duh I never thought of that. I'm so new that I am still waiting for my brace to arrive. I picked up a 10" Miller Falls from hyperkitten. Should be here early next week (grinning while I rub my hands together).
Greg. I may steal your jig idea. I built some shelving units a few years back and on a smaller scale built your jig for the shelf pins. I feel like a dope for not thinking of that myself.
Thanks for all the great ideas.

Maybe not. How bout taking the drill press to the bench. Can you drop the drill press head down on the pole at all so the bit passes through the base enough to drill a 3" hole? If so you have the perfect tool for drilling the dog holes. Locate where you want the hole and clamp the drill press down and away you go.