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Thread: My New Workbench

  1. #16
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    Thanks for the kind compliment.

    The dogs both round and square are made out of wood. The wire in the round dog was from a wire whisk, but you could use just about anything, maybe a sturdy paper clip. Was also thinking out using rubber o-rings.

    Personal I'd stay away from the plastic dogs from the workmate... I can't tell ya how many times use my dogs set barely above the workbench surface. There no replacement for real bench dogs.

    My bench has a well too! The flat surface is about 21" deep by 84".

    IMAG2236.jpg IMAG2238.jpg
    Last edited by Judson Green; 08-06-2014 at 2:24 PM.
    I got cash in my pocket. I got desire in my heart....

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Don Rogers View Post
    I want to be able to put holes for pins in the apron to help support long boards and am wondering should the rear jaw face be flush or proud of the apron. Any experience with this? Don
    The rear jaw of my Emmert is inset, so that the exposed face of the rear jaw is in the same plane
    as the front apron. That way, I can clamp long boards along the front of the bench.

    (Not that I do that often, since I made my dining room table.)

    FYI - I "hogged out" the pocket for the Emmert with a circular saw and gouges. It was the most difficult part.
    Fit the Emmert with the bracket, only. That keeps the weight off the top while you're getting things right.

    I followed the steps shown in James Watriss' blog, and it works for me.
    http://jameswatriss.blogspot.com/p/i...ng-emmert.html

    Get help, flipping the top over.
    These things are heavy, awkward to handle alone and subject to the law of gravity.

    (I did most of my fitting at knee height, on my sawbenches.)

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Judson Green View Post
    Personal I'd stay away from the plastic dogs from the workmate... I can't tell ya how many times use my dogs set barely above the workbench surface.
    I do agree obviously if you need low profile but the ones for the Workmate are fine for something about 1/2" thick or more and obviously they are also tool friendly, like a wooden one. I like your idea of the wire in the round dogs. I might give that a try soon

  4. #19
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    Judson,


    I found a Paul Sellers video about making dogs and it is about the same as you describe. Will probably wait until bench is finished before making dogs but could use the Workmate dogs in a pinch. Thinking about wood, brass, or aluminum - depending on what I can find.


    Can you explain the pictures in your last post? I’m tired and brain is not functioning too well.


    My well should be about 2-1/2 deep but not as long as the bench. The 7 laminated 2 x 4’s will be about 10” wide and the Emmert will require more depth than that. I may have to laminate a short section of 2 bys on the left bench side to add to that depth. This will reduce the well length by about 14”. More decisions !!!


    Don

  5. #20
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    I recommend wood, I've never damaged tools or work with wooden dogs. Judson is right on the money with the placement of the wooden dogs.

    I think it ambitious to have a dog for every hole, but it would make life slightly easier.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  6. #21
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    Don

    IIRC, I was inspired by Paul Sellers dogs and made a version of my own.

    The larger dog is for square dog holes. Made of ash. Has a "spring" also made of ash. That springyness is made by cutting a slight taper on the down end of the dog.

    The round dogs are some crabapple. Basically just made a dowel then flatten one side just a little to get clearance for the bent wire in the hole. Then drilled two holes, the bottom hole as close to the size of the wire as possible, the top hole sized larger so the wire would move back and forth freely. And lastly, cut a flat part on the top (business end) of the dog approximately half its diameter and about ⅝" down.

    Hope this helps, if you have specific questions I'd be happy to answer those... or photos of different angles.


    Edit:

    Also with the round dogs I made that vertical cut (the one though the diameter) at a slight angle, so when in use the work will be engaged at the very top of the dog first. With the square ones I cut the dados the dogs go in to at a slight angle. Just a few degrees off perpendicular is all that's needed.
    Last edited by Judson Green; 08-07-2014 at 9:48 AM.
    I got cash in my pocket. I got desire in my heart....

  7. #22
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    Jim,


    Thanks for the Emmert installation info and the James Watriss link. I must have forgotten about the work involved in mounting this vise. It’s been many years since I installed mine on the makeshift bench and the details have escaped me.


    Placing the rear vise jaw’s surface in the same plane as the apron is good info.


    Now, I’m thinking about gluing up the 7 laminated 2 by’s, then, while that portion of the top is still somewhat managable, doing part of the vise installation. Maybe, if I plan ahead, each 2 by can be cut out for the vise before gluing them together. Also, the shorter section of 2 by’s to extend the mounting area (see my previous post)could be similarly pre-fabbed.


    Getting information like this from you and others will certainly reduce my mistakes in making this bench. Anything else you or others can add will certainly be appreciated.


    Thank you


    Don

  8. #23
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    Judson,


    Yes I was viewing the dog video last evening. I have learned a lot from this forum and videos like Paul’s.


    That’s great info on making the dogs. That will go in my workbench file - which is growing day by day.


    Thank you for offering additional info. I will take advantage of that. Anything you have to offer will be appreciated. At this point, future problems are unknown but I’m sure they will surface.


    Don

  9. #24
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    Have you got a plan or sketches?

    I'm sure we'd all like to see them if you do.
    I got cash in my pocket. I got desire in my heart....

  10. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Holcombe View Post
    I recommend wood, I've never damaged tools or work with wooden dogs. Judson is right on the money with the placement of the wooden dogs.

    I think it ambitious to have a dog for every hole, but it would make life slightly easier.
    Brian,

    Well, after this workbench build, I may need a smaller project like making a bunch of dogs. I too, am concerned about using brass or aluminum for the dogs. Believe I'd much rather run into wood dogs with my chisels or planes. While brass or aluminum are better in that respect than steel, it seems as though they will still ruin cutting edges. Wood is much safer.

    Thanks,

    Don

  11. #26
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    I have been rethinking the dog issues myself. I have read a few threads by our own Chris Grigg's regarding his two bench builds and somewhere he mentioned using "Veritas Planing Stops". These devices seem more flexible and adaptable to the kinds of work I do and plan to do than any bench dogs. These Planing Stops employ two round dogs with a .22" thick piece of aluminum between them. They come in several different sizes. A dog in a tail vise can hold even large pieces of wood against these. Probably even better, the wider surface area makes it easy to just use the forward pressure of planing to trap a workpiece against the devise. The aluminum stop is soft enough to not cause serious damage to an errant blade and thin enough so chances of hitting it are very small. The two "dogs" on the bottom of these devices slide within a track on the bottom, allowing the devices to adapt to different bench dog positions.

  12. #27
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    Mike,

    Thank you for reminding me about the "Veritas Planing Dogs"

    I. also was thinking bout them and made a copy of that LV catalog page for my workbench folder. They seem really neat especially because of their low profile and variable planing Stop. LV has many bench dog offerings plus ones that you can make yourself. I'm probably going to wait for the bench completion before "going to the dogs".

    I spent the afternoon adding another flourescent fixture over my old bench so I could see better to chop leg mortises. Finished one 1/2" haunched mortise and still have a regular mortise to put in the same leg. This is all new to me but it looks fair so far and after I make the haunched tenon, I'll know how staight it is. Only 7 more mortises to do.!!! I'm using a 1/2" Narex mortise chisel purchased eatlier from LV.

    Thanks for your ideas.

    Don

  13. #28
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    Just discovered the "Workbench" section in the FAQ postings. Looks like I have alot to read.
    Don

  14. #29
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    Here's some more photos for ya. The first photo I used a shaving to keep the dog from rolling.

    IMAG2244.jpg IMAG2245.jpg IMAG2248.jpg

    In the middle photo notice the slight angle of the working surface of the dog.
    I got cash in my pocket. I got desire in my heart....

  15. #30
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    Judson,
    Yes, those pictures help clear things up for me and I appreciate your efforts.
    My project is progressing slowly and I have begun mortising the legs. This and then making tenons to fit will take some time. After the legs are finished I can get back to the top. Quite a project!!!
    Don

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