Building a frame for a work bench/work table with the Adjust A Bench system

[Mike Holbrook]

Jim,
I'm sorry I confused the issue by talking about two benches in the same thread. The bench I am doing the upgrade on is a compact Hammer bench I have had for a long time. The existing Hammer bench is only 20" wide (including the tool well) x 54 1/2" long (including the end vise). The Adjust A Bench bench/table I am working on is a different project. I am trying to improve the old bench enough so I can plane some of the wood for the Adjust A Bench and a couple saw benches I am finishing up, from a Schwarz class. The two saw benches are just small 7" x 17" surfaces for sawing or sitting on. I am planing the legs for the saw benches from tough, tapered white oak and I plan to plane some of the SYP for the Adjust A Bench as well. The Adjust A Bench is on locking casters so I can roll it between work areas. The compact Hammer bench may eventually move to my work workshop, after I finish the heavy bench so I am trying to maintain the ability to break it down into manageable pieces.

Once I finish the Adjust A Bench, which is more of a clamping surface, sheet goods cutting table and work table, I plan to use the Adjust A Bench's larger surface to make a heavy bench from glued up hardwood. The heavy bench will have two vises on it. The compact Hammer bench has two wood vises on it too, it just isn't that sturdy/heavy yet. Yes, I am upgrading a bench to use to make a bench/table to make a real bench on. I am about done upgrading the compact Hammer, I will post pictures once it is finished.

[Mike Holbrook]

Here is the Hammer bench I just made a small upgrade to. I had wainscotting, plywood, lying around from a building project so I just used it to enclose the bench on three sides. I may add doors and another shelf or two in the future but for now I have a storage area that adds the needed weight and rigidity to this small bench. I am also finishing up the sawbench (actually two of them) in front of the Hammer bench:

Hammerup.jpg

Here is the Adjust A Bench base with a couple stretchers that I am about to make dadoes in so that they will fit over the threaded rod between the two end pieces of the AAB. The original post was to discuss how to make a frame/top to fit on top of the AAB so I can swap out work surfaces.

Adjustabase.jpg

The piece in the end vise on the remodeled Hammer bench is a tapered white oak leg for the second sawbench. Sitting on top of the leg is my #5 Stanley plane with a cambered blade. I was able to work the leg with the plane without the bench walking, just with the additional weight and rigidity enclosing the bench provided. Now that I have a decent place to plane I will probably make the sawbench legs octagons.

I think that once I fill the inside storage area with tools, finish...I will have a decent place to plane, at least until I get my heavy bench built. The AAB bench/work table may not be the best place to plane as it is designed to be a mobile station. Planing white oak with a cambered blade is tough work without a solid, heavy bench, much different than taking small amounts off softer wood.

itworks.jpg

[Eric Brown]

I have the adjust-a-bench legs on my bench. You will have to consider that they only adjust in 1 inch increments. I have leveling pads that raise the wheels off the floor for better stability. You might consider something similar for fine adjustments. As for the top, I would build the top strong and with the vice(s) installed. Then I would use the foam as a cap on top of it. The bench top would support the foam and reduce the weight you need to move. Good luck. Eric

[Mike Holbrook]

Eric, I have been planing to use a Festool MFT top on the AAB bench. I think the Festool clamping system will be helpful for clamping odd sized chair seats and arm supports in and I have an MFT table and the clamps now. I like to leave the actual MFT table set up for cross cutting and angled cuts. It just takes time to take the fences/guides I use for cross cutting sheet goods on & off when I want to use the surface to clamp something. My idea was to make the AAB bench so it can be an outfeed/extension of the MFT. Then I can do my rip cuts with my Festool saw on the combined tables.

I kicked around the idea of making the AAB base into my heavy bench like Eric apparently has. The main reason I did not go that way is I bought a Benchcrafted leg vise to put on my heavy bench and I am not sure how to adapt a leg vise to an adjustable height bench.

[Jim Koepke]

I kicked around the idea of making the AAB base into my heavy bench like Eric apparently has. The main reason I did not go that way is I bought a Benchcrafted leg vise to put on my heavy bench and I am not sure how to adapt a leg vise to an adjustable height bench.

Maybe something has flew by me, just because it is a leg vise does it mean the leg has to reach the floor?

Isn't it really just a big clamp?

jtk

[Eric Brown]

Mike, Jim makes an interesting suggestion. In fact, my bench utilizes a hanging dead-man that can be positioned the full length and on either side of the bench. Not sure if a vice could be done in a similar way. Probably one concern would be the extra weight to lift. I used some constant force springs as a counter-balance to make my bench top lift easier.

[Mike Holbrook]

I was just studying the AAB base and realized the base (with the casters on it) is held on with four large bolts through the heavy metal frame and AAB. If I replaced those bolts with longer bolts, I could run them through wooden legs that should be sturdy enough to work a leg vise on. There is only 21" from the base up to the piece on the AAB that will hold the top, so space is tight. The Benchcraft plan calls for a 25 7/16" vise jaw, adding 3-4" for the thickness of the top gets me to 24-25". I could work a 3.5" x ?" leg onto the angle iron base that would extend just past the height adjusting screws on the locking casters, leaving room to adjust those screws but getting the leg out past them so they are not interfering with the operation of the leg vise. The metal bases for the casters are 22" wide. If I built the legs out an inch further on either side I could attach a 24" wide top flush with four "floating" legs built into some sort of base cabinet/storage area. The legs could attach to the stretchers between the two AAB sides....It would be a little weird to have a leg vise kinda floating out there in space, but if it is built into that 1/4" thick 3"x3" angle iron base I think it would be plenty rigid enough.

The problem is the leg vise would be connected to the part of the AAB that does not move and the vise would not raise or lower so it might only work against the top with the AAB at the lowest position....The attachment for the AAB top is 26" off the floor at the lowest position. Add 1 1/2" for a board to attach it to a top and say a 3" top and I am at 30 1/2" for the work surface height....hmmm how high do I want this bench for planing?

Now I remember why I gave up on this idea, it gives me a headache just thinking about it!