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Thread: Gave the jointer/planer a serious workout today. Bench Project

  1. #1

    Gave the jointer/planer a serious workout today. Bench Project

    I purchased this lumber about a year ago now. Life got busy, it still is but its time i make time to get this done.

    I am currently building a bunch of kitchen cabinets and a number of vanities for a client. He can be a bit slow with CAD drawings so i have had a down day here and there. I have also been building a hand tool chest. For a number of reasons the hand tool project also waxes and wanes. Mostly due to the preperation of my stock and not wanting to rush dimensioning lumber i wont use for a number of weeks or in my case maybe months if all the sudden work takes over my life again.

    Im kinda hoping that the two projects if i plan well will allow me to always have something i can get done resulting in as little down time as possible. Im sure as soon as the CAD drawings for work come through both these projects will take a back seat.

    So today i picked through nearly 300bf of 12/4 ash that had been sitting in my shop for the past year. I sorted out exact boards for the top, stretchers, legs and chop. I then got the first and worst of maybe three milling session for the legs and stretchers taken care of. Ill start milling the top only after the base is built.

    The bench will be 108"L x 28"w x 34"h. The front or left legs and chop will be 9-10"w x 6" thick. The right and back right leg will be 6x6" or 8x6". I have and am using all BenchCrafted hardware, leg and tale vise. I will make square dogs out of ebony and a dovetailed breadboard end also hopefully ebony. Well maybe ebony laminated around ash but something so the tale really pops.

    I have yet to decide if i will do the classic Roubo double tennon or just a solid top. Either way ill do a double tennon you will just never know it. Im inclined to skip the through tennon as i dont really want to deal with seasonal wood movement. Im kinda perfectionist and it has the potential to drive me nuts. On the other hand i always thought i would do the through tennon. For whatever reason im kinda not feeling now. Between wood movement and then it being all sloppy and just feeling it will make the top to busy i think im gonna skip it. The base will be draw bore construction. Again maybe ebony pegs?

    Anyway pictures, what good is a post without pictures. They are not very interesting yet but they are pictures.

    image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
    Last edited by Patrick Walsh; 01-24-2017 at 9:50 PM.

  2. #2

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    3,739
    One of my favorite parts of woodworking is milling lumber.
    Thats going to be a killer bench the Ash looks great!
    Aj

  4. #4
    I agree.

    I keep thinking its because i saved every extra penny i made for a whole year to get that jointer/planer and dust colector.

    I kinda had a bit of a nightmare with the machine resulting in me pretty much despising it. So im not so sure its i just likeusimg the machine as much as its like a idiot savant i like milling lumber.

    The stock was heavy. All 12/4 x 6"-11" and 12' long. Weaving that through my shop to my miter station was like going to the gym. Plus i need to tunrn the knives on my jointer so every pass ober the table was like resistance training.

    I think i sorted through wood and milled it up from like 10am-3:30 ish give or take. Crazy i thought i was in the shop a couple hours. I went upstairs and was like "what 3:30" i got errands to do.

    I think the joy in milling lumber is seeing exactly what it is you will be working with for hours to come slowly come to life. Choosing what board will go where and what one wont. I dont ever build from a drawing or even sketch. I do enough of that at work that i like the fluidity of having a general idea than letting the material guide me. So as im milling my previuos plans are all getting major amendments made to them. Its a beautiful thing wood.

    I had a general idea of size and dimensions for the bench prior. I even had my eye on this board or that board for the chop or front of the bench top. That all starts to change though as the lumber tells you what it does and does not want.

    It is exciting indeed working with wood.



    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Hughes View Post
    One of my favorite parts of woodworking is milling lumber.
    Thats going to be a killer bench the Ash looks great!

  5. #5
    Made a little progress today but only a little.

    My plan was to get all the laminations glued up for the legs. Well I spent way more time than normal fussing over what pieces of lumber to use for what, grain direction, color matching blah blah. In the end it was a lack of clamps that impeded my forward progress.

    Man i just hate buying clamps. As my picture will show i refuse to by anything other than Bessy, this might be why i hate buying them so much. Darn things add up quick! I need anout tne more for my top laminations. Like anyhting else you get what you pay for and clamps are kinda a once in a lifetime thing.

    Anyway i had generally sorted through my stock when i did the first of the milling. Today when i went to give all mating sides of the leg stock a final run over the jointer before glue i decided i really needed to get picky about things.

    I did a loose mock up on the floor with some actual stock.
    image.jpgimage.jpg

    I was not sure exactly how wide i was going to make the legs. I knew i wanted to get as much thickness as i could out of my 12/4 x 6" stock for the top and stretchers. It looks like i can get a consistant 5.5". I had two 12/4 x 10-11" boards i was going to use to make all the legs and chop out of. In the end i was short the chop so i went back to the drawing board.

    I went back and forth between 10" x 5.5" legs for the chop side of the bench or "user side left" and 8" or 6" legs for the tail vise side of the bench "user side right. In the end i am going with 10"x5.5" on the chop side both front and back and 8"x5.5 on the tail vise side both front and back. The stretchers finish at 2.75" x 5.75".

    image.jpg

    Then it was time to re joint the matting sides of my leg laminations. Again i think i screwed around for like two hours deciding what piece to use for what, grain direction and how to make the best use of the nicest lumber.

    I also spent like 45 getting my chop saw to cut a perfect 90% over 11". That was annoying as i thought i had done it last week.

    The chop will be one solid piece of 2.75" x 10" x 34" ash. The vise leg will be a lamination made of two pieces about the same size. Well they are exactly the same size right now but they will not stay that way. The chop be set proud of the top a bit and then planed to flush with the top.

    The front vise side leg will be two pieces of 10" x 10" x34" ash laminated together. The laminations measure 5.75" ish wide give or take a 1/8 or so. I will sticker all the leg laminations and let them sit for a while before milling them to final dimension.

    I chose to do a three piece lamination for the legs on the backside of the bench. Again this decision was based on only having so many boards that could finish at 10" and 8". I chose to put the solid 10" and 9"x2.75"x34" boards facing out. This was a hard decision as the bench will live forever against a wall. Forever is a long time though hence i decided on the non laminated side facing out in the event the bench does not live against a wall forever. Two other pieces are edge joined to get my width. I will then face join them to my 10" and 9"x5.75"x2.75" solid stock and or faces of my rear legs. Confusing i know, i should have been able to find a better way to explain this all. Oh well whatcha gonna do.

    Anyway i stink at stopping to take pictures while working. Bellow is a picture of the two front legs laminated and in clamps. The chop leg is furthest left folowed by the front side tail vise end lamination. Beyond that is one of the edge joined laminations that will then be face joined to the back of the solid 10" and 9" boards that make my back legs. I keep refering to the tail vise side legs as 9". They will be ripped then planed to final dimmension after glue up.

    image.jpg

    The next picture is one of the edge jointed laminations for the back side of the bench legs.
    image.jpg
    Last edited by Patrick Walsh; 01-26-2017 at 9:30 PM.

  6. #6
    When i was done i even found some time to clean tables of all my machines. I got something on my TS the other day and some light surface rust manifested. I was long overdue for a some table maintenance.

    Tomorrow i hope to find the time to finish the glue up of the leg laminations. I also hope to do the layout for the mortise and tenons.

    I have not yet decided if i want to let all this stock sit stickered for a couple weeks before bringing to final dimension cutting the joinery and assembling it or if i want risk it and just push on. I could easily have the base built by Monday morning including the instalation of the Becnhcrafted CrissCross and Retro leg vise.

    On the other hand letting the stock aclimate to the millng is probably smart. The stock has been in my shop for a year so its a tuff decision. I can just fall back to my toolchest build. I habe plenty to do on that. And if thats not enough i have plenty of actual work to do.

    image.jpg

    Look at that shine!
    Last edited by Patrick Walsh; 01-26-2017 at 9:19 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    3,739
    I see you have a small fortune in clamps.
    And the shine on the jointer tables that's sick.I like it
    Aj

  8. #8
    I keep a clean shop.

    At the end of every "work day" i spend at least a hour with a fuzzy nozzel and and vacume everything head to toe. Nothing sets me off on the wrong foot than a messy workspace first thing in the morning..

    If my shops messy than my heads messy and my works messy.

    As for the clamps at least ten more 40" plus are in my near future. Eh $500 so what..

    Kidding, as i said i hate buying clamps. I refuse to use cheap ones that push my work around asmi glue though..



    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Hughes View Post
    I see you have a small fortune in clamps.
    And the shine on the jointer tables that's sick.I like it

  9. #9
    You would start every day on the wrong foot in my shop.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Texas Hill Country
    Posts
    705
    Really enjoying your workbench project. Thanks for sharing it with us! Can't wait to see the finished product. I will show my ignorance...you keep talking about "chop". What is that?

  11. #11
    As is the case in most peoples shops and why I treasure working alone whenever i can.

    It is a major challenge for me to do sight work amongst the average tradsman that has no need for order.

    Its good for me though as it forces me to learn how to operate in chaos and still produce quality work.

    Quote Originally Posted by Darcy Warner View Post
    You would start every day on the wrong foot in my shop.
    Last edited by Patrick Walsh; 01-26-2017 at 10:55 PM.

  12. #12
    Thanks for saying so.

    The chop is the worker side of the leg vise. Or the part of the leg vise that opens and closes.


    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Manning View Post
    Really enjoying your workbench project. Thanks for sharing it with us! Can't wait to see the finished product. I will show my ignorance...you keep talking about "chop". What is that?

  13. #13
    I just have too much space to keep clean every day. Not cleaning 5500 sqft every day.

    I make the kids do it once a week.
    They are expensive though.

  14. #14
    Haha 5500 sq ft.

    I wish!

    I have 1000sq ft and would kill for 2000sg ft.

    Once a week is enough if you can spread out in a shop. Not so much in tight quarters or on sight.

    Man 5500 sq ft.

    I really really dont want to pay rent for a shop. I also dont want to have to take more than maybe 50 steps max to get to my shop.

    Long term i hope to purchase the property next to me. Its a two family home commercially zoned. I would like to tear it down. My plan would be rip it down and construct it as a two family townhouse but with a massive first floor wide open space i could use as a shop. Say a two car garage two bays wide by eight deep. Maybe i have to put a wall up and seperate it from the other six bays so it is actaully legal living space. Imwould just put a double french dor in so i can get machines through. I could then Sell the unit beside it to pay for the whole project and rent the appartment above my shop for $2500-3000 easy in my neighborhood.

    Still thats a dream and i really need more space.


    Quote Originally Posted by Darcy Warner View Post
    I just have too much space to keep clean every day. Not cleaning 5500 sqft every day.

    I make the kids do it once a week.
    They are expensive though.

  15. #15
    Nice jointer and nice wood! Enjoying following the progress...

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