Easy Breakdown/Portable Work bench

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

Mathew,

Go back and see what the bench will be used for, an easily portable work bench to be carried in one of the cargo bins of a Diesel Pusher Motorhome. Not a main bench for the shop, not for prepping and dimensioning rough lumber or even building large furniture but a work bench that will allow me to fart around with wood in the RV park or camping site while MsBubba and Sweet Maggie Dog go off on their walks. I can't think of a better way to spend the day than out in the woods by a lake or ocean with Sam the Wonder Dog at my feet, a single malt in one hand, and a work bench in front.

If it needs more weight that is easy to take care of with a couple of sand bags as long as the design and joints are good. Benches are in some ways like humans, it is easy to add weight but almost impossible to take it off.

ken

Aha--no rough dimensioning. Thanks for the clarification.

[ken hatch]

There is still a lot to go but I wanted to see how it will look...Not too bad. There is a set of small dove tailed stretchers to fit near the bottom of the legs. The tops of the legs will be planed flush across and the pegs to hold the top will need installing. All the tenons need trimming flush or to length as will the slab and someday glue and pegs to keep it all together.

moravianBenchFirstFit170803dscf1915.jpg

After that a tool tray to fill out the top and a vise once the screw arrives.

moravianBenchFirstFitB170803dscf1918.jpg


The good news: You don't have to squint too hard to see a bench.

ken

[Graham Haydon]

Great progress, Ken. Workbench for a motor home, that's dedication. Tip of the hat!

[Pat Barry]

Nice work Ken!

[James Pallas]

Great Mobil bench Ken. Leave the top long and you can but it up against a tree, or maybe some cacti in your case
Jim

[ken hatch]

Thanks guys,

It has been a fun build. I expect if it works I will build another just because....What can I say other than I enjoy building work benches.

Tomorrow I start chopping the tusk mortises and over the weekend glue up and pin the legs. Lots to do and what is left will be slower....It is kinda like framing a building, it's lots of fun and goes fast. At the end of the day you can sit back with beer in hand and say "I did that", then comes the finish work that takes forever and isn't half as much fun to see at the end of the day.

ken

[ken hatch]

The first of the tusk tenon keys is finished, just three more to go. Once all the keys are fitted I will clean up the inside faces of the legs then glue and peg those suckers together.

I can't claim to be in the short rows just yet, but I can see "em.

firstTuskKey170804dscf1925.jpg

ken

[Pat Barry]

The first of the tusk tenon keys is finished, just three more to go. Once all the keys are fitted I will clean up the inside faces of the legs then glue and peg those suckers together.

I can't claim to be in the short rows just yet, but I can see "em.

firstTuskKey170804dscf1925.jpg

ken

I figured you wouldn't be gluing in the tenon keys so that it could all be easily dis-assembled / re-assembled.

[ken hatch]

I figured you wouldn't be gluing in the tenon keys so that it could all be easily dis-assembled / re-assembled.

Pat that is the beauty of this bench, it breaks into 7 modules, none too heavy or large and needs only a hammer to put it together.

Here is the progress so far this morning. I made it to the shop early this AM not that it has helped much. Sweat is pouring and breaks are often. But whatever, the bench is taking shape. I finished chopping the second tusk mortise and fitting the tenon key. After a short "cool down" and posting of the morning results I'll get back in the saddle.

legsLongStretcher170805dscf1926.jpg

ken

[Patrick Chase]

Pat that is the beauty of this bench, it breaks into 7 modules, none too heavy or large and needs only a hammer to put it together.

IIRC medieval banquet tables used similar joinery to allow breakdown and storage.

[ken hatch]

IIRC medieval banquet tables used similar joinery to allow breakdown and storage.

Patrick,

I expect you are correct. Shame we tend to lose the knowledge of our ancestors. I know most of the time working wood if I can figure out how it was done in the 18th and 19th Century that will be the best way.

Here are the finished long stretchers.

legsLongStretcherFinished170805dscf1929.jpg

If I can stand the heat this afternoon I will fit the small dovetail stretchers to the legs just below the long stretchers. Once the dovetail stretchers are fitted it will be trim, clean up, glue up and peg to finish the base.

[Stew Denton]

Hi Ken,

Great job on the stretchers! The build has been very enjoyable and educational to follow.

A word of warning....don't figure out that the granddaughter of yours needs a small play table, I remember what happened to the traveling tool box you were making a while back....it became a toy box for the grand daughter. I think we grandpas are far too easy of a mark for our grand kids that way....or is it the daughters and grandmas look at a work bench or tool chest we are making and think it would be ideal for the grand daugher? In such cases I am bound to loose out, maybe you too.

Stew

[Matt Lau]

What type of bench will you be making?

Is it a Moravian workbench?

the workmanship looks nice.

[ken hatch]

What type of bench will you be making?

Is it a Moravian workbench?

the workmanship looks nice.

Matt,

Thanks, yes it is a portable Moravian bench. Here is the latest photo, I'm waiting on the vise screw to finish installing the vise and chop. Once the vise install is finished the bench will be ready to go.

moravianBenchWithSlabAndViseBackA170813dscf1980.jpg

ken