Nicholson Bench Question

[Noah Wagener]

Ello,

I am trying to make bench in the English style. I am wondering how to attach the top to the joists and the joists to the apron.
I saw an introductory video trailer by Richard Maguire, The English Woodworker, where he said to use nails as screws are too brittle and may snap with
movement.
I would prefer to use screws in the event i need to take it apart.
I saw an Erik Mortenson comment that his top was held down with brass screws. He was not specifically asked this but he chose to add that demographic so
i assume he felt it was pertinent.

I can only find yellow coated steel screws locally. Home Depot has some brass ones but no longer than one inch.

I have also seen mention of 'elongated holes' for screws to allow movement.
Does that just mean pilot holes of a slightly larger diameter than the screws?
If i did this i can use standard construction screws? How much longer should the screws be compared to the thickness of the boards?

Also, i glued some blocks on the aprons around the legs. I glued them perpindicular to the apron. Is that a problem?

If it matters, the wood is very old, slow grown Douglas Fir i believe. Came out of a home demo.

Thanks

[David Eisenhauer]

Typically, "elongated" means that you pre-drill out two or three overlapping screw holes, each the size of the screw diameter so that you end up with a longer slot instead of a round hole. Then, the screw is driven in the center of the length of the slot so that the wood the screw is holding down can move back and forth as the wood expands and contracts. As I recall, the rule on screw length is either 2 or 2-1/2 times then thickness of the wood that is to be held. I would use round head screws that provide a flat surface underneath the head to slide back and forth across the wood below. As you know, the screws would be best countersunk below the top of the bench to prevent tools such as planes, chisels, etc from being damaged by contact with the screw heads. I don't like brass screws because it is so very easy to twist them off, but other folks do well with pre-installation of steel screws then replacing the steel screws with brass ones. I am not sure what your blocks look like or exactly where they are glued, but I think small blocks should not be an issue like longer lengths of structural wood would be. Bench photos please Noah.

[Noah Wagener]

Thanks for the response David.
I know they are kind of boring questions.
I will get some 3 inch round heads and try and finish this thing.

The blocks are glued so as to be like tenon shoulders where the apron meets the legs.
They are like 2x6's that run lengthwise across the width of the 2x12 apron.

I know wood expands more width wise and i was worried, after reading about the measures that need to be taken with
the screws, that the opposite orientation of the blocks might cause problems by not allowing the apron to expand adn
contract.

It is basically like pic 3 here: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/w...lish-workbench

Except tight to the legs.
I guess it was an unfounded worry.

Thanks again!

[Graham Haydon]

Screenshot 2018-02-28 at 9.36.00 PM.png

Screws should be fine. I saw this workbench a good few years back, aprons fixed with screws and the joints has stayed perfectly secure.

[Tony Wilkins]

Bob Rozaeski (sp?) * did a whole series on building a Nicholson style bench about four years ago that is still on YouTube. Didn’t remember how he attached but it would probably be a good resource. Paul Sellars has two different YouTube series on building this style of bench.

*formerly ‘Logan’s cabinet shop’ but now the channel is under his name.

[Brandon Speaks]

I just finished a nicholson last week based on Mike Siemsen's video.

I wish I had taken a few more build pictures to post but I will try and describe.

Legs were laminated 2x6 with the front piece 11 inches shorter than the rear. Leg assembly is held together with a top and bottom stretcher.

Aprons are a 2x12 a 1x8 is laminated to the bottom half in 3 pieces (center and ends) leaving space for the legs. The just set up the legs and set the apron on them and glue into the dado that you created between the 1x8. Then on top of the 1x8 you place the bracers that hold the bench top up and screw in from the sides.