My New Work Bench arrived today (sort of)

[harry strasil]

LOL, its an old metal kitchen cabinet I got at an auction and used for storage in the basement shop of our second rental home. When I was ride foreman for a Carnival in the late 60's, I learned sign painting from an old Carney Sign Painter. I usually practiced on a scrap piece of plate glass, didn't have one at the time so I practiced on the cabinet door. Its a cross between Script and Old English letters for putting on my Service Truck doors. Jr's Portable Welding is what it says. and then at a later date, "Open with Care". JSUWN

PS Carnival sign painting is usually what is "Bastard" lettering, Gaudy and attention getting because it uses different lettering styles in the same word. LOL

[Alan DuBoff]

Harry,

It's obvious that my back is not the only thing taking a toll with age, but my eyes also!

That's something I've actually been wanting, a portable welding unit, I don't have a lot of needs, so small tanks would do. A friend of mine made a TIG welder out of an old microwave, mainly using the transformer from it. It wasn't pretty, but it worked...

One thing I've been pondering is some type of lifting setup, where I could lift sections of wood into place, in building larger projects like a bench, for instance. I keep thinking there's probably a fairly easy solution, possibly employing some type of hoist. I'm sure I'm not the only one that would welcome something like that...I do occasionally use an engine hoist, but it requires a lot of space when moving larger items, and won't fit in the area I do hand tool work. Most projects it doesn't matter, it's only when the timbers start getting bigger (bench top is a good example) that this becomes a problem for me. I do most of my work alone.

[harry strasil]

Pattern maker Vise end, with batten secured.


Wagon Vise end with End Vise Screw laying in place over Wagon Vise Sliding part.

Setup for drilling holes for 1inch round brass nuts that hold ends on.

This End Batten is only a temporary one for sanding, The real one will extend below the bottom for fastening the End Vise Too.


Overall View of Bottom of Bench.


Oh, the Black parts are where a deer hunter drove a nail into the tree when it was young and left it. The Sawyer hit it but not enough to damage the blade inserts. LUCKILY

[harry strasil]

Nu bench sanding.

First pass off the bottom.


Finish Sanded Top.

[harry strasil]

Well, got Ma's Crocheting and Knitting Center done, and now working on NuBench again.

First order of work, get that darn heavy top off the floor and onto my table saw so I can work on it. Bad Back - Heavy Oak Top, back to my rigging experience. 2 pair of C Clamp Vise Grips and 2 small chain comalongs out of service truck and waaalaaa.




Almost 40° outside, so up to closed up Blacksmith Shop with the Tail Vise from Lee Valley to modify it with the Lathe by machining a groove for a brass stop to keep the screw from backing out and being a hazard when working around the bench. I mounted the Nut to the sliding part of the Wagon Vise.



Stop in place.




Now Screw don't stick out when vise is retracted.

[Douglas Brummett]

This bench is coming along nicely. That vise addresses the issue I had with using something like a standard veneer press screw. I am not a fan of protrusions around the bench if they can be avoided.

[harry strasil]

1/2 inch wide, Old oak foot mortiser chips,



Pile under the Foot Mortiser,



From the 1.75 deep mortises in the bench feet for the legs.



Really nothing like the sound of a sharp chisel cutting thru old hard oak and making chips instead of dust.

[Bruce Page]

Harry, I think you're having too much fun with this!

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Bruce...way too much fun going on there, Harry...

[harry strasil]

If it's not FUN, why do it!

[steve swantee]

Good looking scarf joint in the third piece from the left Harry, your bench is coming along nicely.

Steve

[harry strasil]

Its a flub up Steve, if you look closer I cut it wrong, been awhile since I laid one out, I had another piece I could have used for the 4th leg, but it is in a stack out in my garage where I keep my blocking for rigging and winching jobs I used to do, but it was not where I could get to it easily, so I used a short one and a cutoff from one of the other legs, and just went ahead and glued it up anyway as it was a tight fit and then added 4 thru pegs for security, I need to plug the key hole yet. This Bench is all salvaged lumber/timber so far and I just can't see wasting material.

[harry strasil]

As the floor in my basement was poured at different times and whoever poured the sections did not have a high priority for making it level, I am mortising in 1/2 square nuts in the feet of the NuBench and using 1/2" by 2" carriage bolts for levelers on all 4 feet, the square shank under the head of the bolts makes it easy to adjust them with an old thin tappet wrench I have. The holes are 2 ¼ deep. The domed heads will not make holes in the floor, but yet should have enough friction to keep it from moving around. And as an added advantage the feet are up off the floor in case I get some water leakage from my old limestone basement walls.

[Carlos Cabrera]

Your bench is really looking great. Would you mind telling me who makes the drilling guide that i see in some of your pics and also if you think it works well.

Thanks, Carlos

[harry strasil]

not sure who makes it, I got this one from Lee Valley, but the others carry it too.

Its good for light drilling, I use it quite often, it also has some pins you can screw into the bottom and twist the drilling jig and it will self center on the edge of something so you drill dead center. I have seen all different prices for it from different suppliers.