Two Questions on Workbench Features

[Jim Foster]

I'm finishing my Roubo, I've been using it very satisfactorily as a big clamping surface without the leg vise, dead-man or crochet Hook for some time. Kind of tired of manhandling big clamps so, I'm finally taking some time to complete it.

I've got the leg vise finished, and am applying some wiping varnish to it. The dead-man is in production and I'm considering adding a "Scab" to the back of it so the area by the holes is 3" thick instead of 1.5" thick. This would give a hole 3" deep for a hold-fast. I appreciate opinions on whether this is a good idea or one better left alone.

Also, I've glued up a board for the crochet hook, but am having second thoughts about it, I'm afraid it would just be a protrusion getting in the way of easily walking around and working on the bench. For guys with Crochet Hooks, any comments on the usefulness of it.

My bench his 9' by 2' and made out of construction fir. The dead-man and leg Vise are made out of some utility grade White Oak I have laying around. The crochet hook will be fir if I add it.

[John Piwaron]

Honestly, all of that sounds good to me. I've got all the materials and hardware waiting for my own bench build. My son's request for a table to match one I gave him a couple of years ago has gotten in the way. Well, that and my decision to complete the design. My design looks like a table, but I really designed it to be a 3 drawer chest stood on end. So I'm doing that too.

Anyway, your bench ideas all sound good. The hook you mention - when I see pix of that combined with a leg vise, it doesn't appear to project out any further than the vise. I see no problem there. The deadman used with a hold fast. I'm not sure that's a good idea. you've got to whack the holdfast in place. I'm not sure a deadman could take that considering how it slides. I thought they were solely to locate a pin to hold up the work. I guess I might be easy enough to remake if it breaks.

[Kurt Cady]

Show us some pics!

[ken hatch]

I don't know if this answers your question....My deadman is 45mm approx. 1 3/4" thick. Works great with my hold-fasts. No problem with giving 'em a good whack. Bench is SYP, deadman is Ash on a Mahogany runner, deadman and runner made from scraps that fit, sizes determined by width of the bottom stretcher and the width of the groove in the bench so the deadman had a strong tedon and a good shoulder for strength.

[Randall Farris]

You could always mortise your hook and remove it when not in use.

[Michael Peet]

I see the deadman as a means of providing vertical support for a long board, with the other end either chocked the crochet or clamped in the leg vise. I don't have a crochet on mine, and I don't miss it.

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

+1 on what Randall said about mortising in the crochet hook.

Could an angled sliding dovetail work?

Either that or a mortise so the hook can be installed and removed like a bench dog.

Using hold fasts on the deadman should be fine. They usually do not need to be driven home as if one were swinging Thor's Hammer.

My bench has a few holes drilled in the skirt to allow for dogs and holdfasts. Sometimes a little bow in a long board and make for difficult planing without a holdfast.

Another thought that came to mind while thinking of features for my bench was to space some threaded holes along the skirt to be able to use threaded holding devices. Things could be rigged up like a crude twin screw vice or even just a lever style hold down with a screw passing through to hold a piece in place.

As funky as they are, one thing appreciated about my current vises is the ease in which they can be removed. Sometimes it is useful to have a fully unobstructed side to work along.

jtk

[John Piwaron]

All this workbench talk - I've seen mention of holes for holdfasts, bench dog holes, two part tops enabling clamping at front and back, numerous kinds of vises, crochets & deadmans. But no talk of any T-tracks inset into the top or any other surface. Is that because that's a relatively modern invention that would betray the spirit of constructing a traditional bench?

On my current bench I have several holes with T nuts on the underside to hold my mini lathe and mortiser in place. I'd say those are non traditional uses.

[David Posey]

I would think that flattening a bench with T tracks in it would be awfully hard on your plane blades.

[Jason Coen]

Is that because that's a relatively modern invention that would betray the spirit of constructing a traditional bench?

No, it's because it's more trouble than it's worth.

[Jim Foster]

I would just use a holdfast or a clamp. A T-Track may make it difficult to flatten the top.

All this workbench talk - I've seen mention of holes for holdfasts, bench dog holes, two part tops enabling clamping at front and back, numerous kinds of vises, crochets & deadmans. But no talk of any T-tracks inset into the top or any other surface. Is that because that's a relatively modern invention that would betray the spirit of constructing a traditional bench?

On my current bench I have several holes with T nuts on the underside to hold my mini lathe and mortiser in place. I'd say those are non traditional uses.

[Jim Koepke]

But no talk of any T-tracks inset into the top or any other surface.

What can be done using T-tracks that can not be done with bolting through dog holes or clamps?

jtk

[Jim Matthews]

I have a crochet and leg vise on the front left of my bench.
I'm not convinced the crochet does much, as work is always clamped in the leg vise, too.

I've never got hung up on the crochet, but my bench is barely six feet in length.
I have managed to bang into the leg vise wheel more than once (it sticks out further).
It's a trivial retrofit, if you find yourself wanting one.

I wonder if you could get the same action, clamping one on as needed?

What I like best about dog holes is the ease with which they can be cleared.
I would imagine an inlet T-track will be a magnet for small parts, screws and sawdust.

Do you plan to use machine tool style clamps, for an adjustable hold down?
I'm not sure how much force you could generate that way.

[Kees Heiden]

My deadman isn't very thick, about 3cm. Holdfasts don't work very well in it. And I don't want to smash very hard on it with a hammer, because the tenon at the top is even thinner. But the Lee Valley "holdfast" with the screw is much better. Actually I don't have the LV one, too expensive for me, but I made something like that myself.

In this picture (I was showing off my plane colection at that time) you can see my clamp in the deadman. The arm is a piece of oak. The shaft is some old brass, and the pivot parts are from aluminium. It's not beautifull but works very well.

[Mike Holbrook]

Many of the deadmen I have seen in pictures on this site use Veritas Surface Clamps to hold wood against the sliding arm. I think I am going with Bob Lang's plan for the 21st Century Workbench though. Bob has a stretcher across the front of his bench with lots of dog holes. Dogs, quick clamps, surface clamps, holdfasts, c clamps..... will all hold work to the solid, fixed stretcher.