Bench Upgrade

[steve swantee]

Got some birthday bucks last month and I finally decided what to do with it. I always liked the Veritas Twin Screw, but always had a more practical use for the money. So when I got some b-day money I decided it was time. Here's a couple of pics of my old scrapwood bench with my new twin screw installed. I previously had a Record #52 in the face vise position. It was a nice vise, but not nearly as slick as the Veritas. All the wood on the bench came from my ongoing home renovations. The top was from old 3 by 7 floor joists, the legs were old porch posts, and the panelled ends were old 2 panel sliding doors cut down to size. Other than the vises, and the pine skirt around the top, this bench cost me absolutely nothing to build. It's been modified a couple of times over the past few years, but I think I have it the way I like it now.

123062

123063

Steve

[Terry Beadle]

Hay! That's a great bench. Nothing scrap about it.. hoot! :D

I especially envy the flat faced front so ala robo. Nifty!

[Tom Godley]

Nice - I like the vise


How did you find the install? -- I think I am going to go with the same vise on mine.

I am leaning towards the 24" - can not tell what you went with.

[steve swantee]

Thanks guys. Tom, I went with the full 24" width. The install was relatively simple, at least on my bench it was. You just need to accurately lay out your holes, etc. Instructions say you need a 1&1/2" forstner or saw tooth bit. I did not have one this large and the local home center wanted almost $70.00 for one. Screw that!!! I went back home and got out my 3/4" forstner and drilled the holes, then used a 3/8" rabbetting bit in my router to enlarge the holes to 1&1/2". Because you can only go so deep with the rabbetting bit before the bearing has nothing to ride against, I stopped just short of the bottom, then switched to a 3/4" pattern routing bit to complete the holes. Took a few minutes extra, but that $70 plus tax is better off in my pocket, especially for a one time use.

Steve

[Tom Godley]

Thanks for the info!

I am building my bench next month and want to get my LV order in today to get the free shipping!

[John Schreiber]

Looks great. And a wonderful use of old timbers.

[John Stan]

Thanks guys. Tom, I went with the full 24" width. The install was relatively simple, at least on my bench it was. You just need to accurately lay out your holes, etc. Instructions say you need a 1&1/2" forstner or saw tooth bit. I did not have one this large and the local home center wanted almost $70.00 for one. Screw that!!! I went back home and got out my 3/4" forstner and drilled the holes, then used a 3/8" rabbetting bit in my router to enlarge the holes to 1&1/2". Because you can only go so deep with the rabbetting bit before the bearing has nothing to ride against, I stopped just short of the bottom, then switched to a 3/4" pattern routing bit to complete the holes. Took a few minutes extra, but that $70 plus tax is better off in my pocket, especially for a one time use.

Steve
This week, I have also been installing the twin screw on my bench. I wish I has thought about using the router to get the 1 1/2 inch holes. I bought the 1 1/2 inch bit. The BORG I was at only charged $19 for a frued diablo bit. But it was $19 for a one time bit.

[Dan Karachio]

Wow, I had just convinced myself to hold off, save my pennies and there you go posting this and it is all coming back to my head! :-)

Too bad we aren't all neighbors - I have the Porter Cable bit set and have that 1 1/2!

[David Hostetler]

Beautiful bench! I would probably lose the "scrapwood" term, and call it, "reclaimed lumber". Sounds more environmentally friendly, and economically responsible.

Seriously though, I am in the process of a recycled lumber bench myself. Mostly blown down fence posts, and misc 2x4 and 2x6 material left out of their structures by hurricane Ike. All of it clear Southern Yellow Pine. Yeah I know hardwoods would be better, but it's what I have... And I am cheap.

That Veritas twin screw looks great! I would love to own one, but like you, just can't justify it. Nice to get one for the B-day for sure!

Hopefully that bench can be something that can be handed down for a couple of generations. Who knows?

[David Keller NC]

"Seriously though, I am in the process of a recycled lumber bench myself. Mostly blown down fence posts, and misc 2x4 and 2x6 material left out of their structures by hurricane Ike. All of it clear Southern Yellow Pine. Yeah I know hardwoods would be better, but it's what I have... And I am cheap."

There's no reason that I can see to spend a fortune on cabinet-grade wood for a bench, but I might be cautious about the source you note. Fence posts tend to be treated wood in the South, and if they're more than about 3 years old, they'd be treated with arsenic copper chromate.

I'm not sure I'd want that indoors, though I suspect the risk would be minor for the solid wood. But cutting and milling it, especially by machine, might leave you with a lot of toxic sawdust to dispose of.

[David Hostetler]

There's no reason that I can see to spend a fortune on cabinet-grade wood for a bench, but I might be cautious about the source you note. Fence posts tend to be treated wood in the South, and if they're more than about 3 years old, they'd be treated with arsenic copper chromate.

I'm not sure I'd want that indoors, though I suspect the risk would be minor for the solid wood. But cutting and milling it, especially by machine, might leave you with a lot of toxic sawdust to dispose of.

I am painfully aware of the risks of PT. The posts in question are cedar. About 10 years old, still with the concrete footings attached.

[steve swantee]

Thanks for the kind words David. Just like you, I couldn't see throwing out all those great old timbers, and I wasn't going to fork out a lot of money for expensive wood to chop and saw stuff on. Good luck with your bench build-don't forget to update us on your progress.

Steve

[harry strasil]

FWIW in the cheap dept, I have 2 face vises on my NuBench.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/nu%20bench/auxfacevise.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/nu%20bench/auxfacevise001.jpg

[Robert Rozaieski]

Looking good Steve. I think you'll like the twin screw. I love mine. These days it seems like leg vises on Roubo benches are all the rage, but I'd like to see a leg vise securely hold a 20" wide case side at a comfortable working position for dovetailing. I'm not in a hurry to give up my twin screw ;).

[steve swantee]

Thanks Bob, now that I've had some time to use the twin screw I really like it. I did not bevel the inside of the vise chop when I originally installed it and found that sometimes the wood slipped while planing, etc., as the top of the chop was not closing tightly. Today while in the shop I removed the chop and put a bevel on the inside and the holding power has increased dramatically as a result. Overall, I am very happy with the vise. One update, the Record No 52 I removed when I installed the twin screw has been relocated to the tail vise position. I found I really missed having an iron jawed vise on the bench, especially for clamping metal items which would damage the jaws on the wooden vise.

Steve

[Jim Koepke]

I found I really missed having an iron jawed vise on the bench, especially for clamping metal items which would damage the jaws on the wooden vise.

Both of my bench vises are wood. To facilitate using a metal vise, a wood strip is attached to my drill press vice so is can be held in one of the bench vises.

jim