wood movement in workbench?

[Roger Barga]

I am looking for some advice, opinions, sympathy ;-)...

I purchased a workbench from Garrett Wade two years ago - their traditional storage workbench. It was a pretty big purchase for me, especially given my previous workbench was a basic Sjoberg bench.

During the first winter I owned this bench my shop space was an attached (finished) garage with ample insulation, and since our gas heater was located in the garage it stayed warm thoughout the winter. We moved last spring and my shop space is now a detached garage with poor insulation and no heating. We live in Seattle and our winters are fairly mild so I didn't give it a second thought. Well I guess I was wrong because the wood in the bench moved significantly this winter to the point the dovetails holding the tool tray together have gapped open a half inch or so and the tail vice is frozen (locked) shut and won't budge.

There was no mention in the owners manual that I should seal the wood or take precautions to keep the bench in "indoor" conditions, so I am a little miffed that this has happened. Should I have known this in advance? Is it reasonable that this has happened to the workbench? Is there a chance it will go back to normal in the spring when it warms up? I would appreciate hearing from anyone that has experienced this or has some advice to offer. It kills me to see my deluxe bench so messed up, while my Sjoberg continues to function as it did on day one.

Thanks,
Roger

[Bob Smalser]

When we moved back to our home here on Hood Canal after many years away I had to refit many of my drawers and doors in our furniture in the house and in every single one of my workshop pieces, to include all my wood threads in handscrews, jigs, et al.

Normal and I knew it was gonna happen. Seasonal movement here isn't any more severe than elsewhere....it's just different. In the colder areas of the country winters are cold and dry and summers are hot and humid...shrinkage is in winter. Here it is the exact reverse with larger extremes than in many areas...winters are very, very humid and summers very, very dry.

By late July even the worst of your stuck pieces will free up and you can plane them down. Wood threads can be rerun thru the threader....I find soaking them in water useful to raise the grain first....but the worst of them may have to be remade. That's how I discovered that wood with interlocked grain like elm and and perpetually fuzzy woods like tulip are a poor choice for threads, because I couldn't save any hand screws made from them.

Sealing wood slows all this down some, but doesn't stop it and wouldn't have helped you any, as your wood had from October to June to swell....a long wet season...and from July to September to shrink....a short dry season.

[Roger Barga]

Thanks for the reply Bob. It was a first for me to see this much movement, especially in a workbench, which I assumed would be designed for less than perfect conditions. Hopefully the vice will unfreeze later in the summer so I can use my bench again.

cheers,
roger

[Richard Wolf]

Bob nailed it for you on the wood movement. I think I would try to get some dry heat on the bench as soon as possible. Wood can move so much that it can self destruct and start cracking and spliting. Some immediate help may save your bench in the long run.

Richard