Gene Davis
12-22-2011, 4:09 PM
This is the workbench shown in an article in FW a few years ago, done by the mag's shop manager, and he has done a video on it and its use that can be seen online. Pipe clamps are used for the end vise, the front vise, and for a bottom-edge board support at the bench's front.
It is made with dimensional framing lumber, but one would want good KD straight stuff, preferably something like VG doug fir. Lumber like that plus some really perfect KD western spruce, is available to us locally.
Am trying to talk my neighbor, upper 60s and not really a woodworker yet, into building it. He owns a few power tools and little to no hand tools. I sort of jumpstarted his interest in doing woodworking, something he has wanted to do but just has not had the energy to start, by having him work with me on a pair of Christmas gift tool tote boxes. Plans were in a mag he gets that came to my mailbox by mistake. We built them with hand-cut dovetailed joints, used antique heart pine for the carcases, bought a choice piece of curly maple for the curved handles, etc. Nice results. We used the bandsaw, tablesaw, router table, tenoning jig, routers, a whole lot of clamps, and a lot of my hand tools. Sharpened all on the waterstones, yadda, yadda, yadda.
All this for his benefit, to see what it takes to make something nice. He has been reading FW for years and subscribing to two or three other woodworking monthlies. You know the type. Wants to, reads all about it, but just cannot seem to get started.
We did all the hand work at my bench, a heavy affair with a Jorgensen front vice and an end vice arrangement made with a wood handscrew. He appreciated the ability to clamp any workpiece in whatever position needed, onto a really solid base.
I am telling him that a bench is essential, that one cannot really do anything at all joinery-wise, without a bench and its clamps. The pipeclamp thing, as seen in the FW video, seems pretty good to me, and should work well for his limited needs. Best of all, making it is easy, and the material costs should be under $250. That is for every last thing in it.
What do you know about working with this bench or making it? I see on YouTube that someone else has made a version of it, but IMHO, put too many gimmicks into it. Another version of it with a heavier base and top is shown in Google's 3D Warehouse for Sketchup. I'm a power-user of SU.
Hoping for some replies and discussion. Happy holidays!
It is made with dimensional framing lumber, but one would want good KD straight stuff, preferably something like VG doug fir. Lumber like that plus some really perfect KD western spruce, is available to us locally.
Am trying to talk my neighbor, upper 60s and not really a woodworker yet, into building it. He owns a few power tools and little to no hand tools. I sort of jumpstarted his interest in doing woodworking, something he has wanted to do but just has not had the energy to start, by having him work with me on a pair of Christmas gift tool tote boxes. Plans were in a mag he gets that came to my mailbox by mistake. We built them with hand-cut dovetailed joints, used antique heart pine for the carcases, bought a choice piece of curly maple for the curved handles, etc. Nice results. We used the bandsaw, tablesaw, router table, tenoning jig, routers, a whole lot of clamps, and a lot of my hand tools. Sharpened all on the waterstones, yadda, yadda, yadda.
All this for his benefit, to see what it takes to make something nice. He has been reading FW for years and subscribing to two or three other woodworking monthlies. You know the type. Wants to, reads all about it, but just cannot seem to get started.
We did all the hand work at my bench, a heavy affair with a Jorgensen front vice and an end vice arrangement made with a wood handscrew. He appreciated the ability to clamp any workpiece in whatever position needed, onto a really solid base.
I am telling him that a bench is essential, that one cannot really do anything at all joinery-wise, without a bench and its clamps. The pipeclamp thing, as seen in the FW video, seems pretty good to me, and should work well for his limited needs. Best of all, making it is easy, and the material costs should be under $250. That is for every last thing in it.
What do you know about working with this bench or making it? I see on YouTube that someone else has made a version of it, but IMHO, put too many gimmicks into it. Another version of it with a heavier base and top is shown in Google's 3D Warehouse for Sketchup. I'm a power-user of SU.
Hoping for some replies and discussion. Happy holidays!