Derek Cohen
02-20-2012, 10:09 AM
This is weekend 5 of the Bench Build.
What's on my bench ..? Well, a bench is on my bench.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise4.jpg
If you have been following the reports, you will recall that I was last busy with the stretchers. The mortice and tenons are now complete. You'd be forgiven thinking that, since the legs are done, the stretchers are done, the tail vise is done ... then why do I not simply glue the base together and fit the bench top?
The answer is ... the leg vise and sliding deadman must first be built. The leg vise especially requires work to the associated bench leg, and this cannot be completed after assembly (without great discomfort).
Here is a picture of Jameel's bench to reference the parts under construction in this post:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Jameel1.jpg
Most of this post involves constructing the leg vise, so I will first get the sliding deadman out of the way.
Incidentaly, no excuses for the blended woodworking here. There is a time and place for both power and hand work.
The sliding deadman moves on a triangular section on the stretcher, and needs to mate to this with a V groove at the bottom of the board. Creating this V may be done with a chisel, but the task is easiest as two rip cuts on a tablesaw. In all the pictures I have seen of this being done, the deadman board is held vertically over the tablesaw. A much safer method is to do this with the board flat on the table ...
Raise the blade to the midpoint of the board ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise5.jpg
Mark the start point ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise6.jpg
Rip the one side, turn the board over, and rip the other side.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise7.jpg
The right-front leg was drilled for hold fasts ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Holddownholes.jpg
The upper holdfast is positioned to focus pressure at the middle of the bench top, while the lower holdfast will focus pressure at the middle of the stretcher.
Now onto the legvise.
Wilbur made me a wonderful gift of a legvise screw, the twin of the one he has on his bench ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Wilbur1.jpg
Above you see the screw, handle, and parallel guide. Below is the set he sent me. Note that it did not come with a garter groove, which I have added, since it was not designed to work with a garter.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise8.jpg
I had decided to add my stamp to the legvise, and one of the changes was to use a garter. The garter connects the screw to the chop, thus allowing it to move back with the screw. Without a garter, the chop is required to be pulled back by hand.
I will show the garter connection in my next post (as it is not installed yet), but here is the garter prior to being sawn out (it is, in fact, already completed). This is a stunning piece of Myrtle. It just ripples ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise9.jpg
The other change was to turn a new handle and post in Jarrah...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise17.jpg
Building the legvise began with installing the screw block in the leg. The block is 2" thick. The leg is 3 5/8" thick. My preference was to mortice the block into the leg to a depth of 1 1/4" rather than simply screwing it behind the led. This effectively provides 1 1/4" additional depth to the legvise in use.
What's on my bench ..? Well, a bench is on my bench.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise4.jpg
If you have been following the reports, you will recall that I was last busy with the stretchers. The mortice and tenons are now complete. You'd be forgiven thinking that, since the legs are done, the stretchers are done, the tail vise is done ... then why do I not simply glue the base together and fit the bench top?
The answer is ... the leg vise and sliding deadman must first be built. The leg vise especially requires work to the associated bench leg, and this cannot be completed after assembly (without great discomfort).
Here is a picture of Jameel's bench to reference the parts under construction in this post:
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Jameel1.jpg
Most of this post involves constructing the leg vise, so I will first get the sliding deadman out of the way.
Incidentaly, no excuses for the blended woodworking here. There is a time and place for both power and hand work.
The sliding deadman moves on a triangular section on the stretcher, and needs to mate to this with a V groove at the bottom of the board. Creating this V may be done with a chisel, but the task is easiest as two rip cuts on a tablesaw. In all the pictures I have seen of this being done, the deadman board is held vertically over the tablesaw. A much safer method is to do this with the board flat on the table ...
Raise the blade to the midpoint of the board ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise5.jpg
Mark the start point ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise6.jpg
Rip the one side, turn the board over, and rip the other side.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise7.jpg
The right-front leg was drilled for hold fasts ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Holddownholes.jpg
The upper holdfast is positioned to focus pressure at the middle of the bench top, while the lower holdfast will focus pressure at the middle of the stretcher.
Now onto the legvise.
Wilbur made me a wonderful gift of a legvise screw, the twin of the one he has on his bench ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Wilbur1.jpg
Above you see the screw, handle, and parallel guide. Below is the set he sent me. Note that it did not come with a garter groove, which I have added, since it was not designed to work with a garter.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise8.jpg
I had decided to add my stamp to the legvise, and one of the changes was to use a garter. The garter connects the screw to the chop, thus allowing it to move back with the screw. Without a garter, the chop is required to be pulled back by hand.
I will show the garter connection in my next post (as it is not installed yet), but here is the garter prior to being sawn out (it is, in fact, already completed). This is a stunning piece of Myrtle. It just ripples ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise9.jpg
The other change was to turn a new handle and post in Jarrah...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Bench build/Legvise17.jpg
Building the legvise began with installing the screw block in the leg. The block is 2" thick. The leg is 3 5/8" thick. My preference was to mortice the block into the leg to a depth of 1 1/4" rather than simply screwing it behind the led. This effectively provides 1 1/4" additional depth to the legvise in use.