My Ash workbench

[Jim Ritter]

I've pulled up details of my bench to share on other threads so I thought I'd share the whole thing. This is the link for the album and if you click the photo a caption should be available. Feel free to comment good or bad, all benches are just the basis for the next bench. And we can all learn. I am very happy with the bench and use the twin leg vises far more than I would have thought.


http://photobucket.com/albums/m628/boatman53/workbench


Here is a photo of the bench.

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/m628/boatman53/workbench/45cd4768.jpg

Enjoy

[Joe Bailey]

That is one fine-looking bench, Jim. Nice workmanship -- and thanks for sharing it.

[Jim Koepke]

Looks nice. My future bench is also being made of ash.

jtk

[Paul Saffold]

Thanks for all the pictures, Jim. Nice crisp details on the leg chops. How does the left leg vise work without holes in the guide?

[Mike Holbrook]

First bench I have seen with two stationary leg vises and a sliding dead-man. I wonder why not just make the sliding element a leg vise if two were desired? I believe I have seen benches with a sliding dead-man/leg vise.

I believe the large square dogs are used as work stops for planing? Does tightening the knobs under the table hold them at specific heights?

[Jim Ritter]

The leg vise works very well. I know that in not what you were looking for but all I can give right now. I'm trying to bring the mechanism out in the BenchCrafted line and until he decides, I can't share the details. If he declines than I'll be doing it on my own, so look for it more in the future. But the jaws do stay parallel thru out their travel no fussing with anything.

[Jim Ritter]

Mike, hi. I did not do a sliding leg vise because the gripping force is directed on the small tenon and rebate on the underside of the bench top. So I would be reluctant to use it to grip things very tight. The right leg vise so far is enough out of the way I haven't needed to remove it very often. A sliding leg vise would a been in the way yesterday for some of the panels I was working on but I also used ther right vise in the longer panels. The deadman is easily slid off on the left side and a sliding leg vise might be made in the future to swap out it the need arises.

Yes, the square dogs on the left are planing stops and adjusting the knobs allows height adjustment, as high as 4" or just a fraction. They are rock solid and worth the effort. On past benches I would clamp a board on the end as a stop, but these are way faster and easier than getting a clamp and finding the best size board. Plus a couple of dogs in the back row of holes and skewed planing is a dream.

[Aaron Rappaport]

Jim,

My question is about the english-style skirt along the back of the bench. Was that to compensate for the fact that the tool well doesn't provide any strength to the top?

Aaron

[Jim Ritter]

Yes, I guess you are describing it correctly. Since the vertical member of the "skirt" is attached to the legs with sliding dovetails it contributes tremendous rigidity to the back of the bench and supports the tool well in a dado. The skirt and the legs are on the same plane. The dovetails in the end caps tie that strength to the rest of the bench. At the moment I don't plan to work much on that side of the bench but if I need to clamp to a vertical member I know it will handle it. I have an other idea for the back side however. I want to put two holes for pipes so I can have a pull out extension for support of larger panels.

[Mike Holbrook]

Great ides Jim, you have inspired me to try a few similar approaches for work stops.

My plan is to use a Veritas Quick Release Tail Vise over the second front bench leg, where you use a second leg vise. This plan has me a little nervous as I have not found anyone else who is using this vise both for clamping work to the top and side of their bench. I hope to use double dog holes like you use for your large work stop dogs, except round. My idea is to make a small work stop/clamping surface with a single piece of wood and Veritas Bench Anchors that will fit in pairs of aligned holes. A single round dog just does not seem to me to offer enough clamping/working surface. I got the idea from your large dog holes and large wooden dogs. I hope the Veritas Bench Anchors will work a little like your tightening knobs. I think I will loose most or all of the height adjustment feature but gain more clamping/work stop surface area.

I have been wondering about applying pressure against or with a moving part, even a sliding deadman. I am working from the plans for the BenchCrafted Split Top Roubo but I am thinking about incorporating a few features from Bob Lang's 21st Century Workbench as well. Bob's bench uses dog holes in the edge of the top and two stationary rails on either long side of the bench as places to support or clamp work. He leaves enough room to reach under the top rail and enough to reach the shelf on the bottom rail. I do not like the fact that most bench aprons, deny access to at least the front underside of the benches they occupy. I am thinking this arrangement of holes for work support jigs will work better with the QR Tail Vise and eliminate any issues around a moving work support.

I like the idea for pull out pipes to support larger work on you bench. I made a table especially for processing full 8x4 sheets and I have the Festool MFT table with supports so I may have less need of that devise. Your idea will certainly conserve space which is always a good thing, if I had not made what I have...Most of my work with sheet goods occurs at the business building on my property though and I am in the process of making a separate place to store and use more construction oriented tools there.

[Jeremy Towne]

Jim, I’m not clear how the front legs attach to the top? Are they sliding dovetails like the tooltray side or mortise and tenon.

[Günter VögelBerg]

Can you please tell me about the vise on the far right side?

[Mel Fulks]

Gunter, please allow me to help with your inquiry. That looks like a Zyliss vise or one of the knock-offs. It's a handy and
clever design for light to medium weight stuff.

[Günter VögelBerg]

Gunter, please allow me to help with your inquiry. That looks like a Zyliss vise or one of the knock-offs. It's a handy and
clever design for light to medium weight stuff.

So it is. Thank you. I probably should have known that, considering they come from my home country.