Dave Zellers
08-21-2013, 1:34 AM
No Biggie, but I just built some long needed benches for my shop and thought I'd post them here along with the layout in the chance someone might benefit.
3 nice sized benches from one sheet of 3/4" UL plywood. The 2 long ones nest together for storage, the third one was made from the leftovers. Since I had some leftover Z-Clips, I used them to provide the ability to lock the 2 long benches together giving me a solid surface of 40 x 26 for assembling cabinet carcasses or standing on while I attempt to educate the world on the proper way for everyone to live.
No one cares about that, but my thoughts about constructing these benches:
- Approach them like a cabinet, precision is important. You want them to be square and sit flat and mate together well.
- I used no glue or biscuits, only 2" deep thread drywall screws but I pre drilled all the pilot holes with a counter sink bit on the drill press and clamped the sides and ends before screwing so they were perfectly flush.
- I cut the tops a smidgeon big (technical term for 1/32") and flush trimmed with a router.
- Every edge was hit with a 1/4" round over bit. Think about the ones you need to do before assembly. Do the bottoms- (after assembly) it will help prevent splintering as they get slid around on the floor.
- Sand, Sand, Sand. I used my 6" Porter Cable ROS with 80 grit and a piece of 120 by hand to smooth the round overs. Did it as quickly as I could (hey- this ain't a cabinet!) but just wanted to make sure every surface had it's rough spots smoothed down. Why? Because these will be handled a lot. A pleasant experience every time you pick it up is worth a few extra minutes during construction.
- I took the time to make a really good template for the hand hole. I will use it again no doubt. This is why they make flush trim (pattern) bits. ROUND OVER THE EDGES ON BOTH SIDES AND SAND THEM SMOOTH! You will smile and think about the 5 minutes it took to do that every time you pick it up.
I slathered on 1 heavy coat of BLO just because I had it but I do think some sort of finish is a good thing. Chip the top crust off an old can of urethane, thin it down, strain out the lumps and slather a coat of that on. This is why you saved it all these years.
268959268958268960268961268962268963
268965
3 nice sized benches from one sheet of 3/4" UL plywood. The 2 long ones nest together for storage, the third one was made from the leftovers. Since I had some leftover Z-Clips, I used them to provide the ability to lock the 2 long benches together giving me a solid surface of 40 x 26 for assembling cabinet carcasses or standing on while I attempt to educate the world on the proper way for everyone to live.
No one cares about that, but my thoughts about constructing these benches:
- Approach them like a cabinet, precision is important. You want them to be square and sit flat and mate together well.
- I used no glue or biscuits, only 2" deep thread drywall screws but I pre drilled all the pilot holes with a counter sink bit on the drill press and clamped the sides and ends before screwing so they were perfectly flush.
- I cut the tops a smidgeon big (technical term for 1/32") and flush trimmed with a router.
- Every edge was hit with a 1/4" round over bit. Think about the ones you need to do before assembly. Do the bottoms- (after assembly) it will help prevent splintering as they get slid around on the floor.
- Sand, Sand, Sand. I used my 6" Porter Cable ROS with 80 grit and a piece of 120 by hand to smooth the round overs. Did it as quickly as I could (hey- this ain't a cabinet!) but just wanted to make sure every surface had it's rough spots smoothed down. Why? Because these will be handled a lot. A pleasant experience every time you pick it up is worth a few extra minutes during construction.
- I took the time to make a really good template for the hand hole. I will use it again no doubt. This is why they make flush trim (pattern) bits. ROUND OVER THE EDGES ON BOTH SIDES AND SAND THEM SMOOTH! You will smile and think about the 5 minutes it took to do that every time you pick it up.
I slathered on 1 heavy coat of BLO just because I had it but I do think some sort of finish is a good thing. Chip the top crust off an old can of urethane, thin it down, strain out the lumps and slather a coat of that on. This is why you saved it all these years.
268959268958268960268961268962268963
268965