Bench

[Tom Bussey]

I posted a thread about a moxon vise and got several comments about my bench, so I thought someome might like to see more of the bench I have to work on almost dailey. Actually it is the most used tool/vise/work table/clamp/ everything in the shop, and I spend a lot more time at it than any other machine/? in the shop.

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[Malcolm Schweizer]

WOW! :eek: That is a great bench. I really want to build a good bench but it is behind a number of other projects on the list.

[Frederick Skelly]

Wow. Thats a heck of a bench Tom. Just how big is that beauty? Also, are those holdfasts I see? Do you find yourself using them a little or a lot? I ask because you seem to have multiple vise-type devices on that bench, so you sure arent lacking for holding power.

Fred

[Joe Bailey]

Fine looking bench, Tom

[Judson Green]

WOW! Very impressive!

Are those though slots at the ends of your tool well? What's that for?

[Tom Bussey]

I used the hold fasts a lot. When I built the bench I wanted a shaker style on one side and a european style on the other. The hold fast were forged by a friend and are made out of tire irons. Great steel., really tough but not brittle. I tend to use the european side more. I love the tail vise and use it the most. The leg vise was an after thought, so it was not incorperated as nicely as it could have been and if I had to do it over again I would put the leg vise at the other end, That way I would have had a right and left hand vise. I am left handed but had to adapt to a right hand world so I can use eithe hand but a left hand vise would come in handy. I like a bench to domany things. That is why I desided to build a Moxon vise to clamp on the bench.

The bottom of the tool tray pulls completly out and I can get clamps in the middle. The slots in the ends of the tool are for expanshion and contraction of the top. There is another piece behind it to stop the dust and chips from getting back there.There is a 3/4 spline that runs the width of the table between the end cap and the table top itself. It has the glue on plastic stuff for draw runners on the spline. It allows the top to move freely. The shoulder vise and the back are dovetailed so I wanted to allow free movement to the tool tray.

It takes 4 men to move the top. It is over 24 inches wide. I do a lot of panal glueing and it is nice to use 24 inch clamps with no trouble. I probably added about 6 inches in width to a standard top get there.

I like to use the bench to hold about anything I can think of. I am considering getting a couple of round short dogs to put in the tale vise so I can clamp it the end of a long board to the side of the bench.

And yes the legs are held together with wedge and tenons. I have als started to build out of pine for portability and it will be light weight and all held together with wedge tenons. Pull it out of the truck and have a rock solid bench read to go in 5 minutes. I do a lot with refurnished planes and to demo a plane one need a good bench.

I hope I have answered everyones questions. And I will be happy to answer any other questions if I can. I also hope I have inspired just one person to think outside the box when it comes to benchs. And not just build a roubo because they are popular. Just my opinion but it wouldn't be a work bench without a true tail vise.

[Steve Voigt]

A great looking bench, Tom. I really like that you've designed it to be used from both sides. Can't agree with you about Roubos but that's ok, to each his own. Nice work!

[Winton Applegate]

Tom,
Thank you very much for taking the time to post photos of your teriffic bench !
I am having a great time looking at it all and am learning some stuff; like the rail joinery for the sliding dead man.

And
ha,ha,
I see that no matter which vise style you are arguing for all you got to do is take a photo of that part of the bench.
Looks like you have it all and are living large !

[Tom Bussey]

Pleas don't take me wrong, I am not against the roubo bench. It is just that it is not the only fish in the stream. The bench should fit a persons type and style of work. Dare to think and plane ahead so that things can be added down the road. Let me give you an example, The top is not fastened to the legs at all ,it has two clets screwed to the bottom of the table. the holes are alongated for movement but the clets rest against the frame ends and sides so it can't move.
One of the most asked questions aske about a bench is how high should it be. If you look at my legs, I made the feet higher than they needed to be. It is an easy thing to lift the top off, not really on mine but, pull the streachers off and put the leg assembly on the table saw and shorten the table or glue a couple more pieces on to raise it.

Dare to make it your own.

[Pat Barry]

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Hi Tom, Nice bench - looks like its pretty much able to do it all with all the various vice styles and attachments. I am curious though about the sliding deadman on you bench. It could be an optical illusion form the camera angles but in my mind it looks to be inset by a few inches, not flush to the front edge surface of the bench and leg vise, therefore I am having trouble understanding how this actually works for you in practice. Would you mind clarifying this or possibly posting one more image showing the deadman in typical usage? Thanks

[Tom Bussey]

I said earlier that the leg vise was an after though. Actually after the legs were made. The dead man does set back a little, so I just use a longer pin. That is why the holes in the side of the top, they are for using a holdfast.