WIP saw bench

[Brian Holcombe]

Building a split top saw bench for my shop in white ash. Been doing everything by hand including dimensioning.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/4665EEAE-A14A-49E2-853C-81524AB99E10_zpsc6nkhgcm.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/42502E13-DB87-4359-8236-296839DF31F1_zpsxskndzxs.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/D03B5614-7859-42D7-8C64-A03041B0D242_zpsxg2q4qcr.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/880B63B1-515A-4AFE-A0F3-3036CBA63309_zpshfwkluwi.jpg

Also so worth mentioning that I am, for the most part, no longer sanding. Happy to say it to, I did not have carpel tunnel agitations until I began using a ROS a few years ago.

[Ryan Baker]

Looks good. I'll be interested to see how it comes out. I need to make one for myself too.

And you have carpet in your shop? Sounds nice to work on but a pain to clean up.

[Daniel Rode]

It looks great so far. It's going to be too nice to saw on :)

How's the ash to work with hand tools?

[ken hatch]

Brian,

Looks good.

You are a better man than I, Joinery by hand, always. Dimensioning, that's why the machines take up half my small shop :-).

ken

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks gents,

Ryan, this is my take on the ones that Daniel Rode and Judson Green built last year.

Daniel, it works very nicely. It splits easily which is good and bad, and finishes beautifully off the plane. Also helps that most of the stock available to me is very nicely rough sawn.

Ken, lol! I do it mostly because I'm tired of dragging boards back and forth to the mill, I need to take 1/4" off the top boards, so they will likely be jointed by hand and planed by machine just to save some effort. I've taken that kind of material off before, but it gets old quick.

[Mike Holbrook]

I was planing to make a similar saw bench. Then Highland Woodworking decided to offer Schwarz's new class "Build a Pair of Saw Benches". Turns out Chris has converted to building benches using Windsor Chair techniques. The class explores the tapered mortise and tenon joints essential to attaching legs to Windsor Chairs, a topic I am very interested in. Another skill the course teaches is making octagonal chair legs using a hand plane. Since I do not own a lathe and, have no experience turning and prefer rustic Windsor Chair designs this is another skill I am very interested in. So I signed up for the class a week or two ago.

I think Chris' class will be the perfect skill builder for the class I signed up for today at Country Workshops: Drew Langsner's "Rustic Windsor Chairmaking".

[Brian Holcombe]

That will definitely be a cool class, post up the results! I have always been a bit nervous about the hell tenons (fox wedge tenon) involved in that sort of build.

worth checking into japanese saw horses as well, I might build a set at some point.

[Jim Koepke]

I need to make one for myself too.

My suggestion is to make two. Especially when you want to crosscut a piece it is convenient to have a resting bench for the cut off.

jtk

[Judson Green]

My suggestion is to make two. Especially when you want to crosscut a piece it is convenient to have a resting bench for the cut off.

jtk



I have only one saw bench, but have a pair of saw horses at the same height as the bench. Works fantastically and the saw horses can also double for... saw horses - low ones.


Looking good so far Brian! More pictures please!

[Chris Hachet]

Brian,

Looks good.

You are a better man than I, Joinery by hand, always. Dimensioning, that's why the machines take up half my small shop :-).

ken

yep, same here. But I do need a new pair of saw benches...

[Mike Holbrook]

I hope two of the saw benches we make in the class will stack well. Probably best to put one top face down on the other. The pictures I have seen illustrate they are shaped a little more like a stool than a typical saw bench. Regardless, I think I will find many uses for them. Apparently these two benches are used in tandem with the sawing taking place between the two. The tops are listed as being 8"x16" and they look like small work benches in the pictures. I will have to restrain myself from going at that thick poplar top with drawknife and spokeshave to make it into a proper windsor seat. The red oak and poplar are the species I can get for the least/no cost too.

Yes "the hell tenons"! I had a problem drilling the angles using the methods Galbert taught in the Windsor Chair class I took. Petter used mirrors and a hand drill. My eyes had a real problem focusing on those objects at different distances quickly. I am anxious to see if Schwarz and Langsner have methods better suited to old eyes with oddly corrected vision. I think Langsner is around my age and also has corrected vision. I have noticed Schwarz wearing glasses recently too. Galbert seems to have hawk eyes.

I looked up pictures of Japanese saw horses. I believe Brian's are built with similar tools\designs\techniques? I missed that connection at first because I recently read Odate's book. Odate often works sitting on the floor. He tends to use shorter work rests. Interesting that many Japanese experts tend to get their feet into the woodworking process too. Scares me a little though, do I want to risk both my hands and feet. Will more targets of opportunity increase my chance of injury?

Here is a link to Schwarz's recent Blog discussing the evolution of this class\project.


Have a Party, Build a Sawbench (http://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/12/07/have-a-party-build-a-sawbench/)

Posted on December 7, 2014 (http://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/12/07/have-a-party-build-a-sawbench/) by Chris Schwarz (http://blog.lostartpress.com/author/lostartpress/)

[Jim Koepke]

Works fantastically and the saw horses can also double for... saw horses - low ones.

Often when doing some carving or other seated tasks two of my saw benches are set up like an 'L' at the end of my bench. This allows me to scoot around to get different angles of attack on a work piece.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

I hope two of the saw benches we make in the class will stack well.

This is something that should be considered (asked about) before beginning the build. There are various ways for this to work depending on the style of saw bench being built. One easy way is to make a long bench and a short bench so the short bench is shorter than the distance between the legs of the long bench.

A recently viewed episode of the Woodwright's Shop used a tapered dovetail to hold the legs in a thick slab. It looked like it would be a great saw bench.

jtk

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Judson!

Jim I saw that as well, great episode in fact!

[Stew Denton]

Brian,

Very nicely done!

Stew

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Stew!

More pics;

This is how clean this wood cuts straight off the jointer. I keep a loose setting on the cap iron (1/32~) since I usually take a heavy cut.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/08F9D361-0563-45D1-98FF-676DDAD2E8CC_zpsdp6xite3.jpg

Tight joinery

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/FE3FB7B2-7701-4161-A327-74B809C4FBCE_zpsa4pzueuj.jpg

Tight joinery plus some blood:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/72A4421A-7E15-4EF8-88FA-CF7969936379_zpsd5t6w2zv.jpg

Moving along

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/435F40C6-8EB7-4A97-A0D9-870D5B0C4AA4_zpsttj3t0tu.jpg

This will be cut into four tenons which will be wedged through the top.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/721C9542-F5C8-4A5A-ACA1-D0F3C85C712B_zpsvfl7w4cs.jpg

Additional supports I may or may not make. Offset because I think it looks cool, and because I'm possibly going to have to angle the tenons.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/7FD8DA6A-B6FD-44F9-BCDE-F4A8D0AB2B82_zpsrhoppfn9.jpg

[John Crawford]

Looks great, I look forward to seeing the final design, so that I can steal from it some day.

I built a pair of the SchwarzBenches; they are very solid, but my saw is always bashing into the splayed legs or the joinery underneath. (No offense to the CS design, I'm sure this is my work habits....) I'm kind of hankering for a split top one with straight legs.

[Judson Green]

Looks great, I look forward to seeing the final design, so that I can steal from it some day.


John, or anyone else, if you want a less elegant version of the same kind of saw bench Brian's making (a split top) you can click on my profile and look at the album "saw bench and plans" - pictures and plans, feel free to modify to your liking. Please just make a thread here and show us your saw bench.

[Judson Green]

Looking good Brian. I sure do like ash, nice color, strong, light for its strength, works well and (this might sound funny, but it isn't meant to be) I like the smell of it. Funny how something like that can make an impressing on one, I like walnut but don't care for the smell of it.

One thing though, your stretcher on the bottom (if your anything like me) is gonna get all nicked up from the saw nose bashing into it. I've learned to not have such a steep angle when sawing. Curious, how tall is it going to be?

[Mike Holbrook]

Brian, is this a work in progress? Will there be more pictures? Maybe we are looking at the end supports upside down? If they are upside down then I am guessing the hole in the center piece is for a dowel\mortise that will hold the top portion on? I believe typical Japanese construction technique for saw benches uses that type joint. Is that wood southern yellow pine, or maybe ash? Maybe I don't understand what I am looking at?

[Mike Holbrook]

Ahhh you added pictures to the original post while I was posting, maybe I was close but had it upside down.

Nice WoodJoy bowsaw hanging on the wall I think. That string keeper is pretty unique.

[Augusto Orosco]

Your joinery is always so clean and precise. Gives me something to aspire to!

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Gents!

Mike, the stretcher will be on the ground, so the four pronged tenons will be in the top. The wood is white ash, good eye on the bow saw, I actually get a good deal of use out of it these days, it's also badass for limbing up landscape shruberies.

Judson, it will be about 18" or so, there will be 16" clear from the top to the stretcher. My panel saws are around 16.5" from the top of the handle to the tip, so if I went straight down it would hit, unless I'm sawing something thicker than 1/2" or working at an angle.

I am going to cut and fit the top before adding any supports, since is don't want redundant supports to impede use. Also, I plan to put holes for holdfasts down the center of each side.

How tall did you make yours?

[Judson Green]

21"

Guess I've only bashed the saw nose with longer saws. I haven't added holes for holdfasts (don't have any holdfasts yet) but sounds like a great thing, someday. Maybe Santa will bring me some :D

[Brian Holcombe]

Certainly could be, LN panel saws are not particularly huge. Holdfasts are great, I think I overuse them aftrr getting a set.

[Ryan Baker]

My suggestion is to make two. Especially when you want to crosscut a piece it is convenient to have a resting bench for the cut off.

jtk

Right you are! Make that a pair of saw benches.

[Ryan Baker]

Tight joinery plus some blood:



Did Roy Underhill come to visit? :)

[Jim Matthews]

Offset may not be necessary, if the top is split.

I have a clumsy variant of this with a removable center board.
When I want to have a long rip, the board straddles that opening.

I've seen versions where one set of legs is splayed,
presumably for stability when used by heavy operators.

In practice, mine hasn't needed bracing - the lateral forces aren't great.

I think the most important aspect of a sawbench is to ease all edges,
so you don't leak anymore - it's okay to give blood to the jigs,
but not for finished pieces.

Good man for doing it by hand, there's something satisfying about that.
I think it's precisely because you can put your finger on it...

[Brian Holcombe]

LOL @ Ryan, he must visit often.

Jim, Thanks!

I think you're on the money, after assembling the base and using it as a stool without a board affixed to the top, it doesn't wiggle. Adding additional bracing is looking less important as I proceed. I'm always surprised at how strong bridle joints are, they always impress me. I plan to break the edges in the finishing process.

I think the most satisfying part is finishing with a plane, oddly enough feeling like I escaped the sander is quite a pleasure.

[Steve Voigt]

Brian, the bench is looking great, as usual.
I've mentioned before that we have a similar aesthetic…here's a couple pics of my dining table, ten years old and looking a little beat-up, but you'll get the idea. Great minds think alike! :p

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[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Steve,

A man after my own heart! Nice work! I really enjoy the contrast between the base and the top.

I'm dreaming up a dining table base of my own design and I think I may do a giants arm to support the legs.

[Brian Holcombe]

Quite a bit of work to get to this update, but it doesn't look like much. I dimensioned the top slabs in preparation for the quad mortises.


One of the tops had irregulaties so I needed to rough approx 1/4" off of both, I did this with a low angle jack cutting on a skew and taking a very heavy cut. This worked out nicely, finished with the jointer and lightened up to an easy cut to put a relatively smooth finish good enough to move into mortising but not enough to call finished.


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/05674767-9BE8-4CD3-B96C-C43A05580E78_zpsai84mau8.jpg


Using my new kibiki to transfer the layout and it works nicely!


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/483EDFA8-C832-4DF8-9110-17579108E1A4_zpsblyxiie2.jpg


All set on this board.


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/B5577670-F3D7-44BC-BBA7-3A780C2750B4_zps5opfne3m.jpg


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/2878D97E-C40D-4B51-9B3E-1ADAF41C1B4D_zpsh79xaihj.jpg


One more to go then starting on the tenons.

[Mike Holbrook]

Brian,
How are the new Japanese pairing chisels working for you? I only have one 36mm and have been thinking about buying another size or two. If I could just decide what sizes. What size(s), may I ask, are you using for the bridal joints?

Looking very nice!

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Mike. I'll take a look tonight when I get back bit they are about an inch and about 1.5". These cut very nicely, the backs did not take much work and they hold and edge for a good while at a low angle without issue.

I literally used them all day for various tasks and did not need to touch the edge. A2 would have been right back to the sharpening stones that afternoon.

[Mike Holbrook]

My bad Brian. I went back and found your post when you bought those chisels. Chris asked then and you said 24 & 36mm, about 1 & 1 1/2". I like my Koyamaichi chisels too, although mine are white steel, so far.

Looks like the entire bottom of the bench is bridal joints so I thought it might be a good test for those chisels. Good to hear they last so well, seems to be about everyones experience with Koyamaichi's. I am looking forward to seeing the complete bench. My class is Jan 17 & 18 so I should have mine done soon. I just got the tapered tenon cutting/reaming tools from Lee Valley so I have the tools. I may still make one or two like yours.

[Brian Holcombe]

I have some white steel bench chisels and they're great, I can chop with them then go right into paring end grain without issue.

i like that these chisels are slightly undersized to their nearest standard measurements, so helps give a little bit of wiggle room when working. If I am set to make 1/2" mortises I am making them to about 15/32" and can pare or use floats to get right to the line. That's not nessecary on regular tenons, but it's a luxury when making through tenons.

same deal with the paring chisels, since I'm typically working with very standard sizes.

That class sounds like it will be really interesting, tapered tenons are a bridge I've yet to cross for any sort of formal projects.
Even if you find a saw bench like mine to be redundant in your shop, you could use bridle joints to make up some saw horses.

[Mike Holbrook]

I can see many bridal joints in my future as well Brian.

In recent months i have added a new tool to my apron to prevent the type of cut you had. I am speaking of a small WoodJoy spokeshave. I actually cut most of the handles length off one so it fits in tighter places and is practically insignificant to carry. The unique WoodJoy blade adjustment system allows me to set a very small, precise chamfer. I find this tool very easy to use on practically every board I cut to: relieve sharp edges, adjust fit, trim end grain & rough areas...

I have yet to invest in floats. I have an assortment of Japanese Iwasaki rasp/file/floats. I think the abrasive surface of these tools is very similar to floats? I bought them originally when I was working wood planes but have found them to be very useful for adjusting just about any joint.

Yes I am excited about the Schwarz class. I was also lucky to find a place available in Drew Langsner's, Country Workshops, winter/spring class "Rustic Windsor Chairmaking". This course teaches Welsh Stick Windsor chair techniques. The legs are the same or similar to the bench leg construction in the Schwarz class. We will also learn methods for making a sculpted seat, 4- element sculpted arm-bow and chair spindles. This 5 day class only allows the time to make a low back/captain's chair. Fortunately for me though, I plan to make a significant number of this specific chair for my business and home. I think this rustic build may be the perfect chair for my somewhat rough, dog infested environment. I am delighted to have these classes available when I need them reasonably close to home. Country Workshops is an easy drive through the mountains just above Asheville, NC. One of my favorite places.

[Brian Holcombe]

I have a Boggs that I use in the same manner, if not I will simply use a plane or a chisel.

A very sharp paring chisel is usually more useful than floats for most of what I build. I would not buy a set second time around.

Post up the chairs as you build them, they sound pretty awesome. I have an interest in Windsor chairs, but no place to put them.

[Mike Holbrook]

I have the Boggs curved bottom shave. It is a nice shave. It makes a very fine shaving but it seems to me that I would need to modify the mouth to take a larger shaving. The straight handles run a little close to the surface they are working for my purposes.

I think there will be another Japanese paring chisel or two in my future too. I am waiting a little while until I find out what sizes I should buy. I have been studying on the Nishiki Kinari, thin paring chisels, Tools For Working Wood sells.

I have plenty of places to put chairs if you don't Brian. I will post up some benches/chairs soon Brian.

[Brian Holcombe]

My only complaint with the Boggs shave, and maybe it's how I'm setting it, but it also seemed to me like a more open mouth would be helpful.

sounds good! I look forward to seeing the results.

[Mike Holbrook]

I think you are correct Brian. The LN Boggs and LN small shave both have very narrow mouths. I actually had to file the mouth of my small shave just to get it to the point it could pass any shaving. I understand this is not uncommon with these shaves. I think it even mentions it some where in the directions. It makes sense. One can open the mouth with a file but if it were to large for a particular users needs there would be a more difficult to solve issue. Lee Valley does have a solution, they provide/offer precisely manufactured shims with their shaves.

[Brian Holcombe]

LOL, I guess it pays to read the directions. I sharpened it and started making shavings. Mine puts a shaving through, but the shavings always curl around the mouth. I expect that opening it up a hair will alleviate that issue, but I cant say for certain.

Has that been the case for yours as well?

[Jim Koepke]

Mine puts a shaving through, but the shavings always curl around the mouth.

All my shaves seem to do this. Stroke, stroke, remove shavings and repeat as needed.

jtk

[Brian Holcombe]

Oh alright, thanks Jim!

[Brian Holcombe]

Finished up the mortising and onto cutting the tenons.

Because these mortises were very deep and rather short I started by drilling a hole on one end and cutting away from the hole with the chisel. That leaves a hill climbing out of the mortise and I turned the chisel and chopped that out next, then flipped the board over and did the same thing on the reverse. I left a little room for paring but it turned out to be a largely unnecessary step.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/A90EEADA-0F73-45D8-A353-7D60C420F786_zpsptug3nxo.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/A90EEADA-0F73-45D8-A353-7D60C420F786_zpsptug3nxo.jpg.html)

I sawed the lines with my dovetail saw, which is much easier to keep on track than my massive tenon saw, then once the kerf was established and the DT saw bottomed out I finished the cut with a thin plate tenon saw. Makes for much, much less paring work than attempting to use the big tenon saw from the onset (at least for me )


http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/DD45F48D-2035-4C64-B6AA-E1066043E3F2_zpsnx4kmj33.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/DD45F48D-2035-4C64-B6AA-E1066043E3F2_zpsnx4kmj33.jpg.html)

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http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/E0CACA2A-591E-434B-B92B-7F84F2E7F54F_zps7i7ktyai.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/E0CACA2A-591E-434B-B92B-7F84F2E7F54F_zps7i7ktyai.jpg.html)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/C4408582-2BA7-4C8C-81BF-8A1DF357E79C_zpswsumzwfr.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/C4408582-2BA7-4C8C-81BF-8A1DF357E79C_zpswsumzwfr.jpg.html)

I started out like a hero, but then decided on the wide sections to simply saw most of the waste with my bow saw. I finished with the chisel on both sides, then cut the shoulders.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/E50C19AB-353F-4F25-92BA-6187E8E262C0_zpspicj9qb1.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/E50C19AB-353F-4F25-92BA-6187E8E262C0_zpspicj9qb1.jpg.html)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/D7FF8DCC-9BE4-4CCC-9090-6C449F67F033_zps3ibiwofz.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/D7FF8DCC-9BE4-4CCC-9090-6C449F67F033_zps3ibiwofz.jpg.html)

Just a quick note, making with the kibiki makes life very easy. Nice to transfer marks and know everything will line up nicely. This is easier than transferring from the work on through tenons (like one would with a dovetail) because it's not always practical to try and mark through tight mortises in 2" material.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/7BC9F7A8-8ED2-4B6F-BEF1-6B4AAE08298C_zpsovuga0yq.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/7BC9F7A8-8ED2-4B6F-BEF1-6B4AAE08298C_zpsovuga0yq.jpg.html)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/4A9E84EE-3435-4565-AFC4-3CA9DCDB36EC_zpsbtfwu2ah.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/4A9E84EE-3435-4565-AFC4-3CA9DCDB36EC_zpsbtfwu2ah.jpg.html)

Once all four are done I will tweak the landings then cut for wedges

[Jim Koepke]

You must be a better sawyer than me. With the slot that narrow my ripping would likely take a few chunks out of that nice looking surface.

Looks great though.

jtk

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Jim! It is pretty tough hitting those marks on tenons this size. The first one required a touch up with the router plane. The second was easy, I cleaned it up with that huge paring chisel in a few swipes.

[Mike Allen1010]

Brian beautiful work as usual – thank you very much for sharing the pictures!

I particularly love the design – both highly functional and very attractive (looks a lot better than much of my furniture). Through wedged M&T's are one of my favorite joints - are you going to go with a contrasting color for the wedges?

I'm on my third iteration of a saw bench. My needs may be a little different than most; I don't have a table saw and my feeble, cheesy bandsaw wanders all over when asked to rip anything more than 1/2" pine. Consequently I do the vast majority of sawing for all size projects at the saw bench. That includes a fair amount of relatively long rips in thicker stock where I can to go at it pretty hard and can get quite the "saw workout".

Because those requirements, I have evolved to a larger, heavier bench and one small bent for supporting long workpieces. These are both made out of 4 x 4 Doug Fir from the local BORG. The boards that form the split top of my saw bench are 12" wide x 2" thick DF, secured with lots of lag bolts to hold everything flat. I don't remember the length, but based on the picture below with a 26" saw, looks like maybe 35 inches long.

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What I like about this setup is the saw benches heavy enough that it remains stable and holds the workpiece solidly even if I'm standing off to the side and don't have my weight directly on top of the workpiece. This is a plus for me in the longer rips as I get faster, more accurate results when standing on both feet, versus having one knee up on the workpiece/saw bench.

I'm not sure how much it weighs, but it's heavy enough to be stable, but still light enough to drag around the shop when needed. Also doubles as a knee-high work service when assembling case pieces that will be too tall if placed on top of the workbench.

The top is just wider than the bottoms of the leg so that I can saw straight down along any edge of the bench without hitting any part of the undercarriage. This also lets me use a couple 6 inch, fast action clamps to secure the work anywhere along the edge of the bench. I also use some small, cast-iron holdfasts with holes drilled in the bench top ( I think 5/8" diameter?). These are stored in holes in the cross members so their below the work surface when not in use. I am a bigfan of clamping the work securely. The biggest mistakes I make are when I try and rush things and the workpiece moves when cutting – I hate when that happens!

The other accessory I like is a slide up bench stop on the short end of the bench I used most often for crosscutting. It's held on by couple wingnuts so it's easy to raise and lower as needed

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Probably the single thing that has improved my sawing the most is clamping a work light on a shelf directly above where the saw bench sits. My eyes aren't nearly as good as they used to be and before I put the light in, I would start sawing thinking I could see the layout line, but then losing sight of it in the middle the cut. This way the light is always on and it's easy to slide the Saw bench and workpiece around so that the layout line is always well lit and visible (I've also gone to a 9 mm wide pencil lead for layout just to make the lines a bit more prominent).


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Just some food for thought based on what works for me - YMMV.

Brian, I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing the finished bench in action. Thanks again for sharing your pictures.

All the best, Mike

[Brian Holcombe]

Thank you and thanks for posting up those pictures/ideas. Alot of food for thought.

The light is becoming very important to me as well, my overhead lights drive me crazy because they produce a shadow when I bend over the work. I do have a plan for this, but it will take a month or two to put into action. I am buying an articulating overhead lamp.

It's most likely going to be this one; http://www.artemide.us/?page=main/flypage&product_id=935&ps_session=57a774763174851cc2b42691b40fcf40

I looked into rolling surgical lamps, but they're insanely expensive and surprisingly hard to purchase.

[Tony Shea]

So where do plan on purchasing the light that you linked to? They look like a very interesting idea. Although I've been relatively happy with an articulating Alvin drafting lamp on both ends of my bench. One of them is about ready for retirement and have been looking at a nicer Alvin (is actually manufactured by another higher end company but is listed as Alvin) drafting lamp that has a T5 florescent tube and a place for a 100w incandescent. It is around $80.

[Brian Holcombe]

Not sure just yet. I have a couple of versions of them around the house and they're fantastic. The original version was a desk lamp and they've since morped the design into all manner of articulating lamps.

[Brian Holcombe]

Almost complete

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/D4D0D102-CCBD-446E-9E9E-BA31E02143D0_zps7ynxoa2h.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/D4D0D102-CCBD-446E-9E9E-BA31E02143D0_zps7ynxoa2h.jpg.html)

[Pat Barry]

Almost complete

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/D4D0D102-CCBD-446E-9E9E-BA31E02143D0_zps7ynxoa2h.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/D4D0D102-CCBD-446E-9E9E-BA31E02143D0_zps7ynxoa2h.jpg.html)
Beautiful work Brian! Now if it were me, I would be scared to use it and nick it up as great as it looks now. Of course I'm kind of a clumsy hack when it comes to using tools.

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Pat! My wife shares your sentiment with immediate designs on this as a coffee table. Luckily it's too tall for that, so we've compromised and now use it for the occasional dinner in front of the TV (works perfectly for that) when we need a change of scenery.

[Patrick McCarthy]

nicely done Brian, very nicely done!

thank you for sharing, Patrick

[Brian Holcombe]

Thank you!

[Winton Applegate]

I like walnut but don't care for the smell of it.

I can say that about purple heart. A lot of it smells like dirty feet. It was nice to move on to another wood and change the big filter bag in my Fein shop vac. The vac exhaust smelled like dirty feet where ever I took it to work. Yuck ! The bench does not smell bad though so I am happy.

[Winton Applegate]

Thanks for putting these benches up guys. I just got around to reading the thread in one sitting.
Thanks for the link on the light as well. I am desperate for a few high quality "drafting" lamps for the shop (sawing etc). I have several cheepies.

For what it is worth to any one Queenmasteroftheuniverseandbabybunnytrainer just bought one of these (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YBP3F4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) for her Pro art studio. It is much more robust than we expected, goes sky high (like ten feet in the air) and the price isn't so bad. She puts full spectrum bulbs in it (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00198U6U6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) . Big suckers. ALOT OF LIGHT. The bulb sticks out a long way and is blazing to look at so may be best aimed at the ceiling to cast an indirect light. For a big shop it would be really great. Very stable/ long stout legs.

For ripping and on the subject of separate saw benches it is interesting that the classic dudes like Frank Klausz and Tage Frid never mention them and don't seem to use them.
Probably why I never made one.
In the same breath I believe they rip standing upright with the work supported on their main bench with a bow saw with the blade turned 90° to the frame; raising their arms well above their head. I found this to feel awkward and un powerful if that is a word. (weak doesn't seem like quite the right term).

A couple of thoughts on the saw benches:
The long rail right on the floor seems like it could be a problem because of chips of wood getting under it and causing the whole thing to rock. My preference for saw horses is a small foot print. I would probably wind up relieving the underside of the rail so it does not contact the floor. I don't know.

Mike,
About the support under the falling board on your cross cut. I like two supports so the falling board is fully supported especially for a heavy one like that. You can see what I mean in my photo.

Seems like now that I said that we have discussed that one in the past. Please forgive me if that is the case. I have yet to make a saw bench.

Saw benches . . . Looks like a very useful project to make (or two). I get by with four identical size Krenov saw horses and two super stout and taller than regulation Japanese horses.

I could even see how a hole / slot in the floor under the saw bench could be useful so one could use a long saw but still have the bench low for knee on the work sawing or for David W.s sit down ripping technique.

Hmmmmm I wonder if the landlord would mind if I rented a jack hammer and made a little modification to my shop floor ?
?
?
:)

[Brian Holcombe]

Hasnt been trouble so far, since the dust falls around it. This bench is heavy, doesn't move on my when sawing.

I may combine it with a Japanese saw horse of the same height, or build a pair of them.

[Judson Green]

Have you a picture or three of the finished bench?

The two saw horse thing is was I do. Its nice having two horses at that height for other things too.

[Brian Holcombe]

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/7D87A19B-8066-40C8-8478-3588F2243ED9_zpsugragifp.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/7D87A19B-8066-40C8-8478-3588F2243ED9_zpsugragifp.jpg.html)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/C3FC9B46-5F40-4AC1-A862-06AD07421BE8_zps4axz2sch.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/C3FC9B46-5F40-4AC1-A862-06AD07421BE8_zps4axz2sch.jpg.html)

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c181/SpeedyGoomba/EFD7480A-FD51-4B72-A5D6-B5CAEC1C4488_zpsulz9qlq4.jpg (http://s27.photobucket.com/user/SpeedyGoomba/media/EFD7480A-FD51-4B72-A5D6-B5CAEC1C4488_zpsulz9qlq4.jpg.html)

Nearly complete, still have some touch up work to do on the end grain.

[Winton Applegate]

SOOOOO NICE !
I need one or two of those.

I was wrong about the rail . . . it IS up off the floor.
(you moved it didn't you ?)
Ha, ha,
My bad.

[Judson Green]

Nicely done!

Perhaps I missed it but what's the approximate dimensions?

[Brian Holcombe]

Thanks Fellas!

Winton, the bar is still on the floor, thats just a weird shadow.

Judson, it's about 43" long, 15" wide and 18.75" tall. The weird length is due to my not wanting to have a cut off, I simply cut the board and half and the length was set.

[Winton Applegate]

The weird length is due to my not wanting to have a cut off

Yah sure . . . you are a closet metric measurement user like me and don't want to own up. :p

Rail on the floor
You have the nice carpet so that will absorb some chips.
I am wondering about the narrow gap (the main slot). I would no way be able to keep my line coplanar over that slot and I would wind up sawing into the bench half the time.

Let me know if it is just me or that you find that true.

I have sure enjoyed seeing this thread !
Thank You !

[Judson Green]

Well I don't think that my saw benches slot is as narrow as Brian's I haven't sawed into it at all. And if/when I do, oh well... its part of being a saw bench.

[Winton Applegate]

I should have said that I am trying to judge the slot before making my saw benches.
Probably have to be two inches judging by my hand ripping results.

[Brian Holcombe]

The slot is 5/8". So far so good, part of the reason I made it narrow was to support rips in thinner stock.