Small Change to the Moravian Bench and A Bench Appliance

[ken hatch]

Because the new Moravian bench is not meant to be portable I've wanted a shelf between the long stretchers. In fact I added ledgers to the stretchers during the build for that reason. Yesterday I found a few extra minutes to start the job. My first thought was to use some Home Depot finished Pine for the slats. Wrong Oak breath, ain't no way no how I'm paying that kind of money for spaghetti boards. Back to digging through the wood pile where I found a nice 4/4 Red Oak board that was just long enough with a few mm to spare. The Red Oak looks better anyway.

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I expect I'll add "stops" to the ends and attach the end slats to the ledgers along with a Danish Oil finish. Whatever I now have a "catchall" under the bench.

I didn't have much time in the shop yesterday. MsBubba had other plans for my time, mostly involving pulling wire for a new 110v. electrical outlet in the kitchen but I did find an unfinished (the 3/4" dowel wasn't glued) bench appliance while digging around looking for wood to make the slats. The appliance is very similar to one Jim K has posted. I've not a clue what it is called, maybe a birds mouth stop? Anyway, I've used this type of appliance often what's different about this one is the length. I'm guessing my thoughts were to make it longer to use in the end dog hole so the face vise would not get in the way when planing.

Whatever it works well and is a handy appliance.

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Happy New Year y'all,

ken

[bill howes]

Re the birdsmouth- I like and will try one, perhaps adding another dowel for stability
Bill Howes

[ken hatch]

Re the birdsmouth- I like and will try one, perhaps adding another dowel for stability
Bill Howes

Bill,

If all the force vectors are lined up a second dowel isn't needed but at the same time it can't hurt to have one.

ken

[Frederick Skelly]

I like the shelf Ken! I cheated and used some scrap particle board I had laying around, but like yours far better.

The birdsmouth can be a very useful item. I have several. I usually put a stop on the far end and a birdsmouth (held by a holdfast) on the end nearest me. I think I'll make one like yours and see where it's useful!

Happy New Year!
Fred

[ken hatch]

I like the shelf Ken! I cheated and used some scrap particle board I had laying around, but like yours far better.

The birdsmouth can be a very useful item. I have several. I usually put a stop on the far end and a birdsmouth (held by a holdfast) on the end nearest me. I think I'll make one like yours and see where it's useful!

Happy New Year!
Fred

Thanks Fred.

I have several of the Doe Foot variety around as well. In fact if you look closely a couple are in the tool well near the end of the bench. It is amazing how useful a hunk of wood with a 45* notch cut in one end can be :). While I love my "leg vise" (not really a leg vise but almost) and use it often many times the best and most efficient way to hold boards for planing either face or edge is some combination of stops, battens, and holdfasts. I have little use for a vise in the end position other than occasionally holding a board or chair leg for sawing.

ken

[William Fretwell]

No side wall for the shelf? I mounted mine so it has 2 inches of stretcher above the shelf top surface. I used western red cedar slats as they are cheap around here.

[ken hatch]

No side wall for the shelf? I mounted mine so it has 2 inches of stretcher above the shelf top surface. I used western red cedar slats as they are cheap around here.

No William, I found on an earlier bench build a side wall makes it very difficult to clean and remove all the crap that ends up on the shelf. a flat shelf works much better. Of course as always YMMV.

ken

[Jim Koepke]

No William, I found on an earlier bench build a side wall makes it very difficult to clean and remove all the crap that ends up on the shelf. a flat shelf works much better. Of course as always YMMV.

ken

Nice bench Ken.

A birds mouth is very useful and is quicker at changing work pieces than any quick release vise could ever be.

My under bench shelf has side and end walls. The end walls are set in loose so they are easy to remove when it is time to sweep off the shelf.

jtk

[ken hatch]

Nice bench Ken.

A birds mouth is very useful and is quicker at changing work pieces than any quick release vise could ever be.

My under bench shelf has side and end walls. The end walls are set in loose so they are easy to remove when it is time to sweep off the shelf.

jtk

Jim,

Thanks, I've only been working on it for a week or three and it has been a total pleasure. After the first week I moved the French/English bench to the secondary bench position even though it is the larger and heavier bench. You know even a dumb ol' West Texas farm boy if he builds enough benches and pays some attention to what works and what doesn't can eventually get it close to right.

I agree, while I use the face vise often my first go at holding is usually to explore other ways such as a stop or bird's mouth.

That is a good solution. The bench before this one has a flat shelf but it extends behind the legs so the legs act as a kinda stop. Because this shelf stops short I have the end slats in glue up with stops as I type. I'll pull 'em out of the clamps in an hour or so and finish fooling with the shelf.

ken

[ken hatch]

Here is the lower shelf finished with stops on each end.

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I expect this is the last time it will be this clean and uncluttered.

ken

[William Fretwell]

Ken my ends are open for sweeping plus the slats are popped up very easily if needed, I see no issue cleaning.
I generally use a stop across the whole width of the bench for rapid work.

[ken hatch]

Ken my ends are open for sweeping plus the slats are popped up very easily if needed, I see no issue cleaning.
I generally use a stop across the whole width of the bench for rapid work.

William,

There are many ways to get there, wherever there is. That is the beauty of life.

Hope you have a good new year,

ken

[Phil Mueller]

Nice shelf, Ken. My bench isn’t as robust as yours, so when I decided to add a shelf, I looked for the heaviest lumber I could find. I walked down the row at the lumber yard picking up pieces to see how heavy and comparing to cost. Ended up with ash. Anywho, it’s all function, with a little aesthetics as a bonus.

I also have few holes in my bench and rely on all sorts of ways to hold down work. Here’s probably one of my more ridiculous set ups for a glue up. Whatever works, right?

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[ken hatch]

Nice shelf, Ken. My bench isn’t as robust as yours, so when I decided to add a shelf, I looked for the heaviest lumber I could find. I walked down the row at the lumber yard picking up pieces to see how heavy and comparing to cost. Ended up with ash. Anywho, it’s all function, with a little aesthetics as a bonus.

I also have few holes in my bench and rely on all sorts of ways to hold down work. Here’s probably one of my more ridiculous set ups for a glue up. Whatever works, right?

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Phil,

That is part of the beauty of a simple bench with a "few" holes. There are so many options for holding work that do not include using a vise. Not that there's anything wrong with using a vise:).

ken