Tom Bussey
07-15-2023, 9:53 AM
I finally got to the point of establishing the bench height. My my top's thickness is 4 inches,
I am not planning on getting into the top thickness controversy. It can be any thickness the maker wants to make it. I don't really care about the thickness except for the fact that it is a controlling factor in bench height.
My body likes a height of 34 inches when using a hand plane. As a reference my table saw height is 34 1/2 inches off the floor So the working height is similar. My body also likes standing on a anti- fatigue mat and my mat is around 1/2 inches thick so my ideal bench height is 34 1/2 inches neigh.
So 34 1/2 minus 4 makes the leg assembly 30 1/2 inches. Now this is not normally a problem in a bench build except for the fact that every thing is on a 15 degree angle and locked together with 4 wedges and loose tenons. I felt it would be easier the cut the final height in assembly.
My shop is in a building which is over 100 years old. And it has a basement so my floor is wood which is on wood floor Joyce's and it can be a little on the wavy side. which is why I decided to do the work on my bench. My bench is on the best part of the floor and my top is as flat as over 50 years of Tool and Die Making and woodworking experience can make it.
So the height of what you are seeing is 34 inches of bench height and a little over 30 1/2 inches for the assembly, so it makes the height at 64 1/2 inches or around 65 inches and my hands are over my head.. My line of sight is at the bottom of the cutter and I ate chips even though I wore a dust mask, and a face shield over my safety glasses.
How I cut it is assembly.
504298 504299
And the results, the third picture has the piece that the bench screw goes in It will get locked into the top with a loose tenon The piece is also loose tenoned in the stretcher and leg The loose tenon is glued in the stretcher only. The rest floats
504300 504301 504302 504303
And a selfie of kind of what I looked like afterwards.
504304
This is getting long so I will finish it in reply.
I am not planning on getting into the top thickness controversy. It can be any thickness the maker wants to make it. I don't really care about the thickness except for the fact that it is a controlling factor in bench height.
My body likes a height of 34 inches when using a hand plane. As a reference my table saw height is 34 1/2 inches off the floor So the working height is similar. My body also likes standing on a anti- fatigue mat and my mat is around 1/2 inches thick so my ideal bench height is 34 1/2 inches neigh.
So 34 1/2 minus 4 makes the leg assembly 30 1/2 inches. Now this is not normally a problem in a bench build except for the fact that every thing is on a 15 degree angle and locked together with 4 wedges and loose tenons. I felt it would be easier the cut the final height in assembly.
My shop is in a building which is over 100 years old. And it has a basement so my floor is wood which is on wood floor Joyce's and it can be a little on the wavy side. which is why I decided to do the work on my bench. My bench is on the best part of the floor and my top is as flat as over 50 years of Tool and Die Making and woodworking experience can make it.
So the height of what you are seeing is 34 inches of bench height and a little over 30 1/2 inches for the assembly, so it makes the height at 64 1/2 inches or around 65 inches and my hands are over my head.. My line of sight is at the bottom of the cutter and I ate chips even though I wore a dust mask, and a face shield over my safety glasses.
How I cut it is assembly.
504298 504299
And the results, the third picture has the piece that the bench screw goes in It will get locked into the top with a loose tenon The piece is also loose tenoned in the stretcher and leg The loose tenon is glued in the stretcher only. The rest floats
504300 504301 504302 504303
And a selfie of kind of what I looked like afterwards.
504304
This is getting long so I will finish it in reply.