Steve Boring
09-22-2023, 6:12 AM
I'm starting a Moravian bench build with the design based on Will Myers's plans. I'm making a few minor adjustments and wondered if anyone had experience with these changes.
- I'm planning to use a Benchcrafted leg vise and crisscross 14 instead of the wood vise in Will's plans. Based on this thread, I'm planning to lower the stretchers by 2"
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?303038-Changing-Vise-on-Moravian-Workbench
- I want a solid top rather than a tool tray, but I still want the bench to be relatively portable. I'm planning to make the top in two sections. The front section will be glued up from strips of 8/4 beech and pegged to the legs as shown in the plans. The back section will glued up the same way as the front. Will's plans call for the tool tray to sit on the legs and to be trapped by wooden guides. The wooden guides are attached to the bottom of the tray and reach under the front section of the top. They're trapped in place by the legs so the tool tray doesn't shift side to side (when looking at the front of the bench). I want the front edge of the top to be aligned with the front of the legs. The pegs should handle that. Any wood expansion in the top will adjust how much the top overhangs the back of the bench. Does anyone see an issue with this approach or have a better way to do this? I'd rather not glue up the top as a single piece because I think it'd be a pain to move.
- I have Will Myers's 57 page drawing of the bench, but haven't bought the video. Am I missing anything major in skipping the video?
Thanks for any input from the crowd
- I'm planning to use a Benchcrafted leg vise and crisscross 14 instead of the wood vise in Will's plans. Based on this thread, I'm planning to lower the stretchers by 2"
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?303038-Changing-Vise-on-Moravian-Workbench
- I want a solid top rather than a tool tray, but I still want the bench to be relatively portable. I'm planning to make the top in two sections. The front section will be glued up from strips of 8/4 beech and pegged to the legs as shown in the plans. The back section will glued up the same way as the front. Will's plans call for the tool tray to sit on the legs and to be trapped by wooden guides. The wooden guides are attached to the bottom of the tray and reach under the front section of the top. They're trapped in place by the legs so the tool tray doesn't shift side to side (when looking at the front of the bench). I want the front edge of the top to be aligned with the front of the legs. The pegs should handle that. Any wood expansion in the top will adjust how much the top overhangs the back of the bench. Does anyone see an issue with this approach or have a better way to do this? I'd rather not glue up the top as a single piece because I think it'd be a pain to move.
- I have Will Myers's 57 page drawing of the bench, but haven't bought the video. Am I missing anything major in skipping the video?
Thanks for any input from the crowd