Bench Top Elevator - Finally

[David Eisenhauer]

I finally got around to putting together my 12" tall "bench on bench" or bench top joinery station elevator. I started on a blanket chest a few months ago (prior to going walkabout for a while) and got a low back pain from slightly bending over while chopping, sawing and fitting some of the mortises and tenons and decided I needed to go ahead and build something like I thought about a year ago.

I had previously glued up the 24" x 12" x 3" slab months and cut out the trestle pieces months ago,

but had not done the M&T work, hole drilling, etc to finish up the piece. As I recently started back on the blanket chest, I found myself moving the trestle pieces around to get them out of the way, but I was using the slab as a 3" tall elevator. I admitted it was ridiculous to keep moving the trestle pieces around, so here we are. I fabbed it up out of some semi-scrap drop off SYP (same as the bench) and finished it up today. I can remove the trestle if I want and use it in the 3" thick mode. When I use it in the 3" mode, I align the 3" slab's holdfast hole with a hole in the bench and drive the holdfast through both upper slab and lower bench holdfast holes.

[chris carter]

That looks great. I'm 6'6" and easily generate back problems if I'm not careful. I wear one of those warehouse back support things (with the shoulder straps cut off) when I'm doing woodworking and it eliminates issues - without it I notice pain after 10 minutes. Something you might try if you ever run into any projects where you continually would have to take the elevator on and off a whole bunch. I also wear the support on the airplane, without which I would not survive the trip!

[glenn bradley]

Saves a lot of stooping during a lot of operations.

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks for the tip Chris. I had not thought of that. Glen - It also helps with trying to get a close look at fitting up tenon shoulders to mortises. That seems to be when I put that slight stoop on and that catches up with me after a while.

[John Kananis]

Really nice. I've wanted to make one of these since the FWW article came out.

[ken hatch]

I finally got around to putting together my 12" tall "bench on bench" or bench top joinery station elevator. I started on a blanket chest a few months ago (prior to going walkabout for a while) and got a low back pain from slightly bending over while chopping, sawing and fitting some of the mortises and tenons and decided I needed to go ahead and build something like I thought about a year ago.

I had previously glued up the 24" x 12" x 3" slab months and cut out the trestle pieces months ago,

but had not done the M&T work, hole drilling, etc to finish up the piece. As I recently started back on the blanket chest, I found myself moving the trestle pieces around to get them out of the way, but I was using the slab as a 3" tall elevator. I admitted it was ridiculous to keep moving the trestle pieces around, so here we are. I fabbed it up out of some semi-scrap drop off SYP (same as the bench) and finished it up today. I can remove the trestle if I want and use it in the 3" thick mode. When I use it in the 3" mode, I align the 3" slab's holdfast hole with a hole in the bench and drive the holdfast through both upper slab and lower bench holdfast holes.

David,

Good looking BOB. My only question is that it looks like a heavy sucker, my back hurts just thinking about picking it up .

I can see the utility of a BOB, right now I have three different bench heights plus the sharpening bench is also different. Each is better for certain job. I guess what I'm trying to say is one size doesn't fit all and a BOB like yours looks like a good answer.

We just returned from 5 days in the White Mountains. Mid 70's during the day and low 30's at night while Tucson has already made it into the low 100's. On your next walkabout you should look at the northern part of the New Mexico/Arizona border.

ken

[David Eisenhauer]

John - The worst part of the bench is fiddling with the bolt-through part of the long stretchers. Next time around, I will eliminate the bolts and just install the long stretchers using standard M&T connections. I used the elevator bench yesterday when marking and prepping tenon shoulder cuts on the blanket chest stretchers and my eyes enjoyed the closeup view of the operation while my back did not miss the slight, subtle bend to peer at the lines.

Ken - I guess it could be heavy, but until I have to lift it from the floor, I won't know for sure. So far (in it's young life), I have only moved it from bench to bench and did not notice the weight. I have thought of a second shop bench fabbed up at a height more useful for joinery work, with the first bench now set up better for planning and sawing. I have travelled/camped the four corners area a few times before when visiting older Pueblo Indian sites. Those trips have to wait till full-on summer because it is colder than I like for tent sleeping (at altitude) before then. My next trip will be later in June somewhere out that way. I also like the Utah rocks and go that way at least once a year. The Tucson trip replaced an originally planed for Death Valley trip and was selected for warmer tent camping weather as opposed to further north. I have a 91 year old mother to see to and some medical appointments pushed my Death Valley trip into the beginning of hellish weather. Maybe later this fall I can do that run.

[James Pallas]

That looks great David. Your back will be thanking you every time you use it. Four corners area is quite a treat. Years ago I was close to that area, Gunnison, CO. It was 17*F. At night on June 17. Tent was a little cool.