New Moravian Bench build Part 2

[ken hatch]

Nice build, Ken. I appreciate the slab glue up. Haven’t done many, but do the same as you. Glue the straightest first, then add from there. To speed things up, I let the first two sit in clamps for about an hour, then add the next for an hour, then the next and so on. At least this way, I can add a board an hour and typically have it all in clamps in one day. When I take the clamps off for the next board, it gives me a chance to run a putty knife down the glue line to clean it up...at least the facing side. I let the bottom side glue dry and get after it with a cabinet or card scraper.

Is that some sort of highly collectible vintage chisel you’re using to clean the glue

Phil,

Your way sounds a lot more efficient than mine. I hate slab glue ups and will do my best to avoid but sometimes the wood just isn't available.

You noticed , That is a highly collectable Woodcraft special chisel. As I have posted before, I expect it is the cheapest and the most used chisel in my shop. I use it for everything but opening paint cans. If I ever see another one on display at the local Woodcraft I'll buy it because if anything happens to this one I'd be lost. BTW, after using it for awhile I bought some "good" crank neck chisels, I still reach for this one almost every time.

ken

ken

[Phil Mueller]

I’ll have to keep my eye out for it next time I’m there. At $27, it’s tempting, very tempting.

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[ken hatch]

I’ll have to keep my eye out for it next time I’m there. At $27, it’s tempting, very tempting.

BA1EA6AF-27F0-400A-BD03-3EF4953326C9.jpeg

Phil,

I'm not sure what the steel is but whatever it holds an edge ok and will sharpen on any of my stones India, Ark, man made water, or JNat.

ken

[ken hatch]

The crisscross is installed and working as advertised. Next is installing the screw and nut. It is mostly fiddly work making sure everything lines up and nothing drags.

benchPuttingViseTogether.jpg

Once the nut and flange are screwed down and the action is free I'll take the vise and backer board apart and finish shaping each.

The next step is installing the slab followed by marking the positions of the upper and lower backer board mortises on the slab and long stretcher. The whole bench will have to come apart one more time to chop the mortises then back together with vise and backer board installed.

After installing the vise all that is left to do is making a tool tray. The fat lady is warming up backstage.

ken

[ken hatch]

The vise is together and it is slick. Give the Johnson bar a push either left or right and the screw spins until it runs out of energy or the chop runs into something. Then give the bar a little encouragement and whatever is between the chop and the face is held rock solid. Pretty impressive.

benchViseA.jpg

benchViseB.jpg


I still have to shape and fit the backing board to the bench and shape the chop but the vise is made and it is onto installing the slab.

ken

[ken hatch]

Before you can blind peg that sucker you gotta get the slab on the base. Another couple of feet longer I'm not sure I could do it without help.

benchSlabOnBase.jpg

Next up is deciding where to put the base mortises and then driving a finishing nail 10mm or so into the center to start the blind pegging.

benchSettingTheNails.jpg

Clip the nails to about 3mm, leave enough so they can be easily removed but short enough to just leave a marking hole in the slab.

benchClippedNails.jpg

Place the slab back into position on the base and press down to mark the mortise location. Remove the slab and drill the mortises. The back mortise will be elongated on the slab to allow wood movement. The next post will cover drilling the mortises and final install of the vise.

benchMortiseLocation.jpg

I guess I should add that the base mortises will hold 5/8" dowels that stick up ~25mm and the slab mortises slip over the dowels to hold the slab in place.


The next job will be taking the base apart to chop a mortise in the stretcher to hold the vise backer board. The slab will have to be moved back into the shop, my back hurts thinking about it, so I can chop the mortise for the top of the backer board. Once those are done the bench goes back together with the vise installed and the bench is finished other than clean up and making a tool tray.

ken

[ken hatch]

The slab mortises are finished, I expect I'll do a little more clean up on the bottom before the bench is finished but the slab is ready to mate with the base.

benchSlabMortise.jpg

The rectangular mortise is to house the top tenon on the vise backer board and the round mortises will house the base 5/8" dowels holding the slab in place.


One more mortise to chop on the long stretcher to house the bottom tenon on the vise backer board. Once that mortise is chopped the base will go back together, the vise will be fitted, and the slab installed. All that is left is the tool tray and clean up. The fat lady is clearing her throat.


ken

[ken hatch]

The first fitting of the slab to the base is not too bad, the backer board needs a bit of trimming, maybe a mm or two off where the angle meets the forward vertical and I expect after looking at the left forward peg and mortise I'll drill the mortise a couple or three turns deeper.

benchFirstFittingOfSlab.jpg

I'll piddle with the fitting a little then clean up and flatten the slab and trim the ends. After the slab clean up the ends of the long stretchers need rounding and I'll mount the chop.


Last job is making a tool tray which can be a PITA because it is so long but bottom line it is not structural and almost any joint is strong enough. The biggest problem is finding or making boards that are long enough and straight enough to use.


This sucker is almost finished, in fact if needed it could be used as a bench today.

ken

[ken hatch]

The other day Sylvain asked why I didn't use the portable bench to work on the new slab instead of carrying it back and forth to the shop. I was busted and gave a weak excuse of having no room. I was kinda correct but after thinking about it and looking around the area I figured, if I didn't leave it up too long MsBubba might not say too much. I could put the portable bench at a 90 to the new bench where I could slide the slab back and forth as needed. It messes up sitting at the patio bar but as hot as it is now (111F this afternoon) we are not using the bar very much and it should save my back. Thanks Sylvain.

benchTwoBenches.jpg

It goes to prove the old adage that it is much easier to build a bench if you have a bench.

The slab is setting correctly on the bases, the vise backer has been trimmed and the crisscross pin hole has been extended into the leg. The chop has been shaped and is ready to be mounted. Next up is cleaning up and flatting the top of the slab.


Even though the bench is almost finished there are still a number of remove the slab and fiddle with something then replace the slab cycles to go. It will be good to have the bench to slide the slab onto.


ken

[ken hatch]

On to the scut work. Cleaning up the slab is not the most fun part of the build, I may get it close and then run the slab through the planer to finish. To be decided depending on how my arms and back hold up.

Some of the cross grain work has been done with the old reliable Stanley #5 with a "Jack" sharpened cutter. For the end to end work I'm using a Philly Plane single iron Razee Jack. Wood stock planes are lighter and do not require as much "waxing" of the sole vs. metal body planes. For this kind of work single iron vs. double iron makes no never mind.

benchCleaningUpSlab.jpg


I'm guessing MsBubba is cool with the portable bench being on the back patio. She has commandeered the far end of the bench for some of her ceramic work. BTW, the bench is rock solid, not a wiggle with either heavy cross grain or end to end planning.

Have I ever mentioned that everyone needs a portable Moravian bench?


ken

[ken hatch]

I needed a break from cleaning up the slab so I mounted the vise.

Oh boy is it sweet. It is slicker than snot. Where has it been all my life. I want it to have my children. Maybe a little overboard but damn it works a treat. A spin in either direction and it runs until it runs out of energy or into to something. Once it clamps on a piece of wood (and this is without leather or the cruber on either face) it holds. I planned the end grain of a board that was sticking up 150-200mm and it didn't move. See photo:

benchViseMountedA.jpg

benchViseMountedB.jpg

I'll see if I can make a video that will post.


The pin for the backer board crisscross needs trimming, I didn't want it to be too short. I'll do that job the next time the bench comes apart along with cleaning up the base units and rounding the long stretcher tenon ends.


Tool tray next, while the fat lady isn't singing, this sucker is a workbench.


The vise is so sweet I expect my main bench is in for a new vise. Probably soon. The BenchCrafted Classic vise with crisscross has a couple of things going for it. First of course is that it works really well, second it is slightly cheaper than the Lake Erie 2X wood screw kit, and third it is an easier build than the wood screw with a parallel guide.


ken

[ken hatch]

The workbench part of the build is finished. All that is left is making a tool tray.

benchfFinishedKinda.jpg

Tomorrow my guess is I'll spend most of the day digging through the wood pile trying to find something 4/4 wide enough, long enough, and straight enough to make a tool tray. I really don't want to go to the wood store.


Right now for the tool tray, if I find an ok hunk of wood, I'm thinking a simple rebate with glue and cut nails, quick and dirty but with the nails it should look pretty good. If I end up using some Pine I'll have to think about it.


ken