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Thread: Installed Shelf On New Bench

  1. #1

    Installed Shelf On New Bench

    Installed a shelf on the long stretchers of the new bench. It is pretty much the same as the shelf on the shop Moravian, just a little shorter.

    benchShelfA.jpg


    From the other side:

    benchShelfB.jpg


    Except for the end slats the slats are loose with a little "play" between slats. We are nearing the end of monsoon season which is our highest RH of the year so wood movement shouldn't be a problem.


    This more or less finishes the bench. About the only other thing I might add is a tool rack on the back side of the slab. I'll live with the bench for a bit before deciding if a rack is needed.


    ken

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Looks like it is time to install the bottle opener

    What's on deck?
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    That is a nice looking bench Ken. I would call it a keeper. Looks very usable.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Christopher Charles View Post
    Looks like it is time to install the bottle opener

    What's on deck?
    Chris,

    I've been trying to find a place for a cup holder but so far no joy .

    I think a kick wheel for MsBubba. Then either another bench or a new shave horse.

    ken

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by michael langman View Post
    That is a nice looking bench Ken. I would call it a keeper. Looks very usable.
    Thanks Michael,

    The little I've used it, it is becoming a favorite. Mostly because the vise is so slick and it is very stable. Fact is I'm ordering a BC vise and crisscross to retrofit the main shop bench because the vise is so slick.

    ken

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    SE Michigan
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    Well done, Ken. I went a year or so without a shelf on my bench, with bench hooks, jigs and such underneath on the floor. What a pain when I needed to move the bench a bit here or there. Finally added a shelf and it makes a huge difference. Don’t think I’d ever do another bench build without one. As it goes, I guess the fat lady is about to take a bow.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    A great bench needs a great shelf.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Edmond, Oklahoma
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    Ken, another well done! The shelf looks very handy.

    One question, you have gone the way of the leg vise, it looks like. Based on your experience, what is the advantage of the leg vise versus a standard bench woodworking vise?

    Thanks and regards,

    Stew

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Mueller View Post
    Well done, Ken. I went a year or so without a shelf on my bench, with bench hooks, jigs and such underneath on the floor. What a pain when I needed to move the bench a bit here or there. Finally added a shelf and it makes a huge difference. Don’t think I’d ever do another bench build without one. As it goes, I guess the fat lady is about to take a bow.
    Thanks Phil.

    I'd have a hard time working on a bench without some kind of off slab storage. Drawers and cabinets under do not work but a shelf does.

    ken

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    A great bench needs a great shelf.

    jtk
    Jim,

    I agree.

    ken

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Stew Denton View Post
    Ken, another well done! The shelf looks very handy.

    One question, you have gone the way of the leg vise, it looks like. Based on your experience, what is the advantage of the leg vise versus a standard bench woodworking vise?

    Thanks and regards,


    Stew
    Stew thanks,


    On the portable Moravian benches the leg vise is lighter and breaks down into a modular unit that is very easy to take off and put back on. With the crisscross and BC Classic screw it is also faster in use than a metal QR vise and I believe holds better than a metal vise.


    ken

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
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    Ken
    That's the best looking leg vice in town. Let me suggest adding leather to the movable jaw, rough side out. It provides a much more secure grip and is much more gentle.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Bender View Post
    Ken
    That's the best looking leg vice in town. Let me suggest adding leather to the movable jaw, rough side out. It provides a much more secure grip and is much more gentle.
    Tom,

    Thanks. The vise holds well enough that for about 2 seconds I thought about just letting the jaws go commando but the vise came with BC's "Crubber" so I used that. I'm glad I did, the holding is outstanding, without any extra force on the vise, just from it snubbing from a spin I believe you could pick the bench up using whatever is in the vise and it would not move. Crubber is made from ground up rubber and cork. I'm not sure how it will hold up in use, only time will tell.

    ken

  14. #14
    Join Date
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    I'd have a hard time working on a bench without some kind of off slab storage.
    My bench shelf tends to hold only my bench top helpers, it would be a pain to have to walk across the room for a hold fast or special dog. There is a messy kind or organization to it all.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    My bench shelf tends to hold only my bench top helpers, it would be a pain to have to walk across the room for a hold fast or special dog. There is a messy kind or organization to it all.

    jtk
    Jim,

    Much the same with mine, it is a good spot to hold the bench hooks and other bench appliances. I also use it to store many of the different hammers that are needed but not often used. I have holdfast storage in the legs, stretchers and aprons of the different benches. It is amazing how much "stuff" is needed within easy reach and a shelf helps.

    ken

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