advice on shop table

[Jim Becker]

The Noden system isn't limited to 30" wide. You can add to that easily if you want to. You just want to put a wider stance on it at the bottom, either with a wider mobility kit or a fixed foot system that's appropriate for the width of the benchtop. If you want to come see how the system works, I have both the original Noden Adjust-A-Bench (main bench) and the new "Craftsman Hardware Kit" version. (my aux bench/downdraft/pocket screw setup) Contact me privately about that.

[Jim Dwight]

If you look at reply two in this thread there is a linked video which illustrates crosscutting with dogs and a worktop with 20mm holes: https://www.festoolownersgroup.com/f...gvalng0h5nv5c5. I use a
DeWalt so I need different rail dogs - tall dogs - and I screw them into the rail. But the idea is the same. You use tall dogs to align the rail and short dogs to align the workpiece. With very accurate dog holes it works great. My holes are not that great so I have a fence I clamp to the edge of my worksurface that I fine tune the angle on with a screw adjust. The fence also lets me have a stop which is really handy. I cross cut over 24 inches this way and the cuts are accurate. I much prefer cutting large pieces of work, sheet goods or solid, with the track saw. But many other cuts are more easily done on the table saw. It's really nice to have both.

These clamps work great to hold work pieces for sanding: https://www.amazon.com/Festool-48803...ag=googhydr-20.

I could hold long boards on the vertical surface of my work table and I have but I only do half blind dovetails with a router jig. No hand cut dovetails, at least yet. Routing hinges on a door edge is another use for this capability. I drilled 3/4 holes and if I had some hold fasts they would probably work with them but I think dominos would also work fine and would be cheaper. They would stick out further which is the issue with the plastic dogs I have tried. But it is also easy to put a clamp on the side of the top and clamp the work to the table. Some traditional work benches have something similar to work with a vise but hold up the other end of the workpiece.

[Tom Bender]

You mention using your bench as a desk. Here is my solution to that.
Small Bench.jpg

It's a small workbench but could be built as a hinge down desk. The small shelf is really convenient and the strip or steel on the wall with a couple of magnets holds the current plan handy. This bench is 41" high so it is much better for close work. I do a lot of measuring and marking here and quite a bit of smaller joinery on it. The magnifying light is mostly used for splinters. I thought it would be more useful. Top is 2 x 22 x 24. I put a piece of that corrugated plastic cardboard on it for protection from glue and finishing materials when those operations are done there.

[Bob Riefer]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I'm actively absorbing/learning, and really do appreciate it!!

[Jack Llewyllson]

Lots of good advice here! Thank you!

Sure. Your requisite grain of salt is in the mail.

I've long been interested in making a "carriage" and "rails" for the router to flatten things... I've seen that used to flatten slabs, perhaps could be used to tune the maple table top since I already own a nice router and have more than enough scrap to build the rest. Do you think this would be a good application for that approach?

Seems like it would likely removed more aggressively than necessary, thus shortening the life of your bench. BIG grain of salt with that one, as I've never flattened slabs that way.

Here's a probably-stupid question... how do you most often use your two vices? Face vs. end

I have a face vise, two tail vises, and a whisky vice.

The face vise I use for sawing joinery (e.g. dovetails), and for shooting the long edges of boards in conjunction with brass dogs that I use as board jacks.

The tail vise on the near side, I use in conjunction with dogs for planing the faces of smaller boards, as well as holding workpieces for nailing, quick drilling, etc. My bench also has planing stops (wa-ay down on the face vise end) and holdfasts. I've only had the guts to bore a couple of holdfast holes, though the dang things really are handy.

The tail vise on the far side sees little use, as I'm jammed up against a wall until I can move into the new shop. High hopes of being able to clamp large slabs and work 'em over, once the space is signed off for use.

My whisky vice doesn't get used much anymore, but the bottles look pretty in my office. Aesthetically, I prefer looking at single-malt. Budgetarily, I prefer buying tools.

Keep asking questions. I hope to think there's always a hazard of learning.

Cheers,

Jack

[Bob Riefer]

LOL, great post. Anyone that catches me on a spelling mistake is a friend of mine (I've been known to be ruthless about the same thing... those in glass houses...)