Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello all

In a follow on from the "What did you do this weekend" thread, I thought I would share a few things I have just done when making a new bench just in case any of them prove helpful for anyone else just setting up. My bench is sturdy, reusable in a new location and environmentally friendly

The wall that the bench you see below is bolted to is an internally lined, insulated partition wall built within my shed which makes up part of the gluing and humidity controlled area I constructed a while back. The rough sawn 25mm CCA pine that you can see up against the sheeting acts as a caul sitting within the profile of the span-deck sheeting prevent it from being crushing as it spreads the clamping load of the bolts onto the "C" channel encased within the cavity of the wall sandwich.

This bench is 10' long and a little taller than normal (tall guy, bad back) and it is mirrored inside the glue room by another bench. Together, the two 600mm (2') wide benches with cavity wall shared between them make for one very, very sterdy structure and as most would appreciate, this also creates 20' of extra wall space for hanging stuff and shelving above the benches when done.

The benches are made of solid Jarrah. This wood was a local West Australian staple in the housing construction industry and it was known as Swan River Mahogany by early settlers. That name must relate only to the colour as this stuff is much harder and much heavier (especially the darker stuff) than any Mahogany.

All of what I have used for my benches was salvage wood picked up for free when they demolished the house next door to mine. I denailed and square dressed it and made what you see here and the above-mentioned glue room bench which also has a return.

The biggest hassle was that I had to make all this stuff "knock down" because we will move from here in a few years So a few bolts and screws and it can be packed away in a shipping container for the move. Each component of these benches has been fully checked in with lap joints and numbered for reassembly at a later date. An advantage of Knock down is that I can easily add a bench screw to the end if I choose later down the track or even extend if desired.




Unlike the benches inside the glue room which do have a clamping overhang, I will run the top for this one flush with the apron. To some this may seem rather unusual but the idea is that it will allow me to use the 90mm deep apron of the bench as the inside jaw for the big'ol Record No 52 1/2 quick adjusting woodworking vice. If you look close at the image above you can see that I have routed out the face of the apron to accept a slat of even harder wood. This will allow me to easily replace that inner wooden jaw when it finally becomes worn.

With the vice set up in this way I can, with the use of a few "G" clamps, secure very long stock to the side of the bench for various operations and have it sit just proud of the bench top for best support. I am not too concerned with the loss of travel to the vice cause by mounting the rear jaw at the back of the apron because this particular vice has a very long travel and when completed will still allow around 11" of jaw opening.

It was a lot of work denailing and dressing down the 100 year old rough saw timber for this project but well worth the extra work IMO because of the quality stable stock it produced. You can firmly strike any area of the frame work with a good heavy claw hammer and it just thuds like a dead-blow. One day when I'm dead, some one unaware that these benches are "knock down" will probably go to knock them apart with a gimmpy hammer...I'll be watch'in with interest

Cheers

Kim

Are you going to be able to fit a bar fridge under that Kim?

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Nice setup, Kim.  Should work well, and if the wood is as dense as you say, it'll take more than a gimpy hammer to knock it down.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Nice one Kim! I am still dreaming of what my bench will look like and where to put it. I have a detached two-car garage that I am seriously considering turning into a one car garage and "Christian's Place O' Fun". I figure my wife will be more inclined to donate half the garage as I consume more and more of the dining room with my new project.

That will be a nice setup for you and you will have to post pictures when it is all done and put into action (don't forget to have some perfectly placed plane shavings scattered around whatever you're working on).

Nice job.

Christian

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Wow thats looking amazing, and very sturdy so far - you must be very pleased about nearly having a kick butt proper woodworking bench to build your guitars on!
Im still collecting materials for my own woodworkers bench - and your thread is very inspiring to me....
thanks for the peek!
Cheers
Charliewood

That's really nice, Kim. I have been looking for a used Record 52 1/2 on ebay for a while since they are not made any more, but they rarely turn up, when they do the bidding goes wild. And then I have to add shipping...

What are you going to use for a top?

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Nice!! That'll withstand most stuff...looks stronger than the worsksho itself!!

I'm thinking of constructing a sturdier workbench myself, although I have seen a verryy nice beech freestanding workbench at Axminster I'd like for me birthday next month....

It's all good Kim ! Hope you didn't saw into any old nails !
I appreciate how much effort goes into recycling beautiful old wood . You have character built in right from the word go .
Shame on Bob !. All he thinks of is Le Fridge and I know you're a non drinkin gentleman
I can see you have it all carefully plannd out mate. Keep us posted of your progress.

Here's a big

Cheers , Craig

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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[QUOTE=bob_connor] Are you going to be able to fit a bar fridge under that Kim? [/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=bob_connor] Are you going to be able to fit a bar fridge under that Kim? [/QUOTE]

Hey Bob,

Why would I want a little bar fridge in me shed? I don't normally store food in the shed and even if I did I reckon I could always squeeze a couple of pies in with the beer. Now the beer fridge, that suckers has been strategically over near the P/A door. The allows quick recharge and easy access to grab a tinnie both coming in and going out of the shed.

Always think'in Bob, always think'in.

Cheers

Kim

Yes Craig,

I gave up drinking when guzzling came into vogue. Really though, I just have a quite few now and then (now to start and then more when those ones are finished) but never to get drunk, it's always for the flavour you understand. But alas fatherhood has bought with it a bias toward moderation in effort to lead by example.

But having said that my friend, sometimes, given the right company and atmosphere, I have been known to become a little unsteady on my feet. But this is only because beer truly is a wonderful elixir which, when combined with good friends, can cloud no judgement better than when one should be having his last for the evening.

Never behind the wheel mind I hasten to add...never.

Cheers

Kim

[QUOTE=Arnt] That's really nice, Kim. I have been looking for a used Record 52 1/2 on ebay for a while since they are not made any more, but they rarely turn up, when they do the bidding goes wild. And then I have to add shipping...

What are you going to use for a top?[/QUOTE]

Arnt,

I was lucky, I picked my 52 1/2 up for $30.00au from the local rag and it is a great old vice. I will be using 2 layers of MDF for the top 16mm screwed to the frame and 12mm screwed to that. When the 12mm is chopped up, I will replace it cheap and easy.

Cheers

Kim

Thanks for the kind words Folks, just hope that the cavity sandwich idea (sounds like something a dental student would eat at an initiation ceremony )comes in handy for others because on it's own the span-deck sheeting is pretty frail. Also mounting the vice this way is a good option for longer stock and heavier work.

Cheers
all

Kim

kim, did you omit an a between the "quite" and the "few", or just misplace the e in "quite". i'm puzzled!

Ah Michael

Ya cheeky bugger! You spent long enough here in AU to know exactly what I meant mate and I certainly don't think there is much chance of any puzzling you too much.

Cheers

Kim

Arnt: if you're interested, I've found a cool local guy who collects/restores/sells old tools, mostly planes, but he had a few old vices, some of them Records. I can give him a call and find out what they are/what he wants for them if you'd like.

His prices on planes were very reasonable (50's Record 5 1/2 and a Union Tool Co #6, both in pristine condition, smooth action, smooth soles, no chips at the mouth, lovely patina, 55 euros each, bought them both yesterday), anyway...

ah kim, in my advancing years i'm finally learning the benefits of asking and not assuming.

i did get a bit teary a few days ago when i noticed joel's    use of what was appearently a depleted schooner of toohey's old as his avatar. but it was even worse when he said it was his own. have many pleasant memories of a great musician friend in canberra who was an excellent brewer as well. i often had the pleasure of enjoying the quiet 1 or 2, or 10, sitting on the veranda of his workshop on balmy evenings.