tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110555082024-02-27T02:09:29.506-05:00Garage ShopProjects from my humble Garage Shop. I hope to set an example, you know, for children and stuff.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-30320411514531417532012-04-06T16:20:00.000-04:002012-04-06T16:20:04.349-04:002012 Woodworking Conference - Buddy TrackerWith the addition of a second Woodworking in America conference by Popular Woodworking, and the announcement of the new Fine Woodworking Live event the choices for attending a great woodworking conference are many. Maybe too many!<br />
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One of the great things about WIA in 2010 and 2011 was the chance to connect with woodworkers you already knew, but hadn't met before. Here is a picture of the guys from 2011. We all showed up in the same shirt - how embarrassing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/7f938128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/7f938128.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Want to let your buddies know where they will see you? Want to avoid the embarrassment and potential drunken debauchery of attending the same event? Let's compare notes.<br />
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The 2012 Woodworking Conference Buddy Tracker is <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlgSx_rmgsuddG9GSS1FWTJBSEgxQjBxSjd2aU5rUnc" target="_blank">now online</a>! Click on over there!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-30106186422756879692012-03-29T00:07:00.000-04:002012-03-29T00:07:28.543-04:00Fantastic or not?Tonight I had some time in the shop and tried a little letter carving. You be the judge. Fantastic or not?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/1ab2e617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/1ab2e617.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
One down, several more to go. Just takes a steady hand and some sharp chisels.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/5e5e3459.jpg" width="400" /></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks to <a href="http://villagecarpenter.blogspot.com/2008/03/lettercarving-part-i.html" target="_blank">Kari Hultman</a> for the inspiration and some great tips on the letter carving technique.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>Well, what do you think? Let it all hang out. We're in the trust tree.</em></div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-70702269841609387662012-03-06T10:43:00.000-05:002012-03-06T10:43:43.366-05:00Woodworking DoodlesThis is what happpens when a woodworker is stuck on a boring conference call. I've had leg vises on my mind lately.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/0230a062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/0230a062.jpg" width="556" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploded leg vise</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/49a165d9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/49a165d9.jpg" width="401" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In case you were wondering, SketchUp is just an enabler for my natural tendencies.</div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-68641195680496356592012-02-09T22:51:00.000-05:002012-02-09T22:51:14.116-05:00Get Woodworking...Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/b489f4a5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sda="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/b489f4a5.jpg" /></a></div>It's "Get Woodworking Week", the brainchild of Tom Iovino over at <a href="http://tomsworkbench.com/" target="_blank">Tom's Workbench</a> which is one of the most consistently updated woodworking blogs on the internet. Tom came up with the idea at the Woodworking in America conference in 2011, and bloggers from around the country have responded to the challenge of getting folks interested in woodworking. Tom is herding the cats and providing links over on his site, so be sure to check out all the great content being posted this week.<br />
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Once again I've been away from this blog and the workshop for too long. With a new baby in the house, shop time has been very scarce. I was able to get into the shop a few weeks ago and it was such a big deal that I took a picture of my newest project. Behold, a stick that I made. Out of walnut, of course.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/db88011f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" sda="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/db88011f.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only took me an hour to make that stick. Felt good!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Even this very quick session got me excited again, and I've been trying to get into the shop every day even if it's just for a few minutes. During my day job, I don’t get any opportunity to get “hands on”. Like many other woodworkers, I spend my day clicking and typing at my PC. I find that some time in the shop is very therapeutic and gives me something to look forward to. Frankly, I like to use my hands and I just get a little antsy if it’s been too long since I picked up a tool. You can bet that I'll keep it up now that I'm back in the shop.<br />
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I could get all philosophical about the value of work and the connection between physical labor and societal value in the modern world, but I am never able to find the words and others do it much better than me. If you are interested in this sort of thing, try reading Matthew Crawford’s book <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=rJiV1q1SDHcC&lpg=PP1&dq=shop%20class%20as%20soulcraft&pg=PT15#v=onepage&q=shop%20class%20as%20soulcraft&f=false" target="_blank">Shop Class as Soulcraft</a></em> or Christopher Schwarz’s recent instant classic <em><a href="http://www.lostartpress.com/books_s/12.htm" target="_blank">The Anarchist’s Tool Chest</a></em>.<br />
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Back to woodworking, you might be thinking to yourself “I don’t know how.” Hey, me either. Nobody taught me this stuff when I was a kid, and quite frankly I’m still not a very experienced woodworker. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still a beginner. I’ve cut dovetails exactly once, and I had someone talking me through it the whole time. But woodworking isn’t some mysterious black art that can only be learned in secret back rooms under hardware stores. All you need is some curiosity and the willingness to make a few mistakes along the way.<br />
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You won't be alone, trust me. Somehow you found this blog post, so you’ve already discovered that there is a very active online woodworking community. I’ve had the good fortune to meet many woodworkers online and in person over the past few years. It may sound corny, but I know that every single one of them would be willing to answer a question from a new woodworker. Many would even show up in person and help out if they were close enough. If you don’t have a woodworking mentor in your offline life, try visiting a forum or comment on a few blogs and test the waters. My “home” forum is <a href="http://www.woodtalkonline.com/">www.woodtalkonline.com</a> and I’ve found it to be very welcoming to newcomers, and all ranges of experience. Another new resource is the <a href="http://www.modernwoodworkersassociation.com/" target="_blank">Modern Woodworkers Association</a> which has local chapters springing up across the country. The Atlanta chapter meets once a month, so come and say howdy.<br />
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You don't need a bunch of fancy tools to get started either. A pretty simple kit will get you a long way down the road to woodworking. In fact, I'd recommend that you should wait to buy tools only as you need them. Many of the "must have" tools that I bought early on are now collecting dust in the shop...Um, but not in the way that a dust collector would collect dust, you know? Because it's a dust collector? Anyway, I now buy tools only as I need them. Except for that chisel <a href="http://highrockwoodworking.com/" target="_blank">Chris Adkins</a> talked me into in November.<br />
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So if you've ever thought about giving woodworking a try, this is the week for you. Get Woodworking!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-19950526120544553692011-10-13T14:19:00.000-04:002011-10-13T14:19:52.213-04:00The Heavy-Duty Hideaway BenchWoot! I'm famous, or at least my bench is. I was pleased as punch to be featured over on <a href="http://guild.thewoodwhisperer.com/">The Wood Whisperer Guild</a> site. Marc and the Guild are gearing up to build a Split-Top Roubo workbench, and he is doing some interviews with some Guildees about their current benches.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/ed2986e6-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" oda="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/ed2986e6-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
If you have come looking for more details on the "Heavy-Duty Hideaway Bench" just look for posts tagged "workbench" or click <a href="http://garageshop.blogspot.com/search/label/workbench">this link</a>.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by! Glad you're here!<br />
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<em>If you have any questions about the bench like "What the heck were you thinking?!?! then just post a comment. I'd be happy to reply.</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-74274793521046286382011-09-12T10:00:00.002-04:002011-09-12T10:00:03.983-04:00Moxon Vise with Metal ScrewsWorkbenches and vises have been very popular topics for magazines, bloggers, and manufacturers for the past few years. Thanks to Chris Schwarz and others, we have all been able to dive deeply into workholding theory for the shop. Building a capable workbench is becoming a rite of passage for modern woodworkers. <br />
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It doesn't look like this resurgence will slow any time soon. In fact, there are a couple great workbench builds going on right now across the web. For instance, check out Kari Hultman's blog, <a href="http://villagecarpenter.blogspot.com/2011/08/bench-sketch.html">The Village Carpenter</a> as she begins construction of a Roubo style bench. In addition, Marc Spagnuolo has announced that the winter build for <a href="http://guild.thewoodwhisperer.com/">The Wood Whisperer Guild</a> will be a Benchcrafted Split-Top Roubo Workbench.<br />
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One design that has gotten a lot of recent attention is the Moxon Vise, which is a handy clamping accessory for working on the ends of boards. It excels at holding boards for dovetailing or tenoning with a hand saw. Based on a 17th century manuscript by Moxon, the common design spreading through the woodworking world comes from <a href="http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/moxon%E2%80%99s-ingenious-bench-vise">a recent article in Popular Woodworking Magazine</a> by Schwarz. That guy is everywhere! The Moxon is a twin-screw vise that clamps on top of your workbench, so it raises the work up to a better height for sawing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/1ab0ea98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/1ab0ea98.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schwarz's version of the Moxon vise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One downside to the Schwarz design is that it uses shop-made wooden screws, so you will need a threading and tapping kit. This is about a $50 pain in the butt, and I've heard that the tapping kits are very finicky and tough to get working correctly. On top of that, wooden screws will expand and contract with seasonal humidity changes so they may not always work smoothly.<br />
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After a little googling, I was able to find a cheap source for some 1" metal rod with Acme threads. Using metal screws avoids the problem of working with a threading kit, and another bonus is that the metal screws are 4 tpi (threads per inch). The wooden threading kits I found were 6 tpi, so the metal screws should screw in and out 33% faster!<br />
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I got the stuff from <a href="http://www.surpluscenter.com/">surpluscenter.com</a> and the part numbers you need are 1-2983-100-3 for the threaded rod and 1-2984-100N for the nuts. I tried to find some surplus Acme rockets like Wile E. Coyote used, but no luck there. Total cost for 3ft of threaded rod and four nuts was about $60 plus shipping. This is enough for two Moxon vises, so the cost is about the same as a threading kit.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/c20bd7eb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/c20bd7eb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is all the hardware you'll need for a couple Moxon vises</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The first task was to cut up the threaded rod into smaller pieces. I needed 7" lengths of thread for my design, which yields a 2 1/2" capacity in the vise. If you want to hold thicker boards, you may need longer screws.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/19baee0c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/19baee0c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I rigged up these little stands to make cutting the threaded rod easier</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/f284d3c9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/f284d3c9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted to cut 7" sections of the rod for my purposes</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/598f9980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/598f9980.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could go crazy with a hacksaw, but I used a sawzall to make the cuts.<br />
Slip the blade into the slot in the stand to keep the cuts as straight as possible.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/0fbe36ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/0fbe36ba.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flip the stand on its side and use a metal vise to clean up the cut.<br />
Get it close to 90 degrees, and remove all sharp edges that can injure you.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
My neighbor is a wood turner and he was kind enough to turn a couple walnut handles for me. <a href="http://garageshop.blogspot.com/2011/03/lumber-gloat.html"> Did I mention how much walnut we have?</a> The plan was to epoxy the threaded rod into the handles, and it worked like a smelly, sticky charm.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/10862e8d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/10862e8d.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the walnut handles my neighbor made, a section<br />
of threaded rod, and 5-minute epoxy. What could go wrong?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/411b00da.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/411b00da.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Put the epoxy into the hole, and work the threaded rod down into<br />
the epoxy so that the threads get filled up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Next, I needed to make the vise body and front chop. I used a seasoned 2x10 that was laying around the shop (well, my neighbor's shop...but he looked the other way for a couple seconds too long!) I stayed pretty close to the dimensions from Schwarz's magazine plans. With luck and planning you will end up with a little more than 24" between the screws.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/35bf25bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/35bf25bc.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front vise chop, rear body, and stabilizing support were cut and milled square.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The screws go through the front chop, and thread into the rear body of the vise. For the wooden-screw versions, you would need to use a tapping kit to cut some threads in the holes in the main body. I simply drilled some 1" holes and sunk the nuts into the back of the body so they wouldn't spin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/3e79e91c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/3e79e91c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used a knife to mark the locations of the nuts on the back of the vise.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/615e3616-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/615e3616-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little drilling and chiseling created a recess for the nut to sit in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/e7af23c3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/e7af23c3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nuts are just friction fit, though a little epoxy would work fine also.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is the completed Moxon vise, shown from the back. You can see why the nuts are countersunk, so they won't rotate when you tighten the screws.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/22f97c24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/22f97c24.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the edges are chamfered, and a little danish oil makes a good finish</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Moxon vise sits on top of your regular workbench, and you can just clamp it down to the bench top. This provides a rock-solid way to clamp a board for working on the end. It's great for hand sawing, and also raises the workpiece up to a much more comfortable height.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/1362b4b5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/1362b4b5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With 24" between the screws, you could dovetail the side of a cabinet in this vise.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can see why this vise has become so popular among woodworkers. It's an easy build, and really is specialized for working the ends of boards. Combine this with other vises on your bench, and you will be all set for any hand tool woodworking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is a picture of my wacky English woodturning neighbor giving the vise a test drive. I think he likes it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/6c029600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/6c029600.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's having a little <u>too</u> much fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>Have you built a Moxon vise? Let's hear about it in the comments!</em> </div>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-42532787233645963712011-07-11T19:39:00.000-04:002011-07-11T19:39:19.145-04:00Apologies to Benny HillMy last post was about a cart I built for my short drill press, and the <strike>possibly dangerous</strike> creative use of a couple rachet straps to hoist it onto the cart. It had been sitting on the floor for years, and I finally managed to raise it up to a better working height. Of course, I didn't plan ahead so I had to order the wheels.<br />
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The wheels came in, and hilarity ensued.<br />
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<iframe width="640" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oFfp-3F-L_g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-33138532764311279652011-06-02T15:55:00.000-04:002011-06-02T15:55:15.919-04:00Not the Brightest Idea I Ever HadI did something yesterday that worked just fine, but was a little risky. I got scolded when my wife found out about it, and that says "blog post" to me.<br />
<br />
For almost two years, my drill press has been sitting on the ground. It's a full size drill press with a short column, that's meant to be mounted on a stand. It's way too heavy to be considered a bench-top tool, since there's no way anybody could move this thing alone.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f0cc2ca7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f0cc2ca7.jpg" t8="true" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floor level is not ergonomically correct</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have a bunch of drill press tasks coming up, and I'm getting tired of crouching down to use the drill press anyway. I've also had an extra sheet of nice Baltic Birch plywood kicking around the shop for a while, earmarked for a drill press stand.<br />
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To those who know me as an uber-geek, here is proof that I don't model everything in SketchUp: my rough sketch for the drill press stand. I suppose I lose some points for blogging about it, but surely I am still ahead in the accounting.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/338b2bef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/338b2bef.jpg" t8="true" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very technical plans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After a very quick session with the table saw, I glued and screwed the cabinet together. Here is a shot just before I added a 1/2" plywood back. It's upside down, and those of you with eagle eyes will notice that I reinforced the top to prevent sagging from the heavy drill press.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/b669928b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/b669928b.jpg" t8="true" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drill press stand - almost complete</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Now, here is the not bright part. I wanted to put the drill press on the new stand, but I couldn't lift it alone. It would have been tough even with two people honestly. So I went out to my truck and got a couple ratcheting tie-down straps. A few minutes later and I had the drill press positioned under a convenient 2x4 in the ceiling, ready to hoist.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/51441ee8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/51441ee8.jpg" t8="true" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoping my wife doesn't see this</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It was slow going because the straps would only tighten about 8 inches at a time. I would raise the drill press with the first one, then switch to the second strap and then back again. It was a little nerve-wracking. After a couple of minutes of clicky-clicky ratcheting, I had the drill press high enough off the floor to slide the new stand underneath. After I started breathing again, I remembered to take a picture.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/521fadb5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/521fadb5.jpg" t8="true" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whew! Made it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>All's well that ends well, or at least that's what I told my wife. I will be adding some casters eventually, and likely some drawers inside the cabinet. For now, I am just happy to be up off the floor.<br />
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<em>Have you ever pushed the limits of foolishness? Tell us about it!</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-75595770393106673372011-05-31T14:09:00.000-04:002011-05-31T14:09:15.297-04:00May ActivitiesA lot has happened in the last month, though you wouldn't know it from my lack of posts. This post will be a bit of a brain dump, just to get the blogging area of my head aired out a bit.<br />
<br />
For much of the past month, I was working on preparations for the newest Guild Build over at <a href="http://guild.thewoodwhisperer.com/">The Wood Whisperer Guild</a>. It's a Greene & Greene inspired Adirondack chair, and Marc and I held a lot of design sessions to get the plans finished. With these Guild Builds, I started simply helping out with the SketchUp work but it has evolved over time to really be a collaborative design effort between the two of us. I will finally be building one of these projects, and brought home a few cypress boards the other day to begin construction. This one will be fun, so stay tuned.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/73a7aab0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/73a7aab0.png" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greene & Greene inspired Adirondack Chair</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I also started work on a walnut desk for my wife. It will be a modular design, and the top is already completed. I bought a metric butt load of walnut recently and this is the first of many walnut projects to come.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/3d7044bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/3d7044bb.jpg" t8="true" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walnut Desk - Top is completed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There have also been some upgrades to the shop, as always. After using my "Swiss cheese" workbench for a few months, I have decided to enhance my work-holding by building a Moxon-Schwarz saw vise. The design <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popularwoodworking.com%2Farticleindex%2Fmoxon%25E2%2580%2599s-ingenious-bench-vise&rct=j&q=popular%20woodworking%20moxon%20vise&ei=sC3lTavPDcHb0QGi5vGxBw&usg=AFQjCNENt7-ySrqvrRrKzkGZMAQY6tIblQ&cad=rjt">was featured in Popular Woodworking Magazine last year</a>, but I made a few modifications. The biggest change I made was to use metal screws instead of shop-made wooden threaded screws. I found a great cheap source for some 1" diameter, 4 threads-per-inch metal screws and matching hex nuts. You'll probably be seeing more about this later, but here is a quick teaser shot.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/27c58b76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/27c58b76.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moxon-Schwarz Saw Vise</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/832a5b30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/832a5b30.jpg" t8="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metal Vise Screws? Crazy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Summer is fully here in Georgia, and it is getting hot. In the coming months I'll be working on the Adirondack and the Walnut Desk, with a couple detours into other fun little projects.<em> </em><br />
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<em>Thanks for checking in! As always, questions and comments are very welcome.</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-53116557399400821702011-04-15T15:36:00.000-04:002011-04-15T15:36:08.612-04:00English Layout Square - Finished!I'm still here, and actually getting a lot done in the shop. In the past few weeks I've stashed away a small mountain of walnut, started on a new desk project, and been working on upgrades to my workbench. On top of that, I'm working with Marc Spagnuolo to design the next project for <a href="http://guild.thewoodwhisperer.com/">The Wood Whisperer Guild</a>, a Greene and Greene style Adirondack Chair. I've got a ton of pictures, and I'll attempt to catch up on my posting.<br />
<br />
To show you that things are getting done and I'm not sitting around eating hot pockets and playing with SketchUp - well not JUST doing that anyway - below are some pictures of my completed English layout Square.<br />
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If you read back to my <a href="http://garageshop.blogspot.com/2011/03/mr-schwarz-my-brain-is-full.html">previous post</a> about the class I took with Schwarz, you will see that I still had some work to do after the class. Here is where I stopped:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/18d60cec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" r6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/18d60cec.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost ready to attach the cross brace, and lots of curves need to be smoothed out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After I got back to my shop, I was able to cut the half-laps for the cross brace and get it glued into place. The joints came out nice and tight, and a little smoothing plane action had everything nice and flush. This was my first time working with walnut, but it certainly won't be the last since I recently bought a pile of walnut.<br />
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Here is another shot showing the progress I made on getting the curved details completed. I don't have a large selection of rasps, so I had to make do with some small chisels and a dowel with some sandpaper rolled around it. The end result turned out pretty good, I think.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/44d8b10e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" r6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/44d8b10e.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on the curvy bits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After that it was time to get the square adjusted so the corner is exactly 90 degrees. There is a video on the Pop Woodworking site that shows how to do this. I ended up clamping the square onto my bench on its side and just shooting along the edge with my smoothing plane. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/e49d9a0a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/e49d9a0a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First one edge, then the other. It's easy to adjust one edge at a time and get very accurate results.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After I tested and adjusted it a couple times, this simple wooden square is now more accurate than my metal framing square. I've already used it a couple times, and it's nice to know I can easily correct things if it ever goes out of square.<br />
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Here is the final product after a couple coats of danish oil. I've got it hanging up on one of my cabinets, and I kind of like that it looks like a big "A" for Aaron.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/2280a7d0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/2280a7d0.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A" is for Aaron, Aardvark, and Apple Pie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em>It's been a while since an update, and things are getting hot in Georgia! Is this your busy woodworking season or do you play outside in the summer and come back into the cave in the fall?</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-15895308201304767002011-03-21T16:25:00.000-04:002011-03-21T16:25:38.539-04:00Lumber GloatWoodworking can be an expensive hobby. Tools, classes, and raw materials all cost money. Anybody who thinks they are going to build furniture cheaper than Ikea is kidding themselves. As hobbyist woodworker, the only place I can compete is on quality. My furniture will be nicer, stronger, survive longer, and the design will be customized to my needs.<br />
<br />
Even though woodworking can be expensive, every once in a while you get a good deal. This is when it's time for a gloat post - like this one!<br />
<br />
I saw an ad on Craigslist last week for some kiln-dried lumber. A few phone calls and a two hour drive later, and I was looking at tens of thousands of board feet of lumber being sold off by a now-closed flooring mill. Here is a picture from my cell phone of the mountains of lumber.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f7074757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f7074757.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need 10,000 BF of Eastern White Pine? Here it is.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Most of the available stock was Eastern White Pine, since this mill was in the far western part of North Carolina. Lots of pine forests up that way. There were other species available though including Ash, Red and White Oak, Maple, and even a few exotics like Ipe and Purple Heart.<br />
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My choice was Walnut, though. I have been designing some desks for our home office, and they will look great made of a nice Walnut. The seller had some 4/4 walnut that was graded #1 Common, which means there are more defects allowed than the nicer FAS grade. For my purposes, this stuff will be just fine.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/025ea6dc.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/025ea6dc.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />
Street price in the Atlanta area for 4/4 FAS Walnut is around $7 per BF for hobbyist quantities. Even though the Craigslist lumber was a lower grade than FAS, the price was much lower also. At $2 per Board foot, I took all that my truck could carry. This is what 500 Board Feet of walnut look like.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/45b1ab05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/45b1ab05.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a mix of 8ft and 6ft boards.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My shop project this weekend was to clean off my lumber rack and reload it with the walnut. Over the years I have hoarded a mixed collection of MDF, plywood, and pine scraps. Most of the stuff on the rack was left over from house projects, so there were 2 ft sections of crown molding and other things I would never really need.<br />
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After a purge of useless scraps, I made sure that the rack was level and ready for the Walnut. You can see in the picture below that my longer boards are stored over the top of my plywood cart. Details on the plywood cart are available <a href="http://garageshop.blogspot.com/2010/09/lumber-rack-from-long-ago.html">at this post on the blog</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f11c9bd6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" r6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f11c9bd6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lumber storage area of the shop. Who needs a window anyway?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I stored as much as I could on the rack. The walnut is literally stacked to the rafters. Even so, I could only fit about 120 Board Feet on the rack. The rest of the walnut is in my neighbor's garage. He's a woodworker also, and we're splitting the load.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/06257394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/06257394.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stacked as high as it would go, I could store only 120 Board Feet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After this adventure, it looks like anything I build from now on will be made of Walnut!<br />
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<em>Ever get a good deal? Want to gloat about it? Let's hear about it in the comments.</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-90088353782493139072011-03-13T18:54:00.001-04:002011-03-13T18:55:16.909-04:00Sales Counter - Final PicsOur friend's store opened Saturday, and this was the first opportunity I had to snap some pictures of the sales counter in all its glory.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/e70ec739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/e70ec739.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the sales counter highlights salvaged doors and windows.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/b5383c37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/b5383c37.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rear of the counter is more functional open shelving.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/70159a83.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/70159a83.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jewelry cases at each end have glass top inserts for visibility.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Despite the challenges of building this long cabinet in my small shop, I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was fun to figure out the best way to re-use salvaged materials, and our friend loves the finished design.<br />
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Even the counter top came out fine in the end, though I had to rework it to deal with <a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/7377e7f9.jpg">an error in measurement</a>. The photo below shows the seam in the middle of the long top, where the two separate slabs are joined with pocket screws from the underside.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/7377e7f9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/7377e7f9.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of the seam in the counter top</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em>Thanks to all of you who have followed this build on the blog, and given suggestions for fixing the counter top. That's a wrap on this project!</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-4177689156441283742011-03-10T11:00:00.000-05:002011-03-10T11:00:29.161-05:00Sales Counter - Top Version 2How do you make a woodworker cry? Tell him he has to cut up a recently finished project with a circular saw.<br />
<br />
Boo hoo hoo.<br />
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I recently made a sales counter for a friend's new store, and it turned out great. <a href="http://garageshop.blogspot.com/2011/02/arrrrrrgh-sales-counter-top-update.html">Unfortunately it was too long.</a> The first time, I created a ship-lap joint to join the two long counter slabs. This was the source of my error in measurement.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/5aec045a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/5aec045a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Version 1 of the joint was a strong ship-lap. This joint was also the source of my error in length.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This was very strong, but I wasn't able to get the joint as tight as I would like so I had to fill the small gap with tinted epoxy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/5f5ebacd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/5f5ebacd.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Version 1 of the joint had a visible gap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/53a10172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/53a10172.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used tinted epoxy to fill the gap in the original piece.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The epoxy fix turned out pretty well, but it was one of those things that drives us woodworkers crazy while nobody else really notices. The error in length of the counter top gave me the opportunity to rethink the joint and improve the seam.<br />
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Due to the design, the only option was to cut the counter top apart and take the extra material out of the middle. This went pretty quickly with a circular saw and straightedge. It was very satisfying to deposit the extra chunk of material in the garbage bin, after a few choice words were exchanged.<br />
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For Version 2 of the joint, I kept things a little simpler. First I cut the two halves to exact length to get the joint centered correctly. Then I focused on getting the joint as tight as possible. I ended up "shooting" the ends of both halves with my smoothing plane to get them as nice and straight as possible.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/fce147b6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/fce147b6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small spacer under the slab raises it up so I can shoot the end with my planes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This approach worked very well and I was able to get the joint super tight. In fact, I got so excited I stopped taking pictures. Whoops!<br />
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I decided not to so another ship-lap joint at this point. With a tight fitting seam and no extra length remaining, I was afraid anything else I did would mess it up somehow. Instead, I used my pocket screw jig to put in a slot every couple inches along the bottom of the slabs. I figured I could use pocket screws to pull the two halves together during installation.<br />
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I brought the tops back over to the store, and it was much easier to transport two seven foot slabs than one 14 footer in my truck. Installation went smoothly the second time, and the pocket screws worked great to hold the two slabs tightly together along the seam. Luckily the cabinet design allowed me to access most of the underside easily. I just worked slowly from one side to the other, making sure the two slabs were tight and flush before screwing them together. The seam is much less visible than the first time, and so flush that you can barely feel it. Even better, I didn't have to strip any finish or sand to get the joint smoothed out.<br />
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I'll have pictures of the final sales counter soon - the grand opening of the store is this weekend. Until then, I am running laps around my tiny shop. It feels twice as big now that the counter tops are gone!<br />
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<em>Do you ever find yourself fixing mistakes? I sure do! Comments are open, operators standing by!</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-2393598803873028332011-03-07T11:08:00.002-05:002011-03-07T11:12:32.949-05:00Mr. Schwarz? My brain is full.Chris Schwarz came to Atlanta this past weekend. He is the editor of Popular Woodworking Magazine, a workbench guru, a hand plane aficionado, and a leading voice in the use of hand tools for woodworking. On Friday night he gave a talk about router planes and then gave the first-ever public talk about his upcoming book, <a href="http://www.blip.tv/file/4555868#">The Anarchist's Tool Chest</a>. The talk was very compelling and I am sure the book will be very well received.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/97316129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/97316129.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris Schwarz at work</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
On Sunday, I had the good fortune to take a day-long class with him at the Atlanta Woodcraft store. The goal was to build a <a href="http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/hand-tool-techniques/squaring-the-english-layout-square">traditional English layout square</a>, copied from an antique tool and published recently in Popular Woodworking Magazine. Think of a wooden framing square and you'll have the right idea.<br />
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Here is how the class felt for me:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f06a0b9b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f06a0b9b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This was an 8 hour brain dump on all sorts of topics. We talked about lots of tools and practiced a bunch of techniques. Sharpening plane irons, planing stock square, sawing tenon cheeks, using shoulder planes, laughing at router plane "depth suggesters", fairing curves with rasps, cutting tenon shoulders cleanly, paring with a chisel, and even simple things like gluing end grain. This class was full of great content, and well worth the time and cost to spend the day soaking it up.<br />
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After 4 hours of work, here is what was on my bench. Three sticks of walnut that really don't look much different than when I first picked them up hours earlier. All I can tell you is that this stock was as flat and square as I could make it, which is a critical first step toward making tight joints.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/ccc70a8a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/ccc70a8a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halfway done, but not looking like much!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
For the rest of the class, we rallied and worked toward cutting a bunch of half lap joints, roughing out curves on the detail areas, and making tight joints. I don't think anybody finished the square, but some folks got pretty close. Here is a picture of my project as I was marking the joints in the stretcher.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/18d60cec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" q6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/18d60cec.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My progress toward the end of the day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There were only 7 students in the class, so there was plenty of personal attention. This did not always work to my advantage. Quote of the day from Chris was "Uhh, Aaron? Maybe you cut to the wrong side of the line." Ouch.<br />
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Thanks to Chris for making the trip, and to Steve Quehl for bringing him to our local WoodCraft.<br />
<br />
<em>It is always humbling for me to interact with very experienced woodworkers, but I learn so much more than I can by just reading about it or going solo. How do you connect with the woodworking community? Do you take classes, or just try to figure things out for yourself?</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-32150447020627676432011-02-28T12:41:00.000-05:002011-02-28T12:41:09.017-05:00Arrrrrrgh! Sales Counter Top UpdateNo, I'm not a pirate. That's "Arrrrrrgh" as in "I am really upset and frustrated!" Ever have one of those days? Me too.<br />
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As a reminder, I recently built a sales counter for a friend that is roughly 14 feet long. It has been installed, and the last thing left to do was join two store-bought butcher block counter tops together into a single long slab for the top.<br />
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Easy, right? Well, kind of. I'm going to get a lot of practice. I made it too long the first time, so I get to try again.<br />
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Here's how I did it the first time. With a series of too-complicated router setups, I created a half-lap joint between the two top slabs. This turned out to be ultra-strong, but was the source of my error. Somehow I messed up and the length of the overlap was added to the total counter. The half-lap is about 3 inches wide.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/1ca5d270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/1ca5d270.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half lap joint is very strong, but I didn't measure correctly for overall length.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>If I had caught the problem at this point, fixing it would have been easy. I could have just trimmed the ends of the counter to the correct overall length. Instead I just plowed ahead with all the remaining steps. I sanded, stained, varnished, and delivered the top. I plopped it down on top of the sales counter and finally discovered the length was wrong.<br />
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"Arrrrrgh!"<br />
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This sales counter has a jewelry case at each end, so part of the design called for a glass insert in each end of the top. You can see one of the cutouts in the picture below, and there is one on the other end too.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/9d6698b6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/9d6698b6.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After adding cutouts for glass inserts, the only option is to cut it back apart to fix the length.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The problem now is that the cutouts for the glass inserts prevent me from simply trimming the ends off. I will be forced to cut the two slabs apart again and redo the center joint.<br />
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"Arrrrrgh!"<br />
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The other challenge is that the top has been stained and I have several coats of durable poly applied as a finish. I really don't want to repeat the half lap process, because I don't want to have to sand or plane the joint to get it flush. I haven't had good luck touching up a stain/poly finish and I don't want to strip the entire top.<br />
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I'll keep you posted. Back to the shop.<br />
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<em>Ever have one of those days? Got any ideas? How would you recover from this blunder? I'd love to hear it!</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-22990079608366236082011-02-08T16:40:00.000-05:002011-02-08T16:40:41.029-05:00Sales Counter InstallationThis past weekend I delivered and installed most of the <a href="http://garageshop.blogspot.com/2011/02/sales-counter-project.html">sales counter project</a> I have been making for a friend. It was good to see this come together, and I have a lot more space in my shop now that it is gone.<br />
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Here is a quick video of the beginning of the installation. I had hoped to capture it all but technology issues (ID 10 T errors probably) prevented me from getting the rest of the shot. <br />
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<embed allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid318.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fmm404%2Famarshallpics%2FGarageShop%2F9c3c3549.mp4" height="361" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="600" wmode="transparent"><br />
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You can see how the two end cabinets are the foundation for the piece, and then all the middle stuff gets added on site. Here is the rest of the unit, all assembled and ready for the top to be installed at a later date.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/9dcaa3e2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="300" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/9dcaa3e2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/2841fe86.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="300" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/2841fe86.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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All that remains is to join two large butcherblock slabs into a 14 foot long top, and to put some salvaged baseboard around the whole thing. Stay tuned!<br />
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<em>Ever used reclaimed materials for a project? How did it come out? Tell us about it in the comments!</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-73568082377732432592011-02-01T18:40:00.000-05:002011-02-01T18:40:52.554-05:00Sales Counter ProjectJanuary was a busy month for me, so unfortunately I couldn't blog as much as I would like. I have been working out in the shop though, and I am happy to share some pictures of the project that's been keeping me busy.<br />
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Our friend has <a href="http://www.boogaloosboutique.com/">a clothing boutique</a> in the Atlanta area, and she is opening another location soon. This friend is like my wife's crack dealer for dresses and accessories, and she always provides a personalized "Boutique Experience" when I need birthday or anniversary gift ideas. When she asked me to build the sales counter for the new store, I happily agreed.<br />
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The design process was an easy collaboration, and of course I went to SketchUp for the final model. Here's a shot of the whole project.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/d7e77c5d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" s5="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/d7e77c5d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The style of the piece emphasizes reclaimed materials. Two old window sashes became doors to the jewelry cabinets at each end, and a few salvaged doors cover the front and sides of the piece. We raided a salvage yard together and found some lovely decrepit doors and windows for the project. To stabilize all the old flaky paint, I sprayed the windows and the yellow door with shellac, using a simple household spray bottle. This did a good job of getting in all the nooks and crannies and under the old paint, and the old stuff is much more firmly attached now.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/45191190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" s5="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/45191190.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I spent some time rebuilding the windows so that they will be sturdy enough for cabinet doors. I took out all the old glass and what little putty remained. I put in new glass with bedding caulk and some shop made 1/4" square stops. For good measure I also pegged each corner of the window frame with two 1/4" dowels to combat sagging since the windows are about 32 inches wide.<br />
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The piece is coming together nicely, though it is a bit of a challenge in my small shop. The counter is almost 14 feet long, and my shop is just 16x19. Thankfully I came up with a modular design that can be assembled later. The two end cabinets are standard plywood cases with end panels made from door slabs. There will be an 8 foot middle section between the end cabinets, and this is just a stack of plywood dividers and shelves that get assembled later. What makes this possible is that the middle section is just a few stretchers, shown in the picture below.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/16e5d8e7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" s5="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/16e5d8e7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/bf96c70d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" s5="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/bf96c70d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The countertop is really the biggest space challenge, since it will be a single piece almost 14 feet long. I took the easy way out and went to Ikea for a couple 8 foot long sections of countertop, and I will join these together to make a single top slab for the sales counter. I'm not really sure how I will do this yet, but I am thinking a ten inch long half-lap will be likely.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/42a91068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" s5="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/42a91068.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />
I am enjoying the unique aspects of this project such as incorporating old reclaimed materials into a design. Making it look old and crusty while still being functional and crisply assembled is an interesting contrast. Delivery and installation will be in the next couple weeks, and I'll try to get some pictures of the final piece. In the meantime, back to work for me!Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-59673824286248071262011-01-04T09:16:00.000-05:002011-01-04T09:16:11.347-05:00SketchUp Tip: Field of ViewI like SketchUp. A lot. Like really, a lot. I use it to model most things I build, and many other things around the house. Frankly, my wife is a little sick of all the models I think. <br />
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Her: "Honey, take out the garbage please?" <br />
Me: "Wait, I need a 3D model for that!"<br />
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But there are times when a 3D model is very helpful. For instance, I used it to lay out my shop to make the most of my limited space.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/30a42f0a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/30a42f0a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click for extreme close-up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Which brings me to today's SketchUp tip. Woodworkers tend to focus on models of a single piece of furniture, but SketchUp is also used by a bunch of architects to create entire buildings. When you are viewing a building from the inside out, you generally want to show the viewer what they would realistically see if they were standing in the space. This is where field of view becomes important.<br />
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The human eye has about a 120 degree field of view from side to side, or about 60 degrees per side. It may be easier to think of this as a cone expanding outward from your eye. The default setting in SketchUp is just 35 degrees, which is a much narrower field of view. As a result the standard view in SketchUp can feel like you have blinders on.<br />
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For example, here is the default 35 degree view if you are standing at the garage door of my virtual shop.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/04c8c5a8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/04c8c5a8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>SketchUp lets you easily adjust the field of view. Here's how you do it. Click on the Zoom tool or just hit "Z" on the keyboard. The zoom tool looks like a little magnifying glass.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/39243459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/39243459.jpg" width="382" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>After you select the zoom tool, the box in the bottom right of your SketchUp window should say "Field of View" and "35 deg". At this point you can type in another setting and hit enter. For example, try "60" and "Enter". Here is the same view of my virtual shop with the 60 degree setting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/158249f4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/158249f4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>You may want to play around with different settings for different effects. Rather than typing in each new setting, you can hold down the Shift key and the Left mouse button, and then drag the mouse around to widen or narrow the point of view. This seems a bit awkward and unless you are comfortable with camera navigation in SketchUp I recommend just typing in your number.<br />
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One last note is that SketchUp can accept field of view settings in degrees or millimeters. The "mm" settings are handy if you are a photographer and want to get the effect of a specific lens, such as "50 mm". When you are typing in your new setting SketchUp stays in the current "deg" or "mm" scale unless you specifically switch to the other scale. Note that for the human eye, 60 degrees is about the same as a 35mm lens.<br />
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That's all it takes to get a new field of view in SketchUp, and it can really help to make models look more natural for the viewer.<br />
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<em>Got a question about SketchUp? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-13980984957509215882010-12-29T20:19:00.001-05:002010-12-29T20:20:10.102-05:00Workbench: Planing StopHere's an old idea you've seen before, perfect for a lazy blog post on December 29th. At the left end of my weirdo no-vise workbench I installed a planing stop. It's just a half inch thick piece of Baltic birch plywood I had in the scrap bin, attached to the end of the bench with some T-Track and a couple knobs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/bb394d61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/bb394d61.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planing stop works great at the left end of the bench</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It was a little tricky to come up with a way to cut the groove in the end grain of the top slabs. I considered (and even started) doing it with a handsaw and chisel, but the results were pretty horrible. Next, I actually stood the bench slab on end and rigged up a superbly unsafe router jig. In the picture below, you can see that (1) I am an idiot, and (2) that my wife's car is not in the shot. I am at least clever enough to behave foolishly while she is away from home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/fbb13dbb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/fbb13dbb.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To my wife: I swear I didn't do it this way</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Thankfully, common sense took back over and I stepped away long enough to come up with a simpler solution involving some double-sided tape, a scrap of wood, and both feet planted firmly on the ground.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/b31aed7b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/b31aed7b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Routing a groove for T-Track</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Once the groove was there, it was simple to cut some T-Track to fit the two bench slabs. A few screws later, and the track holds a couple T-Bolts with handles from Highland Woodworking. It's so convenient to have them right around the corner from me, but pretty dangerous for the wallet too.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f57d2f4e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f57d2f4e.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planing stop attaches with a couple knobs - easy to adjust.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/5bdb995e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/5bdb995e.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voila! One removable planing stop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I like this solution because it is simple to use, and also because it fits my theme of having a bench that breaks down daily. When it's time to quit, the planing stop board pops free, and the knobs just slide right out of the track and into a drawer. Most of the time the parts stay in the drawer, since I don't use the planing stop every day.<br />
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Have a happy New Year!<br />
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<em>There are other options for planing stops too. What do you have on your bench? Or do you just flatten boards with a planer like nature intended?</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-82295597485139575772010-12-16T15:00:00.001-05:002010-12-16T15:01:12.933-05:00Blast from the Past: Wire Trick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/vol2/2c6c8bea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/vol2/2c6c8bea.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As I have said in the past, the many volumes of the Popular Mechanics d-i-y Encyclopedia are fascinating to read. They offer a glimpse into the shops of our fathers and grandfathers, where throwing out even a single useful scrap was frowned upon. I'm sure that there was more than one basement workbench crowded with jars of bent nails waiting to be straightened.<br />
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In between the regular entries in the Encyclopedia, there are pages dedicated to simple tips and tricks. Some of these "Clever Ideas" are pure gold, and we are starting to see them come back around today during our collective re-awakening to hand tool use. For example on the page shown below at the 9 O'clock position we see that adding a leather strip to the inside of a vise makes a better working surface. This trick is repeated even today by the most revered workbench gurus of our generation.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/vol2/b36d425c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/vol2/b36d425c.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br />
There are a couple other tips on the page that wouldn't be out of place in one of the magazines on today's newsstand. A modified sawhorse used as a table saw outfeed? Check. Add scrap to a shelf to let you easily paint each side? Check.<br />
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Then you get to the last trick on the page, in the bottom right corner. How to straighten bent wire with an ingenious little jig. I can imagine my grandfather bent over his bench, pulling a 2 foot section of wire through a few nails. Many folks would agree that the generations alive in the 1930's adapted these habits out of necessity during the Great Depression. I wonder though - when did this thriftiness leave us as a nation? Was it purely generational, like flipping a switch? Or did it slowly fade away until more and more shop supplies were purchased as needed from the shelves of the big box stores? I wonder if you mapped it out on a timeline if you would find that in 1983 it was already fine to throw away wire, and we were in the last days of hanging on to bent framing nails.<br />
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Today it seems silly to keep those jars full of leftover screws, hinges, razor blades, brad nails, picture hooks, doorknobs, light switch plates, bent springs, washers, non-programmable thermostats, kitchen cabinet handles, rubber feet, and of course wire. I don't have a whole bench full of the stuff like my grandfather did, but there is that one jar. You know the one. It's in the back corner of the top cabinet over your bench. The one that sometimes saves the day with a long forgotten bit of scrap, just the right size and shape. As if it's been waiting like some little bit of magic for you to remember. When that happens, I can't help but think out loud "Thanks, Gramp."<br />
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<em>What is the weirdest thing you can't throw away? Are you a hoarder or a minimalist in your shop?</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-10474374173316607342010-12-14T14:31:00.001-05:002010-12-14T14:35:54.913-05:00Tail vise? I Wonder.Wow, the titles to these posts are getting silly. In this case though it's accurate also. There is no tail vise on my bench. Blasphemy! For that matter, there is no face vise either, but we'll get to that later.<br />
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Because of my desire to break down the bench for daily storage, I challenged myself to come up with work holding solutions that don't require vises permanently mounted to the bench top. Vises add weight and complexity, and the good news is that with a few accessories they aren't needed. Hey, I'm not saying I wouldn't love to have a nice Benchcrafted Tail Vise, but it's not going to work on this bench.<br />
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If you haven't been following along, here is the bench in all its naked vise-free glory.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/ed2986e6-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/ed2986e6-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
For the tail vise duties, I turned to a Veritas Wonder Pup. This is a clever little gizmo that seats into a standard 3/4" dog hole.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/95f1bee7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/95f1bee7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I chose the the Wonder Pup because it has a shorter shaft than the Wonder Dog, so I can use it in any hole in the bench without hitting the cabinets below. Both version have a total range on their screws of about four inches, so as long as your dog holes are closer than that you have total coverage to hold any length board. In the picture above you can see that the first hole in the front corner is about three inches in from the end of the bench. This is helpful because the handle of the Wonder Dog will overhang the end of the bench and be easier to spin quickly. The screw pitch is fairly tight on these, so for big adjustments I hold the Wonder Pup by the screw and shake it around until the shaft spins around like a hula hoop.<br />
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To hold a workpiece to the bench, just put a regular bench dog at the other end and use the Wonder Pup to apply pressure. As you can see below, even with thin stock the dog can be adjusted low enough to be out of the way. By the way, I don't ever plane 1/4" thick plywood. This is just to show the options for holding thin stock.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/adab2ff4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/adab2ff4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's possible to get a bench dog low enough to hold 1/4" thin material.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Even among fans of the Wonder Dog, they will agree that it isn't great for working with thin stock. The block on the end is 5/8" thick so it works fine for 3/4" or thicker material. You often see the suggestion to add a thin tapered block to the end of the Wonder Dog, and the two screw holes in the block make this possible. You also sometimes see the suggestion to add support shims underneath a workpiece to hold it up higher off the bench, but the difficulty is needing a lot of different thicknesses and widths to support different sized boards.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/45b4f92a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/45b4f92a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The standard Wonder Dog isn't great at holding thin stock.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
All of the information above is old hat if you have read about workbenches elsewhere. This is where I am going to take you off the beaten path. Instead of messing around with shims or tapered blocks, I recommend making a shallow pocket in your bench top for the Wonder Dog to sit in. Here is the outline of the pocket, just slightly wider than the head of the Wonder Dog. The total length is about 7 inches so that both dog holes can still be used.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/66f07210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/66f07210.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plan is to remove the area marked in red.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
To make the pocket, I made a quick router template. I hogged out most of the material with a straight bit, then finished up with a dovetail bit around the edges. This creates a sliding dovetail so that I can use a filler block in the pocket when I don't need it. I used an 8 degree dovetail bit since I was trying not to undercut the LVL too much. In a standard hardwood bench I don't think the angle would matter.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/aec07579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/aec07579.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Use a router to create a sliding dovetailed pocket in the end of the bench.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The pocket is 1/2" deep, so the head of the Wonder Dog sticks up only about 1/8" above the bench surface. This is adjustable, so you could of course raise the whole assembly to get anything between 1/8" and 5/8'. With this pocket, the Wonder Dog is able to clamp thin stock like a champ.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/c0f585f9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/c0f585f9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonder Dog + 1/2" deep pocket = thin stock clamping goodness</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The next trick is to make a filler block to close up the pocket when it's not needed. Thanks to the dovetailed sides of the pocket, this can just slide in from the end of the bench. I made a block out of some Ipe in my scrap bin, but any hardwood should be fine. I cut the block on the table saw to get the 8 degree sides and snuck up on a nice friction fit with a hand plane and scraper.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f6333acd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/f6333acd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filler block should be a nice friction fit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/3db5f685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/3db5f685.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The block will be easier to slide after the two holes are drilled in it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
After I had the block fit correctly, I used a forstner bit to mark the locations of the dog holes from under the bench. Then just drill the dog holes in the filler block and chamfer the edges of the holes.<br />
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This little modification really helps get rid of a big limitation of using the Wonder Dog as a tail vise. When you want to work on thin material, just slide out the filler block.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/3ae11fb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/3ae11fb1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding thin stock - filler block removed</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Most of the time the filler block stays in the pocket, and the Wonder Dog works normally.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/9386d575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/9386d575.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filler block does not affect normal operation of the Wonder Dog</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
There are a couple other tips I can give you. If you are trying to plane a thin board that is also less than two inches wide, you may find that the end wants to sink down into the pocket since it is unsupported. For this, I kept a little offcut from the filler block and put it in the pocket to support the workpiece. I haven't ever needed it, but I keep it in the drawer just in case.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/3dbd9d0c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" n4="true" src="http://i318.photobucket.com/albums/mm404/amarshallpics/GarageShop/3dbd9d0c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narrow boards may need a little support to keep them out of the pocket</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
One last thing about the Wonder Dog is that the top of the anchoring shaft sticks above the holding block. This can interfere with planing, even on 3/4" thick stock. This is another great reason to use the pocket even on thicker stock - to get the shaft out of the way of a plane. It's not all that problematic though since most right-handed woodworkers will plane away from the shaft.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the shaft can interfere with planing</td></tr>
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I'm not suggesting that this little modification makes the Wonder Dog the perfect tail vise. For a permanent bench I would probably still consider a more traditional tail vise, just for the convenience. For me though, this is a good enhancement to make the relatively cheap Wonder Dog perform a new trick. Sorry about that.<br />
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<em>What type of tail vise does your dream bench have? Next time, more bad puns! Thanks for reading.</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-80642830087829098722010-12-07T18:31:00.001-05:002010-12-08T00:32:04.400-05:00Workbench: Floating BasesOne of the key features of my workbench is the ability to take it apart and store it away quickly. Like every guy with a small shop, I am trying to put all my stuff on wheels. I came up with the idea of using base cabinets under my workbench instead of the more typical sawhorses. The bases are an important part of this design, both for workholding and for stability. They needed to be mobile but still sturdy enough to support the benchtop with all the forces from planing and pounding.<br />
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The retractable wheels on the bases allow me to quickly roll the cabinets under a stretch of countertop and get them out of the way. When it's time to use the bench, I just wheel them out again.<br />
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I have two cabinets, one slightly smaller than the other. Here is a picture of the small cabinet, with a bunch of drawers. The height is just right for me, so that adding on the top slabs makes a workbench that is 34" from the floor.<br />
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Here is how the retractable wheels work, courtesy of SketchUp. Way easier to show you this than to flip over the real thing!<br />
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I made a few changes when I built the cabinets, but these pictures give you the general idea. Underneath each base cabinet is a recess that is about five inches deep. Inside, there are two casters on each side, mounted to a pivoting board. This "wheelie" board is attached to the bottom of the cabinet with a couple standard door hinges I had laying around, but any strong hinge will do. The hinges are shown in red above, and the yellow circles are there to remind me that the casters need to be able to spin freely. Don't put them too close to the corners.<br />
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Here it is right-side up, it is easier to see how the levers work in this view I think.<br />
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The levers are mounted with a couple bolts through the front apron of the cabinet and into the "wheelie" boards. When you want to lower the wheels, just step on the end of the lever and the wheels get forced down which also raises one side of the cabinet off the floor. These have a surprisingly strong lever action, and are able to lift up very heavy loads - at least a couple hundred pounds. I suppose it depends on how much force you can get into the lever by stepping on it, but I have been eating my Wheaties and am well over 200 lbs.<br />
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But what keeps the wheels down? Aha! Take a look at the next picture.<br />
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Scrounging my pile of spare parts, I put a couple of door latches into the bottom apron. When you step on the levers, they move down and the latches pop out to hold them in place. Now you can wheel the cabinet around and when you are done, just give the latches a kick with your toe to drop the cabinet back down onto the ground. These latches are cheap, and you can also buy just the latch at the big box stores.<br />
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In the picture above, you can see a hint of the arc that is cut out of the apron around each bolt - above bolt #3. The bolts for the levers just pass through the apron and into the "wheelie" board. You may also notice that one of the levers is lower than the other. There is some flex in the wheelie boards, so when I was ready to add the latches I just cranked down on the levers until there was a quarter inch of clearance all around, especially in the back of the cabinet. I then marked a line and this is where the latches ended up. I also made the apron removable in case things sag over time and I need to make a new one.<br />
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I have mentioned before that my garage floor has more waves than the Atlantic ocean. In order to prevent the cabinets from rocking when they are dropped, I made them with three feet. You can see that in the SketchUp pictures above, or in this picture of the back corner.<br />
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Once the cabinets are dropped down in place, they are very stable. Not necessarily level, but stable. This was pretty important since I don't want the bench to rock back and forth. These things aren't going anywhere, since they are both pretty heavy. The larger cabinet is about 30 inches wide and has my 13 inch planer mounted on a flip top, so that cabinet has to be almost 200 pounds with all the plywood and the planer. The drawer unit is lighter, but I would still estimate it at over 100 pounds. Add in 90 pounds for the top slabs and I've got a 400 pound bench that wheels away easily.<br />
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Here are some things I learned when building the retractable wheels, in case anybody wants to try this. The drawings show the "wheelie" boards as 3/4 plywood, but this has a lot of flex when the wheels are up. I had to do some weird stuff to stiffen the boards like you might do along the front edge of a shelf. I recommend gluing up a double-thick board that is 1 1/2" thick, but I would use plywood again with no problems. In order to do this, you need a slightly deeper recess under the cabinet. I was trying to save every last bit of vertical space, and it got a little tight for me. It's based on the height of your casters - with a 1 1/2" thick wheelie board, your recess should be at least 2 1/2" deeper than the caster height. Plan to get the wheelie board roughly level with the floor when the wheels are down, though a little tilt is fine.<br />
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Next time I'll talk about some workholding stuff. With a few accessories, I don't even care that this bench has no vises.<br />
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<em>What next? I've got more to talk about with the bench, but do you have a question? Put it in the comments!</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-10256447260006040642010-12-05T19:26:00.000-05:002010-12-05T19:26:35.662-05:00That is one sexy box!Not what you may have expected, but I got home from a work trip on Friday to find this waiting for me courtesy of the UPS guy.<br />
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Inside that, the exitment just keeps getting better!<br />
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Finally, this is what was inside. <br />
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Excuse me now, I have to go play in the shop. I'm grinning like a little kid with an ice cream cone.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-84941829681858703042010-12-02T00:35:00.000-05:002010-12-02T00:35:47.242-05:00Workbench: About the TopFor the top of my new workbench, I needed a solution that would let me take the bench apart easily at the end of the day. What I eventually ended up with are two 10" wide slabs of LVL. They are 7 ft long and a little over 2 1/2" thick. The seven foot length is about as long as the beams can be since I want to stand them up on end for storage and I have a low ceiling in the shop.<br />
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I had seen an <a href="http://www.finewoodworking.com/PlansAndProjects/PlansAndProjectsPDF.aspx?id=31729">article in Fine Woodworking magazine</a> a couple years ago that showed a couple of beams being used on sawhorses for all the typical workbench tasks. The ones in the article were torsion boxes made of melamine and homasote, and I was all set to make these until I got the "workbench bug" like so many other woodworkers out there. After reading - obsessing really - about historical bench designs, I wanted to go in a more traditional direction and make a solid bench top with dog holes to enable the use of dogs and hold fasts.<br />
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Some bench designs such as <a href="http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/SearchView.aspx?q=%22Bob%27s%20Bench%22">Bob Lang's 21st Century bench</a> have a large tool tray between two separate sections of their top. From this, I realized I could just make two slabs and not have to muscle around one large top. When the two slabs are butted up together, my bench top is 20" deep. If needed I could also move the back slab toward the rear and get a deeper top by leaving a 4"-6" gap between the slabs.<br />
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The final piece dropped into place at Woodworking in America. Megan Fitzpatrick was kind enough to take me backstage and show me <a href="http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/Megan+Gives+You+A+Tour+Of+The+Gluebo+Bench.aspx">her "Gluebo" bench</a> on the last day of WIA. According to the Internet, the LVL she used is lighter than other lumber I was considering, such as Southern Yellow Pine (SYP). LVL comes in around 37 lbs/cubic foot, and SYP is 41 lbs/cubic foot. On top of that, LVL makes a stiffer beam so you can get away with a thinner top. Like Megan's LVL benchtop, my top is a little over 2 1/2" thick. Each LVL beam weighs about 45 lbs compared to a 4" thick beam of SYP which would be about 80 lbs.<br />
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The LVL makes an attractive top, but there are a few things I noticed when working with it. The front and rear edges of the bench were pretty ugly since the plies of the LVL were exposed. I ended up putting a 3/8" thick strip of maple on the front and rear edges of both slabs. This makes it look better, but it also protects the long edges of the LVL beams which have a bad tendency to split and break off at the edges. You will want to chamfer the edges of the slabs if you don't wrap them as I did. The LVL also had a few voids but some careful layout allowed me to flip most of these down onto the bottom of each slab.<br />
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To attach the beams to my base cabinets, I am simply relying on gravity and "bullets". The bullets are made from 3/4" dowels with slightly rounded ends that help line each slab up with pre-drilled holes in the top of the base cabinets.<br />
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When it is time to go to work, I just wheel out the base cabinets (more on that next, I promise!) and tilt the front slab onto the cabinets. I put the bullets into the bottom of the slab first because the hole in the cabinet top goes all the way through so setting the top down could just knock the bullet through the top of the cabinet. It was a little fussy to get the holes lined up perfectly between the slab and the base, so you may notice an extra hole on the left that I plugged up after the fact.<br />
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After the first slab is in place, I just get the second one up there and drop it in place. The bullets are a little tight at first but after you use them a few times the fibers compress and the slabs just drop right in place.<br />
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With both slabs in place, the bench is very solid. The top doesn't shift around at all, and the two slabs butting up together seems to really lock them in place. The bases are pretty heavy, especially the one with the planer inside. Even during aggressive hand planing, this bench doesn't move or slide around.<br />
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The only negative I have noticed is that the slabs may not sit fully down onto the bases, because my floor is not level in the garage. There are a couple spots on my concrete floor that are really wacky, so there can be a small gap between the slab and the base cabinets, shown in the next picture.<br />
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This would be a problem with any bench, requiring me to level the feet to prevent rocking. To account for the warped floor, I specifically made the base cabinets so that they will not rock on unlevel floors - but more on that next time. The good news is that even with a small gap under the top slabs, the bench is still extremely solid and stable, just not always level. I planned to use a deck of cards to shim up the top under the raised end, but in practice this doesn't seem to be needed.<br />
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So that's how I came up with the top for the bench, and how it works. Next time, due to popular demand I'll show the bases and how the retractable wheels work. Stay tuned!<br />
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<em>I'm curious to know if anyone else has tried using LVL or another "wood product" for their bench top. Come on Dyami, tell us about that Timberstrand!</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11055508.post-71796879168982948352010-11-22T23:43:00.000-05:002010-11-22T23:43:56.165-05:00Workbench: Beware the NewI have been <a href="http://garageshop.blogspot.com/2010/10/oh-no-not-another-one.html">hinting</a> lately about <a href="http://garageshop.blogspot.com/2010/11/workbench-detail-dog-holes.html">the workbench</a> I am building, but not giving many clues about the design. Sorry for being so secretive, but I really wanted to make sure a few things worked out before going public in case these ideas were really foolish. I have found that medium foolishness is fine, but "really" foolish should be avoided.<br />
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Like many others out there in the woodworking community I have devoured all the recent books about workbenches, particularly those by Chris Schwarz and the extended Pop Woodworking Staff. It's hard to have a discussion about benches without relying heavily on their material. I scoured the internet for plans, comparing Roubo with Nicholson, Moxon with Holtzappfel, $175 benches with 21st Century benches, and all the rest. I wanted to take all the good features from all of those and blend them together into the bench of my dreams.<br />
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Then I did a little reality check, which I will share with you now. There isn't space in my shop for a bench unless I get rid of some large tools. I'll never be a hand tool only woodworker and after all these years of looking strategically mopey before birthdays and anniversaries I sure can't tell my wife I'm getting rid of anything.<br />
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But don't take my word for it - take a look at this panoramic picture of my shop.<br />
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Many eagle-eyed viewers will sees something that could be removed to get a ton (or three) more space in the shop. I'll wait while you try to find it. Hint: It has the highest horsepower rating in the shop.<br />
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Alright, I should park the Buick elsewhere but life is a compromise. We live in an old house downtown, and the only garage is under the house. The car has to get parked inside, so the first rule of my shop is "everything on wheels". The garage is 19' deep and about 16' wide so at least there is enough space to wheel everything out of the way when the car has to come back in. I've been working on getting everything mobile and I'm about halfway done. I still have plans for a miter saw cart and drill press cart on my to-do list.<br />
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As you can see, I also have several steel columns holding up the place. They are perfectly positioned for maximum inconvenience, blocking the long wall where I have a countertop set up. Back to the workbench design, all this is just meant to show that space is an issue for me. I want a full-featured bench but have nowhere to keep it.<br />
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I started reading about knockdown workbenches, but this doesn't mean the same to me as it does to most authors. Most knockdown designs are meant to solve the "I might move someday and need to take my bench apart" problem. I literally want to take my bench apart every night.<br />
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The last paragraph of Schwarz's newest workbench book inspired me to find a solution, and I hope he won't mind if I quote it here. "<em>What can I remove and still have all the functionality I need? When I cannot remove anything else, it's time to start cutting wood.</em>" Vises? Don't need them - they are too heavy to hoist around anyway. Legs? Stretchers? Shelves? Bah, who needs them. After all, a bench is just a 3D clamping surface, right? My design eventually devolved into nothing more than a top sitting on...something. I think it works for me, but maybe others will like the concept too. <br />
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Let's see. Here's a shot of the long wall of the shop, once the car is out and the table saw is rolled away.<br />
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In the picture above, there are two mobile carts under that countertop. They both have retractable wheels and can roll out into the shop. The one on the left is a flip-top stand that holds my planer and the other is simply a stack of drawers.<br />
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Roll them out, lift the wheels and the two carts make a good base to support the workbench top. The top is made of two separate beams that are 7 feet long and about 10 inches wide. I used LVL for the slabs after seeing the "Gluebo" at Woodworking in America. The extra rigidity of the LVL allowed me to get the top down to about 2 1/2" thick.<br />
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When it's time to stop for the evening, I am able to take the two top slabs and stand them in the corner. Then I just roll the cabinets back under the counter and the bench is tucked away for the night. The whole thing takes less than 5 minutes, including moving the table saw back over and driving in the car.<br />
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There's a lot more to share about this bench but this post is getting long and I suspect you may be shaking your head. Coming soon, I will go into details about securing the top to the base cabinets, work holding accessories, and vise replacements. Stay tuned for more!<br />
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<em>Think I'm a visionary, or just plain nuts? Either way, I'd love hearing what you think about the bench design. See any work holding tasks that may be a problem for me? Shout it out.</em>Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01879840169199074978noreply@blogger.com8