Gs

"Gramp's shop"

26/06/2013 7:30 PM

Bench progress

I thought I'd share my progress on my new bench. I have a stock of reclaim=
ed cherry 2x6s and today I did a rough cut to length for the 78x26 top and =
the trestles. This after a half-successful 35 mile trip to Woodcraft/Rockl=
er for 10mm dominos and a 10mm cutter. Got the cutter, but both were out o=
f the tenons. Rockler promises them tomorrow. Both were also out of the 3=
/4 inch brad point drill bit I need for the dog holes.

As posted earlier, I picked up a Groz 10-inch vise for the front vise ($85 =
from CL) and yesterday scored a lighter 10-inch vise for the tail (CL $20).=
=20

I'm building a semi-split top. About 24 inches at the front vise end of the=
top will be solid across and the remainder will have a 6 inch tool well w=
ith a removable cover. Modeled in part after a gorgeous bench I saw at Lee=
Valley.

For joining the trestles and the stringers, I'm going to use the dominos an=
d where feasible back them up with 3/8 inch bolts.

Pix to come when it gets interesting. At my usual pace that will be someti=
me next week.

Larry


This topic has 12 replies

DW

Doug Winterburn

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

27/06/2013 10:07 PM

On 06/27/2013 07:53 AM, Gramp's shop wrote:
> I'm going to do this on the DP before gluing up the top. I think your idea was clever, but I don't have a 3/4 upcut bit for my plunge router. Even with the soft start on my router, I would be concerned about grabbing. If I did this after assembling the top, that would be a better alternative.
>

Howzabout square dog holes - just dado out the holes in the side of one
of the top boards before glue up.

Square dogs ain't all that bad and you can make them from any good hardwood.

Gs

"Gramp's shop"

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

27/06/2013 7:53 AM

I'm going to do this on the DP before gluing up the top. I think your idea=
was clever, but I don't have a 3/4 upcut bit for my plunge router. Even w=
ith the soft start on my router, I would be concerned about grabbing. If I=
did this after assembling the top, that would be a better alternative.

>=20
> I used a 3/4 spiral upcut bit in my plunge router. You do have to be=20
>=20
> careful with it though, the bit will tend to grab.. I figured out that I=
=20
>=20
> had to bounce the router up and down rather than try slowly feeding.=20
>=20
> Then I got clean cuts. But it cuts in seconds and is perfectly vertical.
>=20
> I made a baseplate for my router out of hardboard, put a fence on the=20
>=20
> hardboard and a hole for the dog. I move the router along the bench with=
=20
>=20
> the fence controlling offset from the edge, and the hole references the=
=20
>=20
> last doghole for repeatablitiy.
>=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
> --=20
>=20
> Jeff

Sb

"SonomaProducts.com"

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

27/06/2013 2:18 PM

> Both were also out of the 3/4 inch brad point drill bit I need for the d=
og holes.

Funny, I was going to comment on the same item; 3/4" dog holes.

A 3/4" spiral bit is an expensive tool for such a hole. I would usea Home =
Depot Irwin speed cutting spade bit. They are really nice now days and in a=
drill press would surely deliver good results. You can probably get a whol=
e set for the price of one 3/4 brad point spiral I assume.

Haven't checked any prices but assume a spiral at Woodcraft ain't cheap.

wn

woodchucker

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

27/06/2013 10:35 AM

On 6/26/2013 10:30 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:
> I thought I'd share my progress on my new bench. I have a stock of reclaimed cherry 2x6s and today I did a rough cut to length for the 78x26 top and the trestles. This after a half-successful 35 mile trip to Woodcraft/Rockler for 10mm dominos and a 10mm cutter. Got the cutter, but both were out of the tenons. Rockler promises them tomorrow. Both were also out of the 3/4 inch brad point drill bit I need for the dog holes.
>
> As posted earlier, I picked up a Groz 10-inch vise for the front vise ($85 from CL) and yesterday scored a lighter 10-inch vise for the tail (CL $20).
>
> I'm building a semi-split top. About 24 inches at the front vise end of the top will be solid across and the remainder will have a 6 inch tool well with a removable cover. Modeled in part after a gorgeous bench I saw at Lee Valley.
>
> For joining the trestles and the stringers, I'm going to use the dominos and where feasible back them up with 3/8 inch bolts.
>
> Pix to come when it gets interesting. At my usual pace that will be sometime next week.
>
> Larry
>
I used a 3/4 spiral upcut bit in my plunge router. You do have to be
careful with it though, the bit will tend to grab.. I figured out that I
had to bounce the router up and down rather than try slowly feeding.
Then I got clean cuts. But it cuts in seconds and is perfectly vertical.
I made a baseplate for my router out of hardboard, put a fence on the
hardboard and a hole for the dog. I move the router along the bench with
the fence controlling offset from the edge, and the hole references the
last doghole for repeatablitiy.



--
Jeff

wn

woodchucker

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

27/06/2013 9:58 PM

On 6/27/2013 9:54 PM, woodchucker wrote:
> On 6/27/2013 5:18 PM, SonomaProducts.com wrote:
>>> Both were also out of the 3/4 inch brad point drill bit I need for
>>> the dog holes.
>>
>> Funny, I was going to comment on the same item; 3/4" dog holes.
>>
>> A 3/4" spiral bit is an expensive tool for such a hole. I would usea
>> Home Depot Irwin speed cutting spade bit. They are really nice now
>> days and in a drill press would surely deliver good results. You can
>> probably get a whole set for the price of one 3/4 brad point spiral I
>> assume.
>>
>> Haven't checked any prices but assume a spiral at Woodcraft ain't cheap.
>>
> The 3/4 spiral was cheap compared to carbide, ONSRUD makes a HS steel
> one. I think I paid $20 3 years ago at Woodcraft.
>
> I would never have cut my maple with a spade, it most probably would
> have twisted off.
>
> I had to use an auger for the bolts on the stretchers/rails which ever
> you want to call them in this case, and even with waxing the bit
> frequently it did heat up and twist, and that was in beech which I find
> more friendly to machine than maple.
>


Ok, just checked the price on that bit, and it's not close to $20
anymore. Damn, it more than doubled in price in 3years.



--
Jeff

Ll

Leon

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

27/06/2013 4:24 PM

On 6/27/2013 4:18 PM, SonomaProducts.com wrote:
>> Both were also out of the 3/4 inch brad point drill bit I need for the dog holes.
>
> Funny, I was going to comment on the same item; 3/4" dog holes.
>
> A 3/4" spiral bit is an expensive tool for such a hole. I would usea Home Depot Irwin speed cutting spade bit. They are really nice now days and in a drill press would surely deliver good results. You can probably get a whole set for the price of one 3/4 brad point spiral I assume.
>
> Haven't checked any prices but assume a spiral at Woodcraft ain't cheap.
>


I would think a Forstner bit to be easily found, most anywhere, and
relatively inexpensive.

Gs

"Gramp's shop"

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

27/06/2013 9:40 PM

I will have about 18 holes to bore thru 2 inch cherry. My experience with my Forstner bits is that it is very slow going thru dense hardwoods and that would be a 3 hour job. I'm going to bite the bullet on a decent brad point bit.


>
> I would think a Forstner bit to be easily found, most anywhere, and
>
> relatively inexpensive.

Sb

"SonomaProducts.com"

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

28/06/2013 9:02 AM


>=20
> I would never have cut my maple with a spade, it most probably would=20
>=20
> have twisted off.

I used to feel the same way about spades but the new bits by Irwin and othe=
rs have a pretty sophisticated grind. In construction it takes about 2 seco=
nds to get through a 2x. I mean these things are aggressive and cut clean i=
f you control the rate of feed and they feel like they are pulling the bit =
through the wood, if not possibly literally doing so.

Just an idea.

an

alexy

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

28/06/2013 1:40 PM

woodchucker <[email protected]> wrote:

>On 6/26/2013 10:30 PM, Gramp's shop wrote:
>> cutter, but both were out of the tenons. Rockler promises them tomorrow. Both were also out of the 3/4 inch brad point drill bit I need for the dog holes.


>>
>I used a 3/4 spiral upcut bit in my plunge router. You do have to be
>careful with it though, the bit will tend to grab.. I figured out that I
>had to bounce the router up and down rather than try slowly feeding.
>Then I got clean cuts. But it cuts in seconds and is perfectly vertical.
>I made a baseplate for my router out of hardboard, put a fence on the
>hardboard and a hole for the dog. I move the router along the bench with
>the fence controlling offset from the edge, and the hole references the
>last doghole for repeatablitiy.

Jeff was obviously watching me build my bench ;)

I second every piece of advice above.
--
Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently.

n

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

28/06/2013 12:49 AM

On Thu, 27 Jun 2013 16:24:20 -0500, Leon <lcb11211@swbelldotnet>
>I would think a Forstner bit to be easily found, most anywhere, and
>relatively inexpensive.

That's what I used along with one of these. Clean, relatively quiet
and low dust threshold.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,180,42311,42322&p=42322

n

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

28/06/2013 12:54 AM

On Thu, 27 Jun 2013 21:40:42 -0700 (PDT), "Gramp's shop"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I will have about 18 holes to bore thru 2 inch cherry.
> dense hardwoods and that would be a 3 hour job.

Hmmm. Used a carbide tipped Forstner on my maple laminated bench and
it took about three minutes per dog hole with frequent chip clearing
and a little rest time between holes.

wn

woodchucker

in reply to "Gramp's shop" on 26/06/2013 7:30 PM

27/06/2013 9:54 PM

On 6/27/2013 5:18 PM, SonomaProducts.com wrote:
>> Both were also out of the 3/4 inch brad point drill bit I need for the dog holes.
>
> Funny, I was going to comment on the same item; 3/4" dog holes.
>
> A 3/4" spiral bit is an expensive tool for such a hole. I would usea Home Depot Irwin speed cutting spade bit. They are really nice now days and in a drill press would surely deliver good results. You can probably get a whole set for the price of one 3/4 brad point spiral I assume.
>
> Haven't checked any prices but assume a spiral at Woodcraft ain't cheap.
>
The 3/4 spiral was cheap compared to carbide, ONSRUD makes a HS steel
one. I think I paid $20 3 years ago at Woodcraft.

I would never have cut my maple with a spade, it most probably would
have twisted off.

I had to use an auger for the bolts on the stretchers/rails which ever
you want to call them in this case, and even with waxing the bit
frequently it did heat up and twist, and that was in beech which I find
more friendly to machine than maple.

--
Jeff


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