# 1st Bench Build



## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Decided to finally dive in and build a workbench. I'm a total newbie and I want to work primarily with hand tools, so I settled on the Paul Sellers design. The plans are free, and he has a 10-part video series on how to build it. I think I've watched those videos at least 4 times. 

I'll be documenting my build in this thread, so hopefully other newbies can learn from my misadventures and (hopefully) triumphs.

Step 1 is the top, and as I mentioned in another thread - I laminated 16 1x4 boards. I used a WoodRiver #5 jack plane to get the top flat and square. It was a lot of hard work, but the end result was well worth the effort. In the background, you can see some of my other recent projects: a miter saw station, a hand tool cabinet, tool wall, and clamp rack. That old bench along with wall will eventually get ripped out and replaced with this bench.

*Questions:*
I have a few spots of tearout on the top. I could plane these out, but my top is darn near perfect right now and I'd rather not risk screwing it up by planing it down even more. Recommended fix? Would it be okay to just mix up some sawdust with wood glue to patch those up and sand them out?

Also - probably get a hundred answers here, but what's a good finish to use?


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

Very nice. Will be following your progress. Will be using boiled linseed oil on mine and maybe (not sure yet cause not a fan of a slippery bench top) paste wax. Have used Thomson's water seal with good results on a cheap ply bench I built. Could do glue ups on it with no worries of the glue sticking. Was great.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

I wouldn’t worry about a few indentations on the new top. If it’s used as a workbench it will be getting a few more. Good job. Feel the burn with that #5?


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Toolman50 said:


> Feel the burn with that #5?


It was a workout, for sure! I guess you don't really appreciate the difference in weight between a #4 and #5 until you tackle something like this.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> It was a workout, for sure! I guess you don't really appreciate the difference in weight between a #4 and #5 until you tackle something like this.


If you have big hands, I highly recommend a 4 1/2. Got one a few weeks ago and absolutely love it!


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Traditionally Benches were flooded with boiled linseed oil/turpentine/and a little bees wax. flood onto the wood, let it soak in, wipe excess after an hour. Flood again the next day the same way then wipe excess after an hour. The mix is basically 1 part BLO, 2 part Turpentine. You then add a few shavings of bees wax (like peeling a carrot). To combine the wax it has to be melted. What you do is boil water in a pot on the stove, once boiling TURN OFF THE FLAME (turpentine is flammable) and set your jar of mixture in the hot water, a little stirring to combine. DO NOT SPLASH WATER INTO THE MIXTURE. Sometimes the wax may not completely dissolve...not a problem. Brush liberally onto the wood, wipe excess with an old towel. Dispose of old towel properly to prevent spontaneous combustion. The same mixture can be used later to refinish if you re plane your bench later. By using this for the protective coating the wood will remain reasonably stable because BLO is a hardening oil. This traditional finish goes back hundreds of years, and is used on wooden axe/hammer handles to help prevent shrinking, and also hand planes. It won't keep glue from sticking so use care there.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Traditionally Benches were flooded with boiled linseed oil/turpentine/and a little bees wax. flood onto the wood, let it soak in, wipe excess after an hour. Flood again the next day the same way then wipe excess after an hour. The mix is basically 1 part BLO, 2 part Turpentine. You then add a few shavings of bees wax (like peeling a carrot). To combine the wax it has to be melted. What you do is boil water in a pot on the stove, once boiling TURN OFF THE FLAME (turpentine is flammable) and set your jar of mixture in the hot water, a little stirring to combine. DO NOT SPLASH WATER INTO THE MIXTURE. Sometimes the wax may not completely dissolve...not a problem. Brush liberally onto the wood, wipe excess with an old towel. Dispose of old towel properly to prevent spontaneous combustion. The same mixture can be used later to refinish if you re plane your bench later. By using this for the protective coating the wood will remain reasonably stable because BLO is a hardening oil. This traditional finish goes back hundreds of years, and is used on wooden axe/hammer handles to help prevent shrinking, and also hand planes. It won't keep glue from sticking so use care there.


 Can mineral spirits or denatured alcohol be substituted for turpentine and paste wax for bees wax? Do I need to add turpentine since modern BLO has driers in it. Have to finish one as well and love your info. Just trying to use what I have on hand.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Check out the video below. I watch this guy all the time, and he uses a homemade BLO/bees wax mix on just about everything:


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

i WOULD just put a sheet of 1/8" masonite on top.


George


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## WeebyWoodWorker (Jun 11, 2017)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> Check out the video below. I watch this guy all the time, and he uses a homemade BLO/bees wax mix on just about everything:
> 
> https://youtu.be/KvSvmOwmNV8



That's because it's works great on just about everything!


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Can mineral spirits or denatured alcohol be substituted for turpentine and paste wax for bees wax? Do I need to add turpentine since modern BLO has driers in it. Have to finish one as well and love your info. Just trying to use what I have on hand. 

I use the traditional way of making it, and it works great. I don't think mineral spirits was available commonly 200 years ago, but turpentine was, as was boiled linseed oil and bees wax. Johnsons paste wax is carnauba wax. I would try adding Johnsons paste wax to replace bees wax (it may melt easier) but I have not yet tried it. The turpentine basically is a carrier that when mixed with the boiled linseed oil, makes it thinner to soak deeper into the wood. The turpentine eventually evaporates leaving behind the oil to harden deep in the wood. I don't know if mineral spirits will mix with boiled linseed oil or not. I would think denatured alcohol would evaporate way too fast, and wouldn't carry the oil deep enough because of that, and again I don't know if it would mix with the oil. The only thing I don't like about the traditional mix is the smell...it lingers for days after doing a bench...I find the smell of turpentine objectionable. Fortunately my wife does not.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> Check out the video below. I watch this guy all the time, and he uses a homemade BLO/bees wax mix on just about everything:
> 
> https://youtu.be/KvSvmOwmNV8


Yea, I like James' videos a lot and use BLO and paste wax on tools and other things a lot. Have heard mixed things about paste wax on benches though. The argument is that work pieces tend to slip around when it's waxed. Thinking the mix suggested by mercer might not be quite as slippery.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Probably won't be any major project updates for a few days. Apparently I've misplaced my mortise gauge, so I had to order a new one. I'm still making progress though!

Cut all my legs to size and got them squared up. The plans call for 3x4 leg posts, but I couldn't find any, so I went with 4x4. I'm sure I'll have to make up for that when it comes time to cut the leg braces. I went with Paul's default leg length of 34 3/8" - which will give me a finished bench height of 38". My current bench is that height, and it feels a little high - so I may end up cutting an inch or two off before it's all said and done.

On a side note, I have a nice miter saw station and could've easily cut those 4x4s - but I decided to keep it old school and cut everything by hand. It's funstrating (that's my new word) learning a new skill. 

Probably no photos for the next few days as I wait on my mortise gauge. I'll just be getting my stock prepped for assembly.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> Probably won't be any major project updates for a few days. Apparently I've misplaced my mortise gauge, so I had to order a new one. I'm still making progress though!
> 
> Cut all my legs to size and got them squared up. The plans call for 3x4 leg posts, but I couldn't find any, so I went with 4x4. I'm sure I'll have to make up for that when it comes time to cut the leg braces. I went with Paul's default leg length of 34 3/8" - which will give me a finished bench height of 38". My current bench is that height, and it feels a little high - so I may end up cutting an inch or two off before it's all said and done.
> 
> ...


Sounds like you are doing great. Can't wait to see pics of the progress. Your word goes nicely with James' slogan, "Oh well." when he makes a mistake. lol


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

When I built my bench years ago, I wanted my bench to be used mostly for hand work. I am 5'9", and had a history of back pain while using benches that were too tall. I settled on a total bench height of 31"...Which most people would consider too low. I've used my bench now for about 18 years, and have never regretted that height. No more back pain, better visibility, and best of all it is a perfect height for me using a 24" tall stool. I would never go back to a taller bench again. There have been times it would have been convenient to have the bench the same height as my table saw, when ripping long boards or plywood, but I found a 3" PVC pipe clamped to my bench makes up the difference in height and provides a nice slippery surface as an outfeed support. As far as using wax in the traditional finish, I have seen no advantage or disadvantage either way...never really thought about it really. I used the bees wax because it's been done for hundred of years. I am sure there was a reason it was used.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

looking good!


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Bees wax applied on the surface of wood...when buffed will make it slippery. It does not...when mixed into the traditional finish.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Traditionally Benches were flooded with boiled linseed oil/turpentine/and a little bees wax. flood onto the wood, let it soak in, wipe excess after an hour. Flood again the next day the same way then wipe excess after an hour. The mix is basically 1 part BLO, 2 part Turpentine. You then add a few shavings of bees wax (like peeling a carrot). To combine the wax it has to be melted. What you do is boil water in a pot on the stove, once boiling TURN OFF THE FLAME (turpentine is flammable) and set your jar of mixture in the hot water, a little stirring to combine. DO NOT SPLASH WATER INTO THE MIXTURE. Sometimes the wax may not completely dissolve...not a problem. Brush liberally onto the wood, wipe excess with an old towel. Dispose of old towel properly to prevent spontaneous combustion. The same mixture can be used later to refinish if you re plane your bench later. By using this for the protective coating the wood will remain reasonably stable because BLO is a hardening oil. This traditional finish goes back hundreds of years, and is used on wooden axe/hammer handles to help prevent shrinking, and also hand planes. It won't keep glue from sticking so use care there.


Picked up some beeswax at hobby lobby since they had it on sale 1lb for about $8.50 and did the mix but substituted mineral spirits (mineral turpentine) for turpentine. Mixed and think it is going to work well.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Laying out and mortising the legs...*

My mortise gauge arrived (a Veritas dual marking gauge for those interested), so I completed my modified layout on all four legs. Earlier I mentioned that my leg posts are 4x4 and my cross-members are 2x6, so I had to make some changes to make sure everything goes together correctly. I hope I did it right - my shop math is still under development.

I set my marking wheels just a hair wide of my chisel width and centered the gauge. I cheated and used digital calipers to do this. Like I said, my shop math is sketchy. Turned out to be a good call, because the gauge was dead on. Whatever works, I guess.

Below is a pic of my first hand-chiseled mortise using my first "real" woodworking project - a purpleheart and curly maple mallet. Took way too long since I was babying the mallet to avoid dents, but it was a labor of love. Very satisfying, and I feel like I've officially paid my dues. Tomorrow I will sharpen my chisel and use a more stout hammer to bang out the other 7 mortises. Don't think my mallet will ever be a shelf queen, but it has too much sentimental value to be used for heavy lifting.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Nice mallet....Dents adds character.


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> Decided to finally dive in and build a workbench. I'm a total newbie and I want to work primarily with hand tools, so I settled on the Paul Sellers design. The plans are free, and he has a 10-part video series on how to build it. I think I've watched those videos at least 4 times.
> 
> I'll be documenting my build in this thread, so hopefully other newbies can learn from my misadventures and (hopefully) triumphs.
> 
> ...


I don't see a link to a picture or a picture. You have got me interested and jumping up and down for more. :wink:


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

hawkeye10 said:


> I don't see a link to a picture or a picture. You have got me interested and jumping up and down for more. :wink:


Hmm. Wonder what happened to the pics I attached to that post? Here they are again:


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> Hmm. Wonder what happened to the pics I attached to that post? Here they are again:


Great job on the mortise. From what I can see, it looks really good. That old school finish the other guy suggested worked well if you were wondering. The bench soaked in a lot more than I thought so make a little more than you think you'll need if you use it. Again, great job man and enjoy seeing your updates.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Amish, Keep the photos coming. I am enjoying the progress!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Might work on the tenons a bit today for a change of pace.

Turns out, I don't have a decent mallet for chisel work. A steel head is too hard, it's beating up my chisels. A rubber head is too soft, too much of the impact is absorbed and it doesn't pack enough punch to dig out a 4" mortise. Tried my brass hammer. It really sinks that chisel deep, but like the steel, I'm afraid it's going to bust up my chisel handle with prolonged use. So - back to Amazon and ordered the Thor nylon head hammer Paul recommends. Should be here Monday.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> Might work on the tenons a bit today for a change of pace.
> 
> Turns out, I don't have a decent mallet for chisel work. A steel head is too hard, it's beating up my chisels. A rubber head is too soft, too much of the impact is absorbed and it doesn't pack enough punch to dig out a 4" mortise. Tried my brass hammer. It really sinks that chisel deep, but like the steel, I'm afraid it's going to bust up my chisel handle with prolonged use. So - back to Amazon and ordered the Thor nylon head hammer Paul recommends. Should be here Monday.


I came to this dark hole in the forums just to check for updates on your bench. I must have updates! lol. I use a redwood mallet (not recommending it but some old growth redwood is what I had on hand when I wanted to make a mallet) and it can even beat up the butt of my chisels. They have reinforcing hoops so the chisel handle just smashes down to the hoop and stops so not too worried about it. Can you post a link to the mallet on amazon so I can check it out? Needing to make a new mallet, but getting tired of waiting for the wood to get dry enough.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, Just wondering...which Thor hammer does Paul recommend?


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Hammer time...*

The past couple of posts have asked, so here it is: Thor hammer.

After using it this evening, I have to say it's as if the gods themselves forged this hammer for the purpose of woodworking. I can see why Paul recommends it. The white nylon face is very hard and packs enough wallop to really dig your chisel in deep for mortises. It also has a sharp enough rap for detail work. The grey face is softer. You can use that to beat on the wood and it won't leave a mark. My one complaint is that the handle needs work. The hammer is literally unusable out of the box because the handle is so slippery. Definitely rough it up before use or it's going to fly out of your hand.

Paul also recommends this version. It has a nylon handle and is a little more expensive. Paul strips that rubber grip off and roughs up the handle with a rasp. I went with the wood handled version.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

That top looks fantastic. Nice job, and I look forward to seeing more!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Nothing exciting to report, just putting more holes in wood. Slowly making progress...

To my fellow newbies - there is a technique for doing this. I made the mistake of thinking it was just digging a hole and it didn't really matter how you do it. Wrong. Work smarter, not harder. And it IS work. Whew!


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> Nothing exciting to report, just putting more holes in wood. Slowly making progress...
> 
> To my fellow newbies - there is a technique for doing this. I made the mistake of thinking it was just digging a hole and it didn't really matter how you do it. Wrong. Work smarter, not harder. And it IS work. Whew!


 Not bad. And yes it is a lot of work. Almost bought a mortising chisel for the job, but went ahead and used bench chisels after watching Paul's demo of each. Are you punching all the way through or turning it over and meeting somewhere in the middle?


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, Bet you are getting exited.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

JohnTC said:


> Are you punching all the way through or turning it over and meeting somewhere in the middle?


I'm punching about half way through, then turning it over. 4" deep is a lot of mortise!



gmercer_48083 said:


> Anthony, Bet you are getting exited.


Yep, I was at work this morning showing some pics of what the finished bench will look like. This is probably the most boring and labor intensive part of the build, but I'm motivated to get through it and on to the next step!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Last of the mortise updates...*

Only one leg left to do. 

It was a rough night working on leg #3. BOTH mortises ended up having a knot about half way through. I was careful when laying out the legs to avoid knots, but not much you can do about the ones beneath the surface. Took me over 3 hours to get this leg done. Ended up having to use a drill to help power through them. On the bright side, the end is near!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*BAM!*

Aaaand the mortises are done. I feel like there's some old guy hardship message warranted here. _"When I was your age, I beat my way through 2 ft of wood with a butter knife!"_

Seriously, though. I finally get what Paul Sellers was talking about - being proud of your work and enjoying the process. I can see myself 10 years from now, building some trinket on my worn out bench, and remembering back to putting it all together by hand. Hopefully it will last that long. 

:vs_laugh:

I'm taking a field trip tomorrow. Heading to Toledo to a meet and greet with Dave Picciuto of Make Something. I bought his cutting board book awhile back, so I'm hoping to have it signed. I enjoy Dave's videos on YouTube. He's not a hand tool guy, but I like his content nonetheless.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

A couple of questions for the initiated...

1) The plans call for wedges to be recessed into the aprons against the legs - I assume to help prevent racking, as this bench is made to be disassembled. I have no need to disassemble, so do I really even need the wedges? Can't I just glue the legs to the recess in the apron and leave the wedges out?

2) The position of the vise has always bothered me. Seems like it would just get in the way. Been thinking about using the same vise, only moving it to one of the ends instead. I plan on making dog holes anyway - just seems like the way to go.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> A couple of questions for the initiated...
> 
> 1) The plans call for wedges to be recessed into the aprons against the legs - I assume to help prevent racking, as this bench is made to be disassembled. I have no need to disassemble, so do I really even need the wedges? Can't I just glue the legs to the recess in the apron and leave the wedges out?
> 
> 2) The position of the vise has always bothered me. Seems like it would just get in the way. Been thinking about using the same vise, only moving it to one of the ends instead. I plan on making dog holes anyway - just seems like the way to go.


The wedges are nice. They aren't hard to do and really lock the leg in place; so suggest them even if you plan on gluing. If nothing else, they will hold the leg in place while the glue dries. I put a moxon style vise on the end of mine and it's working fine. Paul said it could be moved to the end if you preferred. Suggest getting some forged holdfasts cause they work really well. Avoid the cast holdfasts cause they'll just break.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

I agree with JohnTC about wedges. As far as vice selection and placement that is your personal preference. I also like a vise mounted on the end of the bench. And would also love to have a pair of JohnTC's homemade holdfasts over the cast ones I am using.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> A couple of questions for the initiated...
> 
> 1) The plans call for wedges to be recessed into the aprons against the legs - I assume to help prevent racking, as this bench is made to be disassembled. I have no need to disassemble, so do I really even need the wedges? Can't I just glue the legs to the recess in the apron and leave the wedges out?
> 
> 2) The position of the vise has always bothered me. Seems like it would just get in the way. Been thinking about using the same vise, only moving it to one of the ends instead. I plan on making dog holes anyway - just seems like the way to go.


As far as the wedges go, if you're never going to dismantle the bench they're not necessary.

For the vise, there are a few things to consider.

1) English, American, and Western European benches for joinery all have face vises, as far as I know. (There are some special use benches that don't, but a joiner or cabinetmaker's bench basically always has a face vise.)

2) Many of those traditions also included an end vise at the right end, for clamping things in a different direction. These seem to be optional in a lot of cases, though.

3) I've never felt like the face vise on my bench (a leg vise with a big metal screw) has been in my way when working. This is pretty subjective, though.

4) Having worked both with and without a face vise, I don't ever intend to build a bench without one. Again, fairly subjective. Experience has got to be good for something, though.

I would recommend reading "Workbenches: : From Design & Theory to Construction & Use" by Christopher Schwarz before making a final decision. It covers the historical and practical reasons for a face vise in a lot more detail (and with more references) than I can. For myself, though, I absolutely recommend a face vise (or a crochet, holdfast, and sliding deadman, but that's a different question). There are a lot of things you'll want to do that will be harder without one.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

gmercer_48083 said:


> I agree with JohnTC about wedges. As far as vice selection and placement that is your personal preference. I also like a vise mounted on the end of the bench. And would also love to have a pair of JohnTC's homemade holdfasts over the cast ones I am using.


LOL! Always Christmas. Maybe it'll be holdfasts, maybe coal. Got both. We'll see. :vs_laugh:


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Here is another way of using a holdfast...Works great!


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Here ia another way of using a holdfast.https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/the-holdfast-and-the-batten-video/


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Thanks for the insight about the legs and vise...definitely some food for thought.

No pics tonight, but I finished laying out all the tenons and managed to get a couple of them sawed to rough depth. Need to make a shoe for my new router plane, so I started working on that also. I have a nice piece of curly maple leftover from my mallet project, so that's what I decided to use. Might as well go in style, right?


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## allpurpose (Mar 24, 2016)

My bench originally was 37" but over time has somehow become 36 1/2.. probably from releveling the top numerous times and maybe I even grew a 1/2 inch although I kind of doubt that at 58 years old..
I no longer even think about finishing the surface anymore since I periodically run a plane over it to clear off bits of glue, paint and assorted crud that lands on it. It's a workbench after all, not the surface of a grand piano. I'm still considering a new top since my vise no longer is squared to the corner, but I've been talking about that now for a few years and still haven't gotten around to it.. The last thing I want to do is to start treating my workbench like a fine dining room table.. it originally cost about $50 to build and that was more than I really wanted to spend in the first place..


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Progress!*

Finally got all the tenons cut. This was an enormous pain in the ass using Japanese pull saws - it took for-ev-er. 

Went to Menards and bought a $10 Stanley Fat Max "aggressive" rip saw to try and ease the pain. Threw it in the trash. Looks like I'm in the market for a panel saw.

On the bright side, I finally got to use my new router plane. Applied some finish and 2 coats of paste wax to the 12" maple sole so that there was enough to register against. Things still get a bit hairy towards the edge of the tenon. It's very easy to release pressure on your other hand just a bit and that blade will dig in and rip a big chunk out if you're not careful. Ask me how I know. For my fellow newbies attempting this build some day - YES, you need a 12" long sole on your router plane. It looks long, but to reach the edge of that tenon, you'll need it.

Better to be too long than too short. That's what she said. :vs_cool:

So this is my life for the next few days probably: trimming and fitting. But, after the legs are glued up - the end is near. It's almost a bench!


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

I wonder if the fatmax blade could be made into scraper/scratchstock?


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Legs!*

One down...one to go. 

I have to confess - two tenons turned out really well, and two were not so good. The bottom rail is supposed to have protruding tenons with a spiffy roundover, but I ended up cutting everything flush. I have some small gaps, but since this is my first ever attempt at joinery, I'm trying not to be too hard on myself for any discrepancies. Plus...it's a bench.

As you can see in pic #2, I gave all the corners an aggressive 45° chamfer. Used a Dewalt palm router for this. I did a few sample passes on some scraps. A smaller chamfer just didn't look right with the scale of the legs.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

I am still following with anticipation. What I like about doing it by hand is the silence. You are doing great!


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> One down...one to go.
> 
> I have to confess - two tenons turned out really well, and two were not so good. The bottom rail is supposed to have protruding tenons with a spiffy roundover, but I ended up cutting everything flush. I have some small gaps, but since this is my first ever attempt at joinery, I'm trying not to be too hard on myself for any discrepancies. Plus...it's a bench.
> 
> As you can see in pic #2, I gave all the corners an aggressive 45° chamfer. Used a Dewalt palm router for this. I did a few sample passes on some scraps. A smaller chamfer just didn't look right with the scale of the legs.


Put the one with the flush tenons where you would like a leg vise.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Just read this whole thread and look forward to seeing more of your bench build. I can see the attraction of working with hand tools only just not sure if i have the patience for them. Good Luck and keep up the good work!!


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

The biggest leap forward I had using hand planes was learning to sharpen to a keen edge, and finishing with a strop. I love the sound when planning!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Legs are done*

I can finally close the chapter on the legs. Both sets have been glued up with the bearers attached. I decided to use some lumber from the previous bench for the bearers, just for the sake of nostalgia. Out with the old, in with the new.

Next up are the aprons. Very excited because this is where everything gets tied together. The lumber I bought for this has been drying out for the past few weeks. It's a nice board with very few knots, but it was very wet. Should be okay to work with by now. Which reminds me, I need to get one of those digital moisture meters.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

I use the moisture meter from harbor freight. When reading the moisture content, it is reading the moisture between the pins. Take several readings... but not from the end of the board. Push the meter deep into the board for the best reading, somewhere near the middle of the board.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

gmercer_48083 said:


> I use the moisture meter from harbor freight. When reading the moisture content, it is reading the moisture between the pins. Take several readings... but not from the end of the board. Push the meter deep into the board for the best reading, somewhere near the middle of the board.


Do you have an issue with the batteries dying? Their digital calipers tend to drain batteries quickly because they draw a lot of power even when turned off. Wondering if the moisture meters are the same.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Aprons*

Got my aprons cut to length last night and planed smooth and square. Some may remember awhile back when I asked about patching up my bench top, because there was a section of nasty tear-out. Made an executive decision to just cut that part off. So now my bench will be 62" instead of 66" in total length. I don't imagine I'll miss it.

*Pic 1*
Here, I'm cutting the wedges for the legs. There was an audible *DING* for skill level-up, as I was able to saw on the line and split these in two without any problem. Paul Sellers is a great teacher, and he's right. You CAN do it. I could never use a hand saw to save my life, and now I'm cutting straight and following lines. It's a great feeling to see skills progress.

*Pic 2*
I've established my "knife wall" and am getting ready to start chopping out this recess for the leg. Pay no attention to the scribbled out line. This is what happens when you stumble into the shop bleary-eyed at 6:00 am and think you can start measuring things. That first line was 8" from the end, not 9" like the plans call for. Measure twice, cut once, kids.

FL = Front Left. I labeled all 4 legs from the start. Seemed like a good idea. Even though I planed all of my wedges to be the same, I figured it couldn't hurt to keep everything matched up just in case I'm out of square or measurements are off a bit...which is likely the case.

Also, that's man soap in the orange tub. Get some. Don't use your wife's flowery stuff, you big sissy.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

JohnTC said:


> Do you have an issue with the batteries dying? Their digital calipers tend to drain batteries quickly because they draw a lot of power even when turned off. Wondering if the moisture meters are the same.


Yes, the batteries drain if left in the meter. I remove them after each use. I don't use mine that often, so it's not that big a deal to remove the batteries. I store the batteries in the package it came with, along with the meter. I also have a digital angle finder from harbor freight...and it also drains the batteries, so I do the same thing.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, Practice, practice, practice. Doing is the way to get better and better results. I use western type saws most the time, and I too always had trouble following a line. A trick I learned when sawing to a line (using a vice as you show pic 1) is to stand back a bit when sawing. It seams that by standing back a bit, I follow thru with a straighter stroke, and end with a straighter cut. I also have learned to sharpen my saw blades with success and am now collecting antique hand saws. I drooled over your new hand router by the way.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Had my daughter's high school graduation party today, so I didn't get much accomplished. I managed to get the first apron recess roughed out, then realized the sole on my router plane is too thick to take this to finished depth. Which presents another problem.

Guessing I'll need a 1/4" board for a new sole to be able to reach depth. The plane is attached with #10 screws, and the shortest I've been able to find those is 3/4" - which will go through a 1/4" board. Gonna be a juggling act between board thickness and screw length to make sure the screws have enough bite to hold the plane fast to the board, but not poke through.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

You can use flat head machine screws countersunk into the wood from the bottom up with nuts on the top temporarily. Congrads to your Daughter.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

gmercer_48083 said:


> You can use flat head machine screws countersunk into the wood from the bottom up with nuts on the top temporarily. Congrads to your Daughter.


I didn't even think of that. This is why forums are awesome!

I had a partial sheet of 1/4" laying around, so I laminated 2 pieces together. The 1/4" by itself didn't have enough strength to keep from bowing with downward pressure. With your machine screws, hopefully it will get me through this part of the build.

My Dewalt palm router is on standby, but I'd really like to avoid using it if possible. Can't believe I just said that.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Thumbs up!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Here it is. Router Plane Sole G Mercer Edition 2018.

A couple laminated pieces of hardboard and some M10 machine screws. Worked like a charm - I was able to reach final depth with room to spare. Thank you again for the suggestion!

:vs_cool:


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*It's a bench! Sorta...*

Seems like a long time building up to this moment, but I was finally able to stand it up under its own power. Several posts ago, I asked about leaving the wedges out since I planned on gluing this all together. Thanks for talking me out of it. The only thing holding this bench together are those wedges in a 5/8" recess, and it's *rock solid*. 

Paul's plans call for a 2 3/8" bench top, but mine is considerably thicker @ 3 1/2". I'm going to route a channel on the underneath where it rests over the bearers to lower the top about 1/8" so the aprons can be planed flush. I like my aprons where they are, and don't want to raise them any higher.

My wellboard needs to be about 11 1/2" wide, so that will be the next project. Still waiting on the plough plane from overseas, so I may end up just using my palm router to finish this up. I don't know if I can wait a couple more weeks. It was pretty exciting seeing it up on legs!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Happy Independence Day!*

Taking it easy today, just doing some fit and finish to make sure everything is lined up and square so I can take good measurements for my wellboard. Here, I'm making a recess for the top to rest on the leg bearers. Decided to go this route instead of trying to shim up my aprons so they can be planed level with the top. Just did a test fit, and I think a couple more passes with the router will do the trick. Also discovered that due to my thicker top, my finished bench height is 39 1/2". That's no bueno. I'll end up cutting about 2" off the legs.

This router plane is my new guilty pleasure - I love using it. It's so smooth and precise. The one complaint I had with it, I fixed today. You can barely make it out in the photo, but I used a center punch to add a dot on the adjustment knob. When adjusting the depth for additional passes, about 1/2 turn is optimal. If you go too far beyond that, you're removing too much material. Only problem was, you couldn't really tell how far you were turning the knob to make adjustments. Problem solved. Seems like something so simple, I don't know why Veritas hasn't figured it out yet.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, You have made wonderful progress on your bench build, especially during this heat wave. I think routing the channel on the bottom of the bench top is the way I would go. I like the dot you put into the adjustment knob also for a visual reference on the hand router. Waiting for the plough plane won't be so bad...you have other things to tinker with in the mean time.


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## Terry Q (Jul 28, 2016)

It would be faster to remove as much waste as possible with a chisel and use the router plane to clean up the bottom of the recess.

Some of the things you are doing with your router plane could be more effectively completed with a rabbet plane. I see one in your future if you are bound and determined to do everything with hand tools.

If you haven’t bought a block plane yet, you can look for a rabbet block plane. It won’t have an adjustable mouth for taking heavy cuts, but you might find the rabbet feature to be more advantageous for the time being.


In woodworking there is always more then one way to accomplish something.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Anthony, You have made wonderful progress on your bench build, especially during this heat wave.


Ohio heat waves are brutal with the humidity. I usually work for about an hour and then go bask in the A/C in the house for a bit. So much outdoor stuff to do, but it's hard to stay on top of things when it's like a sauna outside. I'll take cold winters over the heat any day!



Terry Q said:


> Some of the things you are doing with your router plane could be more effectively completed with a rabbet plane. I see one in your future if you are bound and determined to do everything with hand tools.


A Lie-Nielsen rabbet block plane is on my short list. I was actually ready to pull the trigger on one, but then I saw the plough plane on eBay and couldn't pass it up.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, I visit antique shops whenever I can, and have seen the old Stanley 78 planes quite often for around $15. After sharpening it works quite well as a rabbit plane.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*A dumb question...*

On a surprising note, my new (to me) plough plane arrived from the UK today! The pics didn't really do it justice - it's in very good shape. Even the slots in the screws are still in great condition and aren't boogered up. After all these years, I finally found a gem on eBay. Which brings me to my dumb question...

What is the purpose of this rabbet on the wellboard? Maybe I'm just getting antsy because I'm nearing the end of this project, but I don't understand why this is needed. Seems like it would be okay to just cut the wellboard to size and drop it in. It gets screwed to the bearers from underneath anyway.

Expansion/contraction prevention? To keep the wellboard from splitting if it swells?


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> On a surprising note, my new (to me) plough plane arrived from the UK today! The pics didn't really do it justice - it's in very good shape. Even the slots in the screws are still in great condition and aren't boogered up. After all these years, I finally found a gem on eBay. Which brings me to my dumb question...
> 
> What is the purpose of this rabbet on the wellboard? Maybe I'm just getting antsy because I'm nearing the end of this project, but I don't understand why this is needed. Seems like it would be okay to just cut the wellboard to size and drop it in. It gets screwed to the bearers from underneath anyway.
> 
> Expansion/contraction prevention? To keep the well board from splitting if it swells?


Only thing I can think of is movement due to changes in moisture content. If the boards shrink, a gap can form where as having the dados allows for movement without a gap forming. Well, it also is easier to have a clean line since the dado will hide small mistakes in the cut of the well board.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

To keep the board flat. It will have a tendency to curl across the width and could bow down the length. This groove prevents that. A detail most would overlook, but a great idea.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, I would like to see photos of the plough plane.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Ask and ye shall receive...*

Home for lunch, so here's a few quick pics:


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Nice! It looks like it's in good shape, and should do well for you.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

amckenzie4 said:


> Nice! It looks like it's in good shape, and should do well for you.


I'm very happy with it. Sharpened up one of the blades last night and took it for a spin. Takes a little getting used to, but it works like a charm!

My mom works in the office for a machine shop. I've used the media blaster and polisher before, so one of these days I may take this in and give it the once over. It would probably shine up like new.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Burning the midnight oil*

No turning back now, it's all glued up!

In the theme of "go big or go home," I used 2 1/2" Spax lag screws to add some muscle behind the glue...2 in each leg. I used a 7/8" forstner bit to recess the heads into the aprons.

Not sure what to do about the wellboard. During a test fit earlier in the evening, I discovered that I was a bit out of square. I wouldn't have been able to run a groove because my line wasn't parallel. Now that everything is glued up and cinched tight, it's square - but I may not have enough room to work in there with the bench assembled. Guess I'll make that call in the morning after I remove the clamps.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*It's a bench! Mostly...*

Late to bed, early to rise...makes a man whack the edge of his bench top with a hammer.

Determined that I couldn't do the rabbet and made an executive decision to just cut the wellboard to size. Given the recent 100° heat and 99% humidity around here, I figured I could just make it a snug fit and not have to worry about it expanding any more than it already has. Naturally, as I was engineering the wellboard into place with the persuasion tool, I smacked the edge of my bench top and busted out a nice chunk.

:cursing:  

I _may_ be able to hide it if I use the same chamfer I used on the legs. Wasn't really planning on going that aggressive on the top, but I don't want to look at that screw up for the next 20 years either. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I can throw a hammer pretty far. I narrowly missed the windshield of my Durango parked in the driveway. That would've been the icing on the cake.

Still lots to do. My vise is supposed to arrive tomorrow, and after this morning's misadventures I may end up just cleaning out the garage today. Still need to rip out the old bench, which might relieve some frustration. After that's done, I can re-organize. Garage looks like someone threw a hand grenade in there ever since I began this project.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, Don't get upset...Add it to the learning process. Can the chunk be re glued, or can you chisel it away and laminate a piece of wood and plane to original? I would think so.


What a nice plough plane! Start planning the groove at the far end of the board and as you plane, work backwards toward the other end...increasing the groove as you go. That way you will produce the cleanest groove from end to end.


Is the plough plane aluminum or nickel plated?


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Pretty sure the plane is nickel plated. 

Definitely can't re-glue it. I whacked it pretty good, so the fibers are compressed. I might be able to cut it out and replace with a new piece, it's only about an inch long. I've even thought about just leaving it as a reminder to not get in a hurry. It just about makes me sick to know that I made it almost to the end without any major incidents, then do something stupid like get wild with a hammer.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Cut out around the flaw, fill it with a contrasting wood, and chisel your initials and the date into the contrasting wood. Now it's a feature!

I don't remember who said it, but this is probably my most-referred-to woodworking quote: The difference between an apprentice and a master is how well they hide their mistakes.

To be honest, though, the bench looks great in the photo!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

amckenzie4 said:


> Cut out around the flaw, fill it with a contrasting wood, and chisel your initials and the date into the contrasting wood. Now it's a feature!


I love this! I have some purpleheart scraps that are just about the right thickness. Now if I can only fix the mistake without making it worse.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, You will do just fine.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Whew!*

Well, yesterday morning's screw-up has been trumped by this morning's triumph. It was nerve wracking, but I think it turned out pretty darn good. Assuming this was the hard part of the fix.

*Pic 1*
Here is my shame. An errant mallet blow that took out a chunk of my shiny new bench top.

*Pic 2*
My top is made up of laminated 1x4s (so 3/4" thickness). I set the depth of my marking gauge to 3/4 also...figured that would be the cleanest way to do this. Laid out my lines with a pencil, then traced with a marking knife. 

*Pic 3*
Took my time with a newly sharpened 1/2" chisel and went to work. I finished off the bottom with the router plane. I gouged my chisel into the back wall a few times on purpose, just to mar it up a bit. Figured I would make a sacrifice to the jinx gods for allowing me to get through this without messing it up.

Just as I finished this up, the post office delivered my vise (I love Amazon Prime). I will probably set this repair (new feature!) aside for now and work on getting the vise mounted this afternoon.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Vise installed...*

This was more of a pain than I thought it would be. Took notes while watching Paul's video on the installation, then did a bit of my own figuring due to my top being thicker. I used an oscillating tool to cut the opening. You definitely want to at least lay the bench on its side - upside down would be more ideal. This vise weighs about 35 pounds, so it's not easy to move around.

I have some maple to add to the jaws. I'd like to add a piece of leather, but I have no idea what to get. Some advice would be appreciated.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, I would use the same wood as the top for the repair, gluing with epoxy. If you use epoxy...dam it with cellophane packaging tape to prevent leaks while setting. It will be easily removed after it sets, epoxy bonds well, even on the end grain. then plane /scrape/sand flush. Nice job by the way preparing the repair.


As far as the leather, deer skin works nice, but any flexible leather works good. Another thing that works good is cork (comes in a roll at Michaels) and can be spray adhesive to the wood jaws.


I bet your starting to get real excited now!


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

If you have a local leatherworker, see if they have any scraps about the right size that you can buy cheap. There's a store near where my parents used to live that did custom leatherwork, and their scrap-bin was fantastic.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

I'll have to add the leather to my wish list for now, as there isn't anything local. Would this work?

I was going to ask about dog holes tonight, but got sidetracked going down that rabbit hole myself. Chris Schwarz seems to be an authority on the subject, so I may end up doing something like he suggests. Need to give it some more thought before I start poking holes everywhere.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCo said:


> I'll have to add the leather to my wish list for now, as there isn't anything local. Would this work?
> 
> I was going to ask about dog holes tonight, but got sidetracked going down that rabbit hole myself. Chris Schwarz seems to be an authority on the subject, so I may end up doing something like he suggests. Need to give it some more thought before I start poking holes everywhere.


Have any Hobby Lobby's around you? They have bags of scrap leather for cheap.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

AmishElectricCo said:


> I'll have to add the leather to my wish list for now, as there isn't anything local. Would this work?
> 
> I was going to ask about dog holes tonight, but got sidetracked going down that rabbit hole myself. Chris Schwarz seems to be an authority on the subject, so I may end up doing something like he suggests. Need to give it some more thought before I start poking holes everywhere.


I don't see why it wouldn't. I don't currently have a leather face on my vise (mostly through laziness, rather than any actual decision-making), but that looks like it's similar to what I used. I found it worked better with the rough side touching the work.

I'm not sure if Chris Schwarz is an authority, but he's definitely written a lot about dog holes. :grin: I found this to be a good explanation of one idea of how to place them.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, The leather solution: https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/if-you-dont-want-to-buy-a-cow/


And: https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/get-a-grip/



Holdfasts: https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/holdfasts-workbench-workholding/


These links are from the experts who only do hand woodworking in the traditional way.

My personal suggestion is to try to consider all the possible positions that you would use your holdfasts, and other accessories that use dog holes...prior to drilling the dog holes. In my woodworking, I often use a bench stop that is 1/4" in height that has two 3/4" pegs glued in that fit into two dog holes when used. This type of bench stop works well when planning a board diagonally (kinda like a fence that is 1/4" tall). It allows the plane to pass over it without hitting it. This type of bench stop is using two dog holes at the same time so...the spacing of my dog holes had to be the same distance apart to use them at different locations along the bench.

This is the spacing jig used to get the proper spacing for holes spaced 8" apart (although the spacing should be what you want). The spacing jig is made by gluing 2 pieces of plywood together, then drilling (3/4") evenly spaced holes at the drill press, then gluing a dowel that extends below the jig.

To use the spacing jig I set the peg into an existing dog hole in the bench, clamp it to the bench, then drill through the jig holes to get the spacing of the dog holes the same distance apart...And in a straight line.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Thanks for the advice, guys! I came across this gem today: 






Turns out, Roy Underhill's bench hooks double as a holdfast when clamped up in the face vice for mortising (about 2:30 into the video). Like granddad used to say, there's more than one way to skin a cat. I'm definitely going to give this a shot before drilling an extra hole in my bench.

Watching this brought back so many memories. I remember coming home from school and always watching The Woodwright's Shop with Roy Underhill on PBS. I was shocked to learn that his show is still on the air after 37 years. When I first started on this journey, I remember joking with my wife that I needed to get a pair of red suspenders and a newsie cap.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

I have never seen a bench hook used in a vise as a hold fast before. Thanks for the insight.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Finishing touches...*

*Pic 1*
Added some hard maple faces to my vice. Now I just need to add some leather, and it's a done deal.

*Pic 2*
On the left, you can see that I finally got around to patching up my mallet mishap with a piece of purpleheart. I went back and forth on what to do here, but in the end I decided to go with a little flair. I worked on this small chunk of wood for two days and used calipers to get it to fit just right. No clamps needed - it's wedged in there pretty good and sitting proud about 1/32" for planing after the glue dries. I'll eventually sign and date it with a fine tipped paint marker.

Also, you probably noticed the Gramercy Tools holdfasts. $40 for 2 is a good price and I've read a lot of good things about them. A 6 1/2" reach (13" radius) is a bit odd for hole spacing, so I'll need to do some experimenting to figure that part out.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCo said:


> Also, you probably noticed the Gramercy Tools holdfasts. $40 for 2 is a good price.


That's a very good price! :thumbup:


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

I love my Gramercy holdfasts! The price is good, and the quality is excellent.

The "patch" looks fantastic: well done.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Just my 2 cents but I really like the purple heart inset. Gives it that personal touch and you have a story behind it, how a mistake can be turned into a plus.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Leather Chamois https://www.harborfreight.com/3-12-square-ft-genuine-leather-chamois-60301.html


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Leather Chamois https://www.harborfreight.com/3-12-square-ft-genuine-leather-chamois-60301.html


That's one thing I do have nearby - Harbor Freight. Assuming some contact cement would be good to attach this with? Guess I never really paid attention to how Paul does it.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, I use rolled cork from michaels (1/8" thick). Spray adhesive to the wooden jaws. I use it because it is easily replaced by planning it off. Since 2001 I have replaced the cork on my vice only once...in 2016. Works well for me.

If I used leather...I might cut a narrow slot and use a piece of cord, and sandwich the leather between the wood jaw and the vice jaw, to allow the leather to drape over the top and down between the jaws. Just a thought. You may want to research it. You can ask Paul thru email at his web site https://woodworkingmasterclasses.com/ and he will respond. (I had a question about sharpening a rip saw and he responded in about 2 days).


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

The more I think about it, the more I like the cork. Seems like it would be a lot less fuss overall. 

Not much progress to report - which sucks. Awhile back, I bought a set of El Cheapo auger bits from Harbor Freight. I hoped that maybe the 3/4" would be good enough to use for the dog holes on my bench, but nope. Used the bit to drill a couple holes in one of the bench legs last night to store the holdfasts, and it was a pretty rough cut. Wasn't horrible, but I certainly wouldn't want them on my bench top. Ordered the Wood Owl auger bit I keep hearing so much about.

This weekend, I plan on making some jigs. A bench hook, probably another shooting board or two. Maybe get a better idea of where I need my holes so that I finish up this bench and get some BLO on it.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Jaw liner*

Turns out, my local Menards had rolls of cork. I used Loctite industrial strength spray adhesive. Seems like it will hold, but the cork is thin. This stuff is more like 1/16" thick, so maybe I'll just double it up if I end up having to re-apply.

I didn't take a pic, but I also did a Paul Sellers retrofit on a 3 ft Harbor Freight bar clamp. I cut down a piece of furring strip to fit, then pounded it down the full length of the bar. Did some light filing to the clamps and turn screw, and finally added some pieces of thin plywood to act as padding.

Figured I should do this to at least one of my clamps and give Paul's clamp-in-vise holding method a shot. I'm uninitiated in such things, so no bias towards any particular method. I'll try them all and see what works for me.

Tomorrow...jigs! I also bought a 3/4" oak dowel, so I might make a few dogs - for the imaginary holes in my bench (auger bit shipped today).


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, I used a ship boring auger bit for mine. The holes that were a little ragged were cleaned up using a 3/4" router bit in my drill. If you have a bench top drill press, you might be able to swing the head over enough to clear the base of the press (clamped to the bench) to drill at 90* to the bench.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Jigs!*

On the left is a standard bench hook - nothing to see here, it's just 3 pieces of wood glued and screwed together.

In the vise is a shooting board. Can't remember where I found the plans, but I thought it was an interesting design. The fence has a bit of adjustment, so you're 100% sure that it's square every time. The rail of a 7" speed square rides along the edge so that you can do 45's as well.

This has been a good exercise. Definitely helping determine where holdfasts could be used.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Almost done!*

Took a big leap forward tonight and I'm very close to wrapping up this build. Finally!

*Pic 1*
Waiting for the Wood Owl bit was totally worth it. This thing bores the cleanest holes I've ever seen. I made a jig to make sure the bit was at 90 degrees and created all of my dogging/holdfast holes. Went back after and added a small chamfer with the Dewalt router.

*Pic 2*
Here's the bench with its first coat of BLO.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

AmishElectricCo said:


> Took a big leap forward tonight and I'm very close to wrapping up this build. Finally!
> 
> *Pic 1*
> Waiting for the Wood Owl bit was totally worth it. This thing bores the cleanest holes I've ever seen. I made a jig to make sure the bit was at 90 degrees and created all of my dogging/holdfast holes. Went back after and added a small chamfer with the Dewalt router.
> ...


Wow! That is ONE SWEET BENCH BUILD! I have enjoyed watching you progress through this build. Time for a short break. 
I'll have to look up the "Wood Owl bit, it sure drilled a clean hole!
Cork works well to pad/grip clamps, I use contact cement.
I also have leather (from an old belt) glued to my (cheap) cast iron hold fasts, to keep them from marring my work...but I may switch to cork because the leather is kinda hard and I think cork may work better.
When using your shooting board...limit the thickness of what you plane to the thickness of the stop. If you plane wood thicker than the stop you will get tear out because it's un supported.
I bought a 4pt rip saw at an antique store for around $8.00 about a month ago, it looked like it was hardly used and was left to rust. After de rusting and sharpening I ripped some green hard rock maple logs to get billets for future mallets. I filed the teeth to the original angles and was not satisfied with how long it took to saw them. I sent an email to Paul Sellers asking how to improve the angle, and he responded back in a couple days. I did what he recommended and the saw worked much better.

What is going to be your first project on your awesome bench?


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Very nice! It looks fantastic. Let us know how you like using it!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Wood Owl Ultra Smooth 3/4" Auger Bit

Just make sure you're looking at the "ultra smooth" and not the "nail chipper" model, which are for going through nails. These bits are made in Japan, not China. Very high quality, I was super impressed.

Time for a break, indeed! Maybe let my debit card stop smoldering for a little while! That's the best part of following a Paul Sellers build. All of the tools I bought for this bench are used with most of his other projects. I'm sure I'll eventually get out from under the Sellers umbrella and spread my wings, but for now, those tools were a good investment and should allow me to do quite a few projects.

I'm going to do Paul's Shaker-style wall clock as my first project on this bench. It's beginner-level, I have all the needed tools, and it's cheap. I'll probably use mahogany.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

Nice. That looks like a fun project. I look forward to seeing how it goes!


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

*Last one...*

One last "official" post from me, and I'm calling this build *DONE!*

My dog holes are all 3" from the edges. The six holes to the right of the vise are spaced 15" apart. My holdfasts have a radius of 13", so this gives good coverage. 

*Pic 1*
Here I have used extended dogs with Bench Cookies. This can act as a second work surface (using my front 2 holes, I can run this the full length of my bench) or just elevate a piece for sawing, finishing, etc. Rockler had a sale awhile back - the set I got has x4 cookies, cone tips, and extended dogs. Must've been something they pieced together for the sale, because I don't see it on their site now.

*Pic 2*
The back 4 holes are centered over the leg, which is perfect for mortising. Given the arrangement of these back 6 holes, I should be able to hold just about anything.

A note on the Gramercy holdfasts - maybe it's because the bit I used left such a smooth finish in the holes, but I had to sand my holdfasts with 80 grit so they would grab. Specs on the holdfasts say they will work with a 3 1/2" thick bench, which is what I have, but they absolutely would not hold until I sanded them. They work great now though!

Thanks for the support and help, everyone. I definitely couldn't have done this without you!


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Anthony, Enjoy your break, I sure enjoyed watching your bench build, you did a wonderful job. I hope to see more of your projects in the future. You are very talented.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Made a modification.

If I'm being honest, I needed to do this because I drilled the hole hopelessly crooked. Dunno how. I made a jig to keep my bit at 90 degrees, and all the other holes came out perfect. For some reason, this one did not - and as you can see from its position on the bench, it was a critical hole to get right.

I considered chopping out the hole completely and use a 2x2 square dog here. I found this planing stop from Lee Valley and decided this would be easier. 

The mortise for this was complicated due to the underside workings of the stop. Took me a couple hours, but I went pretty slow to make sure I got it right. The piece is cast aluminum, and there's a bow in the middle. I'll probably take it out and run it over a belt sander to get it flat.

I'm happy with it. Planed a board and the stop holds it rock solid. I bought two of them, so I may eventually replace the other dog hole as well.


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## Saw Dust Rules (Jul 21, 2018)

The traditional way to repair damage and celebrate a defect is to insert a Dutchman. Use a contrasting wood to enhance the look.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Saw Dust Rules said:


> The traditional way to repair damage and celebrate a defect is to insert a Dutchman. Use a contrasting wood to enhance the look.


Been there, done that. Got the t-shirt!


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Love the adjustable stop. How adjustable in height is it?


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

gmercer_48083 said:


> Love the adjustable stop. How adjustable in height is it?


It will expand to about 1/2" tall. > http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=31148&cat=1,41637

Funny story: If you look closely, you can see one of these in some of Paul's older videos. I always thought it was volume adjustment for his microphone or something like that.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

I've been curious about those, so it's good to know they're reasonably high quality, and work.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

amckenzie4 said:


> I've been curious about those, so it's good to know they're reasonably high quality, and work.


Check this out: https://paulsellers.com/2015/03/adding-a-flush-bench-stop/

A few years old, but good pics. Here, Paul details how he installed one. You can just barely make it out in one of his pics, but only 2 screws hold this in place. It's important to get the mortise recess correct so that there is support underneath. I would imagine that too much slop and you'd end up ripping this out of your bench. I've been thinking about adding some epoxy to mine, just to make sure it stays put.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

I remember in the late 60s, there were bench stops like yours...but made of steel, in my 6th grade woodshop class. Never used it though. High school wood shop never had them.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

Your bench looks great!!! One day ill build my own and ive picked up quite a few things from watching your build. I do have a question for you though.
The side boards on your bench is some thing i would like to know more about. Can you tell me why they are so wide? Ive learned that every part of your bench was designed to aid in different wood working aspects but i cant figure out the reasoning behind the wide side boards.
Thanks for sharing your build with us and I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Mikhail2400 said:


> Your bench looks great!!! One day ill build my own and ive picked up quite a few things from watching your build. I do have a question for you though.
> The side boards on your bench is some thing i would like to know more about. Can you tell me why they are so wide? Ive learned that every part of your bench was designed to aid in different wood working aspects but i cant figure out the reasoning behind the wide side boards.
> Thanks for sharing your build with us and I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.


I'm no expert, but I'll give it a shot:

The side boards are called "aprons." One of the unspoken rules of a bench, especially one for hand tool work, is the heavier the better. You want a rock solid platform A) so the bench doesn't move around when you're working on it, and B) so that you have a solid foundation for things like chiseling out a mortise. The aprons add a lot of weight.

My particular bench is a Nicholson or English style. The aprons actually hold it all together. This design relies on engineering and a minimal amount of materials. Compared to a similar-sized Roubo bench, this style uses about 1/3 of the wood. Some designs have dog holes in the apron to be used in conjunction with the vise.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

AmishElectricCo said:


> I'm no expert, but I'll give it a shot:
> 
> The side boards are called "aprons." One of the unspoken rules of a bench, especially one for hand tool work, is the heavier the better. You want a rock solid platform A) so the bench doesn't move around when you're working on it, and B) so that you have a solid foundation for things like chiseling out a mortise. The aprons add a lot of weight.
> 
> My particular bench is a Nicholson or English style. The aprons actually hold it all together. This design relies on engineering and a minimal amount of materials. Compared to a similar-sized Roubo bench, this style uses about 1/3 of the wood. Some designs have dog holes in the apron to be used in conjunction with the vise.


I get it now. Sounds like you did ALOT of research on work benches before picking the style you did.


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