# Building one when you don't have one to begin with....



## Schroedc (Mar 10, 2017)

Yesterday went to that big box store I hate to shop at and picked up 20 six foot 2x4's, Let them sit int he shop overnight and today started on a new project.

Used the miter box to cut a few pieces to length, Lay out wax paper on the shop floor (If your shop is anything like mine, crawl around and scrape off any chunks of glue or epoxy or what not) and then get out the jug of glue and a paint roller (Hey, It's what I have....) and get going! A few things- Some folks are going to ask about cauls while clamping. I plan to plane the sides or skirt it so a few dents don't really matter to me. And some folks are going to ask why I didn't plane the sides of the boards first. If you pick halfway decent studs, check for a decent dry fit, and clamp the heck out of it it'll be just fine. if you're really worried you could always bore across and put in some all thread but I've got face glued studs that were done with no prep in a spot in my garage subject to seasonal temp and humidity changes and it hasn't failed after almost 10 years. My goal with this project is to build a bench on the cheap without having a bench to build it on and do it with a minimum of tools. Hope it'll inspire a few folks out there to whip something up and start making shavings. It isn't fine furniture. It's something you're going to beat on, scratch up, and use, I hope.

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 5 | Creative 1


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## Lou Currier (Mar 10, 2017)




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## ripjack13 (Mar 10, 2017)

What's the spaces in the middle for?


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 10, 2017)




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## Schroedc (Mar 10, 2017)

ripjack13 said:


> What's the spaces in the middle for?



You'll see

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Lou Currier (Mar 10, 2017)




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## Tony (Mar 10, 2017)




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## ripjack13 (Mar 10, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> You'll see

Reactions: Funny 1


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## ripjack13 (Mar 10, 2017)

Oh... can't forget this....


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## rocky1 (Mar 11, 2017)




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## Clay3063 (Mar 11, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> You'll see



Nothing like a little suspense and drama to keep everyone on the edge of their seat! 

BTW, good idea. The table. Not the drama. I'm liking it already! The Table. Not the drama.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## tocws2002 (Mar 11, 2017)

..... 
 ............... 
 ............... 


(in)

-jason

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Wildthings (Mar 11, 2017)

in too


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## Don Ratcliff (Mar 11, 2017)

@ripjack13 the holes are for a garbage chute. Just makes things easier that way... I guess...

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Schroedc (Mar 11, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> @ripjack13 the holes are for a garbage chute. Just makes things easier that way... I guess...



Your actually pretty close, that will be one of the uses. I plan to build a duct underneath to connect to my dust collector to suck away shavings and chips. There will also be trays that will drop onto them to hold tools and parts while I work and maybe a filler with a slot to hold chisels and such while working.

Reactions: Way Cool 2 | Useful 1


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## Don Ratcliff (Mar 11, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Your actually pretty close, that will be one of the uses. I plan to build a duct underneath to connect to my dust collector to suck away shavings and chips. There will also be trays that will drop onto them to hold tools and parts while I work and maybe a filler with a slot to hold chisels and such while working.


That's what I said... 

Looks good and will prolly get me to build one... with stoopid hand tools


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## Schroedc (Mar 11, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> That's what I said...
> 
> Looks good and will prolly get me to build one... with stoopid hand tools



Gotta be prepared for the coming apocalypse

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Schroedc (Mar 13, 2017)

Took the clamps off and got both sides flat, straight and reasonably smooth. I'll finish smoothing the top once it's attached to the base

Tools used in this order-
Beat up Sargent block plane to knock off major glue goobers
Stanley 40 scrub plane to knock down the high spots and eliminate a crown in the middle.
Stanley 7 plane to get it all flat and straight
Stanley 4 1/2 to get it smooth. 

I have a couple light tear out spots to deal with yet and I might take another 1/8 inch off of the top to get it where I want it but again, I'll do that once attached to the base so it doesn't move around (Those sawhorses blow)

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 6


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## Schroedc (Mar 15, 2017)

Pulling, pushing, whacking, and shaving today.

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 4


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## ripjack13 (Mar 15, 2017)

Cool....it's good to see the saddle square getting used.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 15, 2017)



Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Wilson's Woodworking (Mar 15, 2017)




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## Schroedc (Mar 16, 2017)

And we're pretty much done. Got the frame bored and bolted together today, the top attached to it, Final flattening with my trusty No. 7, a quick smooth with the 4 1/2 and it's ready to use. Is it a masterpiece of craftsmanship? No. Is it likely to be a sought after piece once I'm dead? Probably not. Will it do what I need it to do day in and day out for quite a while? Heck yes. No, the Joints aren't a piece of art but they are tight and it was square without any tweaking. Being bolted together means It can be taken apart for moving or storage, or recycled into other projects down the road.

This thing is solid. I was walking on the top while boring the holes to bolt the top down, not a wiggle or a wobble. When I hit the top with the No. 7 it never moved. On a smooth floor you could always put squares of shelf grip under the legs too.

I built this bench in under 3 days of working time (I kept track of the hours into it) using nothing but hand tools. A guy could get by building this with nothing but a tape measure, square, one plane, one saw, a brace and bit, chisel and mallet, some clamps, and a wrench. Total cost to build this bench including glue and hardware? 87.50 (I recycled the lift wheels off a cart I had built for a tailed devil I no longer own)

Yes, jointing the boards to remove the radius edge would make for an easier time smoothing the top but as long as it is flat and straight a few gaps here and there don't really matter. You'll plane them out over time each time you clean up the top.

I still have some things to do like mount the vises, drill some dog holes, and put a finish on it, yes those will add a bit to the cost to build one like this but shop around, A guy can find finish at the recycle place, you can get by without a vise if you have to if you have a few clamps or even use bench dogs and wedges to get things tight. I'll sand some on the base to soften a few edges and get it cleaned up for finish. Down the road there will probably be a cabinet or some drawers underneath for tool storage (That'll add weight to it too)

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 5


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 16, 2017)

That'll do, beat the crap out of it!!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Schroedc (Mar 16, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> That'll do, beat the crap out of it!!



The other thing too, if I beat it up too bad and decide to surface with something else I could always cover it with 4/4 maple on top of the pine.


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## Wildthings (Mar 16, 2017)

Is the top lagbolted or bolted


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## David Van Asperen (Mar 16, 2017)

Nice project , thanks for sharing


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## ripjack13 (Mar 16, 2017)

No stain? No poly? No decorative drawers and doors like Mikes?


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## ripjack13 (Mar 16, 2017)

Came out great too. Nice job Colin....


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 16, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> The other thing too, if I beat it up too bad and decide to surface with something else I could always cover it with 4/4 maple on top of the pine.


I seriously doubt you will wear it out. If it gets too mangled just belt sand it and apply some more finish, done! Last one I made like that about 15 years ago is still in use, however I did cut it in half because it was too big. Now half is in the wood shop and half is in the metal shop. I do plan to make a new bench but not because I wore out the pine bench, because there are some features I want to have in a new bench.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Schroedc (Mar 16, 2017)

Wildthings said:


> Is the top lagbolted or bolted



6 inch long 5/16th lag bolts. If I have any issues with them loosening I'll just drill them through and use regular bolts.



ripjack13 said:


> No stain? No poly? No decorative drawers and doors like Mikes?



It'll get some poly eventually, I still need to mount the vises and figure out a few other things. Eventually there will probably be drawers or a cabinet underneath.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Schroedc (Mar 16, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> I seriously doubt you will wear it out. If it gets too mangled just belt sand it and apply some more finish, done! Last one I made like that about 15 years ago is still in use, however I did cut it in half because it was too big. Now half is in the wood shop and half is in the metal shop. I do plan to make a new bench but not because I wore out the pine bench, because there are some features I want to have in a new bench.



Belt sand???? This is what you use

Reactions: Like 1


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## woodtickgreg (Mar 16, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Belt sand???? This is what you use
> 
> View attachment 124432


Not if it has a finish on it.


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## Schroedc (Mar 16, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> Not if it has a finish on it.



Scrub plane will take finish off, but it can gum the plane sole up a bit. But I get what you're saying. I'd probably scrape the finish first before planing. I don;t own a belt sander, haven't in years.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DKMD (Mar 16, 2017)

Too cool! I need to do something like this at some point.


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## Schroedc (Mar 16, 2017)

DKMD said:


> Too cool! I need to do something like this at some point.



Yes, Yes you do. Although I don't know how you'd make it with a lathe.....

Reactions: Funny 3


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## DKMD (Mar 16, 2017)

Schroedc said:


> Yes, Yes you do. Although I don't know how you'd make it with a lathe.....



That's what's kept me from doing it... that and laziness.

Reactions: Like 3


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