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H

HandToolAddict

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Donald
Hello Everyone,

I am a fairly new woodworker from Elizabeth City,NC later in life. But the last 3 years I have fallen head over heels in love with hand tool woodworking. Specifically, almost all of my tools are vintage tools that I have restored. A few exceptions are a new dovetail saw, new layout engineers squares , combination squares and framing squares. Even I know that square is very important! It’s taken me 3 years to get to the point that I can very effectively sharpen a plane, chisel or gouges/carving tools by hand. And now I’m trying to learn handsaw sharpening
And setting.
My primary wood has been SYP, because hey long leaf pine is the state tree and I LOVE it for a lot of reasons. But now that I am getting more proficient in woodworking I’m ready to branch out into domestic hardwoods. I like all domestic hardwoods but I gravitate towards lesser known or appreciated woods. Woods like Hickory/Pecan, Locust (Black and Honey), Osage orange and White or black ash, Elm, sycamore, hackberry, sassafras, persimmon, butternut, yellow buckeye, sweet gum. While I have never worked with many or most of those I love the woods and the magical variety of wonderful patterns, rays, flecks, hues etc. that I have seen in all of these.
I will start my first big project in June. A hybrid Moravian workbench. A split top with 15 degree splayed legs and a 15 degree canted leg vise.
Well, I suppose you have read all you need to.
Thanks again for the forum and advice.
Donnie
 
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H

HandToolAddict

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Donald
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
Thanks gentlemen for the warm welcome. I forgot to put, I have edited my post, that I live in Elizabeth City, NC. Near the Northern Outer Banks area.
I will post my workbench when I start it this summer. But I am in the middle of a home and property renovation and oh, dear Lord the mess, chaos and piles of contractor tools, wood deliveries, siding debris and boxes. But the end date is June 30 so by then all of it should be done.
Before I knew that was going to happen I was upgrading my shop with full dimension 1x8 SYP. Over the beat to death raw Sheetrock that the original owner installed but never taped, mudded or painted. And I loathe Sheetrock in a shop. I put up with it for 26 years now. Got my girls through college, 1 married and the baby just moved out to her first apartment. I had enough sawn for all 4 walls floor to ceiling, I have to finish that, replace and upgrade every receptacle and cover (going to 20 amp UL rated outlets and metal covers) paint the ceiling white, because you know it’s never been taped, mudded or painted and adding additional Barina LED high output 60 inch shop lights. I have 4 48 inch ones and I am adding 12 60 inch ones now. My eyesight is getting bad. Now I am in trifocals and I still have trouble with any darkness.
Once those things are done it is workbench time! A hybrid Moravian. 27 inch wide split top. 1 half with 5 inch thick white ash x 12.5 wide, a 2 inch wider 6 inch tall (so I can make it ramped) gap stop of red oak, and a 5 inch thick x 12.5 back half of mocker-nut hickory. The base will be made of SYP that is 8x8 for the legs and will be milled to 7.25 square. The long and short stretches are 4x6 SYP with 2 inch thick tenons that will be 2 inches long and will be draw bored all the way around. The legs will have a single simple 15 degree splay and the chop for the leg vise is 12/4 red oak and will house a Red Rose Reproduction/Acer-Ferrous 2.5 inch wooden double threaded vise screw canted at 15 degrees also. And I will be using the Ancora Yachts pin-less chain parallel guide system. For the wagon vise I am using the Brian McMinn 2 inch double threaded wooden screw. A sliding deadman of 8/4 mocke- nut hickory and a removable tray underneath the bench. The tray will be made from full dimension 1x6 SYP. The legs will be lined on the bottom with 1/4 rubber for added moisture protection on the concrete and grippage.
for most of the dog holes I will use 3/4 to 13/16 inch holes bored with my 14 inch throw brace and Russell Jennings auger bits. I also have a Wood Owl 3/4 bit for my 1/2 drill as well. But the front row of dog holes I am leaning towards traditional square dog holes with fitted individual dogs. All dogs, vise faces, chops, etc will be lined with suede leather. And a homemade “shop slop” finish of 2/3 pure gum turpentine and 100% pure tung oil followed in 5 days or so with another coat and in 5 more days or so a 50/50 mixture of Pure gum turpentine and 100% pure tung oil. Top, bottom and sides. I hope I haven’t dreamed myself into a corner!
 
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Nature Man

Nature Man

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HandToolAddict said:
Thanks gentlemen for the warm welcome. I forgot to put, I have edited my post, that I live in Elizabeth City, NC. Near the Northern Outer Banks area.
I will post my workbench when I start it this summer. But I am in the middle of a home and property renovation and oh, dear Lord the mess, chaos and piles of contractor tools, wood deliveries, siding debris and boxes. But the end date is June 30 so by then all of it should be done.
Before I knew that was going to happen I was upgrading my shop with full dimension 1x8 SYP. Over the beat to death raw Sheetrock that the original owner installed but never taped, mudded or painted. And I loathe Sheetrock in a shop. I put up with it for 26 years now. Got my girls through college, 1 married and the baby just moved out to her first apartment. I had enough sawn for all 4 walls floor to ceiling, I have to finish that, replace and upgrade every receptacle and cover (going to 20 amp UL rated outlets and metal covers) paint the ceiling white, because you know it’s never been taped, mudded or painted and adding additional Barina LED high output 60 inch shop lights. I have 4 48 inch ones and I am adding 12 60 inch ones now. My eyesight is getting bad. Now I am in trifocals and I still have trouble with any darkness.
Once those things are done it is workbench time! A hybrid Moravian. 27 inch wide split top. 1 half with 5 inch thick white ash x 12.5 wide, a 2 inch wider 6 inch tall (so I can make it ramped) gap stop of red oak, and a 5 inch thick x 12.5 back half of mocker-nut hickory. The base will be made of SYP that is 8x8 for the legs and will be milled to 7.25 square. The long and short stretches are 4x6 SYP with 2 inch thick tenons that will be 2 inches long and will be draw bored all the way around. The legs will have a single simple 15 degree splay and the chop for the leg vise is 12/4 red oak and will house a Red Rose Reproduction/Acer-Ferrous 2.5 inch wooden double threaded vise screw canted at 15 degrees also. And I will be using the Ancora Yachts pin-less chain parallel guide system. For the wagon vise I am using the Brian McMinn 2 inch double threaded wooden screw. A sliding deadman of 8/4 mocke- nut hickory and a removable tray underneath the bench. The tray will be made from full dimension 1x6 SYP. The legs will be lined on the bottom with 1/4 rubber for added moisture protection on the concrete and grippage.
for most of the dog holes I will use 3/4 to 13/16 inch holes bored with my 14 inch throw brace and Russell Jennings auger bits. I also have a Wood Owl 3/4 bit for my 1/2 drill as well. But the front row of dog holes I am leaning towards traditional square dog holes with fitted individual dogs. All dogs, vise faces, chops, etc will be lined with suede leather. And a homemade “shop slop” finish of 2/3 pure gum turpentine and 100% pure tung oil followed in 5 days or so with another coat and in 5 more days or so a 50/50 mixture of Pure gum turpentine and 100% pure tung oil. Top, bottom and sides. I hope I haven’t dreamed myself into a corner!
Click to expand...
Can’t wait to see it! Sounds just delightful!
 
H

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
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Well that’s my plan, I have never made anything like this or tried something this big or this complex. But, I have finally realized that if all I have as options are 1) failure while attempting to make it 2) fear of failure without attempting anything I will choose #1. Hey I can always saw it up and use it in my wood stove if it’s truly horrible..hahaha!
 
Nature Man

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HandToolAddict said:
Well that’s my plan, I have never made anything like this or tried something this big or this complex. But, I have finally realized that if all I have as options are 1) failure while attempting to make it 2) fear of failure without attempting anything I will choose #1. Hey I can always saw it up and use it in my wood stove if it’s truly horrible..hahaha!
Click to expand...
Better to have tried and failed, than to have not tried at all! I suspect, though, you will be successful!
 
SENC

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Welcome from about 4 hours south of you - love your part of the Carolinas!

Henry
 
H

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Donald
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  • #14
Nature Man said:
Better to have tried and failed, than to have not tried at all! I suspect, though, you will be successful!
Click to expand...
Thank YOU for your kind words of encouragement! I’m sure I may lean on some of the more experienced woodworkers here to help me with it! I thought about making it portable but decided against it. It will be 400-450 pounds as estimated by a.i. So, I decided to draw bore it and make it a permanent fixture in my shop. I forgot to mention it will be about 7’ to 7’6” long depending on how ow much I have to trim my rough stock.
 
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