Official Luthiers Forum!

A few weeks ago I posted a question about preferred building materials for a nice bench top. At that time, I thought I would try to build one from a plan. I got a lot of good ideas on that post, and it helped me realize that I didn't have to reinvent the wheel, just modify what I already have (HF $150 workbench) for my needs. Basically, I just wanted a bit more room to work and a tail vise. After looking in to tail vise installation, I was pretty sure I didn't have the woodworking chops for that. Then Todd (who has saved my bacon many times on this forum) posted a picture of his shoulder/face vise. This would serve as well as a tail vise for my needs and I thought I could execute it.
I made the new top (two layers of 3/4" birch ply - the first screwed and the second glued) 64" x 24" plus the 1.5" of combined skirt material, giving me about 25% more work space, with the added bonus of an overhang from the back of the bench which will better facilitate certain clamping processes (like clamping the sanding dish to the bench).
The skirt is HD lowest price hardwood here in Tucson...Poplar, stained.
The vise arm is two large bricks of laminated Walnut I had around.
It's not a craftswomen's job....miters a bit off in places, a couple brads that didn't sink properly, but you have to look to see the problems. The biggest mistakes I made were in the installation of the vise shoulder and the vise hardware. I miscalculated the space needed to close the face vise, and ended up having to glue 3 pieces of wood together to make up the difference, giving me a monster face that weighs too much. Though I pre-drilled the screws into the face, I still managed to strip one of them when attaching the coupling piece between screw and face, so now I can't detach it to make a lighter monster face. So it sags when it's opened. My fix for this will be to
attach a lip that rides over the inside of the shoulder to kind of hold the face parallel to the path of it's travel and even with the shoulder of the bench.
Otherwise, I'm happy with it. I found a recipe for finishing that is a mixture of polyurethane, boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits and am wiping that on in multiple treatments to seal it. Haven't put any holes in it yet, because I'm waiting to see where I want them for vise and jig mounting, and the few dogs I use.
Thanks for all the help on my original post. Just wanted to give you the Paul Harvey (the "rest of the story").

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Stylish! Nice vices.

Well done !!! You shouldn't say 'mistakes'. You 'customized to suit your particular building style'.

Nicely done, Beth! I'm looking forward to pictures with shavings and guitar parts all over your new bench!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Thanks, guys! I'm looking forward to making sawdust on it

Well done. If I had any ambition or motivation at all, I would do something similar.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Says the guy that's training for a mud marathon! Thanks, Tony

Don't tell anyone about the mud thing. They will want to bring their goats.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Mud's...I mean Mum's the word (though i would love to see a picture of you at the finish line standing next to a mud-encrusted goat).

I'll see what I can do. The race is in May so there is plenty of time to find a willing goat.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

I keep thanking Tony for his goat comments!? Is that a misuse?

Only of the goat.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker