The Woodshop Shed

New Workbench Slab Top

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(from WoodNet.net)


I'm considering building a new woodworking workbench. I like the Roubo style and am still looking atoptions for vises. The top is the most difficult part of a bench build, at least in my experience when I built my present bench many years ago. Typically the boards, after milling are glued on edge rather than flat. Im my case I'm planning on a bench ~24" in width.

Today I discovered that a friend who previously owned a cabinet shop, has a couple of red oak slabs that might work. The only problem is they are only 1 1/2" thick, thinner than I had planned. My question is this - can two slab pieces be glued together, one on top of other with the grain running in same direction of course, to form a 3" thick top without having any wood movement problems?

Doug

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Simple drawer box help needed

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(from WoodNet.net)


Hi,
I tried to have reasonably simple drawer box made out of 1/2 ply, banded top edges, measured everything down to 1/16 inch, used Yonico Router Bits Drawer Front Joint Reversible 1/2-Inch Shank to route joints. Dry assembled it - perfect!
Once I have put yellow glue into routed joint grooves and tried to actually do final assembly - this is when the disaster struck. It turns out the glue is sticking much faster than it is setting or drying. Very difficult to have all the sides aligned correctly at once. By alignment I mean when the edges of two adjacent boards are at the same height and the joint looks seemless from the top.

You can't slide the board aginst another since glue just sticks. Ended up with about 1/32 inch misaligned sides, couldn't do anything about it until glue actually set in 10-15 minutes and nothing was possible to do at all. So the box came out less than perfect.
What is anybody doing to have the sides perfectly aligned at the very moment you join the sides? Simple corner clamps do not really help - the sides fall out of alignment almost immediately. This applies to rabbet joint or similar.

The only other way of doing box is likely dovetails, but this sounds like a lot more work and in general an overkill for simple drawers. Or maybe that is actually better, easier? If so, I am ready to try that, but I need to know if this is really the only option left. I am OK to spend time experimenting with routing, this part I can handle. It is glue that sets me up.

Thanks,

Niko

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Where are tall columns made?

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(from WoodNet.net)


We visited a church where the sanctuary hastwelve fluted columns. Maybe 30 inches diameter. Probably called neoclassical. They are about 30 feet tall. Whether tapered or not, I couldn't tell. I assume made ofwood, but didn't go knock on one. The church is only 20 years old, so these would have been made about that time. What kind of shop does it take to make these huge, beautiful columns?
Peter

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More patching of workbenches

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(from WoodNet.net)


A month or so back I mentioned and showed a picture of a bench patch for one of the KCWG surfaces. Some people were a bit offended in my choice of patch shape, but the reason for the patch was an "oh s***t" moment with a router for a new woodworker. So seemed appropriate.

Well this time, while the damage was still done with a router, it wasn't a deep plunge. Instead it was a lack of attention paid to a still spinning bit on a palm router. End result was a bit of modern art gouged into an area 3" x 5". Since (another new woodworker) was lacking attention span their patch is a squirrel. Didn't have any maple at hand so made the body from oak (acorns!) and the beady little eye from walnut (walnuts!).


  squirrel.jpg (Size: 94.96 KB / Downloads: 139)

Again this is done by going toThe Noun Projectwebsite and finding the appropriate artwork in SVG (I have a pro-account so I get automatic full use of files). A little modification and then off to the Shaper Origin. About 30 minutes later the patch is glued in and waiting for trimming flush.

Yes, there is another squiggle off to the side but I didn't want to make the squirrel 8" wide. And I punted on grain direction for the same reason. Used his tummy to cover the damaged area.

Also fixed few other less exciting mistakes. Deepest was from a Festool Domino when (again a new user) didn't check settings and plunged about 1/4" into the edge of a bench.

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