See how I’ve customized my Black & Decker Workmate to work better for me in my workshop. Included is an extensive demonstration of the ever versatile Bench Bull.
The completion of any project should always be exciting but when it’s your workbench there is something really special and unique about it. In this episode Paul uses methods for installing and fitting the bench vise which he has developed to guarantee a rock solid fit. The vise is, of course, your third hand. You do not want one ounce of movement in it. The jaw liners too must match the vise and the workbench for solidity. It’s all lifetime stuff for living woodworkers with style.
Paul is now on the last few steps of completing the construction of the bench itself. He starts this episode by cutting and fitting the wellboard. Paul continues to cut two pieces of wood on the bandsaw, which are then glued in place on top of the wellboard. Once this is all finished, Paul moves on to retracting the screws from both apron pieces and replacing them with bolts. He then moves on to the finishing stages of planning the benchtop and making all things smooth. Paul then ends this episode by applying two coats of water-based finish.
Paul kicks off this episode by attaching the apron to the leg frames. He then continues to complete the next step by gluing the bench top to the apron. Once this is done Paul works on fixing the bench top to the bearers by screwing it into place. Paul then finishes this episode off by fixing the supporting rails for the wellboard into place.
The leg frame joinery is a very precise fit and things can go wrong if you are not experienced with how to deal with what we call glue freeze. One of Paul’s leg frames starts to stick but Paul explains throughout the glue up exactly how he deals with stubborn assemblies for a successful outcome. Paul deals with accurate alignment and cutting of the inner apron pieces including the wedges. His unique wedging method guarantees perfect alignment of the leg frames to the aprons while at the same time allowing the leg frames to be detached for moving, etc.
We’ll kick off this episode by getting our legs into shape. Paul removes some excess glue and trims and planes the legs square and flat. He then works on the corners to ensure long term durability. Paul moves on to the rails, adjusting the fit of the through tenons and shaping their accompanying roundovers. Finally, the components are brought together in a test assembly.
In this video Paul addresses the importance of aligning the shoulder lines of the rails as he glues and assembles both legs and rails in preparation for developing the leg frames. As it is with solid wood mortise and tenon joinery, the shoulders to the tenons are critical to the resistance of lateral pressures exerted on the workbench throughout its lifetime in support of your woodworking. We are so near to assembling the frames and uniting them in the bench as a whole. The adventure continues.
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Paul takes you through the first stages of cutting the plywood to create sizes that are easier to manage. He then rips through the panels using the bandsaw and planes the edges. He repeats this method until he has done all of the panels. Lastly, Paul moves on to gluing up and screwing his workbench top.
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These shelves keep Paul’s sharpening stones close at hand for convenience and separate them from the rest of his tools as they can get dirty. Follow along to fit solid useful shelves at the end of your bench.
Paul hangs his three backsaws at the bench to keep them at hand. The holders make sure that they can’t fall off when not in use in the day to day of woodworking.
