building a work bench

[Sam squanch]

I modified an existing plywood seating bench to a Roman style. It works good for some jobs, not so good for others. It is very portable,however. Great for handyman jobs. I painted “ Group W “ on it, some of you old guys may get the joke.........

 

[Sam squanch]

Gentile vise? It’s NOT Jewish?

 

[dave_person]

Gentile, gentle, oy vey!

 

[dave_person]

Yes, I do have a minion!

dave

 

[Artificer]

Those leg vises are the strongest and most gentile vises you can use on wood.
dave

I could not agree more. However, if one adds some "L" shaped Bronze or even Iron Angle Iron to the tops, you get a surprisingly powerful vise for metal as well.

I discovered that in 1988 before I could afford a full sized machinist vise. I had a couple small to medium size vises, but nothing I could pull and mount barrels into unmentionable modern military rifles. In desperation for a large vise, I made my leg vise out of a common 2" x 6" and used a large bolt as the tightening piece. I inlaid the appropriate size nut for the threads into the support beam. (I darn sure could not afford the quality Leg Vise hardware you have in the pics.)

Almost on a lark, so I would not have to do such heavy work in another shop, I tried my 4" long Bronze Vise Jaws from Brownells at the top to hold actions for re-barreling. I was STUNNED that it worked, even when applying as much as 180 foot pounds of torque to pull some barrels. This with no damage at all to the rather cheap 2" x 6" board I used. Actually, there was nothing I could not do with that vise that I did later on with a large metal vise, except of course it won't rotate like a large metal vise.
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...ories/vise-jaws/bronze-vise-jaws-prod380.aspx
I mention this for younger forum members who may not as yet be able to afford a large metal vise or even the higher quality hardware for a leg vise.

Gus

 

[Sam squanch]

GREAT IDEA!!!

 

[Sam squanch]

So a leg vise would cost.......an arm and a LEG?

 

[vintovka]

this was fun to watch:

The Ultimate Functional Workbench

3 comments

a) i wish i had his woodworking skills
b) i wish i could do backflips like him
c) i would need a bench at least 2 feet wider to accomdate my current derriere

 

[kansas_volunteer]

I bought these steel legs to make my workbench and put a top on made up of three layers of MDF type material. This "wood" is heavier and denser than regular MDF. I don't rmember what it's callled, a professional woodworking friend got it for me.

https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/...le-height-27-7-8-to-35-3-8-leg-30-bench-black
There are shelves and drawers available to go on a bench made from these legs.

I have a Wilton quick release vice I stole from Lowes. They had it on sale at a tremendous mark down just to get it out of the store. I'm glad I was there at just the right time. I also have a gunstock makers vice that can be mounted through holes in the top of the bench. I want to add T-track to it so I can clamp odd pieces down.

I bought wheels that can be raised and lowered to go on this bench but haven't installed them yet.

 

[Walkingeagle]

I painted “ Group W “ on it, some of you old guys may get the joke.........

Ahh yes, a classic if there ever was one, and quite fitting as well. Lol. Say “hi” to Alice from me please.
Walk

 

[Bighorserider]

Paul Sellers is an English traditional wood worker who has an excellent series of videos on YouTube for building a traditional wood worker bench. It wouldn't take much to make a great gun building bench out of it.

 

[Loja man]

Dave that is a great work bench!!

 

[dave_person]

Hi Sam,
Gentile vise? It’s NOT Jewish?
"Just sittin' here on the bench" thinking how your comment reminded me of a story. A good friend was in the diamond district of New York City and she was looking at two tanzanites that looked the same but one was much more expensive than the other. She asked the salesman, who was an old Hasidic Jewish gentleman, about them and he excitedly responded "Vat, vat , vat! If the grandmutter had the beard she'd be the grandfatter. The one is not the utter!" She started laughing so hard that the salesman could not stop himself from laughing as well and sold her the more expensive stone for the lower price.

dave

 

[vezePilot]

The idea of only one workbench is ... fascinating.

But of course this thread discusses the bench used for building muzzle loaders. I'm working on cleaning up two for that purpose, in my garage. There is yet a third one in the garage. My reloading bench in the patio room is a small one. And ... 3 or 4 more in our hangar at the airport. Workbenches for fabricating airplane parts are 10 to 12 feet long.

This one is pertinent, even though it is one of three Jewelry Making workbenches that I built. It is the first one, built for my wife. And she last used the tools shown to polish the Pan of the Lock for my Traditions Flintlock .50 Kentucky rifle.

 

[pooch156]

I've been a woodworker most all of my life. Working with wood has always been my first best destiny. Many years ago Woodsmith Magazine featured plans for a Traditional workbench. Very heavy and solid as a rock. I built one out of red oak. Super strong. It doesn't budge even a fraction of an inch. It's no longer clean & pristine. It has been well used and I love the "well used" patina. It's equipped with a front and end vise which are equally strong. Grizzly Industrial has a gun builders vise at a very reasonable price. I think that I will get one. It will be so easy to adapt it to the bench.

 

[Artificer]

The idea of only one workbench is ... fascinating.

But of course this thread discusses the bench used for building muzzle loaders. I'm working on cleaning up two for that purpose, in my garage. There is yet a third one in the garage. My reloading bench in the patio room is a small one. And ... 3 or 4 more in our hangar at the airport. Workbenches for fabricating airplane parts are 10 to 12 feet long.

This one is pertinent, even though it is one of three Jewelry Making workbenches that I built. It is the first one, built for my wife. And she last used the tools shown to polish the Pan of the Lock for my Traditions Flintlock .50 Kentucky rifle.

Bless you for supporting a talented wife!

Gus

 

[John R]

I've been a woodworker most all of my life. Working with wood has always been my first best destiny. Many years ago Woodsmith Magazine featured plans for a Traditional workbench. Very heavy and solid as a rock. I built one out of red oak. Super strong. It doesn't budge even a fraction of an inch. It's no longer clean & pristine. It has been well used and I love the "well used" patina. It's equipped with a front and end vise which are equally strong. Grizzly Industrial has a gun builders vise at a very reasonable price. I think that I will get one. It will be so easy to adapt it to the bench.

Post a photo or two please!

 

[Bob McBride]

A workbench should sprawl over the entire back wall of your garage or shop, maybe up one side wall, and have at least one peninsula bench. A man should have at least 5 projects going at once, and at least one he hasn’t touched in 3 years but is still taking up four feet of bench space.....

 

[pooch156]

Post a photo or two please!

OK, I will.

 

[vezePilot]

A workbench should sprawl over the entire back wall of your garage or shop, maybe up one side wall, and have at least one peninsula bench. A man should have at least 5 projects going at once, and at least one he hasn’t touched in 3 years but is still taking up four feet of bench space.....

Wow ... I didn't know there were others, just like me ...

edit: Actually ... there is evidence: a contemporary/associate of Leonardo Da Vinci said that during his life, Leonardo started more than 400 works and projects. "And he never finished any of them."