February 7, 2012

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Clamping the jig base securely

August 16, 2011 By

 

I have used F-style clamps, big spring clamps, C clamps, cheap Chinese clamps, pipe clamps, and just about every other type of clamp to secure the base of the dovetail jig to the workbench. But nothing has come close to the quick and secure clamping of these cam clamps:

Secure and quick clamping of the jig base

One nice feature of these clamps is that I can use the existing rectangular dog holes on the bench. And when it’s time to remove the jig, I can do it quickly.

One more thing: I have made all the bases for the dovetail jigs and for the FMT jigs such that I can also use the cam clamps this way. It has simplified life in the shop!

How do YOU do it?

I would like to know how you secure your dovetail jig to the workbench. Please leave a Comment below.

 

— Al Navas

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: , ,

It is just a workbench

March 3, 2010 By

My workbench is just a workbench. Of course, I did not always think so; it was so nice and clean when I first bought it, but it’s not that way now. Over the years it has become a work “area”, a work horse of a fixture in the shop.

I mention this because two readers wrote me a note after they read recent articles about finishing components of a desk I am working on. They  asked if I always use the workbench to apply finish to components of an item I am working on. My answer is “it depends”.

For example, if I have items in the finishing room, I will use the workbench to apply finish; currently I have the large dust cover on the turntable in the finishing room, waiting for a warm(er) day when I can open the windows in the shop to allow makeup air to replace the air blown out by the exhaust fan. As I have been finishing only in the shop, all the dust has settled quite well; applying finish is a nice experience in the open shop, with barely-audible music in the background, and concentrating on the job.

Yesterday I applied a few wash coats of alcohol-based shellac to the quarter-sawn white oak aprons, and I used the workbench. I used some plastic sheets on the workbench, though, as I don’t want any coating film on the surface of the bench:

A workbench... for work.

I managed to get some shellac on the workbench top, as the plastic sheet had some small holes I missed. That’s fine, as I will simply scrape them off later. It is, after, only my workbench.

Lest you misunderstand me, I want to explain a little of the background, and why I feel the workbench should be treated as “just” a workbench. In early 2008 I discovered the bench top had developed a bad crown that did not allow things to sit flat on it:

Should I flatten it...?

I struggled for a couple of days, putting off the inevitable. And then I took things into my own hands, literally, and flattened the bench top – a hard decision, but it had to be done:

But it must be done...!

I invite you to watch the video I made during the flattening process. From start to finish, it took me 42 minutes to flatten the bench top – and my muscles reminded me of that workout for several days after! But I learned an important lesson that day; a workbench is a work area, and I learned I must treat it just like any other tool in the shop. If I have it, I will use it.

As I leave the shop, I like to look around, to see if the snow has caused any damage to tree or building. I saw some snow had started to melt, and was frozen in mid-stream during the night hours. Change is definitely in the air, as the warming trend continues in NW Missouri:

Floating snow...?

I would like to hear from you about your workbench:

  • Did you make your own bench? Or did you buy it?
  • Do you baby your workbench, or is it a workhorse in your shop?

— Al Navas

Filed Under: Blog, Finishing, Workbench Tagged With: ,

#38. WIA: Part 3 of 3 – Forgotten Workbenches and Workholding

December 14, 2008 By

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Total running time: 48 mins, 54 seconds

This episode is all about workholding:

  1. Face vises – Racking is the main reason The Schwarz does not like them.
  2. Leg vise: Elegant, cheap, GREAT!
  3. Shoulder vise: Best choice for dovetailing drawers – it is fast. It is great, but too complex.
  4. Crochet: Used with holdfasts, it is great, and cool.
  5. Sliding dog vise: Otherwise called the Wagon Vise. Recently installed one on of his benches.
  6. End (tail) vise on European-style benches: Fragile, and they sag!
  7. Dogs: Round or square? Likes square, bur coming around to round. It is hard to make square holes. The round dogs are best because there is a large after-market that caters to these.
  8. Battens: Offer an effective way to work: Low profile, and cool.
  9. Planing stops: Made from scraps; make them as thin and wide as possible; install on the face vise.
  10. Planing boards: Great if the workbench is not flat; Chris has made available a construction drawing on his blog.
  11. Deadman: Installed on his Roubo; has nothing but praise for it.
  12. Other benches: Concrete block bench; wheelwright’s bench, with leg vise and cabinets; the Modern Roubo”; the English hybrid, with angled leg vise but straight legs; Moxon’s bench; the “sink” bench (laughter!), which is a Shaker bench corrupted.

The Schwarz answered many questions, all terrific and relevant, until he ran out of time. The discussion could easily have run much longer, but everyone had to run to lunch, to the Marketplace, and to other terrific sessions.

I took a good look at the construction of the sliding deadman…

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Filed Under: Berea, Blog, Conference, Video, Woodworking in America Tagged With: , , , , ,

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