New shop update

[lead-1]

Here is the latest picture of country gent's workbench, with Camper 64's help.

[country gent]

Thank- You both again Lead-1 and Camper 64.
Everything is doweled and glued in and together. Now to Smooth ends to surfaces with the power hand planer and and finish out. Bench top is 35"wide X 8' X 3 1/2" thick with stiffening rails 1 1/2" X 7 1/2 X 8' Legs are 4 1/2 X 5 1/2 long there is a stop block support inside each leg that bears on the bottom of the top for solid support. This block is 1 1/2" X 4 1/2 X 5 1/2" glued and doled to the legs braces are 2 X 5 1/2 X 8' short end braces are 1/ 1/2 X 3 1/2 X 20 No metal in this bench all doweled glued joints. Will start planning the ends down tomorrow evening up the ends and finishing. The long braces are in mortises with the bottom cut at 5* a wedge was then fitted. Today when assembling the braces were glued and slid in place then the wedges glued and drove in tight locking the braces in place last the braces were doweled with 5 1/2" dowels.

nd Again a big Thank-you to Lead-1 and Camper 65

[country gent]

My friend who is brokering the deal on the equipment and related called today. The riggers opened up and Tuesday we will be moving equipment from The owners garage into mine. Hopefully only 1 trip. Probably be a long day for me

[country gent]

Today did some light sanding with 80 grit on the finish sander and gave the legs and ends and sides the first coat of boiled linseed oil, just brushed it on. cut and fitted a support board in the center of the long braces for the shelf. A little more tinkering and the first coat had soaked in so gave it a second to soak in over night. Tomorrow will lightly sand with 180 grit and brush another coat of the oil. Ordered a versa vice to mount on it. Got the burke pry bars yesterday in case we need them moving the equipment Tuesday.

[Traffer]

Today did some light sanding with 80 grit on the finish sander and gave the legs and ends and sides the first coat of boiled linseed oil, just brushed it on. cut and fitted a support board in the center of the long braces for the shelf. A little more tinkering and the first coat had soaked in so gave it a second to soak in over night. Tomorrow will lightly sand with 180 grit and brush another coat of the oil. Ordered a versa vice to mount on it. Got the burke pry bars yesterday in case we need them moving the equipment Tuesday.

Good pry bars are great tools. When I was young we figured we could move anything with the big ones. Wish I could still handle one.

[country gent]

Im getting lazy in my old age, these are the "burke" style bars with square tubing handles. Only weight 19lbs or so and 56" length. Today I cut a bunch of 2 x 4 x 4 blocks so we can set the equipment in rough place and set up on these allowing easier lifting and sliding

[MrWolf]

Wayne your inbox is full.
Ron

[country gent]

I cleaned it up again, sorry

[country gent]

Didn't do much today with the bench cleaned up some glue and dowels in the shelf support. Put a 120 grit pad in the finish sander and wood was still pretty wet from last coat yesterday so will wait till tomorrow.

[lightman]

[QUOTE=country gent;4736800 In reality Im just to stubborn to give up and quit. I miss making things and fixing them. I enjoy the craftsmanship and the work. It keeps me from sitting in front of the TV [/QUOTE]

I certainly admire your attitude. You have been an inspiration to me, although I’m hard headed too! That sounds like a really nice shop.

[woodbutcher]

Looking good Sir.Love that bench.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[country gent]

Today sanded down the legs cross braces front and back side and ends with 120 grit on the finishing sander and gave it a light coat of boiled linseed oil. last ight my son gave the ribs and bottom of top a heavy coat of oil for me and got all the places I couldn't reach from the chair. Today these areas had an oily feel still but now residue on fingers when rubbed.

Decided I didn't want the ribs showing from the ends so cut 2 facer boards to glue dowel and on. angled the end cuts to run from the 2 x 4 face boards to the first 2 x 8 rib/leg. Now to figure hole spacing and drill holes then mount. May wait to mount them until after top is finished flat and true.

Am still thinking about making a lever vise to go on one leg just for grins and giggles, would be a neat rendition to history, but just not sure Id even use it and afraid it might be in the way most of the time. Making it wouldn't be that bad or hard. would require a couple 2 x 6s a piece of 3/4" threaded rod and a piece of round stock for the nut, big dowel 1 1/2-1 3/4" dia for the lower pivot and a couple pieces of 1 x 4 for jaws. Thus would run the length of a leg from just above foot to even with top of bench, and works similar to a strap clamp. Would be a nice no mar vise but also not a super strong vise. Would take a little mortise work to cut the spot thru for the threaded rod and cutting thru 5 1/2" with a chisel wont be a lot of fun. A plus to this vise would be that with a taller front jaw I could clamp long work up to 96" across the top of the bench if needed. Ive seen several of these old vises ( most were home made ).

Im also thinking of inserts in the top for the versa vice instead of bolting it thru. Steel round stock drilled and tapped then epoxied into the top flush. The last ive considered is a grid of holes drilled in the top for a set of cam type clamps, Ive pretty much decided if I do this it will be in a separate board, I don't want to have the holes in the bench top always there catching chips, filings, and crud. A 2 x 12 or glue up of boards with the grid drilled in it can be clamped down and used as easily. and wont hold the crud. this type clamp uses pins and a G shaped wheel on pin drilled 1/2" of center toward the top of G. set parts in against pins and the eccentric G clamps tapped tight clamp and hold. Another plus to the separate board is I can drill its grid in the drill press not by hand. A lot of ideas and the bench isn't completely done

[country gent]

Today I cleaned up floor space getting ready for the movers tomorrow. Also something looked out of place on the bench to me. I cut 2 facer boards for the ends angled from bottom of outside 2 X 4 up to edge corner of 2X 8 leg mount rib and full width of bench top. No the ends of the top and ribs don't show just a nice board with the dowels holding it on. Will glue and dowel in place Wednesday. These really "cleaned up" the looks of the bench. Will also add to help keep tops joints from separating.

[country gent]

Got to shop at 9:00 and started loading things rigger showed up slightly after. Loaded machines and a lot of stock some full bars and a lot of cut ends ( these are even better). Got a 14X40 nardinni lathe with readout, steady and follower rests, 3 chucks, several albrieht drill chucks 5/8 3/4 for it Machine has 2" spindle bore. 40- 2500 rpm, coolant, a couple face plates, 2 carriage stops. Along with some other things. a clausing lathe 12 X 40. albrieht drill chucks 2 chucks, drawbar closer collets 5c collets round x 64ths, square and hex. steady and follower rests, 1 1/8" spindle bore. A set of #3 mires taper drills 3/4 - 2". Bridgeport mill 9x48 with readout kurt vise almost 2 full sets of R8 collets, 2 boring heads, Several slitting saw arbor's a table vise, and other assorted tooling. Surface grinder with 20 wheels several on hub mounts, a 6X12 permanent browne and sharp magnetic chuck. and a couple wheel dressers. A lot of other tooling and misc. Still have stock to pick up and possibly a 12 X 18 cast iron surface plate. Had everything here by 11:40 and rough placed unloaded by 2:00. Rigger charged $800.00 and a couple Pizzas. Im tired tonight.

[alamogunr]

Got to shop at 9:00 and started loading things rigger showed up slightly after. Loaded machines and a lot of stock some full bars and a lot of cut ends ( these are even better). Got a 14X40 nardinni lathe with readout, steady and follower rests, 3 chucks, several albrieht drill chucks 5/8 3/4 for it Machine has 2" spindle bore. 40- 2500 rpm, coolant, a couple face plates, 2 carriage stops. Along with some other things. a clausing lathe 12 X 40. albrieht drill chucks 2 chucks, drawbar closer collets 5c collets round x 64ths, square and hex. steady and follower rests, 1 1/8" spindle bore. A set of #3 mires taper drills 3/4 - 2". Bridgeport mill 9x48 with readout kurt vise almost 2 full sets of R8 collets, 2 boring heads, Several slitting saw arbor's a table vise, and other assorted tooling. Surface grinder with 20 wheels several on hub mounts, a 6X12 permanent browne and sharp magnetic chuck. and a couple wheel dressers. A lot of other tooling and misc. Still have stock to pick up and possibly a 12 X 18 cast iron surface plate. Had everything here by 11:40 and rough placed unloaded by 2:00. Rigger charged $800.00 and a couple Pizzas. Im tired tonight.

I would have been dead!

[Wayne Smith]

Yeah, I'll bet you are. How long will it take you to set everything up to be ready to use now that it's there?

[country gent]

It will be a while. sort thru all the tooling and small stuff to get organized. Have to get rooms walls up inside the building and then wired. 2 machines are 220 3 phase and I got the slave motor converter for them. others 2 are sso volt 1 phase. So with winter coming on it may be spring before things get going now. The games played by the neighbor and township over the building cost me 9 weeks time....

I hve a bunch od material ( stock) in 10 ft lengths and cut ends I have to find a way to store there some pretty big here 1 1/2, 2 2 1/2 and 3" round stock ( pre hard 4140)I need a stock rack with shelves. One piece of 6" X 6" X 10" square 4140 prehard big chunk right there. Several lengths of hex stock in various sizes.

[country gent]

Ordered 2 set of shelving last light 12 X 48" X 86" I plan to assemble in "half" units with 3 shelves each for tooling. This way you arnt reaching in for heavy items for chucks vises or other Items. smaller lighter can go lower in the shelves easily. Im up to 5 albrieght chucks now from 1/4" to 3/4". A really nice small set of boring bars. 6 insert mills in various sizes. at least 2 sets of r-8 collets with some extras and 2 boring heads.

Started planning the top on the bench down today. but decided to wait till all the tooling is sorted cleaned up and stored. This way all the dirt and stains will be removed when I plane it down.. The versa vice came today too. It looks good sitting on the bench

[country gent]

Started working on a stand or pedestal grinder and today got the top glued up and mounted. Top is 17" wide and 21" long. 35" tall tight now. May add some feet to up it a couple more inches. The main post is an I beam type upright, a 2 x 56 sandwiched between 2 2 x 4s. feet are 2 x 4s at a 10* vee 15" wide. It sits very solid on the floor. I should be able to start sanding and finishing it tomorrow.

[country gent]

Finished the grinder stand the other day and its good to go. Bench is now full of machine tooling being sorted and gotten ready. Still waiting on the shelving to be delivered from lowes. Mounted the versa vice on the bench. This became a bigger job than expected. With the 2 holes at the front ( this puts the back jaw ahead of the front of the bench by around 1/2" or so) the 3rd hole caught the heavy leg joint / rib and leg joint. I ended up cutting a mortise in it at the bottom of the top down 3/4" for the nut and washer to set in and make the bolt. I drilled 2 3/4" holes to depth then removed center with a 1" wood chisel. This worked well. O ended up gluing the nut in a open end wrench and the washer on top with a couple drops if super glue, this alloed me to position them with the wrench in the mortise. Today made a set of soft jaws for the vise from some soft pine. Vise is ready to be used now.

I really need the shelving to keep moving on. Lowes has given a date of Nov 9 for delivery. I also picked up a 1000lb harbor freight die cart to use moving things around. THis I need to modify a little since I have a hard time with the foot operated pump, Ill bend up and install a hand lever to raise the table. But for moving lathe chucks mill and drill press vises and other heavy tooling parts this will be a big help. I also want to glue the rubber mat down with contact cement to help hold it in place.

Happiness is a full work bench LOL