Woodwork 101

[illmonkey]

paulrockliffe said:

For reference I used a 6" x 2" over a 5m span to lash up a quick bench when I started renovating my house. I used 4 x 2s to support an 18mm ply top and used no additional leg supports. It was fine for working on and standing on, but had slightly too much bounce to hammer stuff on without an additional post.

I think a solid oak top over 3m would be about as strong on it's own, with a 4 x 2 frame it'll be fine. If it's not, add a post to the floor in the middle at the front.

If you want storage underneath and given you're happy spending £140 on the top rather than the £40 that a laminate top costs, why not get some cheap kitchen cabinets to fill the space, then drop the frame on top of that so the span is well supported as well as being solid in it's own right?

Good point on the carcases. Looking online, an 800mm seems to be £90ish, so I'd need to spend a fair bit on them unfortuantly! Whereas a few lengths of 2x4 aren't quite as dear. I'd like a wooden worktop, as I imagine it'd not look half as bad with a a few marks over a laminate. I also have a load of the really useful storage boxes, so rather they just slid off a shelf.

singlecoil said:

illmonkey said:

singlecoil said:

Sounds strong enough as long as it is well fixed to the wall (which will stop the structure racking, and the legs at the front are protected from being accidentally knocked sideways. Best way to do that is to have a lower shelf.

Yea, I've been looking at some guides to building them. I'd be doing 6-8 uprights over the 3 meters, then lower horizontal's to also hold up a shelf. then screwing to the rear wall for stability

I was more after advise on the worktop. Is oak (at 28mm) going to be up to much? etc

Was going to do the frame like this, so I don't need to buy a router to recess the wood at all.

Edited by illmonkey on Monday 23 March 09:57

Unless you need that much headroom on the lower shelf, I would be inclined to raise it to more like half way up the legs, a bit more stability and of course the floor then become available for storage.

Good point.


What wood is best for the frame? C16 Kiln dried?

Edited by illmonkey on Monday 23 March 10:28

[singlecoil]

illmonkey said:

What wood is best for the frame? C16 Kiln dried?

Kiln dried timber is nearly always better for everything but for your application I really don't think it matters.

[anonymous-user]

I’ve just built a workbench of similar construction. 4x2 CLS timber frame making legs from 2 pieces screwed into ‘L’ shaped with a shelf toward the bottom for extra support. I used laminate kitchen worktop offcuts I got from selco for £20 for the bottom shelf and then got a solid wood fire door from a reclaimed place down the road for the top. It’s absolutely solid.

[Origin Unknown]

Slow progress yesterday with the roof. I simply couldn't work out an effective way of determining the dimension of each triangular piece of the roof covering. Getting the rafters accurate was keep reason for this, in spite of fastidious measuring, tying it all together into a strong structure kept pulling it out of kilter.

Problem between floor and tool/material was root cause.

Fairly strong ring assembled with rafters. Not pretty but functional.



Dry install.



Notches to sit the rafters into to give it a stronger more stable finish.



Tried Sketchup, resorted to CAD

(Cardboard Aided Design)



Finished roof, not pretty but I'm not ashamed to share warts n all. It's all a learning experience.

[Origin Unknown]

mdw said:

Goodluck. I built this 10 years ago. The doves, pigeons and everything else has landed on it, walked into it, crapped on it but NOTHING has nested in it. I did read you have to net it and put some doves in for couple of weeks feeding etc. When you eventualy take the net off they assume that is where they live and come back.

That's lasted well, very nice. Did you treat the internal structure? I'm toying with painting with weatherproof paint the internal structure before I clad it.

[mdw]

No treatment just WBP ply internals oak drilled and fixed with brass pins and the slate roof with lead. First one I had made as well so there was a lot of mistakes and remeasures It weighs a fair bt and even with the oak post it has a bit of a sway in the wind.

[Origin Unknown]

Thanks my internals are constructed from OSB so I feel it needs more protection. And as a far as weight, I think I'll need this to put the post in!

[wolfracesonic]

A triangular table was required, so lets crack on, lots of pics to post up but plenty of time on my hands at the minute
A little tickle up for the old girl first...

We're off.

'He's got more rebates than Sainsburys'

Lets try not to fk this up Wolfrace.

Not tooooo baaaaddd...

Right then, angled tenons, can't be that hard Shirley?



Happy enough with that, tenon's a bit skinny but I wasn't buying a new mortice chisel; decent fit on the front face, back was a bit open but out of site, out of mind as they say

Lets make a dowel plate, yay!!!!

...but not with cast iron

Lets make another dowel plate, a mild steel one this time, yay!!!!!

Done!
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/8L3E2kgV[/url][url]
Fancy dovetail type thing, the better of the two


It'll do, enjoyed making it, my first attempt angled mortice and tenons, so happy with them, the secret is not to photograph them too close up or in too high a definition The maple insert top wasn't too tight a fit and isn't very wide, so hopefully it won't blow the joints open if it expands a little and coming from the garage to inside is more likely to shrink. I need to find something else to occupy my time now.

[Origin Unknown]

Top job WRS, love your dedication to using hand tools and being open about what works and what doesn't.

[loughran]

wolfracesonic said:

[url]

Awesome skills Mr Sonic, your table would grace the bridge of the Blake's 7 spaceship any day.

And a little known fact...

ThomasChippendale1718-1779himself said:

"back was a bit open but out of site, out of mind as they say."

Looking forward to your next exploits.

For me, I've made a start on another chest of drawers. The plan was to use the rest of the French quartered oak I had but then I remembered I had a parcel of Madrona burr under my bench so now the chest has contrasting drawer fronts.

[XCP]

Nice, is that veneered or solid?

[wolfracesonic]

I did think we might see a load of projects on here, if everyone is sat at home but a lot timber places seem to be shut, so if you didn’t have the timber in already...

[XCP]

wolfracesonic said:

I did think we might see a load of projects on here, if everyone is sat at home but a lot timber places seem to be shut, so if you didn’t have the timber in already...

Me and a friend are currently making a bass guitar. For various reasons all the bits that need doing are at his. Most of the tools and machines are at mine. Frustrating but in the grand scheme of things it matters not one jot.

[loughran]

XCP said:

Nice, is that veneered or solid?

Thanks, yes veneered. I used the oak drawer fronts, glued the Madrona veneer on the fronts and an oak veneer on the back to balance and minimise movement.

[psi310398]

XCP said:

wolfracesonic said:

I did think we might see a load of projects on here, if everyone is sat at home but a lot timber places seem to be shut, so if you didn’t have the timber in already...

Me and a friend are currently making a bass guitar. For various reasons all the bits that need doing are at his. Most of the tools and machines are at mine. Frustrating but in the grand scheme of things it matters not one jot.

^This. I know it's absolutely nothing in the scheme of things but all my woodworking stuff and all my projects are at my other place along with a carefully assembled load of timber, all jointed and ready. But I can't go there or spend any of my enforced leisure doing stuff.

[crmcatee]

Using up some scraps and some 20 year old decking. Made my squirrels a couple of picnic benches to sit at.

[loughran]

Brilliant

[Drumroll]

crmcatee said:

Using up some scraps and some 20 year old decking. Made my squirrels a couple of picnic benches to sit at.

I hope you don't mind but I am going to use that idea.

[crmcatee]

Drumroll said:

I hope you don't mind but I am going to use that idea.

Help yourself although the one with phenolic plyboard (the smooth one mounted on my birds table leg) was the prototype, and having been out with the quality control squirrels I found that a gust of wind would blow the seed away so it either needs a lip on the edge or use something like I did in the second with grooves from the decking which should stop the wind blowing them away.

[XCP]

Just to be clear you say 'my squirrels'. Are you actually putting food out for Grey Squirrels?

( he writes as he watches a squirrel helping itself to his ducks food)