This fitting will allow marking of the tusk tenon mortises. Then it all has to come apart to chop the mortises. While apart, I will also trim/plane the upper stretcher to match the angle of the legs and clean up the base units.
It will need putting back together to blind peg the slab and mark the slab and lower stretcher for the vise backer mortises. Back apart to chop the mortises and then back together to fit the vise backer. Anyway you get the drill, a lot of fiddling and apart/together to finish up.
I don't know if you can see the size difference between the portable bench and the shop sized one but I can tell you it's there. Taking the portable bench apart and putting together is an easy one person job. I'll bet MsBubba could do it with no help. I couldn't put this base together without MsBubba's help and you can forget about the two of us moving the slab to the base. I'll need the help of another OF or maybe young and strong the set the slab.
The legs and long stretchers are basically 16/4 European Beech, the top stretcher is 8/4 European Beech. The middle stretcher is 8/4 Sapple and the lower one is 8/4 Honey Locust. The slab is ~2180mmX460mmX90mm (~7'1"X 18"X 3 1/2") Beech. The height will be 875mm (34 1/2") and the width ~660mm (26"). I've not a clue how much it will weigh but I expect closer to 300 lbs. than 200.
If the portable bench is predictive, this sucker should be every bit as stable and solid as my hybrid Roubo/English bench and that one could hold my truck and not move. Think triangles vs. squares.
ken
Those long stretchers are massive.
ReplyDeleteAndy,
ReplyDeleteHeavy too :-).
There is nothing portable about this bench other than it can be broken down if it needs moving. That was always the problem with the Roubo type bench, once built it is almost impossible to move.
I'm looking forward to working on it, as it is, I tend to work on the small Moravian more than my main bench. The vise is better and it is a little lower than the French/English bench. About the only time I use the main bench is when I need the mass, The new bench should have all the needed mass.
ken
How is the Honey Locust to work? I slabbed a Black Locust log when I was a lad and it's very hard wood.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
DeleteNot a lot of fun. It's not as hard as Black Locust but it is hard with reversing grain and is brittle. It can be kinda pretty with an oil finish. The main reason I used it was because it was in the wood pile and was close to the correct size and hard and heavy.
ken
Ken that is one big, big workbench. Wish I had the room in my shop to have one that size.
ReplyDeleteRalph,
DeleteYeah, it will be a beast. The Moravian will be about a foot shorter than the French/English bench and both are around 26" wide. With the two benches I should have a little real
estate to work on :-).
Between the two, wood screw leg vise on the Moravian and English apron on the French/English I should have the best of all worlds and yet very simple easy to work on benches.
ken