# work bench



## 12bolts (Feb 26, 2014)

This is a mod I made a couple of years ago and doesn't get used all that often but recently it got a bit of workout so I am posting this up because I found handy again.


So,
I have a very solid timber work bench that I made about 30 years ago. It has 90 X 90 legs tenoned to the top frame and a lower shelf frame bolted on. The top is made from recycled pallet timber. I laminated a bunch together then glued and screwed it all down. Having served me well for years but found it a nuisance when working on long stock with the difficulties of holding it for planing and sanding.



I cut the front couple of timber strips off and fitted a new piece that ran full length. Into this I routed a slot for the moveable jaw to run in. This was held in place with a couple of tek screws.




A new front was made with a corresponding routed slot and this was screwed in place on top of a new hardwood piece that was used for the bench dog holes and the sliding jaw.




The sliding jaw was fitted with a couple of heavy duty draw runners that I had left over from another job.




The jaw was driven with a piece of LH threaded rod I had, (turning the thread clockwise moves the jaw in to tighten), made a thrust washer and used a piece of timber as a bearing block.




Some new ends were fitted to the bench and a infill piece for the hole when not in use.




A steel euscutcheon to neaten the outside and when I was happy with it all I cross drilled the bench top a few planks in and fitted steel dowels that had been cross drilled and threaded. I then drilled in from the front edge through the new pine and hardwood pieces and inserted long bolts to pull it all up good and tight. The epoxy filled holes cover the steel dowels.
Some steel dogs completed the job

Cheers Phil


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## calstar (Feb 27, 2014)

Very nice work!

Brian


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## architard (Feb 28, 2014)

This is what us woodworkers call a Wagon vise. It's a type of tail vise. BenchCrafted manufactures a very nice version of this type:

http://www.benchcrafted.com/TailVise.html

They are very expensive but worth it. I might try my hand at machining my own.


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