Light is at the top of importance. I have 3 Florescence and I have this clamp on science light with a magnifier for close work. I use the Science light for everything. It was cheep too, and Home depot carried the round bulbs for them.
Workbench - starting out
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StewartLeach
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I built my bench hell for stout, out of a freight damaged 30 x 80 inch solid core door, supported by a frame made from 2 x 4 lumber and carriage bolts. In my seldom humble opinion, weight is a good thing in a work bench.
The other things I consider necessities in a work place set up are a good woodworkers vise, a medium sized metal vise, and good lighting. A 4 foot flourescent shop light is suspended over the work area, augmented by a flex arm drafting lamp rescued when a sheet metal shop sold out. I've found having left, center and right side mounting holes for the vises to be handy.
White Fox
The other things I consider necessities in a work place set up are a good woodworkers vise, a medium sized metal vise, and good lighting. A 4 foot flourescent shop light is suspended over the work area, augmented by a flex arm drafting lamp rescued when a sheet metal shop sold out. I've found having left, center and right side mounting holes for the vises to be handy.
White Fox
That just ain't right.......something's missing....... :hmm:
Oh! It a tom cat walking around on the tools.....picking a few up......then standing on the gun looking in your face 2" away......
I DO need to re top my bench.......yours looks nice!
Oh! It a tom cat walking around on the tools.....picking a few up......then standing on the gun looking in your face 2" away......
I DO need to re top my bench.......yours looks nice!
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A clean workbench is the sign of a sick mind!! :haha:
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Bigmon said:
he makes a good point.
When I was a kid I hung out at an old Italian woodworkers shop in Connecticut. Guy was OCD to the max. Did not believe in power tools. His shop was spotless, utterly spotless. Tools you could perform surgery with. Never seen the likes of his work again after he died. He kind of rubbed off on me as far as tools and shop goes. That and the military and Law Enforcement. I guess Im learned OCD. And cats dont last long with 3 labs and a mule.
matt denison
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"His shop was spotless, utterly spotless. "
I once had a boss that would say, "ya' ain't making any money if you spend all of your time cleaning up". My shop looks like a mess but I know exactly where everything is. Hammers are in a pile, not hung up. So what, I can reach over and grab the right one at will. Lock building tools are in a pie pan, jumbled I admit but I know where they are at any given time. Works for me. If I had a place for everything and everything in its place I would need to double my square footage.
I once had a boss that would say, "ya' ain't making any money if you spend all of your time cleaning up". My shop looks like a mess but I know exactly where everything is. Hammers are in a pile, not hung up. So what, I can reach over and grab the right one at will. Lock building tools are in a pie pan, jumbled I admit but I know where they are at any given time. Works for me. If I had a place for everything and everything in its place I would need to double my square footage.
My Dad always told me a good mechanic can find his tools in the dark. He emphasized putting your stuff back in the same place every time. Guess his lessons worked because I do the same with the tools around my work bench. Each has its own spot and I clean up before I quit for the day. I prefer to come to work to a clean bench and work area. Works for me.
Mark
Mark
This is one of the best threads I've seen in a while. A good work bench and well-lighted work space are the most essential tools in the shop. I'll admit to a fondness for tempered masonite for a bench top. It's pretty tough, yet pretty cheap and easily replaced when worn.
I could take a lesson on reducing benchtop clutter, as this is a continuing challenge for me.
Our builder is getting close to finishing our new home, and one of my first priorities will be building a work bench.
I could take a lesson on reducing benchtop clutter, as this is a continuing challenge for me.
Our builder is getting close to finishing our new home, and one of my first priorities will be building a work bench.
my shot is usually much messer, been cleaning up a bit. The magnetic bars are wonderful. Lee Valley has them.
I friend of mine was over the other day and made the comment that my shop was clean. I thought he was serious, and thanked him as I have been cleaning it up. He was not serious and was giving me a hard time.....
I can spend 3 days cleaning and in 15 minutes it looks like it did before I started...
Fleener
I friend of mine was over the other day and made the comment that my shop was clean. I thought he was serious, and thanked him as I have been cleaning it up. He was not serious and was giving me a hard time.....
I can spend 3 days cleaning and in 15 minutes it looks like it did before I started...
Fleener
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Hi,
I am still in the process of building my shop and the benches. Here are a few. The first is my main woodworking bench styled after those built in 17th century France. Of course they used solid slabs of wood not glued laminations. It will be free standing so I can work on all sides. The second photo shows my finishing and staining benches in the back and a bench that will be for metal working when installed along one of the walls. The last photo shows the bench that I will use for engraving.
dave
I am still in the process of building my shop and the benches. Here are a few. The first is my main woodworking bench styled after those built in 17th century France. Of course they used solid slabs of wood not glued laminations. It will be free standing so I can work on all sides. The second photo shows my finishing and staining benches in the back and a bench that will be for metal working when installed along one of the walls. The last photo shows the bench that I will use for engraving.
dave
jamesthomas
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: That's just too neat, you need some spilled paint on the floor and a cat or 2 on the benches.
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Thanks Stuart, Razor, and Armakiller,
I am very lucky to have this chance to build my shop from scratch. I used to have to make do with whatever space I could adapt to. I have this one chance and I am taking my time to do it as well as I can. Stuart, that French bench has some features that you might want to consider and they can be adapted to other bench designs. The hour-glass shaped device with the holes is a sliding jack or deadman. It can be slid anywhere between the two leg vises. When inletting a buttplate, I can pinch the stock in a leg vise with it angled downward and the forestock anchored to the deadman with a holdfast. That locks the stock in tight and should make installing buttplates much easier for me. Think of a bench as a 3-D clamping tool rather than a table or bench. When building guns, it is really nice to be able to walk around the bench and work on all sides. The French bench is over-engineered largely to provide weight so it won't move during sawing and planing but doesn't need to be anchored to a wall. Those Pattern-makers vises are pretty nice, particularly for holding the stock after it is no longer squared. The holes in the bench top allow me to move the vises around and also install a bench rest for supporting a stock and use holdfasts to anchor work. It gives me many options for holding and manipulating work.
dave
I am very lucky to have this chance to build my shop from scratch. I used to have to make do with whatever space I could adapt to. I have this one chance and I am taking my time to do it as well as I can. Stuart, that French bench has some features that you might want to consider and they can be adapted to other bench designs. The hour-glass shaped device with the holes is a sliding jack or deadman. It can be slid anywhere between the two leg vises. When inletting a buttplate, I can pinch the stock in a leg vise with it angled downward and the forestock anchored to the deadman with a holdfast. That locks the stock in tight and should make installing buttplates much easier for me. Think of a bench as a 3-D clamping tool rather than a table or bench. When building guns, it is really nice to be able to walk around the bench and work on all sides. The French bench is over-engineered largely to provide weight so it won't move during sawing and planing but doesn't need to be anchored to a wall. Those Pattern-makers vises are pretty nice, particularly for holding the stock after it is no longer squared. The holes in the bench top allow me to move the vises around and also install a bench rest for supporting a stock and use holdfasts to anchor work. It gives me many options for holding and manipulating work.
dave
To Fleener :::::
That's a sweet lil forge sitting there in the back..
Whisper baby, or home made ???
Nice setup..
Would send pics; but left my camera on work bench; and can't find it yet !!!! :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
Some day I gunna get organ-ized, somewhat !!!!
stay warm
thom
That's a sweet lil forge sitting there in the back..
Whisper baby, or home made ???
Nice setup..
Would send pics; but left my camera on work bench; and can't find it yet !!!! :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
Some day I gunna get organ-ized, somewhat !!!!
stay warm
thom
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