Building my new bench!

[Beladran]

Well while others are partying an getting drunk I been working my tail off!
Dad had a bunch of oak and walnut air drying, but it's still long way off from being usable so had to scrap my solid wood idea an go for birch 3/4 ply o well. It will still look good when finished out. The work top is two pieces screwed an glued together
Here some pics of today's work. Should have it together an some poly on it tomorrow. Any suggestions while I still have it in these stage ?

 

[monk]

suggestion, yes. i've gone thru growing pains with benches over the years. my first was simply a small office desk. the last one i made , i did it twice as large as one would ever need. now it seems, i should have done the dang thing 4x at least. it's cool though, as there's no more rome to make it larger. my only recourse was to add more drawers. i think i have 14 now. the bench is still cluttered with stuff !

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

Dad had a bunch of oak and walnut air drying, but it's still long way off from being usable so had to scrap my solid wood idea an go for birch 3/4 ply o well.

By the time your ply bench top is getting rough, you can always resurface it with solid wood some day. One of my first work benches was a solid core oak veneer door. Heck, at one point, I had a whole jewelry and lapidary shop in a closet in an apartment. I made do with a lot of stuff through the years. Your new bench should serve you most of your lifetime. And, you are making it yourself!

 

[sam]

Glad to see you building your own bench, James. That's very satisfying work and you'll enjoy it for many years. I'm also glad to see you didn't make a really deep cutout in the top which is not always a good for engraving. What you have should be perfect.

My bench is 39" tall and my student bench is 36" tall. Either height is fine.

For microscope engraving your bench should be rock solid with no wobble. If not, then the microscope will amplify every movement and drive you crazy. You can't make it too strong and too sturdy.

I would encourage you to get a drill press stand for your engraving vise. It far more flexible than the GRS shelf system.

 

[tundratrekers@mtaonline.n]

AHHHHHH!

I spy an VW block in there.

Best wishes and success.

michael

 

[Beladran]

Lol a bench is like a shop no matter how big it is you are going to fill it up lol

There she is stained an one coat of varnish. Gonna take a break an try to enjoy my holiday weekend !
Sam my desk is 40 to the top an the "table" is 34
I think it's gonna be ok an yea I have been thinking hard about the drill press stand but I gotta slowly add goodies. Wife is giving me grief for having this inside

 

[Donny]

Wife doesn't want you staining in the house or engraving in the house? It's 108 here today...don't think I'd like to be doing either outside today!! HaHa!


Donny

 

[Beladran]

Both! Lol I think she found out about that new life insurance policy I got

 

[LVVP]

Very nice bench, thanks for sharing a picture

 

[Beladran]

Found my first problem last night.. My old meister vibrates a little an you can see it under the scope when you crank the power up. Wonder how well some of that thick foam mat works that helps prevent fatigue would do for vibration absorption ?

 

[Adder]

Hwo knows if it`s gonna work. You just have to try it, I presume

Really nice workstation. Love it!!

Jørn-Ove

 

[Bob A]

I think it's gonna be ok an yea I have been thinking hard about the drill press stand but I gotta slowly add goodies. Wife is giving me grief for having this inside

In the home shop machinist world it's referred to as "The Law of Four Machines". As they come in, the spouse will fixate on them... "The Lathe". "The Lathe and Mill". "The Lathe and Mill and Grinder".

When you go to four, the theory is that they simply become a lump of machines known as "Those darn machines". At that (theoretically) you can move them in an out with impunity. You're already at two, so you just have to get over the pain of the third.

You might also try isolating the shelf that the Meister sits on in addition to the machine itself (if it's removable). You can't take the vibration out of the machine, you can only isolate the vibration from the work (and the noise it'll create in the wood).

Great bench!!!! Bob

 

[Texasgerd]

One item I did note is you're cutting over a carpeted floor.
Words of advice......get something hard/impervious under you.
Another option is to use the fear of staining the carpet as leverage to get the wife to agree to have a dedicated studio built.
Let us know if that works out as we all would like to hear of someone being successful w/ that argument.

Dan

 

[Bob A]

One of the things I really liked about the bench is that the apron extends to the floor so little pieces can't scamper underneath it!

 

[sam]

Found my first problem last night.. My old meister vibrates a little an you can see it under the scope when you crank the power up. Wonder how well some of that thick foam mat works that helps prevent fatigue would do for vibration absorption ?

You'll probably have to move it to the floor. I don't think you'll be able to eliminate the vibration if it's in your bench, but I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Years ago, my Meister was "in" the bench at about the same position. It's possible my bench weighs more?

It is a copy of Victor Vasquez's bench... from 40+ years ago. His Meister eventually resided on the same shelf.


If the back of that bench is solid, I'd advise cutting at least a 6" hole in it, and adding a bathroom fan to circulate air.

Meisters get hot. No sense adding to it by putting it in enclosed (almost) space.


You can use closed cell foam under it and "eggshell" foam on the "box" walls to dampen the noise factor - but be SURE that there is good air circulation all around. (under/over/sides/ends)

You can also rig the bathroom fan to come on at the same time you switch on the Meister.


Brian

 

[phil]

You could remove that shelf on the bottom right and seat it directly on the floor. It wouldn't look out of place there. I also rigged up a fan but from the internals of an old PC. Its whisper quiet and keeps things very cool.