#Workhorse bench plus#

I’d much rather deal with a frustratingly tight fit at first than a super sloppy joint down the road. But I know that these legs will shrink over time. The fit I achieved was borderline too tight. So I took the time to set up my dado stack for a 3/4” bite per pass. That was way more work than I initially thought due to the size of the panel I was moving across the saw. In the Matchfit version, I used a single table saw blade to nibble the material away. With the legs done I now knew the exact width needed for the top dados. This is essentially creating a 90-degree corner that is on a specific angle from the length of the board. It’s just an angled reference face that rides against the fence.Īfter all the cuts are made in one direction the jig is rotated 90 degrees and the second cut is made. The notch cuts are then drawn onto the legs to make sure I don’t cut on the wrong faces. It’s just an angled piece of scrap sheet material with a stop on one end. Just like with the Matchfit version, I made a quick jig to cut the angled notch on the top of the legs. I gave the leg blanks a couple of hours in clamps and then milled them to their final size.

These bits also produce a clean exit hole.

It has the speed of an auger bit but the cut quality of a Forstner bit. This is an overdrive bit in the drill press. I needed the completed legs to size the dado’s for the leg-to-top connection and because they were still in clamps I started drilling the dog holes instead. In an effort to not start a trend I took the time to mark out the locations of all the finished geometry on the top panel. While previously building the Matchfit version, I screwed up the leg dados in the top piece and had to remake the top. With three of the faces already taken care of I continued cutting down the top panel to its final size. Power tools to the rescue! I started, once again, by milling some material for the legs. When I got back to the build I had no interest in finishing it with just hand tools. First, I was watching way too many Drew Fisher videos, and second, I spent way too much time the past two days trying to use nothing but hand tools.Īt this point, I walked away from the project for a week or so while I had contractors working in my backyard starting in on an outdoor kitchen project. It was somewhere around here I realized two things. But that part is always obvious.Īfter a cold plunge and night of rehab on my shoulders from the hand planing work, I got to work on the edge of the glued-up panel. Oh, and it’s a good idea to use winding sticks to make sure the boards aren’t twisted. While probably completely unnecessary, just like me, I followed up with a 4-1/2 smoothing plane to make the surface that nobody will ever be able to touch perfectly smooth.įrom here it’s a rinse and repeat process for the other three wide faces of the top assembly. With an aggressive set, the board is traversed in various directions to remove the high spots. In all seriousness, this is a TayTools 5-1/2 Jack Smoothing plane that is arguably the best bang for your buck in the hand plane market. The weapon of choice is a 6.9 pound iron paperweight that also conveniently shaves wood quite well. Here you can see the amount of cup that needs to be removed before I can glue these together.

#Workhorse bench plus#

The one board is cut into two bards plus firewood. The saw I’m using here is a 0.37 HP BearKat with an off-grid calorie-burning power plant.

The first step in this build is to crosscut a 2×12 southern yellow pine board for the two pieces that will make up the top. As Henry Ford once said, whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. If you think you do not need a workbench to build a workbench then you are correct. It’s kinda like “what came first? The chicken or the egg?” The truth is, if you think you need a workbench to build a workbench then you are correct.

You see here that I’m using a workbench to build a workbench. – Plans for this Work Horse (included with the MatchFit version): Īs I begin this project allow me to tell you a little secret. Before I begin, here are a few helpful links pertaining to the build: In this video and article, I’ll show you how I made another Work Horse but this time focused on traditional workholding options. It combines the workholding capability of a workbench with the portability and form factor of a saw horse. Cushioned storage console and two cup holders add comfort and convenience.Previously, I made a MATCHFIT Work Horse. Ultra neutral and wonderfully plush, the warm taupe upholstery is sure to complement an endless array of color schemes. Stylish elements of this contemporary reclining loveseat include biscuit back cushioning and incredibly thick and sumptuous pillow top armrests. Saddle up for affordably priced luxury with this reclining loveseat with console.