Making a Portable Bench Top

 A while ago photographs of a portable workbench call the "milkman's bench" were floating around the world wide web. This bench looked as though it was a larger version of a carvers bench top. It is designed to hold wood while you work on it. The "milkman's bench" uses vises rather than 'dogs' to hold the work.

Milkman's Bench

Recently a major tool company has begun selling small portable  bench tops using dogs and rail mounted clamping in place instead of screw vises.

 I have begun working on my own version of the 'dog hole' bench top. Interestingly the body of this bench top is recycled skid wood. The rugged quality of the 2 x 4's should be solid enough for this project.

 First all the rough pieces of skid were sawn on the table saw to get square edges and then glued it together.  

Pocket ZIP SLOT

Mortise Mill 

 When gluing I don't usually use biscuits or dowels but in this case I decided I wanted extra strength and alignment so I used my Mortise Mill to cut slots for floating tenons. 

 Once I trim all the edges square I am going to put a 3/4 inch hardwood frame around the edges and drill the 3/4 inch dog holes in the body. Once this portable bench top is done I can use it for holding wood for carving or the ash wood rounds with which I have been working.

 It has been a couple of very nice days here, we've been out bike riding, walking and motorcycling.  Now the walk that needs to be done is following the lawn mower.

cheers, ianw

  

Build a Desk Organizer

Build a Desk Organizer. (or a wood bench organizer)

  I have spent the last couple of days away on a short trip to Niagara Falls Ontario.  Eva and I wondered about wine country, had a great dinner and relaxed at a nice hotel for over night.  This is all offered as a preamble to the fact that for two days I have made no saw dust whatever.

  Even though I was not working in the shop I have been checking out my favourite woodworking blogs and I found this one.

   Sometimes the blogs are hand tools, this one is power to the people. Brian does use a block plane to clear up the extra width the jointer leaves, a good idea. But everything else is:
table saw,  jointer, planer, router for the floating tenons.  I think I would use my JessEm Pocket Zip Slot  for the tenons. The pocket Zip Slot is quick, easy and fits in a nice box out of the way when don't need it.

 cheers, ianw

Slip Joint Mortise and Tenon Joints

http://www.jessem.com/POCKET_ZIP_SLOT.html

 A few weeks ago I was in Barrie at the JessEm factory and picked up a Pocket Zip Slot.  The Zip Slot idea has been around for a number of years but I had not had a chance to try it out until now.


  My initial impression was that the system for cutting mortises for loose tenons looked like a good idea and once I got it in hand my impression was proven correct.  I can't see the system replacing a mortising machine but for light use it works just fine.  

 After playing with it a bit I undertook a project, an actual project  shows the ease of use and quality of finish best.  The mirror in the photo had each of its corners reinforced with a loose tenon.  It made for a much stronger miter corner and it made clamping easier too, since the joint could not slip out of alignment as easily.

While the instructions say that a cordless drill is all that is required I found that my corded drill spun faster and so did a quicker and cleaner job cutting the slots.

  Like doweling, these loose tenons will find their way into my collection of tools and be used various times over the course of the year's work.  I found the Pocket Zip Slot quick and easy to use and liked the results I achieved.


The Small Print:
  I did not buy this tool, it was given to me by Darren Smith, the inventor and man behind JessEm.