What's On Your Workbench?

[rwkeating]

Oh, and the cheap Forstner bits were $10.
I'll try them out on non instrument stuff. I don't expect them to be very good. But we'll see.

Since I use mine mostly for removing material, those work fine. Funny thing, I got those 7 drill bits, but not 7 different sizes. Two of them were the same size (I think I was missing the 7/8th" and got two 3/4", but I'm going my memory.) You might want to check you got all the correct sizes so you don't find out later when you really needed it. Still, I found the set a good value.

 

[JIO]

I'm leaving to pick one up within the hour.
I still have some cleaning and setup to do in the basement where I started making room to expand the work area, so I won't use it right away. I don't really need it until the WBO, which has all these stupid rules about not starting until the end of Dec, but once I have it set up, I'll try it out with some scrap and report back.

Thanks - I'd appreciate your insights after using it.

 

[RichterScale]

I remembered that I still had these aluminum angles from an old server rack.
I just propped everything up temporarily, to get a look at how it might work out.
I think this will be a nice little rig for hogging out cavities.

 

[Beej]

I remembered that I still had these aluminum angles from an old server rack.
I just propped everything up temporarily, to get a look at how it might work out.
I think this will be a nice little rig for hogging out cavities.
View attachment 4470099

This is a good example of why I spend so much time here in the LC. So many cool ideas.

 

[RichterScale]

Done.
I used whatever I had laying around the shop.
Just have to bolt it to a table (and make sure it's acceptably square).

 

[Jeff Siddall]

Done.
I used whatever I had laying around the shop.
Just have to bolt it to a table (and make sure it's acceptably square).
View attachment 4470224

Looks great. That looks like some suitably substantial angle aluminum there! Curious to see how well it works.

 

[RichterScale]

The big side pieces are 5/16" thick and the top pieces are a hair under 1/4". Roughly 7/32".
I don't have a caliper at work, I just eyeballed it with a tape measure.
There's a tiny bit of flex (twist) in the top. It's probably fine, but I'm going to box it in and see if that stiffens it up even more.

 

[Slidlow]

The big side pieces are 5/16" thick and the top pieces are a hair under 1/4". Roughly 7/32".
I don't have a caliper at work, I just eyeballed it with a tape measure.
There's a tiny bit of flex (twist) in the top. It's probably fine, but I'm going to box it in and see if that stiffens it up even more.

If you spaced out the two small angles and used a plate in between to mount the press too that might reduce flex.

 

[dwizum]

Maybe I'm missing something but do you have any height adjustment capability with this?

 

[RichterScale]

Maybe I'm missing something but do you have any height adjustment capability with this?

I do not.
I considered it, but I didn't want to make it too complicated, or add places where I could introduce more spots for movement and going out of square.
I figure I'll stack 3/4" MDF under the work to raise it off the table. I couldn't cut the the upright column on the drill any shorter because I need clearance for the press handle.
It should be okay for hogging out cavities, since I don't have to go all the way through.

 

[RichterScale]

Anyway, this is all Matt's fault, because he said this,

One other thing to consider on the drill press. The distance from the chuck to the column. The 2 bench top drill presses I have don’t have very much reach there. You can’t, for example, predrill an entire pickup route with a Forstner bit if it’s toward the middle of a body

 

[5tring]

If you spaced out the two small angles and used a plate in between to mount the press too that might reduce flex.

^ This ^

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Anyway, this is all Matt's fault, because he said this,

Awww, shucks! I’ll also say that you probably don’t want to use that spade bit for body cavities. Use the Forstners I believe you just bought. I’m also interested to see how that works out.

 

[RichterScale]

you probably don’t want to use that spade bit for body cavities

Demonstrational purposes only.

 

[RichterScale]

I got that table back together and staged the new tools for a glam shot.
That likely won't be their permanent home, but it'll do for now. I want to cut a big slot in the table, under the drill, like a big coin slot. That way I can hold a body or body wing vertically for drilling jack holes/recesses. I'll have to devise some type of clamp system under the table. But, not sure I wanna do it to that table.
Anyway, that table top is 4'x5'x2" thick, maple. It's a little hefty. When I was trying to gingerly place it on the legs, I leaned forward and heard a loud pop in my hamstring. And yeah,....it hurt. So, I hurried up and lagged the top down and threw the tools up there, before the swelling or whatever is gonna happen, happened. I've pulled/strained a lot of muscles in my time, even have horrible back spasms on occasion. First time I ever heard a loud pop like that. I didn't feel any weird, bunched up muscle, like when a window shade rolls up, so who knows what it was.
If I can walk tomorrow, I'll hobble my ass down there and get some work done. I can use the sander for the CBG body and test it out (almost forgot about that thing).

 

[Flamingo21]

glam shot.

Dog Bowl Guitars, inc.

 

[dwizum]

It's tomorrow, I hope you're feeling better. Loud pops don't sound fun!

 

[Delusionati]

Oh wow I suck at photo.
Here's a blurry picture of my first workbench just completed.
Since it was a topic in this thread a couple of months ago, it is 98cm (38 1/2") high. So far I like the extra height but I've only used it for planing wood so far.

 

[RichterScale]

I need to make one of those vises

 

[Flamingo21]

it is 98cm (38 1/2")

I'm sorry, would that be height? width? depth?

Edit: I'm guessing it's height.