American here in Oundle (Peterborough) - Brand new to woodworking

[Inspector]

Hmmmmm.. Maybe you are right. I do have quite a bit of 18mm birch plywood, and it would make things a bit easier, as I would need to worry about wood movement with the mahogany, which I don't think is as much a condern with the birch plywood. Plus, it would not require stripping.

There you go. Nice to put the kidneys to work eh.

Pete

 

[shortbusruss]

Making some progress on storage. All rails in the drawer box, and a second drawer built and installed.

 

[Cabinetman]

Looking good Russ, just seen a young woman on fb that’s full of good ideas on workshop storage, Wilker Do’s , might be useful.
Ian

 

[Accipiter]

Certainly is looking good

 

[shortbusruss]

Also picked up a nice bandsaw for 150£ today. Wife is moderately annoyed as this tightens up the garage space for now.. But our referencing went through for the new rental, and the owners are great and have agreed to clear out the garage first, and allow me to move the woodshop before the official start date.. So she'll get over it..

 

[Mike]

Also picked up a nice bandsaw for 150£ today.

Congratulations on the purchase! The cast iron table will clean up nicely with some elbow grease and a random orbital sander. When you get settled in, contact Ian at Tuff Saws for good blades.

I have the Record Power BS350S that had the same mobility kit. After the first year of moving the saw around, the wheels started failing and I wanted to improve the base while adding some storage in the wasted space. Here is the thread on UKW showing my base, which should be ideal for your saw as well:

Record Power BS350S Bandsaw Modifications - Part 5: Base Replacement

I made several modifications to my Record Power BS350S bandsaw and documented them here in case anyone with a similar bandsaw was interested. Here are the modifications I made so far. I’ll update the list below with links to the other threads as I add them:: 1. Upgrade upper and lower blade...

www.ukworkshop.co.uk

After nearly five years of use, I am very happy with the modifications I made to my saw and the base is perfect for my limited space basement shop.

 

[shortbusruss]

Congratulations on the purchase! The cast iron table will clean up nicely with some elbow grease and a random orbital sander. When you get settled in, contact Ian at Tuff Saws for good blades.

I have the Record Power BS350S that had the same mobility kit. After the first year of moving the saw around, the wheels started failing and I wanted to improve the base while adding some storage in the wasted space. Here is the thread on UKW showing my base, which should be ideal for your saw as well:

Record Power BS350S Bandsaw Modifications - Part 5: Base Replacement

I made several modifications to my Record Power BS350S bandsaw and documented them here in case anyone with a similar bandsaw was interested. Here are the modifications I made so far. I’ll update the list below with links to the other threads as I add them:: 1. Upgrade upper and lower blade...

www.ukworkshop.co.uk

After nearly five years of use, I am very happy with the modifications I made to my saw and the base is perfect for my limited space basement shop.

I may try some of your upgrades. For now.. The bandsaw came without the upper tensioning knob, so I need to either order a replacement from Record, or finally set up my 3D printer and print one. I haven't taken the time yet to make sure the cast iron worktop is square to the blade, haven't dialed in the side guides or rear stop, etc. It will be some time before the bandsaw is usable. I did watch the video of how to do all this and it seems very straightforward, but storage is the priority right now.

Last night, I cut and sanded the sides for the other 4 drawers, so they should be ready for drillng pocket holes, and assembly, once I go out to the greenhouse to pick up a few more 1/4" plywood bottoms and cut them. I have a line on a set of 10 muted gold drawer handles for the false fronts. I think I may just go ahead with the plan to use the birch plywood stained black for false fronts, and trim out the rest of the front of the 2x4 frame with unstained birch plywood. Or maybe just keep everything the same and use clear poly?

Hoping to have all six bare drawers in this evening. I figured out a solution where I clamp an appropriately sized height of 18mm plywood with a tacked on 1/4" plywood "runner", sitting on top on the next lower rail clamped to each side of the cabinet carcass, to support each drawer at the right height. Felt squirrelly the first time I tried it because the drawers went in so tight. Drawer slid smoothly as soon as I removed the supports.

 

[shortbusruss]

Didn't feel like getting dirty tonight, so decided to just assemble the 4 drawer sides, and will try to cut thebottoms and attach them tomorrow.

 

[shortbusruss]

Got around to cutting the bottoms for the drawers this evening.. A few months ago, I bought a bunch of 1/4" squares from delivery packaging, and this is what I used for the bottoms. By some miracle, when I cut the bottoms of the first two large drawers.. The offcuts perfectly matched the two smaller drawers, making finishing up a bit quicker. I feel that maybe the drawers are not quite installed right enough to allow for flush false fronts.But I think I might just take a break from this project and get on to building a combo table saw/router workbench.

 

[shortbusruss]

So, new things afoot! I am awake early AM thinking through what the new few months hold in store..

I am moving house from Oundle to Denford, likely starting 1 Dec. The new place is about 20 minutes down the road, and this means we can move pretty much all the small stuff ourselves, and hire a moving company for a "heavy items only" move. The new place has a good 600 sq ft more space, and laid out so that pretty much everything can be placed immediately in it's "forever home" as soon as it is unloaded. Meaning I can rent a panel van, pull loaded drawers out of cabinets, and then slap them right back in when cabinets arrive. Load kitchen stuffs in open boxes put them straight in cabinets, reuse boxes for next load.

New house owners have agreed to clearout garage first,so I can move woodshop before we get the keys, clearing out old garage for staging items to load in self move van. We'll hire a moving company to move washer/dryer, dining room table, billiard slates, etc.

I am very excited for this move. There is definitely a little cost involved, but it's the little things. Just me and my wife and a cat in a huge house, but things like being able to set up the conservatory with our 3 cardio machines + Olympic weight setup, means we free up the garage AND a small bedroom for other uses. Like dedicating a single bedroom to storage, with the rest of the house being completely uncluttered.

I am thinking now about whether I want to build a rolling cart for moving individual billiard slates for our pool table. It will have to wait until early to mid January to be reassembled by a table tech. Need to get through the move to do a full inventory, as the table techs in Germany took it down to the bolts (not my choice).

I have some time to dedicate to finishing a few projects before we have to start the move. Planning on kocking out a wood storage cart today to consolidate all the plywood I have cluttering up the garage now, that will provide an easy way to move all those to the new property. Also, need to get the combo table saw/router bench built. Those two projects will actually clear out a lot of space in the garage currently taken up by plywood sitting on top of workstands for cutting.

 

[shortbusruss]

Building a small rolling wood storage cart... Won't be likely to put full sheets on it, so going with two A frames for the 4 foot span. Still a little bit more to do, as the A frames are not attached to the base yet..

 

[Cabinetman]

Sounds like you’ve got the move well planned Russ, (very different to our move grrrr.) can’t see on the pic but I recommend two fixed wheels and two casters on your dolly, makes it much more manageable.
Exciting time for you, a new workshop is a wonderful thing.
Ian

 

[shortbusruss]

Sounds like you’ve got the move well planned Russ, (very different to our move grrrr.) can’t see on the pic but I recommend two fixed wheels and two casters on your dolly, makes it much more manageable.
Exciting time for you, a new workshop is a wonderful thing.
Ian

Here is the current state.. I put multidirectional locking casters on all 4 feet, so that ship has sailed. I have hit a bit of a snag, as I chose the wrong length pocket screw for the first bottom lip, so that attachment is loose, and the pocket screws will not back out. Gonna remedy that by cutting a new piece of plywood to glue/screw to the full 2x4 + 3/4" base, and the front of the failed rail to stiffen things up.

Also, I thought the 4 foot span would be short enough for 4" wide 3/4" plywood strips to support enough weight, but it looks like they will probably sag a bit. I am going to try to remedy this by cutting a few 3/4" wide strips to laminated together to form a "spine" up the middle of the shelves.

Having to resort to a few workarounds, as I am running out of both plywood and 2x4s, and need to squeeze the combo table saw/router workbench out of remaining materials. The "correct" solution is to build a 3rd A frame to support the middle, but it is what it is. I want to get this cart done tomorrow, so I can start ripping up the mahogany drawers and get the material stored to free up workspace. With this new cart, things are getting crowded in the garage. I am expecting to use up the rest of the plywood, and collapse the temporary plywood storage/worktop today

 

[shortbusruss]

Fixed the loose lip (cuz they sink ships, don'tcha know?), put some runners on the second shelf, and put a "bucket front" on the other side.. Going forward, need to figure out how to cut the weird insert shapes. I do have the band saw, but have not rehabbed the cast iron work surface, or work on squaring the work surface or blade. Might just scrub the cast iron with an abrasive pad and WD-40, and just do a test piece, hoping for the best.

 

[shortbusruss]

Yesterday's mini project was to design and 3D print a replacement tensioning knob for my Record BS250 band saw. One thin walled protype to get dimensions dialed in, and the second iteration fit perfect.

 

[shortbusruss]

Got the wood cart front and back finished, pending glue drying. Fronts on separators are screwed in. Partially loaded up. Still need to finish the shelves with some 6mm plywood, but this is good enough for now. At least gets the medium/small bits off worktops..

Used the new (to me) Record BS250 bandsaw for the separators for the front buckets. It actually performed a lot better than I thought after I dialed it in. Cut the 18mm plywood like butter, a d felt I could have pushed through a lot faster than I actually ending up doing.

 

[shortbusruss]

Oh, and picking up this beaut tomorrow for 280£. Converted to single phase, fully restored. Startrite Mercury Mark II drill press. This beast weighs 170 pounds!

 

[Jonathan]

I’m jealous!
Here in Spain we don’t see opportunities like that.

 

[shortbusruss]

Woot woot! Knocked out the rolling cart and got her mounted up. Regulators, regulate!

 

[Cabinetman]

Woot woot! Knocked out the rolling cart and got her mounted up. Regulators, regulate!

Brill indeed!
Please be very careful when trundling it around that it doesn’t tip off, it wouldn’t end well for you or the drill. Are you going to bolt it down? Probably not a desirable thing to do?
Ian

 

[shortbusruss]

Brill indeed!
Please be very careful when trundling it around that it doesn’t tip off, it wouldn’t end well for you or the drill. Are you going to bolt it down? Probably not a desirable thing to do?
Ian

It is already bolted down with two bolts. Feels fairly stable These should 100% be bolted down. It will get more stable once I build some drawers and load them up.

 

[duke]

Got the wood cart front and back finished, pending glue drying. Fronts on separators are screwed in. Partially loaded up. Still need to finish the shelves with some 6mm plywood, but this is good enough for now. At least gets the medium/small bits off worktops..

Used the new (to me) Record BS250 bandsaw for the separators for the front buckets. It actually performed a lot better than I thought after I dialed it in. Cut the 18mm plywood like butter, a d felt I could have pushed through a lot faster than I actually ending up doing.

Years ago in my old woodshop I built one like yours but larger and soon found out it couldn't meet my needs. So I took it apart and used the lumber for a wall mounted rack. Keeping in mind I had plenty of room to do this.

 

[shortbusruss]

Not been doing woodworking the past week, but have a three day weekend, and picked up some birch plywood for more drawer boxes and drawers, and a worktop for the drill press yesterday.

The one thing I have been missing is a woodworking vise and I just locked down this quick release vise for 20£. Wife and I are headed out to Costco in about an hour, and it just so happens to be on the way.

 

[shortbusruss]

Andddd... Vise cleaned thoroughly with methylated spirits, paint spatter removed, lubed with dy lube, and installed! This was a job and a half when it came to holding up the vise with one hand laying on the ground long enough to get a clamp on it. Once I did, lag bolts went in easy as you please.

 

[Pete Maddex]

Andddd... Vise cleaned thoroughly with methylated spirits, paint spatter removed, lubed with dy lube, and installed! This was a job and a half when it came to holding up the vise with one hand laying on the ground long enough to get a clamp on it. Once I did, lag bolts went in easy as you please.

Next time clamp a length of wood in the vice to support it.

Pete

 

[Mike G]

Don't forget to add wooden jaws to that vice, coming flush with the top of the bench. It's virtually unusable without.

 

[shortbusruss]

Don't forget to add wooden jaws to that vice, coming flush with the top of the bench. It's virtually unusable without.

;-)

 

[shortbusruss]

Filled all the pocket holes in the workbench drawers, chiseled off the excess, sanded them down, and installed drawer handles. Looks pretty rough, but in retrospect, the workbench is not exactly square, and as this was my first project, I did not have the experience to either build the drawer box as a self-contained squared off assembly, and did not space the drawer box properly to account for either inset, or overlay drawers.

I got the spacing pretty good for the lower drawer to prevent dust intrusion, but may end up rebuilding the top two to close that gap a little.

Everybody's advice to not obsess about aesthetics at first while I am learning was correct. I am "comfortable enough" with how the overall workbench turned out, given as it is usable, and has plenty of storage.

I am getting better, and am going to try to do a better job on the drawers for the pillar drill cart. Going to attempt a drawer box using stretchers, and inset drawers.

 

[duke]

An easy fix to your pocket screw issue is to add a drawer front which can be flush with your cabinet front.
I know more work but it will look good. In the future drill the pocket screws etc. where they won't be seen, that is on the inside or backside of the drawer. Looking good, when do you move to your new shop?

 

[duke]

Oh, I guess you had problems sleeping posting this early in your morning.

 

[Mike G]

;-)

That's a very unorthodox arrangement. I predict that you'll end up re-mounting the vice, either with an apron on the bench acting as the back jaw, or with a back jaw sitting against the edge of the bench top.....and, with the vice mounted higher. With 2 or 3 inches of wood sticking up above the castings, at the very least you'll get flex such that the wooden jaws splay at the top under load, and eventually, they'll just break.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

That's a very unorthodox arrangement. I predict that you'll end up re-mounting the vice, either with an apron on the bench acting as the back jaw, or with a back jaw sitting against the edge of the bench top.....and, with the vice mounted higher. With 2 or 3 inches of wood sticking up above the castings, at the very least you'll get flex such that the wooden jaws splay at the top under load, and eventually, they'll just break.

I agree - you'll thank us later if you adapt your fixed jaw position so that it sits right up against the worktop edge, so it's a continuous flat surface from worktop -> fixed jaw -> outer jaw.




And as Mike says - even *better* if the ionner jaw is actually part of a continuous apron that runs around the workbench so that the inner jaw isn't a step like mine and virtually "doesn't exist"...

I like your conclusion and comment about other people's comments from the beginning of the thread - that's a difficult thing for some people to acknowledge and say out loud. I salute you.


I also echo the idea that false fronts would "improve" your drawers - even if you just use something like cheap 9mm ply - and extend them to "cover" the edge of the outside panel and almost half the edge of the inside panel - that'd look really great and stop virtually all of the dust ingress...

 

[Woodbloke]

And as Mike says - even *better* if the ionner jaw is actually part of a continuous apron that runs around the workbench so that the inner jaw isn't a step like mine and virtually "doesn't exist"...

I disagree. It's not necessarily written on a tablet of stone that the back has to be part of the continuous apron. My Record vice has been mounted with a 'step' for the last 25 years and 10 years before that on my first bench:



More than once, that little 'step' has proved invaluable, particularly when there's been something awkward to hold, but agreed yes, flush to the top of bench as shown - Rob

 

[shortbusruss]

I agree - you'll thank us later if you adapt your fixed jaw position so that it sits right up against the worktop edge, so it's a continuous flat surface from worktop -> fixed jaw -> outer jaw.

View attachment 59403


And as Mike says - even *better* if the ionner jaw is actually part of a continuous apron that runs around the workbench so that the inner jaw isn't a step like mine and virtually "doesn't exist"...

I like your conclusion and comment about other people's comments from the beginning of the thread - that's a difficult thing for some people to acknowledge and say out loud. I salute you.


I also echo the idea that false fronts would "improve" your drawers - even if you just use something like cheap 9mm ply - and extend them to "cover" the edge of the outside panel and almost half the edge of the inside panel - that'd look really great and stop virtually all of the dust ingress...

This being my first project, there are numerous problems, such as the drawer box having not being built as a single square box, but rather a top and three legs that was pocket holed down into a preexisting floor that was already likely not completely square itself. It is a minor miracle that all the drawers even insert and move back and forth smoothly. Also, I did not properly set the drawerbox back with proper spacing, so the gap is inconsistent, preventing a nice clean inset. The drawers do not sit at a consistent depth either, so I am not even sure if overlay false fronts will work. And realistically.. I did not plan in any way for the vise attachment when building the workbench, so the top sticks out a good 4"+ from the framing, so that is why the vise is sitting out further than necessary. Because I just used 2 2x4s and a 3x2 screwed once after the other to extend the mounting point.

On top of all that.. I still have to build drawer boxes and drawers for both the miter saw workbench, and pillar drill rolling cart. And build an entirely new combo workbench for table saw/router So, while I acknowledge I probably need to do some more work on the main assembly workbench shown above... Time is a constraint, and I only have a few weeks to get all that done before we start the move to the new rental. I am thinking about getting all that done if I can, then moving the full workshop into a storage unit closer to the destination house, to free up room to clean out the garage to act as load staging area.

On a positive note.. The main assembly workbench is "usable" for now.. And I learned a lot over the few workbenches I have built, and the pillar drill rolling cart has turned out tons better than the other two workbenches. I am planning on building the drawer box out with stretchers instead of a full top to save material, but going to cut slots into the sides for these instead of wrestling with connecting 4 full sized panels.2 sides and a bottom, with stretchers on top and back, with an additional 6mm back for antiracking support. And I plan to make it rigid and completely square before inserting it. And the drawer box will be precisely set back 18mm to provide the ability to do inset false fronts.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

.. Time is a constraint,

I hear you. It always is.

Good going so far.