02-24-2016, 12:02 PM
Diminished hand strength is common with age, but sometimes difficulty is the fault of the tool. This is the case of my stubborn bench dogs.
First, a little background is in order. Twenty years ago I visited my dad and noticed that he had an Ulmia woodworkers bench in the corner of his workshop. He purchased it new as a project with intentions of learning how to use it. After a little arm twisting, I was also able to get him to help load the 200lb top in my truck. It has been my pride and joy since and has seen its share of planework. These dogs have had plenty of exercise in the past but not much lately.
While working on a project today, I found myself using a 2x4 to beat the dogs up from underneath. Enough! Time to wrestle the dogs. Here is what I found:
I polished the friction side and spring with 800 grit AO sandpaper and rubbed the sides with paste wax. Other surfaces were OK. The happy result was bench dogs that move with finger pressure again.
This is one of those projects where less is more. Five minutes of polish and wax made everything good for another five or ten years. No need to take a chisel to the mortices or do anything else drastic. I want this thing to be working in 100 years.
First, a little background is in order. Twenty years ago I visited my dad and noticed that he had an Ulmia woodworkers bench in the corner of his workshop. He purchased it new as a project with intentions of learning how to use it. After a little arm twisting, I was also able to get him to help load the 200lb top in my truck. It has been my pride and joy since and has seen its share of planework. These dogs have had plenty of exercise in the past but not much lately.
While working on a project today, I found myself using a 2x4 to beat the dogs up from underneath. Enough! Time to wrestle the dogs. Here is what I found:
I polished the friction side and spring with 800 grit AO sandpaper and rubbed the sides with paste wax. Other surfaces were OK. The happy result was bench dogs that move with finger pressure again.
This is one of those projects where less is more. Five minutes of polish and wax made everything good for another five or ten years. No need to take a chisel to the mortices or do anything else drastic. I want this thing to be working in 100 years.
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Please visit my website
splintermaking.com
Please visit my website
splintermaking.com
