CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure

[mstens]

It could echo the through tenons in the middle.

[Ace Karner]

You could mortise small rectangles for you plug, they would mirror your thru tenons.

[Rob Hanson]

CT,

If you should use screws, re clamp and pull the cabinet tight and true. Drill, countersink and then release the clamps.

Relying on the screw to pull it tight works sometimes out of luck only. Screws will hold it put though if you can get it there. I'd use at least 6 screws to hold the pressure, because you are screwing into end grain. Better force distribution this way.

I like Drywall screws and a 3/64th bit, but if you want a wood screw, use a taper drill bit or drill for the thread shank diameter between threads, and the shaft diameter, above the threads of the screws you will use. Then wax them as you run them in. This will be the best way not to over stress the end grain and obtain a lasting hold.

You could in addition to the screws use some dowels and or miller dowels to help hold that joint, just install them between the screws. Once you cap them you will be the only person who won't know those are not all maple dowels.

Super nice work, Great ways to overcome the challenges as well!

[Bob Zajicek]

evenfall said:

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CT,

If you should use screws, re clamp and pull the cabinet tight and true. Drill, countersink and then release the clamps.

Relying on the screw to pull it tight works sometimes out of luck only. Screws will hold it put though if you can get it there. I'd use at least 6 screws to hold the pressure, because you are screwing into end grain. Better force distribution this way.

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What he said. Do not rely on the screws to pull this tight by themselves. Clamp and use cauls to get the center depressed while you screw it together. I'd probably add a few screws in the bottom too, while you're at it. If you need to purchase screws for this purpose, I suggest these http://www.spax.com/usa/ they're generally available at ACE Hardware locally. The threads have serrations and almost self boring. You won't need as large a pilot hole and they won't split end grain, yet have superior holding power. Good luck and HTH.

[FordPrefect]

Crooked Tail said:

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Any suggestions welcomed!

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Keeping in the tradition of this bench, you could always "just" build another cabinet. Use this one to store sandpaper, or, I dunno, ship it up to an, as yet, undisclosed location in Manitoba.

[Crooked Tail]

Haha, Ford, how bout if I build another base, I'll send you the poplar one. Heck, I'll even throw in the doug fir one for free! You just pay freight is all. It's the deal of the century!

Well, I should have waited for Bob's suggestion on cauls, but I'm on a mission, so I just did it. I used F-clamps to clamp it as well as I could. I think this might have been my problem at glue-up also. I didn't use cauls to keep it from bowing in the middle.

Thanks to evenfall for his advise on screwing this thing together without screwing it up. After my experience with the facevise, I really didn't want anything metal coming anywhere near the purpleheart. But I did like he said, and it all went together fine. I didn't have any drywall screws, so I used woodscrews, but these are good steel screws, not the usual BORG crap.

Not exactly the look I was going for, but it serves the purpose:



It does close the gaps at the dividers, and it pulled the bow down. Since it is squarer than before, it should be easier to make the doors and draws. Now I need to get busy on the lathe and make some plugs for the holes.

I couldn't resist sticking it in the bench first, though, just to make sure it fits. It was kind of a tight squeeze, and I almost got it stuck halfway. But I got it back out, and I greased up the stretchers with paste wax. Then it went in with no problem.







The screw holes are going to show a little bit. Oh well. Once plugged, they shouldn't look that bad. It probably would have looked better if I made the cabinet flush with the stretchers instead of flush with the legs, but I wanted to get the couple more inches of storage space.

Boy, those poplar legs look greener than ever. I knew I should have just broke down and did them out of maple. I guess I'll give them through the summer (if I can stand them that long), and if they don't loose the green color, I'll paint them to match the maple as close as possible.

Thanks again for all your help, guys! You're the best!

[Rob Hanson]

CT,

You could get some plug cutters from Lee Valley and cut your own out of the very wood you made the cabinet from, then you will have the best match, that is if you countersink the screws deep enough, and you still can if you haven't...

You can even cut the plugs from stock that matches grains and carefully orient them so they will hide well.

Mostly, you will be the only one who knows, because you know where to look and what the repair looked like... Others may never see it at all.

Just a thought

[Skip J.]

evenfall said:

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CT,

You could get some plug cutters from Lee Valley and cut your own out of the very wood you made the cabinet from, then you will have the best match, that is if you countersink the screws deep enough, and you still can if you haven't...

You can even cut the plugs from stock that matches grains and carefully orient them so they will hide well.

Mostly, you will be the only one who knows, because you know where to look and what the repair looked like... Others may never see it at all.

Just a thought

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What evenfall said - plug cutters are great, altho I use them on the drill press....

[Crooked Tail]

Hmm. I do not have a drill press. Can you use these with a cordless drill? I see LV has two types of plug cutters. These plug cutters say that they are only to be used in a drill press. But these cutters don't say anything either way.

[Rob Hanson]

Hi CT,

The Veritas® Tapered Snug-Plug® Cutters in the second link you have there.

The set of three will work with your cordless, and will offer you years of utility.

Order one of these too, when you make the buy. It is a flush cut saw.

It has been said that flush cutting saws will not mar your work. As handy as they are, do not be fooled.

Go to Home Depot and ask for a couple small formica samples. They have them so you can see what things look like at home, free. Bring them home and drill holes through them which fit over the diameters of your plugs. Place them over the plug when you saw the plug flush so you won't mar the surface of your work. then plane or sand the rest of the way flush.

Good Luck, HTH