Portable Workbench Build Process

30/3/2021

With all the rails adjusted again, I decided it was time to go for the big assemble! I started by gluing the stretcher bar flange onto the bar using Loctite 603.

I then clamped both ends of the bench to my workbench to make sure the feet were sitting flat and level. For the front feet, this was easy. For one of the back feet I used a hold-down clamp through one of the dog holes in my bench. I've only got one hold-down clamp (another one is now on order!) so I had to improvise for the other clamp by fixing one of my dog-hole fillers to the bench from underneath and then using a milling clamp.

The original plan (and the reason for the very wide feet) was that the feet would all lie over holes in my bench (which would give me options like having holes through the feet and clamping down that way), but that's not possible with the shortened feet, so I'll just use hold-down clamps, which will do the job just fine.

Next job was to fill the three 30 mm holes with lots of epoxy. I then removed the vice mechanism from the standard vice & fitted the stretcher bar. I could then slide the vice mechanism back into place and align the stretcher bar so that the flange could be screwed to the vice mechanism. Getting the last screw into the vice mechanism was an interesting endeavour with the extra jam bar in place, but I got there in the end.

Next I slid the rails out and covered the bit where they touch in glue:

I then fitted the rails, clamped them in place sideways and used a combined pilot drill and countersink followed by a 5 mm clearance drill to prepare the holes for fixing the rails with 60 mm long 5 mm screws.

It's all looking very permanent:

A quick test fit of the top to make sure I hadn't done anything stupid:

The area where the dual-screw vice foot meets the rails struck me as a little weak. The buttons will be grabbing onto this to hold the top on, but this didn't look especially strong:

I had an offcut of beech that was (surprisingly) the right thickness, so I got the Ryoba out and cut a few little triangles:

I then covered them and the slot in glue and banged them into place. Hopefully that will help keep the rail and the foot together a bit better:

I did all four corners because, well, why not?

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