Author Topic: Bow bench  (Read 2457 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Hawkdancer

  • Member
  • Posts: 5,039
Bow bench
« on: October 10, 2017, 11:12:20 pm »
I need a good clear build plan for a bow bench.  Looked at Jawge's, but couldn't quite put everything in order.  The mind goes first, don't remember what is second >:D :BB!  Got lumber, got wood vise, even almost got space, what next?  Thanks
Hawkdancer
Life is far too serious to be taken that way!
Jerry

Offline Pat B

  • Administrator
  • Member
  • Posts: 37,611
Re: Bow bench
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2017, 11:15:34 pm »
I used those plastic sawhorse leg holders on a 2x8  bench with 2x4 legs.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline lebhuntfish

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,823
  • If the wood will bend, I'll make it beautiful!
Re: Bow bench
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2017, 12:33:54 am »
Do a Google search for "Champion the Lumber Horse".  Easy to make and all out of 2x4 material.  Ive had mine for about 3 or 4 years.  Work great and its pretty light weight as well.

Patrick
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline Knoll

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,016
  • Mikey
Re: Bow bench
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2017, 09:40:15 pm »
In my experience, you'll likely appreciate a machinist vise more than the wood vise. A big machinist vise.
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline Morgan

  • Member
  • Posts: 1,028
Re: Bow bench
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2017, 09:48:29 pm »
Do a Google search for "Champion the Lumber Horse".  Easy to make and all out of 2x4 material.  Ive had mine for about 3 or 4 years.  Work great and its pretty light weight as well.

Patrick
I like it! I have an old torn up weight bench that I've been intending to turn into one of these, think I'll marry it into this design.

Offline lebhuntfish

  • Member
  • Posts: 3,823
  • If the wood will bend, I'll make it beautiful!
Re: Bow bench
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2017, 02:47:24 pm »
Awesome,  would love to see what you come up with!

Patrick
Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout!

Missouri, where all the best wood is! Well maybe not the straightest!

Building a bow has been the most rewarding, peaceful, and frustrating things I have ever made with my own two hands!

Offline LittleBen

  • Member
  • Posts: 190
Re: Bow bench
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2017, 08:52:30 pm »
I built two based on the plans by Ana White called Easy DIY Garage Workshop Workbench. I modified the dimensions to end up with a bench that was 24" wide x 72" long. Perfect size for bow building and other hand-tool woodworking.
I liked this design because no it uses cheap 2x4s, goes together with glue and screws (no complex joinery like some of the fancier benches), and the legs are doubled up 2x4s so it's pretty solid.
I would guess each of mine weigh about 50lbs ... so light enough to move around if you need but strong enough that if you add some weight to the bottom you can do some draw knife work without it dragging across the floor.

They're certainly not perfect, but I think I built 2 benches for $75 or something like that. 3/4" pine ply top, 1/2" for the shelf.

I always think about building a nice solid wood bench with a thick maybe 3-4" thick top, but then I realize my simple benches do everything I need. One day I'll add another layer of 3/4" ply onto them and that will add enough mass and stiffness to the top that I'll be happy for another 5 or 10 years.

Oh yeah ... for a vise I have an old 4" bench vise ... again, I always think about getting a new one, but this one works just fine. I may install a woodworking type vise on the side one day, but I'll keep my bench vise because it's just more convenient to have you're stave completely above the top of the table and not clamped onto the side.

Offline DC

  • Member
  • Posts: 10,396
Re: Bow bench
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2017, 10:55:24 am »
Look for old solid doors. They make a nice top and you can probably get beat up ones free.