Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: justsomedude on February 05, 2017, 11:44:37 pm

Title: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: justsomedude on February 05, 2017, 11:44:37 pm
Someday I will build a shave horse.......

I have been clamping my work to deck railing which is better than nothing for sure. I try to do the messiest work outdoors. Sawhorses don't stay still very well (ok for rasp work but not draw knife). Any good tips? I have blocked in sawhorses with cinder blocks which works ok.

I haven't gotten a proper vise yet. Planning to try a cheap carpenter's vise.

Any tips?
Thanks!
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: Selfbowman on February 05, 2017, 11:54:09 pm
A six in. bench vice mounted on a piece of 3-4 " square tubing concreted in the ground at bench ht. works real good. Arvin
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: DC on February 06, 2017, 12:09:48 am
I would say try to arrange it so you have access to both sides of the stave.
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: Eric Krewson on February 06, 2017, 09:36:44 am
I have a heavy duty one you can have, I made about 50 bows on it. Ugly, not the best carpentry job but it works.

When I build my new shop I consigned  my old work bench to the basement as a catch all for a variety of stuff.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/shop%20pictures/old%20work%20bench%20001_zpsg8smjcyq.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ekrewson/media/shop%20pictures/old%20work%20bench%20001_zpsg8smjcyq.jpg.html)

I made a much nicer workbench for my new shop.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/ekrewson/shop%20pictures/shop%20clean%20up%20complete%20002_zpsq0ldbslj.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ekrewson/media/shop%20pictures/shop%20clean%20up%20complete%20002_zpsq0ldbslj.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: ksnow on February 06, 2017, 09:38:04 am
Here is a very simple to build and inexpensive shave horse.  A couple 2x6's and a few 2x10 cutoffs.

(https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5617/32206910002_3032d6321b_k.jpg)
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: stuckinthemud on February 06, 2017, 05:18:58 pm
Mine is an old pine-plank out-house door, I made a sub-frame and legs from some scrap timber and screwed it to the wall by its own hinges at a height that fits me nicely - best thing about building your own is you don't have to put up with something the wrong height.  My best modification was bolting a chest-high 4x4 pillar to one of the legs. I finished it off with a couple of shelves, big mistake - their full of clutter, chips and saw-dust..... Lots of cleats and shop-made face plates took the place of vices and hold-downs until I inherited a couple - total cost was zero - been using it for 15 years.  For a while I wish I'd stripped the paint off it as the paint rubbed off on stuff for the first few jobs but its all good now. Keep meaning to take it apart and do it again properly, was only meant to be a temporary lash-up  ;)
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: DC on February 06, 2017, 06:42:30 pm
How do you keep stuff from falling though the crescent ;) ;)
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: Clay B on February 06, 2017, 06:57:46 pm
I got a really good bench from Costco. It was pretty inexpensive, and it's really well built. The vice I have is my grandpas old vice, so I can't give too much in the way of suggestions there. I guess I would say that you might want to look at thrift stores and garage sales. It's not too hard to tell if a vice is decent or not. Hope this helps and good luck!
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: mikekeswick on February 07, 2017, 03:24:06 am
You want an engineers vice with 4 inch jaws and as mentioned earlier a piece of steel box section concreted into the ground.
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: loon on February 07, 2017, 04:15:07 am
I just bolted some cheap 4" vise to a particle board desk. Not very good, moves around quite a bit, but still much better than nothing..
wonder if I could bolt some steel to the floor of the garage somehow
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: stuckinthemud on February 07, 2017, 09:07:07 am
How do you keep stuff from falling though the crescent ;) ;)

Makes a great hole for a hold-fast and I stick the bin under it so's I don't have to sweep the bench down >:D
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: stuckinthemud on February 07, 2017, 09:09:05 am
I just bolted some cheap 4" vise to a particle board desk. Not very good, moves around quite a bit, but still much better than nothing..
wonder if I could bolt some steel to the floor of the garage somehow
Put a bag of sand on a cross-piece between the legs - this works for those fold-able work-benches as well
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: justsomedude on February 07, 2017, 09:32:08 am
I need to be able to do my dirty work outside as much as possible. Clamping a carpenters vise to railings or to a supported sawhorse gets my by.

I have what would be a great workspace with a bench but it is full of STORAGE.
I see a bonfire in my future......
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: osage outlaw on February 07, 2017, 10:27:40 am
My workbench started out as 2x6 hand rails.  Then it spent a brief amount of time as a trebuchet.  Finally I turned it into a rolling workbench roughly 2' x 3'.  I have a decent sized vise on one corner and a MissleMaster bow press on the other corner.  I move that workbench all around my shop and garage depending on the weather. 
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: Springbuck on February 07, 2017, 12:17:51 pm
 I raided a construction site dumpster for my first shaving horse. But, even having one, I use my bench and vise a lot.  2x4's and screws will get you a long way, if you can find something solid to anchor it to like a wall.
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: darinputman on February 07, 2017, 11:47:31 pm
(http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj633/darinputman/8b087612-34bd-457b-a51f-ac7de740565e.jpg) (http://s1271.photobucket.com/user/darinputman/media/8b087612-34bd-457b-a51f-ac7de740565e.jpg.html) Don't get much cheaper than this, actually had a good bench inside but back would hurt from bending over too much and hard to clean around. Now I can just pick up end and roll out of way to clean under or work outside. No problem chasing rings wheels don't engage unless end is lifted.   
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: justsomedude on February 08, 2017, 12:05:20 am
Nice!
I was considering something like that a little longer with a bench on it like a shave horse.
Just a long asymmetrical sawhorse.
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: jeffp51 on February 08, 2017, 02:25:11 am
I made this shave horse from a 2x8 and some 2x2s and 2x4s.  Took me an afternoon and not much money.  best thing I ever did for bow making.  there are lots of plans you can modify on line.
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: HighEagle on February 14, 2017, 12:30:29 pm
Look in the DEC-JAN 2015/16  issue of Primitive Archer Vol. 23 issue 6, " Treadle Shaving Horse" By Neal Ritter
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: justsomedude on February 18, 2017, 04:05:12 pm
I built a 2'x4' 3/4" plywood table with overbuilt scrap lumber 2x6 legs and a heavy shelf to keep it stable.  I mounted a bench vise on a 2x10x24" that can be clamped down when used. I mounted a carpenters vise on the front.

I just made a tiller tree out a 2x4 cut eye level. Bow sits on top with a quick clamp over it. 130# rated 3/4" screw eye in the 2x4 connected a 800# rated screw link connected to 125# pulley. 124# 1/4" rope with a figure 8 on a bight wrapped around the finger grooves of my scale. Two hand loops tied in the rope to make it easy to pull and hold.

For now I am clamping the tree to the table so that I am free to try it in different places.
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: justsomedude on February 18, 2017, 04:31:19 pm
I put a 4" 2x4 block 2" from the top. Glued it on plus 4 2 1/2" screws.
The quick clamp is just insurance.
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: stuckinthemud on February 18, 2017, 04:45:02 pm
That's a cracking idea, I'm gonna steal that!
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: justsomedude on February 18, 2017, 04:51:50 pm
I cut the top end off of a wooden yardstick so it measures from the top of the tree. I can just offset the actual drawlength from the difference between the top of my bow and the top of the tree.
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: justsomedude on February 18, 2017, 05:01:10 pm
Pull loops are a series of overhand on a bight allowing me to work the pulley from different distances.
I added a hook on the side to conveniently hang the rope and scale when not in use
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: justsomedude on February 18, 2017, 05:02:15 pm
Here's the knots....
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: osage outlaw on February 18, 2017, 06:43:32 pm
Nice bench.  Your fades and inner 3rd of the limbs are stiff.  Especially the upper one. 
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: justsomedude on February 18, 2017, 09:54:22 pm
Nice bench.  Your fades and inner 3rd of the limbs are stiff.  Especially the upper one.

Yep...I'm afraid to work it much more as it has lost weight...and it shoots really well. I was going for negative tiller and I got that :) I made the handle and fades too long as well. But now that I have a tiller tree, I might try to smooth it out. Would still be fun if it drops to a 35#
Title: Re: Workbench on the cheap?
Post by: osage outlaw on February 18, 2017, 09:58:30 pm
That bow is whip tillered.  Most of the bend is happening in the outer portion of the limbs.  If you don't want to lose any more weight on that one start a new one and try using a tillering gizmo to get an even bend over the full length of the limbs.  You need to give that new bench a test run anyway.