Building a Bench on the Back of the SawStop *Almost Done*

Stuart Ablett

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Tokyo Japan
i want to add a bench to the back of the SawStop, I've got some wood and some ideas, here is the wood..........
SN3D0242.jpg SN3D0243.jpg
........Three slabs of a wood they are calling "Aka Tamo" or Red Ash. I checked online and it's English name seems to be "Siberian Elm" :dunno:

Each slab is 210cm long, 50cm wide and 3 cm thick (83" x 20" x 1 3/16") each slab cost me about $70, less than I could make them for, and they are all milled and sanded dead flat.

I think that two slabs cut down a bit will be good for the top of the bench.

I'm going to have to see how to attach the bench to the saw :huh: as well as few other things, like vice placement.

I'll make up some drawings when I get a minute.

Oh, I also picked up another roller stand, as I only had one, and I'll be needing two to rip these long slabs down to size. :thumb:

Cheers!
 
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I like the looks of that. It will really make a nice looking bench.:thumb:

Be careful though, if you start making the Dungeon look too Fancy, Vaughn will be sending you Carpet & Curtains.:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Curtains..........:huh:

I don't have any windows..... :dunno:

I COULD use a curtain around the lathe when I'm roughing out bowls :D :thumb:

Carpet, not a chance, besides, I think Vaughn used up the last shag in existence....... or at least we can HOPE he did :eek:
 
Each slab is 210cm long, 50cm wide and 3 cm thick (83" x 20" x 1 3/16") ...
I think that two slabs cut down a bit will be good for the top of the bench.

two slabs laminated together to be thicker, or two side by side to be wider? I don't think you have the room for 40" behind the saw, but just checking...

So what is the third slab for then! ;)

You mentioned "attach" also. So is all of this going to depend on the wheels of the SS? Of course not, but I'm curious as to how to make this mobile, how it would work in concert with the SS mobile base.

Do you have a vice waiting, or is that on the shopping list also?
 
RRRR

two slabs laminated together to be thicker, or two side by side to be wider? I don't think you have the room for 40" behind the saw, but just checking...

two slabs laminated together, that will give me 6cm thick (2 3/8") thick, which I think is a fairly substantial top :dunno:

Art Mulder said:
So what is the third slab for then! ;)
Aprons, legs etc.

Art Mulder said:
You mentioned "attach" also. So is all of this going to depend on the wheels of the SS? Of course not, but I'm curious as to how to make this mobile, how it would work in concert with the SS mobile base.

You guessed wrong, it will all depend on the mobile base, I want the back bench to be attached to the saw, with legs in key corners etc, but all one large unit. The jack on the SawStop mobile base is rated to 1 ton, so it can easily pick up the saw, the extension table, and the back bench. I also think that due to the way the back bench will wrap around the back and left side of the saw, it should be fairly well balanced, but I guess we shall see, I could be all wet on that :rolleyes:

Art Mulder said:
Do you have a vice waiting, or is that on the shopping list also?

I have the large Record quick release vice, I had on the old work table, but I plan on building or buying another vice, I'm even thinking of building a leg vice into the bench :wave:

sawsrop_su1.jpg
Here is my first little SU drawing, this is the SawStop fairly well to scale, if really simple.

From here I'll build a bench in Sketch Up and let you guys tear it apart for me :D :wave:
 
.............and adding a bit of color, you can see, I hope, my basic idea......

back_bench3.jpg back_bench4.jpg

............. missing legs and a lot of other things too, but that gets you the basic idea.

:wave:
 
Probably a good thing you're confined to the dungeon. You're kind of like a goldfish, growing to fit your environment. It's amazing at what you've been able to pack into that little space of yours. If you ever move, it'll take you 3 years just to empty out the shop.
Kidding aside, the bench configuration looks very clever and practical. Nice idea. I'm guessing you'll be puting in some bench dog holes so you can use it for all your hand tool work? That'll be a sweet setup. If you plan on doing any hand jointery with chisels and malots, you might want to include a drop down leg that sits on the floor and swings up out of the way when you need to move the saw/bench around. That way, when you're beating on whatever piece of wood you have at the time, the blows transfer to the floor, not your new saw base. That's the only thing i can think of that i might add.
paulh
 
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Stu

If your going to build any drawer system under that bench consider making it so the very top is an open topped drawer that you pull out.This will be real handy for plans & to clear the top of the bench when you need to make the one cut or rip that you forgot to make before you started using the off-feed table for a bench. DAMHINT I wish mine was this way every time. Also make the cabinet in sections that screw together. I don't need to tell you the why of this we both have small shops. 2 small sections screwed together with drawers or shelves with the outside ends 3" - 4" taller then the actual case will make a place to fasten glides for the top drawer for plans & miscellaneous items as you clear the bench top to saw.
 
Thanks guys!

Bart, the drawer idea is a good one :thumb:

I plan on making some kind of cabinet under the right wing, extension table for sure, but I think it will be independent of the saw, so I can move it around an even use the top for a quick bench if needed.

Cheers!
 
It looks like a good plan to me, Stu. I saw a picture recently that might be useful in your tight space. The designer/builder also had a small space but sometimes wanted a deeper outfeed support but didn't have the room for a deeper outfeed table. What he did was mount some slide out Pipe in channels, attached to the Underside of his outfeed table and on the backside of the table he connected the pipes to a long board (the length of the table), that could be pulled out about 18" or 24" (I can't remember which) but when not needed he pushed it back in and it fit snug against the back of the table and looked like it was just the edge wrap. If I remember where I saw it, I will try to direct you to it for the details as it was really well designed and seemed simple to build.
 
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Thanks guys!

Bart, the drawer idea is a good one :thumb:

I plan on making some kind of cabinet under the right wing, extension table for sure, but I think it will be independent of the saw, so I can move it around an even use the top for a quick bench if needed.

Cheers!

Kinda like this???
But bigger???
 

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It looks like a good plan to me, Stu. I saw a picture recently that might be useful in your tight space. The designer/builder also had a small space but sometimes wanted a deeper outfeed support but didn't have the room for a deeper outfeed table. What he did was mount some slide out Pipe in channels, attached to the Underside of his outfeed table and on the backside of the table he connected the pipes to a long board (the length of the table), that could be pulled out about 18" or 24" (I can't remember which) but when not needed he pushed it back in and it fit snug against the back of the table and looked like it was just the edge wrap. If I remember where I saw it, I will try to direct you to it for the details as it was really well designed and seemed simple to build.

Sounds good Norman, I'll look forward to a link :thumb:
 
Today, I did a test of the saw's mobile base............

mobile_base_test_1.jpg
I loaded up the saw with the three elm slabs, in a fairly accurate placement of where the weight would be, the record vice and the bag of baking soda on the end of the extension, to simulate the router lift and router, and just to make sure I was not going to have any doubts, the mini lathe, just to add about 90lbs to the whole deal.

mobile_base_test_2.jpg mobile_base_test_3.jpg
The saw lifted easily, and I could move it around without any trouble at all, not unstable, or difficult to move. I'm satisfied that the back bench on the saw will not hinder it's mobility. :thumb:

I also did a life sized mock up...........

mock_up_1.jpg mock_up_2.jpg
.......I think I'll make the extension on the left only 30cm (12") not the 40cm (16") I was going to make it, but I'll keep the back area at 40cm (16"). I might also make the back board bench a bit shorter, as I make a bit of a choke point with the sheetgoods storage rack, right where I want to put the leg vice.

BTW, does anyone have info on building a leg vice?

sawstop_planning_bench.jpg
I need to get this done, I had to plane the edge of a board for the aparto, for a window sill, I just wanted to take the saw marks off, and I had to use the edge of the SawStop and some clamps :dunno: I worked, but I do need a bench.

Cheers!
 
Today, I did a test of the saw's mobile base...........

Let me see if I understand this... you still plan to have feet under the bench, correct? But when you need to move it, the SS mobile base will lift the entire thing (so the other legs would be dangling) for spinning/repositioning.

I think legs would be important. Your test shows that the SS can bear the load of a possible bench. However, there is a difference between a dead load, and an impact load. (I'm not a physicist/structural-engineer, but I'm thinking how house floors are engineered to handled both a dead load and a live load). So your base can handled the weight of the bench + tools, but there is also the load/stress when you are hammering, chiseling, pounding, dropping... and all the other momentary live load stresses that happen. Like I said, I'm not a structural engineer, but I still think legs would be important to support that.

...art
 
Let me see if I understand this... you still plan to have feet under the bench, correct? But when you need to move it, the SS mobile base will lift the entire thing (so the other legs would be dangling) for spinning/repositioning.

Yes Art, you are correct, the legs would be solid wood with adjustable feet on them, mainly because the floors are not that flat down in the Dungeon :doh: The legs would dangle and the saw would be spun, then set back onto the legs for pounding etc.

Art Mulder said:
I think legs would be important. Your test shows that the SS can bear the load of a possible bench. However, there is a difference between a dead load, and an impact load. (I'm not a physicist/structural-engineer, but I'm thinking how house floors are engineered to handled both a dead load and a live load). So your base can handled the weight of the bench + tools, but there is also the load/stress when you are hammering, chiseling, pounding, dropping... and all the other momentary live load stresses that happen. Like I said, I'm not a structural engineer, but I still think legs would be important to support that.

...art

I agree with you, and that has been the plan from the get go, sorry I did communicate that well enough.

One thing that has me a bit worried is that the bench part, while dangling, could sag a bit, so I'm thinking of putting a piece of stout angle iron on each side, the full width of the saw & back bench:dunno: if that make sense :huh:
 
Yes Art, you are correct, the legs would be solid wood with adjustable feet on them, mainly because the floors are not that flat down in the Dungeon :doh: The legs would dangle and the saw would be spun, then set back onto the legs for pounding etc.



I agree with you, and that has been the plan from the get go, sorry I did communicate that well enough.

One thing that has me a bit worried is that the bench part, while dangling, could sag a bit, so I'm thinking of putting a piece of stout angle iron on each side, the full width of the saw & back bench:dunno: if that make sense :huh:

Stu, that being the case with the angle iron just make your legs out of tube steel with a nut welded on the bottom for the adjusters that way if you accidentally hit one while moving it it won't loosen the legs up:thumb:
 
Stu, that being the case with the angle iron just make your legs out of tube steel with a nut welded on the bottom for the adjusters that way if you accidentally hit one while moving it it won't loosen the legs up:thumb:

Certainly could do that, but I'm also planning on a leg vice, so for at least that leg, I'd rater have wood.

Cheers!
 
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