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274490 John Ruth <johnrruth@h...> 2021‑09‑02 Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
Time to start a dedicated thread with a helpful subject line! Not in any order,
and credits from memory.

1) Make it heavy to add overall weight. [Don.]

2) Store your handplanes there, thus adding even more weight. ( There are at
least 12 Baileys in a full set, plus rabbets, scrapers, etc. ! ) [Spike]

3) Make it removable by lifting-out. [Richard]

4) Make it high enough so it's easy to reach and sweep under, but not so high
that planes etc interfere with your holdfasts. [Don]

5) Consider an enclosure with drawers and a layout tool tray. [Richard]

6) Shelf should allow one to sweep beneath the bench without moving the bench
[JRR]


7) Slatted shelf to let sawdust and shavings fall through. Slats could be spaced
strategically such that no plane rests upon its iron. [JRR]

J.R.Ruth
Whose community got 8.9 inches of rain yesterday.
274491 Richard Wilson <yorkshireman@y...> 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
Excellent - John gets us organised…  


as per 7
Slats are never narrow enough to not enjoy gathering in a dust blanket.   (You
may guess how I know this)  Whatever you have on the slats will also enjoy a
coating like snow in winter..




Richard




> On 2 Sep 2021, at 16:43, John Ruth  wrote:
> 
> Time to start a dedicated thread with a helpful subject line! Not in any
order, and credits from memory.
> 
> 1) Make it heavy to add overall weight. [Don.]
> 
> 2) Store your handplanes there, thus adding even more weight. ( There are at
least 12 Baileys in a full set, plus rabbets, scrapers, etc. ! ) [Spike]
> 
> 3) Make it removable by lifting-out. [Richard]
> 
> 4) Make it high enough so it's easy to reach and sweep under, but not so high
that planes etc interfere with your holdfasts. [Don]
> 
> 5) Consider an enclosure with drawers and a layout tool tray. [Richard]
> 
> 6) Shelf should allow one to sweep beneath the bench without moving the bench
[JRR]
> 
> 
> 7) Slatted shelf to let sawdust and shavings fall through. Slats could be
spaced strategically such that no plane rests upon its iron. [JRR]
> 
> J.R.Ruth
> Whose community got 8.9 inches of rain yesterday.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 



-- 
Yorkshireman Galoot
in the most northerly county, farther north even than Yorkshire
IT #300
274492 Bill Ghio 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
> On Sep 2, 2021, at 11:48 AM, Richard Wilson  wrote:
> 
> as per 7
> Slats are never narrow enough to not enjoy gathering in a dust blanket.   (You
may guess how I know this)  Whatever you have on the slats will also enjoy a
coating like snow in winter..

Ahhh, you are just not using them enough!

8>)
274493 Greg Isola <gregorywisola@g...> 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
Hi John, and all:

I'll add one more lower shelf option that has worked really well for me:

Screw narrow battens to the inside faces of your long lower stretchers and
then fill in the shelf space with short boards with tongue and groove
joints between them. This has several advantages. First, it was an
opportunity to use my matching T&G woodies. Always fun. Second, no glue or
fasteners for the actual shelf boards, making it easy to pull one out to
sweep out the shelf area. (I never do this, but it would be easy if I did!)
Finally, and I have done this: It's possible to remove just a portion of
the shelf to store something tall on the floor under the bench without
hindering holdfasts and such coming down from above.

Not sure any of that makes sense via my description, but this short-board
T&G shelf has been a real plus on my now 15-20 yr old bench.

Take care, all of you,

Greg Isola
Alameda, CA
274494 Brian Welch <brian.w.welch@g...> 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 11:54 AM Greg Isola wrote:

> Hi John, and all:
>
> I'll add one more lower shelf option that has worked really well for me:
>
> Screw narrow battens to the inside faces of your long lower stretchers and
> then fill in the shelf space with short boards with tongue and groove
> joints between them. This has several advantages. First, it was an
> opportunity to use my matching T&G woodies. Always fun. Second, no glue or
> fasteners for the actual shelf boards, making it easy to pull one out to
> sweep out the shelf area. (I never do this, but it would be easy if I did!)
>

I second this idea from Greg. My lower shelf is exactly as described,
except that mine is made from maple T&G floor boards from my old 1886 house
that were removed in a renovation.

I remember a discussion from somewhere about the height of the bottom
stretchers and how their placement affected the anti-racking power of the
stretchers (lower is better, I believe). Thoughts?

Brian
274495 David Sobel 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
For a Nicholson type of bench, I am going to be a contrarian, and advise against
a lower shelf that runs the length of the bench.  All the point below are good,
but due to the tall aprons, reaching beyond the front edge of the shelf will be
a pain.  If this was my bench, I would probably build storage into the end or
ends of the bench where it is easy to access, and possibly build a cabinet on
castors that could roll under the apron for easy access and removal. If a
lengthwise shelf is really wanted, I would make it no more than 8” deep, and
place it right at the front. That should be more than enough storage  for the
tools you are using at any one time without having so much space that it becomes
the defacto home for lots of tools.  It also keeps the tools where they are easy
to grab.

David Sobel
274496 Paul Gardner <yoyopg@g...> 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
Yes, I followed the same idea as Greg with the T&G boards.  Just make it
easy on yourself and leave some way for you to grasp these suckers for easy
removal.  I made my sectional so I could remove one side or the other
depending on the situation.  I thought about the slatted shelves but in the
end ruled it out.

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Other-Galoots/Paul-Gardner/i-TLkdz6V/A

I don't store any of my edge tools down there as I've found it to be a very
messy and dusty environment and the salty air of the Pacific is
particularly harsh in my neck of the woods.  I prefer to keep those in
chests and cabinets.  I keep my Box o' Sharpening down there, my bench
hook, unused holdfasts, and other bench appliances.  I like the idea of
putting planes down there but it just never really worked for me. YMMV.

I hope you find something that works well for you.

-Paul, in LA (temporarily)
274497 gtgrouch@r... 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
Paul, I actually forgot your bench. Don't know how I could do that -
it is a thing of beauty! 

Gary Katsanis
Albion New York, USA
_where my current bench is a harbor freight special with lots of
ballast_

	-----------------------------------------From: "Paul Gardner" 
To: "Greg Isola"
Cc: "John Ruth", "oldtools@g..."
Sent: Thursday September 2 2021 1:12:10PM
Subject: Re: [oldtools] Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.

 Yes, I followed the same idea as Greg with the T&G boards. Just make
it
 easy on yourself and leave some way for you to grasp these suckers
for easy
 removal. I made my sectional so I could remove one side or the other
 depending on the situation. I thought about the slatted shelves but
in the
 end ruled it out.

https://kirkhmb.smugmug.com/Woodworking/Other-Galoots/Paul-Gardner/i-TLkdz6V/A
 />
 I don't store any of my edge tools down there as I've found it to be
a very
 messy and dusty environment and the salty air of the Pacific is
 particularly harsh in my neck of the woods. I prefer to keep those in
 chests and cabinets. I keep my Box o' Sharpening down there, my bench
 hook, unused holdfasts, and other bench appliances. I like the idea
of
 putting planes down there but it just never really worked for me.
YMMV.

 I hope you find something that works well for you.

 -Paul, in LA (temporarily)

 On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 8:54 AM Greg Isola  wrote:

 > Hi John, and all:
 >
 > I'll add one more lower shelf option that has worked really well
for me:
 >
 > Screw narrow battens to the inside faces of your long lower
stretchers and
 > then fill in the shelf space with short boards with tongue and
groove
 > joints between them. This has several advantages. First, it was an
 > opportunity to use my matching T&G woodies. Always fun. Second, no
glue or
 > fasteners for the actual shelf boards, making it easy to pull one
out to
 > sweep out the shelf area. (I never do this, but it would be easy if
I did!)
 > Finally, and I have done this: It's possible to remove just a
portion of
 > the shelf to store something tall on the floor under the bench
without
 > hindering holdfasts and such coming down from above.
 >
 > Not sure any of that makes sense via my description, but this
short-board
 > T&G shelf has been a real plus on my now 15-20 yr old bench.
 >
 > Take care, all of you,
 >
 > Greg Isola
 > Alameda, CA
 >
 > On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 8:43 AM John Ruth  wrote:
 >
 > > Time to start a dedicated thread with a helpful subject line! Not
in any
 > > order, and credits from memory.
 > >
 > > 1) Make it heavy to add overall weight. [Don.]
 > >
 > > 2) Store your handplanes there, thus adding even more weight. (
There are
 > > at least 12 Baileys in a full set, plus rabbets, scrapers, etc. !
)
 > [Spike]
 > >
 > > 3) Make it removable by lifting-out. [Richard]
 > >
 > > 4) Make it high enough so it's easy to reach and sweep under, but
not so
 > > high that planes etc interfere with your holdfasts. [Don]
 > >
 > > 5) Consider an enclosure with drawers and a layout tool tray.
[Richard]
 > >
 > > 6) Shelf should allow one to sweep beneath the bench without
moving the
 > > bench [JRR]
 > >
 > >
 > > 7) Slatted shelf to let sawdust and shavings fall through. Slats
could be
 > > spaced strategically such that no plane rests upon its iron.
[JRR]
 > >
 > > J.R.Ruth
 > > Whose community got 8.9 inches of rain yesterday.
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >
 >

 



Links:
------
[1] https://groups.io/g/oldtools/unsub
274498 Don Schwartz <dks@t...> 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
Hmmm. I'd like to see that discussion. If I remember my levers 
correctly, putting the stretchers very low turns the legs into class 2 
levers, multiplying the effect of any lateral forces on the top, and 
tending to break the leg/stretcher joint. Stretchers near the middle of 
the leg seems better to me. Wide stretchers, allowing for long shoulders 
on a tenoned joint, for example.

FWIW
Don

On 2021-09-02 10:24 a.m., Brian Welch wrote:
> On Thu, Sep 2, 2021 at 11:54 AM Greg Isola wrote:
>
>> Hi John, and all:
>>
>> I'll add one more lower shelf option that has worked really well for me:
>>
>> Screw narrow battens to the inside faces of your long lower stretchers and
>> then fill in the shelf space with short boards with tongue and groove
>> joints between them. This has several advantages. First, it was an
>> opportunity to use my matching T&G woodies. Always fun. Second, no glue or
>> fasteners for the actual shelf boards, making it easy to pull one out to
>> sweep out the shelf area. (I never do this, but it would be easy if I did!)
>>
> I second this idea from Greg. My lower shelf is exactly as described,
> except that mine is made from maple T&G floor boards from my old 1886 house
> that were removed in a renovation.
>
> I remember a discussion from somewhere about the height of the bottom
> stretchers and how their placement affected the anti-racking power of the
> stretchers (lower is better, I believe). Thoughts?
>
> Brian
>
>
> 
>
>

-- 
“What we are seeing is a decision by the government to get as many people
infected as possible, as quickly as possible,
while using rhetoric about caution as a way of putting the blame on the public
for the consequences...”
- Prof Robert West, health psychologist, University College, London

"extremist individualism … an ideology that claims to be about freedom when
really it means selfishness”.
274499 Brian Ward <bri@a...> 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
I suppose that I might as well throw in my own bench shelf.

https://groups.io/g/oldtools/photo/267745/3295019

A big dovetailed box with a lid. I put heavy stuff that I'm not using in there,
forget all about it, pile a bunch of stuff on top until there's a thread about
bench shelves. Then I take everything off for a photo.

There are two battens glued along the outside top of the long edges that allow
it to hang between the stretchers.
274500 Joe Jerkins <jerkinsjoe@g...> 2021‑09‑02 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
Ditto to Greg's advice.  I did the same on my bench except I used ship
lap and a dado plane rather than T&G.

Joe - across the foggy/smoky bay from Greg in San Francisco
274503 Dan Beck <drumsandbacon@g...> 2021‑09‑03 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
-- 
I'm a simple man. I like pretty dark-haired women and breakfast food.
274504 Dan Beck <drumsandbacon@g...> 2021‑09‑03 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
[Edited Message Follows]

Great thread. Love it! 


-- 
I'm a simple man. I like pretty dark-haired women and breakfast food.
274507 scottg <scottg@s...> 2021‑09‑03 Re: Summary of ideas for workbench lower shelf.
I am such a lazy slug

What I really want is something like this. Solid cabinet with lots of 
drawers.
In my head there is a big fan carving in the middle and 1/2 turned 
pillars along the sides.
    The whole thing bows a bit toward the back for a 3-d effect like the 
inside gallery of a fine desk.

It needs to be low enough my bench dogs don't hit it when they are all 
the way down, and raised off the floor enough air can circulate under.

   The answer is always drawers. I have tools that need homes! hahaha
  http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/hometools/bench3b.jpg
   yours scott

-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html

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