Maybe you should start a NF-only web site!
I love your hold-fast and adjustable rail on the front. The best solution I’ve seen. I have some concern about the usability of the clamps in the table top (I don’t have much experience in WW yet, but I’d like to get the table pretty right from the start).
1) How far apart are the clamps on the top? About 6″?
2) Would it be better to have them farther apart?
3) Would it be better to have two close together and a third farther away?
4) How much bench top do you like to have between the front lip and the clamp well?
Obviously #2/#3 would require that a engineer a minor/significant change, but I have ideas how to do them.
Your answers seem universally thoughtful. Thank you.
Replies
I was planning to start a site for the bench when I left FWW, but there is suddenly so much out there about it, started because of the video we shot last year, that I have lost interest in creating the site. Originally I was thinking about selling plans for an updated version of the design, but now there seems to be no way to get any money back from the time spent, the design has run away from me.
The bench is in storage at the moment so I can't give you an exact measurement, but 6" to 7" apart for the pipes sounds about right. The original spacing worked just fine but I would probably make the well a couple of inches wider, and the clamps a bit further apart, if I were to make another bench.
I have considered a modified version of the bench with two wells, instead of the planked back half of the bench. In that case I would make both wells about as wide as in the original bench. Having four bars would create a wider range of clamping options.
The front lip only needs to be wide enough to accommodate the upright bars for the front beam with clearance for the sliding clamp heads. The front lip doesn't have a lot of support so I would try to keep its width to a minimum. It was about 3" wide on the original bench, with another 1 1/2" wide piece behind it that formed the side of the well.
Thanks for your interest and compliment, I hope this helps.
John White
Thank you, John. As almost always, you gave a detailed answer that goes beyond what would be reasonable to expect in a forum like this. And your answer really, really nailed my question.FWIW, I think your opinion about selling NF plans in NUTS. There are a LOT of nut jobs (like me) who really appreciate your thoughts and want you to lighten our thinking load. The two options you just discussed - the "newer, better NF" with wider spacing and the 4 clamp variant - would be totally sufficient to justify lots of folks plunking down $10 (or whatever - I'm cheap!) You could add "chip collection" under the wells - DC is so hot today - and a shelf. And paint it WHITE, of course! A signed original - how do I spell Hammacher-Schlemmer. Maybe I wax too much. Thanks again.
You are welcome. I'm still considering my options.John W.
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