Home made saw-bench.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for asking k_e; yes I've watched lots of YouTube videos including back street foundry's. I did think about melting cast iron or brass years ago but it's a risky business; in the end I made a wooden plug and had our local foundry convert the plug into two cast iron copies. My intentions was to design and build a really big heavy duty wood turning lathe; these castings although identical would be made into headstock and tailstock; they were both extremely heavy. At that time I had the big Colchester engineering lathe and planned to fly cut the bases then line bore for the bearings; I never made a start on the machining because I became fed up with the Transwave phase converter which the Colchester was powered through; it was driving me mad so I sold the Colchester with the Transwave and eventually gave both castings away; the castings cost £80 the pair.

I was keen as I wandered into the workshop early this morning but I'm still troubled with health problems; I was feeling uncomfortable around the Crohn's operation site; as the morning progressed and I had been using the hacksaw the pain became quite severe certainly bad enough for me to quit for the day; the pain has eased a bit now so my fingers are crossed I can resume work on the saw tomorrow?

I was watching a YouTube video of an American guy making a rip fence for his saw bench and one thing I've never seen done before this guy had added a small plastic wheel to the far end of the rip fence lifting the rip fence just clear of the saw table; I thought what a great idea and this is what I did this morning but I used an old bearing; I never throw bearings away if they revolve freely because these bearings can be used for lots of jobs such as this one. I can't accept any credit at all for the idea.

I'm finding making this saw bench difficult due to ongoing health problems; cutting lots of metal with the hacksaw isn't helping but using the hacksaw and files is something I've been doing for over 50 years and its so natural for me to reach for these tools. In order to make life a bit easier I do now use the big angle grinder and as seen in a few pictures I also use my jigsaw fitted with a metal cutting blade; 4" x 3/8" black steel takes a bit of cutting by hand in fact it's not very easy with the jigsaw either; nothing I design or make can ever be described as "tinny". If I did a lot of metal cutting I think I'd invest in a plasma cutter because plasma cutters can be bought brand new quite cheaply through eBay.

I'm not moaning because I've been fighting health problems all my life but thought I'd mention it and its the main reason this project is taking me so long to complete. I still need to add the locking mechanism to the new rip fence but so far its looking good.

Kind regards, Col.

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[Retired]

Hi,

At last I'm back on the project. I've completed many projects over the years but this saw bench is really taking the Mickey. Ill health slowed the project to a full stop; I worked on the project until I couldn't work any longer due to feeling so ill. Last Saturday was Rufforth Auto Jumble and as I set off at 6am I had only driven a mile up the village but felt like returning home due to feeling so rough but decided to press on. At Rufforth as I wandered around I started to feel better; I was further cheered by buying everything on my wish list and I was on my way home by 8:15.

After dinner on Saturday a strange thing occurred; I started to feel really well and on Sunday I felt on top of the world; the severe itching; rash and abdominal pain had suddenly disappeared; for the first time in 69 years I actually felt well and still do which is truly amazing; I've been playing around with my diet and seem to have hit an happy balance I just hope it now lasts.

Now I'm on top regarding health all I need is my bad luck to take a hike because the day I was born my guardian angel passed away. Here's a little story of how I tend to do my projects and this is so typical of my luck. For years I've had a sheet of 4mm thick steel plate in stock and it has proved a perfect size for the largest piece I need for the saw bench top so I've secured it to the saw frame and it looks the part. All I now need is the piece for the left hand side this being only 10" wide; at Rufforth I thought WOW when I bought a piece of 4mm thick Dural which was perfect to use as a throat plate and at a fiver it was mine. However back home I found the Dural a bit too flimsy so decided to look for a piece of steel plate 4mm thick by 26" x 10"? Now my bad luck has really kicked in.

I find if I phone companies asking for offcuts or materials they can dismiss me very easily so I find it better to jump in the car and pay a personal visit then face to face it's more likely I'll receive help; I never want anything for nothing and always make it clear I'm buying. A couple of days ago I took a chance and emailed a steel fabrication company in Batley knowing I could easily pop in to visit whilst I was in Batley at the craft store with Bron. So far not even the courtesy of a reply. Yesterday afternoon I set off and visited a steel fabricator in Bradley; having located their site I was driving down a rough concrete road when I was suddenly bounced from the drivers seat; unmarked road hump and it was a tall one; I never saw it but I felt it and I was worried the Yeti might have sustained damage; I was driving slowly or I might not be writing this now. Sorry we only use steel up to 2.5 mm thick; a wasted journey;

This morning after visiting the craft store in Batley with Bron we returned home and after a brew I set off alone to track down a piece of this rare steel. I drove over to Folly Hall and visited the roughest looking sheet metal building possible in fact if a bomb went off it would tidy the place no end but yes he uses 4mm plate; it didn't come as a surprise though when all he could find was a small square so I then had great fun backing out onto a dual carriageway to resume my quest.

A mile further along I visited a steel stockholder and after fighting traffic chaos I finally reached their concrete lane to be confronted with a queue of wagons all delivering steel? Given how busy they were and with no near place to park I aborted this and set off to Honley; due to following traffic I couldn't slow down enough to read the many company signs so pulled into the first industrial units and it was gridlocked; ditto the second units but the third at last plenty of parking; as I entered the site directly in front of me was a company dealing in pallets and there were stacks of pallets and a large curtain sided trailer was parked in front of a long building; I had reached the company I wanted so parked up and set off to find the entrance? No the entrance wasn't to the front or down either side of the large building; I saw a fire escape door slightly ajar so opened the door and entered; guys were busy working away and totally ignored my presence so I came back out of the building and by now feeling thirsty and hungry thought enough of this silliness is enough; as I backed out of the parking space I then saw the company reception it had been obscured by the pallet trailer; the reception of the company I wanted was after all across the road where I had mistakenly thought the whole building to belong to the pallet company; by now I had suffered my bad luck enough and returned home.

After dinner feeling full of fight and more determined than ever to find this miracle piece of steel plate I was on my travels once again; this time I would try to visit the steel stock holder and I also had a back up in Milnsbridge? This time no problem at the steel stockholders but they only sell full sheets at £68 +VAT. Back on the road I found the Old Railway yard in Milnsbridge and I mean old; sunken cobbles I could drop the Yeti into; an haulage company busy power washing their wagons and shunting wagons around; I very slowly negotiated all the obstacles but no way could I see the company I wanted so I assumed it had ceased trading as so many local companies have over recent years. Once again I'm back home without the rare piece of steel.

I've looked online and even checked Gumtree and eBay; eBay can supply but at around £58 inc they can dream on; I can get a full sheet for little more than this and if I become annoyed enough I'll buy a full sheet use what I need and sell the remainder at a profit; am I beaten; not likely; I've come too far to quit now and tomorrow is another fighting day in my life.

If I battle on however long it takes I'll eventually win.

Anyone care to bet that if I take up knitting wool will disappear too?

DIY is dead in Huddersfield; no longer do we enjoy the old companies who made customers welcome if a bit of steel was wanted and many of the scrap yards are no longer trading; fed up; despondent; frustrated; who me?

Kind regards, Col.

Quick update; if I bang my head against a wall hard and long enough the wall falls over. No luck at all local in Huddersfield so look further and WOW;

The Metal Store.
Brook Mill,
Hightown Road,
Clexckheaton.
BD19 5JS.

On their website 4mm thick 1,000mm x 500mm mild steel at £32.32 inc.

I'll pop over tomorrow and buy a piece; they do free cutting so I'll get two pieces out of this size; something just had to give in the end; I wonder if this company will now cease trading overnight?

Kind regards, Col.

[Retired]

Hi,

Life can be so good. This morning I had done the three supermarket shopping and was home by 8:30; I've just returned from "The Metal Store" in Cleckheaton and wonderful I've now got the steel plate I needed so badly. The guys at The Metal Store were excellent to deal with and it was my first visit. I handed over my note at the trade counter and the guy said I'll see if we have this size in stock and disappeared to have a look; when he returned he said no problem we'll cut it from a full sheet; ten minutes later it was in the Yeti and I was on my way home; the lane by the store is bristling with speed cameras.

https://www.themetalstore.co.uk/

I'm just having a brew before wandering into the workshop; I still can't understand why I experienced so much trouble trying to buy this steel in Huddersfield but I can now at last press on with this saw bench build. Whoopee.

Kind regards, Col.

[Retired]

Hi,

I knew if I stuck with it I would eventually end up with a nice saw bench. This project has dragged on due to both illness and having problems obtaining plate steel; I now feel much better and have bought the steel allowing me to move the project forward apace today. The saw Bench is very near completed with just the dust extraction and rip fence needing final touches. The dust extraction is made up of odds and ends I had to hand; the rip fence is very heavy duty and needs a locking device then the saw can be used in anger.

Cutting the blade slot proved to be fun; in the end I rigged up a guide and used my 4" B&D angle grinder with a thin metal cutting abrasive disc installed; all sharp edges were fettled for safety. The important riving knife is fully installed and perfectly aligned; those who think it OK to use a saw bench for ripping without riving knife installed please watch this YouTube video; some accidents are just waiting to happen; it's only a matter of time before a trip to the A&E is needed whether on foot as walking wounded or by ambulance; if I'm classed as a wimp fair enough but my riving knife is installed.



I've spent quite a while aligning everything; ideally a cast iron table would be preferred but for my needs this saw should prove accurate and powerful enough and once I put it into service I can modify it to my cutting needs; the riving knife is designed to be just short of the blade top fully lowered so there won't be any problem in cutting rebates etc.

Since remodeling the garage into my full time workshop it has filled up nicely with machines and now the saw bench is almost completed I can enjoy pottering around playing with all my toys.

It's a beautiful sunny and hot day here today; this afternoon our very good neighbour Terry brought his Flymo petrol mower over as it wouldn't start after a long lay up. Terry couldn't remove the spark plug; I have two spark plug sockets in my socket set and strangely neither would fit; I removed the top plastic cover giving better access and removed the spark plug using an open ended spanner; the spark plug was bone dry so no fuel getting through neither was there a spark at the spark plug. I'm unfamiliar with these Flymo mowers but I've done my share of engine rebuilds etc so I asked Terry if there was an ignition switch fitted which I had missed? Terry said no but I then asked what the electrical wire was for going up to the handle controls; yes this was to an automatic switch so the control needed operating and now we had a spark so one problem sorted.

Terry informed me that he had to pump fuel manually pressing about 15 times but although I could see fuel in the pipes air bubbles were not moving; I asked Terry to please tip the mower so that I could access the spark plug hole with a small plastic funnel; I poured directly into the cylinder a small amount of neat petrol and replaced the spark plug; Only a small amount of petrol is needed for this trick; with the mower still on the bench Terry operated the control and I fired up the mower; whatever the fuel problem was this immediately cleared it and saved a lot of messing around. I'm impressed by how light this Flymo petrol hover mower is and am now considering buying one for use on our steep mountain. Terry was well pleased.

Next job I went around all the dandelions pulling the flower heads off and dosing the dandelion crown with white spirit; white spirit makes the dandelions disappear as if by magic but care is needed not to go made with the white spirit.

All in all an excellent day.

I hope this project has been of interest.

Kind regards, Col.

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[Retired]

Hi,

A quick post to say project completed; I put the first bit of timber through the saw this morning and this saw is a bit of a beast; ear defenders are a must because its got a loud voice.

If I was to do a similar project in the future I wouldn't go for a single phase 4hp motor; at 18A it's too big for normal domestic 240V mains supply. I've got this saw hooked up to a 32A type "B" mcb which it occasionally trips; I'm upgrading my consumer unit this year having already bought a new 16 way unit in readiness; I'll be adding a dedicated circuit for the new saw bench and Oxford welder but I'll be using either a "C" or a "D" type mcb; 32A supply is plenty for normal running but its the "inrush" which is tripping the current "B" breaker.

To avoid this in future I think I would opt for a 3 phase motor and add a start and run capacitor with the motor connected in Delta. This would drastically cut down the inrush due to the much reduced amps draw?

As I settle down using this saw I'll be able to fine tune it; I'm not too happy running the blade so near a slot in the steel plate top so I'll look for something better; perhaps the old method of placing packing against the blade would prevent any side deflection; I have some strip Whale Tufnol which would be suitable but I'm just pleased to have the saw running.

Kind regards, Col.

[Saint Nick]

Col, the project has been of great interest from start to finish Only downside is that I'm bl00dy jealous of your workshop

SN

[wine~o]

The saw table has turned into a bit of a beast then Col ?

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks SN; I'm pleased with how the workshop is turning out but I wish I had a huge warehouse then I could get some really big kit to play with; a low loader and fork truck would be nice to own and I already have my fork truck licence.

Yes wine~o; this new saw isn't for a novice to poke a stick at; it is indeed a bit of a beast with a good voice.

I wasn't happy having the blade running so near the steel table top and I didn't want to open up the slot too much so yesterday I spent the day modifying the table top; I've now added a Dural throat plate as seen in the pictures. I took a lot of care with this and once the new throat plate was secured in position I wound up the blade through the plate to cut the slot; I donned my safety kit for this because shards or Dural were sent flying at speed and I was out of firing line. I still need to elongate the slot then I can install the riving knife which will be next job.

I thought I'd just about finished this project but out of curiosity I placed a straight edge across the top of the table at the front and wasn't pleased to find a hollow so another job to sort out. I expected the slot to be perfect width of the blade but its slighter wider than the blade so has the blade got a bit of run out or is the rise and fall generating a very shallow angle; normally I replace bearings in spindles but due to ill health I didn't on this occasion; I'll track it down and this isn't a major problem I put it down to fine tuning after all I built this saw bench from scratch so if these are the only faults I'm very pleased with the outcome; as with all new tools and machinery I need to shake hands with them which takes a bit of time. I derive as much pleasure out of designing and making machines as I do in using them. I could have done without all the illness during this project but now I feel well its nice to get into the workshop and enjoy using my hand skills like hack sawing and filing.

I've been grounded today from the workshop because Bron and I have just returned home from The Lake District after an enjoyable day out. I sure do enjoy driving the Yeti; I never did have a Tonka toy as a kid?

Kind regards, Col.

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[Retired]

Hi,

I needed a fool to poke this saw with a bit of timber ending up doing it myself; how wonderful to have designed and constructed a missile launcher? I'm well aware of saw bench dangers so I was standing clear of the firing line; I used an offcut of 18mm thick block-board for the test cuts against the rip fence; as the cut completed there was a blur as the narrow strip was launched to slam into the garage door.

I had spent hours ensuring everything was in perfect alignment; the blade was perpendicular to the table checked with my engineers square; the rip fence was perfectly parallel to the blade; adjusting the riving knife was very fiddly to get correct and this alone took many hours so why the missiles?

The blade is a good quality Trend and brand new and everything is locked down tightly. The kerf of this blade is 1/8" wide and I had made a 1/8" thick riving knife to suit it. I decided to dig a little further because as the saw currently is its highly dangerous to use. I checked blade run out at maximum depth and it was near enough for general use; the riving knife should have prevented kick back but didn't so this was next to check but how do I check a riving knife; with the blade at maximum height I gently fed in a length of planed softwood but only to about an inch of cut then carefully withdrew the softwood and shut the saw down.

WOW I'm running a wobble saw as well; when I measured the kerf width I was surprised to find it reading 220 thou (0.220") it should have been reading near 125 thou (0.125")? The new riving knife in this situation was absolutely useless after all the many hours I had gone to in making and installing this riving knife. I can only do static checks but something is amiss; I've not changed the spindle bearings but the bearings appeared OK with no tightness or detectable play; I haven't checked the blade mounting on the spindle for run out either; normally I would do these checks and replace bearings as a matter of course but drat this dermatitis which has upset me all during this project and was still upsetting me yesterday it hurting at the back of my knees as I bent.

Although the blade is cutting too wide a kerf it's safe it just waste's a lot of material; I now took a second test cut but did this in slow motion to observe just what was happening; as the block-board was fed into the blade against the rip fence the kerf appeared as normal but over wide; as the cut end of the timber passed the centre of the blade I noticed it started to be deflected on the rip fence side towards the rear of the blade and sure enough as it cleared the rear of the blade to upward running teeth now had good contact with the block-board and again another missile was launched.

Off with the new rip fence to really give it a good inspection; I wrongly assumed it being heavy gauge 50mm steel angle iron it would be straight and true but now I find it has a very slight bow in its length the bow being away from the blade; so the block-board being fed in followed the rip fence at first slightly running away from the blade then changing direction running into the rear of the blade?

I've never liked full length rip fences because these tend to trap cut material between blade and rip fence making them inherently dangerous? My big Startrite combination woodworking machine only ever had a short fence so out of curiosity I browsed the web looking at rip fences; as I suspected modern rip fences are full length but I persisted and eventually found what I was looking for on YouTube and here is the video;



I've been aware of this rip fence problem for years but thought I'd try a full length rip fence having plenty of angle iron to hand. I've now removed the angle iron rip fence and am replacing it with 50mm square steel box section still at full length but I like the the idea the guy in the video shows where he adds a supplementary short sliding fence to ride over the main rip fence so I'm adopting his method.

The new box section fence is about ready for use but this still left the riving knife problem; I searched through my stock of steel off cuts and found a bit of scrap steel of the perfect thickness to suit the wide kerf and just before knocking off yesterday had almost finished making the new riving knife. Modifying the riving knife and rip fence will not affect the width of the kerf but it should render the saw much more friendly towards me; once I get the saw running safely I can then take my time to track down the cause of the wobble causing the wide cutting kerf; I'll end up replacing the spindle bearings and mounting the spindle in the lathe to check for any run out; if there is run out then owning the lathe will soon sort it out.

I don't recommend anyone to follow my lead in making such a saw bench unless they have suitable experience of this kind of work because it can be highly dangerous; had I been standing in the line of fire I could have been impaled when the saw rejected the strip of block-board with tremendous force; this is a 4hp saw so it isn't to be treated casually.

I've been applying Audavate ointment to the backs of my knees since last Thursday and at last I can now bend my legs without suffering so hopefully I can settle down in the workshop sorting this saw bench out; I don't mind problems arising from my projects because I learn so much resolving them; being retired I'm not under time pressures so I can enjoy tinkering around at my leisure.

Kind regards, Col.

[Retired]

Hi,

What a lovely day in the workshop. The saw is now ready for use; I've just successfully run a few test cuts and I'm now happy the saw is as safe as it can be. The new riving knife has made a tremendous difference and works perfectly; the new steel box section rip fence is up to the job and I've even added a short supplementary rip fence to see if this makes any difference; yes it does but I think now the correct riving knife is installed I can dispense with this short fence; I can now make a saddle type push block to ride the new rip fence and this will ensure any material being cut will clear the back of the blade. This new rip fence can be adapted for accessories which I'll look into; the far end of the rip fence can be nipped with a clamp if needed but for general ripping its fine. Dust extraction was very difficult to sort out but I'm pleased to see most of the dust is now collected; not perfect but a huge improvement on no extraction; the dust chute was difficult to design; the motor fan cover getting in the way; the new dust chute is made with a top cover that can be removed to access the blade; just four wing nuts hold the cover in position; this is made of odds and ends I had kicking around; not pretty but it does the job.

I can now relax having completed this project; no doubt I'll fuss with it more but I've now got a brand new 4hp single phase saw bench for not a lot of money and one which is built to last; once the weather warms up I'll replace the spindle bearings and track down why the blade is cutting such a wide kerf then I can install the correct riving knife for this blade but I can now use the saw; as expected cutting the test strips of block board was effortless; a big motor doesn't bog down; one thing I'll do is to check the blade rpm; I have an electronic rev counter and I'll be interested to see its speed because this saw can double up as a moulder; I've got Whitehill moulding blocks which fit the spindle and I can grind my own cutter profiles; a dado head too can be used. Not a saw for a novice but I hope to obtain many years trouble free service from it.

Many thanks for reading this rambling story; I've enjoyed making this saw and writing the notes.

Kind regards, Col.

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[fb22]

Top notch job Colin congratulations.
I really enjoyed following your progress on this project.
Can't wait to see you doing a project with it.
Again congratulations
PS Hope you feel better soon.

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks fb22 for your kind comments and for your good wishes.

My dermatitis is now easing off allowing me to potter around so I'm making the most of it. Due to feeling ill with the dermatitis I didn't change the spindle bearings but not to be beaten the bearings are now sitting on the bench and new bearings ordered and paid for so once they arrive I'll quickly install them; I've checked run out on the spindle blade land and also the fixed flange and these are within a couple of thou; the new blade as expected is nice and flat when tested with a steel rule; I'm still puzzled why the kerf is so wide and having pulled the old bearings out I can't see a problem with the bearings but obviously once the new bearings are installed this will make certain the bearings are not at fault? These bearings and the spindle are industrial size being very robust and heavy; the bearings are Imperial size and no problem ordering through eBay at around £15 the pair with economy delivery.

The saw kicks up a lot of noise and this wide kerf problem will bug me until I find the cause; I feel more like playing around with the saw now which will help a great deal; once the bearings are in and the saw running again I'll remove the throat plate and double check the extraction to ensure nothing is rubbing in either of these which might be causing blade deflection; this morning I made a saddle type push block to ride over the rip fence; the saw has also fired up a couple of times without tripping the breaker so its all looking good. I'll follow up in due course with any news. This morning I cleaned the spindle items in readiness for the new bearings and I also attacked our front garden with the big petrol hedge trimmer which tired me out but it's nice to be pottering around without being in pain.

Kind regards, Col.

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[Retired]

Hi,

The new bearings arrived and have now successfully been installed; with everything back in place and tightness double checked I ran a sample cut just to determine the saw kerf width which is now reduced to 4mm and I can live with it at this. The new bearings have quietened the saw a lot making it sound more friendly; I need to make yet another riving knife to suit the new kerf width but I don't have any 4mm steel plate to hand so the 3mm riving knife is installed as a temporary measure. With the saw now complete I finally wax polished the table top and rip fence making everything very slick to use; it's amazing the difference a good buffing with polish makes; I'm now happy with this saw bench and will put it into service. I designed the height of the saw table to allow the bench to act as out-feed table.

This morning I've spent an hour moving machinery around in order to accommodate the new metal cutting bandsaw; I'm now also very pleased by how the workshop is evolving and I've got some nice toys to play with either for wood or metal working; I'm going to spend a lot of happy hours in the workshop now the hard work is behind me; the picture below is up to date but my workshop will continue to evolve.

Kind regards, Col.

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[kellys_eye]

Serious machinery for serious work.

Can't wait to see what comes out of it! What have you got planned?

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for asking k_e. I've no work at all lined up for my kit at the moment in fact I think I'm getting more fun out of setting up the workshop than actually using it. One problem with this kind of machinery is that it's an overkill for small jobs but I like big machines. I like making furniture but there's a limit to the amount of furniture the bungalow will accept; it's nice though having all this kit knowing I can make just about anything from a single item to a full production run. How typical though that when money was scarce and I only had a very limited workshop I made lots of furniture both fitted and free standing.

One job I want to sort out is my lovely Lorch Schmidt engineering lathe; it runs flat belts which I've always disliked so perhaps a nice project for me in converting it to VFD and Poly-V drive? As long as I'm pottering around I'm happy.

Kind regards, Col.