T track placment on bench - Woodworking Talk

Basser425 · 10-29-2008, 12:45 PM

hello from a newly registered lurker.
I am finishing up a workbench that measures 4' wide X 32" deep and have no idea where to mount the T tracks. Generally I would use them to hold boards for hand planing, perhaps routing, general clamping and glue up. So far I have no vices attached, although I Am planning to mount a vice on the front, probably left side. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I have 2 2' sections and a 1' section of the T track.
Andy

Tony B · 10-29-2008, 01:50 PM

How thick is your bench top and what is it made of ? I ask because you can make some quickie bench dogs especially if you have a lathe.
There is also an active thread going on right now about a 'Bench Hook'. Between bench hooks, bench dogs and wedges, you can hold almost anything steady and solid.
I have an air brad nailer and I use it from time to time to nail scraps directly to my bench top to hold my work pieces.

Tony B

smitty1967 · 10-29-2008, 02:57 PM

Hey Basser:
I would think you'd want your T-track to run longitudinally away from the face of your vise, wouldn't you? That way when you pull up the slack in your vice, the workpiece is held by the T-track at whatever dimension, and the vise can tighten against it....

If I'm reading you right, I say run it away from the face of the vice, centered on the vise's width.

smitty

Basser425 · 10-29-2008, 03:30 PM

the bench started as a salveged heavy table on wheels. now the top is 2 layers of 3/4 ply with another layer of 3/4 hardwood boards which look like bucher block.... these were shelve boards which I glued up for the top.. edged around 3 sides with wide hardwood boards. The entire bench is on wheels but usually rests against a wall. I have not mounted the vise yet, but was actually thinking of putting it on the back side of the unit, since; 1. it is not trimmed out back there, & I could more easily cut into the frame to support it... and 2. it would be out of the way unless I needed to use it. Since I can easily rotate the bench... why not. the bench hook idea is great and I already have them on my next to do list. The tracks I ordered in and arrived so I was playing with an arrangment, hense the question.

Basser425 · 10-29-2008, 07:53 PM

ok, lets try rephrasing it... anyone have bench dogs, T tracks, or similar hold downs on their benches? if so where do they typically reside?
andy

Gerry KIERNAN · 10-30-2008, 12:26 PM

Excellent question Basser. I too am looking for input on this one. I am in the process of planning a work bench roughly 30 inches to 36 inches by about 8 feet.
Gerry

Basser425 · 10-30-2008, 12:49 PM

Since no one responded I tried to find some picts of the placment of the hold down holes and found this one. Seems like the bench top is pretty much full of holes, which I really do not want to do... especially not experiment with placement. BUT they do seem to be grouped around the 2 vice locations. My probeem is, that my previous work benches were just big heavy tops with no real degisnated area for clamping, vise placment, etc...just a big open space... when I need to clamp something down, I just pushed aside junk to clear a space and clamped, usually with portable clamps

. On this new bench I am trying to plan slightly.

Gerry KIERNAN · 10-31-2008, 11:00 AM

It looks like it would be pretty straight forward to replace all the bench dog holes with some runs of tee track. It would certainly look tidy. I wonder if there would be as much strength as bench dogs would have.
On the matter of having to clear the bench top to clamp anything, I find that every horizontal surface[including the floor] in my shop becomes a storage space aka clutter catcher. I think it is a common curse.
Gerry