Benchwork is Going Up!

DISCLAIMER: I apologize for the quality of the photos in this post. They were shot in a hurry this morning, while carrying a two-year-old, with an iPhone. So they didn't really stand a chance. But I wanted to get this post in place today, so I figure I'll replace the photos with better versions within the next few days.

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The silence on this blog for the last few weeks has meant that I'm actually working, albeit slowly.

But for a few reasons, I've decided to put in a quick intermediate post here to show where I am in the process: I'm about half way done with the benchwork. It's been an interesting learning experience. I'm loving the use of pocket-hole joinery for this project: it's quick, easy, and I can do it at four o'clock in the morning without waking up everybody in the house.




(For those who don't know: my "train room time" is roughly 3:30 to 5:00am. Basically, the hour or so before I have to go to work. And with a light-sleeping toddler in the house, silence is truly golden.)

Hanging the benchwork off the walls has worked out really well: it's a rock-solid base to work from, and since that perimeter was setup with a laser level, I don't have to chase my tail keeping everything level. A quick check with a torpedo, and I'm confident that it's in the right place.




Most recently, I've been "arguing" with the extension (protrusion?) that crosses in front of the doorway. As this will support the swinging gate, it really needs to be solid. Unfortunately, the fact that it is a protrusion (!) means that it has a lot of leverage to go where it wants to go. So, as you can see below, it's anchored by a 4x4. There will also be another length of 1x4 that joins the 4x4 directly to a wall stud. (In the photo, you can just see the bottom of a switchplate. A 1x4 perpendicular to the stud on the far (right) side of that switchplate will tie solidly into the 4x4. I love it when a plan comes together!) The final support element for this monster will be the plywood top surface itself. That will be joined to the benchwork with more pocket holes, and will provide the rigidity that this protrusion currently lacks.



I think that's about it for now. In another week or two, I should be able to start laying plywood on top of this thing, and I'll post again at that point.