Woodwork Feature
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A BEGINNER’S BENCH HOOK Some clever modifications make this a handy aid for kids BY DOUG STOWE ench hooks are used with a work- use from our investment in tools. and provide for exact duplication of parts bench to hold wood while it is sawn. At Clear Spring School, we’ve gone through the use of stop blocks. Another B They serve a couple of important through a number of bench hooks of vari- advantage of this new design is that it pro- functions—they allow stock to be safely ous designs. Our kids are just learning, and vides a clear place for the left hand to rest and effectively held as it is sawn, and pre- saw cuts can wander off lines and out of during the cut with a wall of safety between vent accidental contact between the saw grooves, making bench hooks less accurate it and the blade. and workbench or vise. The saw will dam- over time. This year, instead of just replac- There is always a trade-off in learning. age the workbench, and accidental contact ing the old worn ones, I decided to redesign Measuring and marking each piece of wood with the vise will quickly damage a saw. So and improve. This new model is designed with pencil and square works well for proj- the use of bench hooks both provides safety to give the students a better grip on the ects where only one or two parts are for the students and allows us to get better stock, offer better control during the cut, required, but when there are a number of WOODWORK 00 APRIL 2007 1 2 3 4 5 parts that must all be the same length, the use of a stop block on the improved bench hook gives square cuts and precise lengths. Making Sloyd Trivets dents sized the stock to width as well as While it eliminates some of the repetition or Plant Stands lengths using hand tools. of measuring and marking, it also elimi- For this project at Clear Spring, the nates error and gives the student greater WHILE OUR PROGRAM at Clear materials were prepared to width and speed and confidence in the work Spring School isn’t modeled directly on thickness from scrap 2x4s, which pro- We use Japanese pull saws from Vaughan Educational Sloyd, there are times when vided material that nailed easily without and Bushnell Manufacturing. These saws, we use sloyd projects for general skill- splitting.The students carefully measure called Bear Saws, have a stiffer blade and are the distance between the able to handle more abuse than a dozuki cut line and the stop saw. To assist in accurate placement of the block and clamp it in saw in the bench hook, magnets inset in the place. After cutting the hinged guide piece hold the saw blade in parts to length, the stu- position as it slides back and forth in mak- dents sand them smooth ing the cut. The improved bench hook can and nail them into the be assembled in mirror image for use by finished trivet. While this left-handed students is a simple project, it To make the bench hook, begin by cut- requires a great deal of ting the various parts to size. The parts need attention to get good not be exactly sized to the same dimensions results.And of course the as the bench hooks we use at Clear Spring. building. Making a sloyd trivet or plant students take pride in their work. We selected the width of the base based on stand as shown in Gustaf Larsson’s book the maximum width of stock to be cut and Elementary Sloyd (Silver Burdett and Co. Base supports 2 @ 5/8" x 5/8" x 5-1/2" the comfortable length of travel when using Boston, 1902) is a simple project, made Slats 4 @ 3/8" x 3/8" x 5-1/2" the Bear Saw. Woodworkers using longer a bit easier still when we consider that in Nails 15 @ #18 gauge x 3/4" saws could make wider bench hooks that Gustav Larsson’s instructions the stu- (Round head brass-plated) would be quite effective. Also, the length of WOODWORK 00 APRIL 2007 PLANS AND PATTERNS BENCH HOOK After the parts are cut to size, make a cut- This 3/4" offset provides a place for the front BENCH HOOK out in the hinged hold-down to provide piece to be gripped by the vise during use. clearance for the stop block. First, drill a 1- Use an nail gun or screws to attach the Base 1 @ 3/4" x 5" x 8" 1/2" hole with a Forstner bit as indicated in saw guide to the hold-down block, and then Front 1 @ 3/4" x 3-1/2" x 15" the drawing; I use a drillpress, fence and stop- use a piano hinge to attach the hold-down Hold-down 1 @ 3/4" x 5-1/2" x 6-1/4 block for this operation since I make several block to the base. I use a 1/16" thickness of Saw guide 1 @ 3/4" x 1-5/8" x 5-1/2 bench hooks at a time (1). Then use the wood as a spacer between the parts while bandsaw with a fence to cut into the edge of the screws are pre-drilled and driven in Back 1 @ 3/4" x 1-5/8" x 7" the hole from two directions (2). place. This gives full range of movement to Screws 3 @ #6 x 2" Next, use the drillpress to drill 3/4" holes the hinge and prevents it from binding Magnets 2 @ 3/16" x 3/4" for the magnets to fit. Careful adjustment before it puts pressure on the wood (5).Use Piano hinge 1 @ 3/4" x 6" of the depth is required so that the mag- a clamp to hold the parts securely in place Stop block face 1 @ 3/8" x 2" x 4" nets, when glued in place, will be flush with as the screws are installed. The first cut with Stop block top 1 @ 3/8" x 1-1/8" x 4 the surface of the wood. Note that while the saw requires a great deal of attention to “C" clamp 1 @ 2" most of the bench hook is made from 3/4" make sure the blade is carefully aligned Sandpaper 1 @ 4" x 6-1/2" Birch plywood, the facing strip is made with the saw guide. In later use, the blade Weather strip 1 @ 1/4" x 1" x 4" from solid oak (3). will fit easily in the pre-made saw cuts. Use screws to attach the front and back As final steps, glue coarse sandpaper to the to the bench hook base. While this could be base and secure heavy weather stripping to the front piece on our bench hooks is sized done with glue and nail gun, the screws the underside of the hold-down. The sand- for cutting stock 12" or less, the case for allow parts to be replaced as needed with- paper and the weather stripping help to keep most of our children’s projects. You could out replacing the entire bench hook. Locate the stock from moving around as it is cut, make the front piece longer or simply use the screws some distance away from where giving a bit more control to young hands. the bench hook without the stop block in the saw cut will be made. Use a spacer block place, though this would require measur- to position the base 3/4" above the work- Doug Stowe is a contributing editor for ing and marking each piece. bench while the front piece is attached (4). Woodwork magazine. WOODWORK 00 APRIL 2007.