Subject: Workbench top within .001"????

From: [email-masked] (Hackwood)
Date: 12 Feb 1997 13:37:54 GMT

In the latest AMERICAN WOODWORKER (April 97), Ian J. Kirby describes his
Better Workbench and states that a good bench "has to be flat to within
.0.01 inch--and .0.001 is not impossible for a sharp jointer plane".

Sheesh. I can't even buy a good machinist's square that has that degree of
precision across it's entire length and he can build a 55"x25" hardwood
benchtop that is that precise?  I'm feeling terribly inadequate. I guess I
have benchtop envy, or I'm just simply benchtop challenged. I'd be
delighted if my 8'x3' maple workbench top is .1" flat.  How did he
possibly measure it?

He stated that you should never have a shop belt sand the top. On this
point, I'm going to ignore that advice. He states that it leaves grit
behind but on the other hand, I don't forsee myself having to resurface
the top every year. I'm making a butcher block top and I don't anticipate
much movement (am I naive?)

Please, if you know the secrets of the universe, could you please reveal
them to me? 

Weasel (tm)

p.s. The following has nothing to do with woodworking, but I thought it
was hilarious and pass it on:
--------------------------------------------------------

Once upon a time there lived a man who had a maddening passion for beans.
He loved them, but they always had a very embarassing and somewhat lively
reaction on him. Then one day he met a girl & fell in love. When it was
apparent that they would marry, he thought to himself, "she is such a
sweet & gentle girl, she will never go for this kind of carrying on." So
he made the supreme sacrifice...and gave up beans. They were married
shortly thereafter.

Some months later his car broke down on the way home from work and,since
they lived in the country, he called his wife & told her that he would be
late as he had to walk home. On his way he passed a small cafe and the
odor of freshly baked beans was overwhelming. Since he still had several
miles to walk he figured that he would work off any ill effects before he
got home so he stopped at the cafe.

Before leaving he had eaten three large orders of baked beans. All the way
home he "putt-putted" and, after arriving, felt reasonably safe that he
had "putt-putted" his last. He noted his wife seemed  somewhat agitated
and excited to see him and exclaimed delightedly, "Darling, I have the
most wonderful suprise for dinner tonight." Then she blindfolded him and
led him to his chair at the head of the dining table. He seated himself
and, just as she was ready to remove the blindfold, the telephone rang.
She made him vow not to touch the blindfold until she returned, then she
went to answer the phone. Seizing the opportunity, he shifted his weight
to one leg and let go! It was not only loud, but as ripe as rotten eggs.
He took the napkin from his lap & vigorously fanned the air about him.
Things had just returned to normal when he felt another urge coming on
him, so he shifted his weight to the other leg and let go again. This was
a true prize-winner. While keeping his ear on the conversation in the
hall, he went on like this for ten minutes until he knew the phone
farewell  indicated the end of his freedom.

He placed his napkin on his lap and folded his hands on top of it and,
smiling contentedly to himself, he was the very picture of innocence when
his wife returned, apologizing for taking so long. She asked if he had
peeked and he, of course, assured her he had not. At this point she
removed his blindfold andthere was his surprise . . .

Twelve dinner guests seated around the table for a "Happy Birthday Party"
for him.

---

From: Dave Druckerman <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 00:11:23 +0000

Dear Weasel,

I'm pretty sure that your comments are tongue-in-cheek as there is no
way that this person can measure that accurately.  To do so would
require either a very high grade large granite surface plate, or a large
Cordax (sp?) machine adn a very well temperature and humidity controlled
environment.  But you know all this.  Kind of goes with the recent
thread about using calipers too much.

For the fun of it, I did some checking to see what it would have
required to validate his assertion.    An inspection grade Starrett
surface plate would suffice here.  In the 36 by 60 inch size (10"
thick), it is flat to .0004".  Only weighs 2065 pounds and costs $2200. 
I'm sure Mr. Kirby has one of these.  Don't we all.  They do make
wonderful workbench tops.  Note that a toolroom grade surface plate
would barely do as it is only good to .0007.  

Also, thanks for the story below.  I nearly split my sides laughing. 
More than makes up for the Highland Hardware furor (marketing by Chris
Bagby?).  

Dave Druckerman

P.S. I saw some post recently mentioning that you got the 12" Inca TS. 
Do you have the new one with the cast iron top or the older with the
aluminum top?  What has been your impression?  Is it the "Swiss Watch"
that it is reputed to be?  (yes, I know, they're made in France now) 
Are the miter gauge slots U.S. standard T-slots?  The catalog made
specific reference to being U.S. standard on the 10 inch, but no mention
on the 12 inch.  Started me wondering about this.   I think I'll be
ordering my saw in March.

---

From: [email-masked] (Hackwood)
Date: 14 Feb 1997 00:04:32 GMT

Called a local shop. Told them what I had and they said they could sand it
down to .001" across the 32" width and several thousandth's of a inch
across its 8 ft length. They can sand down in .001" increments. The
minimum shop charge is $20.  It's either that or spend the next 3 weeks of
my life (and probably another 1/2" of wood) trying to make it reasonably
flat.  They made it REAL clear that it better not have any metal on or in
it and that it's not painted or otherwise treated.  I hoping that by next
Monday that I'll have the top assembled so I (actually we) can bring it to
the shop. Now I know why they charge so much for maple butcher block
benchtops. Talk about a royal PIA!! But, I've learned a lot and I would do
it over again.

About the INCA:  I didn't buy the aluminum. I figured, hey, it's only
money and you only live once so I bought the 12" model (iron top). It's
only $2400 or so at Garrett-Wade.  I've been cutting a lot of thick maple
with it and haven't had any real problems. I believe that the less than
perfect cuts are due to my lack of expertise in how I feed in the wood
then the saw itself. Although the standard blade guard is better than
other stock models, I've had to remove it at times which I really don't
like doing. Question: Why does Garrett-Wade still show the original Swiss
Inca saw in their ad's?

As far at the miter slots go, they're inverted 'T' slots. Don't know if
they're standard or not.

After using it now for a few months, here are my impressions so far (mind
you, I've never seen or touched a good Delta/P66/General).  Very quiet,
vibration-free, good dust pickup from the cabinet but a dust collector in
the blade guard would help immensely, the crappiest miter guage in the
world. I think the magnetic switch is dying (sometimes, I have to push
hard several times to get it to start) and I still don't like the tiny
little on/off buttons. Garrett-Wade has honored their warranty quite well
with near overnight shipments (just some minor components; nothing worth
mentioning). Comes with a tool kit which I found to be very handy.
Adjustments are fairly easy and I'm not mechanically inclined. Once
adjusted, stays adjusted. Adjusting the Sears was pure torture!

Aside from the miter guage, yes, I think it is a 'Swiss Watch'.  Since I
have a Dewalt 12" CMS, I don't get too bothered about the miter guage.
Would I buy it again? Yes. Is $2400 or so too much for a  TS for a hobby?
That's for you to decide. I'm shocked by the price of disposable cars but
millions of people buy them.

Weasel (tm)

"I have something to say, it's better to burn out, then to fade away"
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject:  Re: Workbench top within .001"????
From:  Dave Druckerman <[email-masked]>
Date:  Thu, 13 Feb 1997 00:11:23 +0000
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>

Dear Weasel,

Dave Druckerman

---

From: [email-masked] (R. Duniway)
Date: 14 Feb 1997 04:59:07 GMT

Thanks for the hilarious post.  Perhaps you could get a large piece of 
plate glass (or better yet a granite reference top), glue some wet/dry
sandpaper to it, and lap you bench top on that?  Oh, never mind, I see
that it would leave grit behind.  Time to get out that extra long jointer 
plane I guess.

Bob Duniway