That's a cool video. I am always a little amazed at the techniques
people make to take something that's randomly shaped and turn it into
something absolutely flat with parallel faces and square corners.
Simon
On 04/23/2016 12:29 PM, Steven Owens wrote:
There are tons of tutorials out there on building workbenches. It
seems to be something of a cliche or stereotype for beginning
woodworkers to build their own workbench. One of the more popular
ideas (although I suspect it's not actually done that often) is to
build a massive bench top and then rig up a router to run on a pair of
rails to flatten the top, much like the standard approach with a CNC.
This guy's site is pretty good (and he has an IRC chat room too).
I've set the time parameter towards the end of the video, when he's
got it all set up and is actually doing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1101&v=qtkBZHLJyD0&t=18m10s
Also, there are a lot of sources for buying butcherblock countertops,
like Ikea or various online sources. I'm not sure how hard it might
be to find true butcherblock, not that I'm sure you really need it for
watchmaking.
I always understood that real butcherblock required two things:
massiveness (thickness) for stability and an end-grain surface to
preserve the cutting edge. The idea is that end grain is better for
cutting blades, doesn't dull them as much and has less risk of the
blade engaging the grain and being drawn off the cut. I've also seen
some people claim that end grain is less porous, but that doesn't
sound right to me, given the nature of wood fibers. I'll have to go
dig up my copy of "Understanding Wood" and check it out.
Regardless, none of the above seem like it would be relevant to
watchmaking, but you'd know far more about that.
I *highly* recommend that book (Understanding Wood) by the way.
Though I'm hardly experienced as a woodworker, so take that
recommendation for what it's worth. Maybe I'll bring it by the shop
sometime.
Speaking of "Understanding Wood", the author also sells wood sample
reference sets, something I've considered picking up for myself, and
the shop might want to get a set. There is a lot of misinformation
and mislabeled wood in the carpentry world.
Steve
On Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 11:59 PM, Andrew C. <soshumasamune@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Eric,
Cool. Will follow the rabbit holes you've presented when I have more time.
Here's one for you: http://danspitz.com/spitz-bench/
Watchmakers are very highly involved with ergonomic stuff, but I don't know
about a lot of it. Some out there do.
That is Dan Spitz of Anthrax, legendary thrash metal band. He is now a
watchmaker, and he makes that awesome
serious looking watchmaker's bench. I wanted to make something like it, and
laser cut the drawers underneath myself...
maybe using the 50" CNC ballscrew I have here to make it height adjustable.
A lot of specific watchwork is done sitting with, ideally, eyes level with
work- requiring height adjustable chairs, or on
higher end workbenches- manual gear or electric motor assisted telescoping
legs, raising the bench to specific heights.
There's just no way around it with what we do. Watchmakers need ideally very
thick heavy bench tops that height adjust,
to take hammer blows from punches and stakes solid without deflection or
marring, but adjustability for component
manipulation. They usually have adjustable 3 axis armrests too, really helps
with tweezer arm fatigue.
I don't have 3000$+ for a proper bench. I can build one- but I have no idea
how to realistically make a 3" thick butcher
block top that stays together. I'm not a woodworker, not sure of the gluing
involved etc.
Chairs would be easiest to get into I guess...
-Andrew
On Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 6:05 PM, j. eric townsend <jet@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Ha. Amusing to see email about building furniture while I'm face down in
Anarchist's Tool Chest and woodworking books. You know, those paper
things...
In the mid-90s I had RSI so bad I couldn't type for a year. I spent a lot
of that time reading on ergonomics and have self-educated in a number of
workspace-related areas since. I also used every ergo keyboard I could find
in the bay area, switched to the Kinesis, and never looked back.
On 4/22/16 16:30, Andrew C. wrote:
Seconded Steve, watchwork is many, many hours hunched in a chair,^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No furniture design will fix this, at best it might add an hour to "many".
Frequent breaks, stretching, light exercise, and changes of
tools/keyboards/chairs/tables/etc are all needed for us to stay healthy. My
viola instructor knows she has to stop practicing at some point or she's
going to injure her body, so it's not just engineering that needs rest and
breaks.
So chairs. That's the first problem, sitting for work when we evolved to
work while standing, kneeling, or being in other no-chairs-yet positions.
If I have to sit I move every ~30 minutes, change chairs, change the height
of my desk, etc. At Apple I switched to standing while I worked, the first
week was a workout of ignored back muscles but standing soon became more
comfortable than sitting/slouching.
A review of a book to read on chairs and why we sit:
http://www.allartburns.org/2006/01/26/review-the-chair-rethinking-culture-body-and-design-galen-cranz/
My thoughts on the Hag Capisco, I've had one in my office for ~10 years
and still love it to death. Lots and lots of comments in the past ten
years.
http://www.allartburns.org/2006/10/07/a-year-with-a-hag-capisco/
But if you want to build furniture, something I enjoy doing, there are
some great designs to work from. I would start with Papanek and Hennessey's
"Nomadic Furniture" and Hennessey's "Nomadic Furniture 2".
My review (with a surprise comment!):
http://www.allartburns.org/2007/10/25/review-nomadic-furniture/
A review with photos:
<http://www.youareelectric.com/victor-papanek-participatory-design-and-nomadic-furniture/>
--
J. Eric Townsend
<http://www.flatline.net>
HF: KG6ZVQ
PGP: 0x335E5548 / 75DB 5C22 FD5D F33E B1FA D5BA B429 EA93 335E 5548
