Clif Palmberg wrote:
> I have received a few requests and questions on and off-list regarding
> the enclosed tail vise of the bench. I added about 25 construction
> photos of the bench in progress. The shoulder vise, enclosed tail vise
> and the journey from pallet to bench are covered. Take a looksie if
> you're interested at
> http://homepage.mac.com/maclif/shopprojects/workbench/index.html

Wow! *very* interesting approach to fitting the slab to the end frame.

http://homepage.mac.com/maclif/shopprojects/workbench/Images/02const.de-
tails/06rabbetjigres.jpg

This gets a good fit, whilst removing a minimal of material from the
slab.

This maximises stiffness and mass in the top, whilst still getting the
required fit. It also minimises labour, compared to fully surfacing the
entire underside.

It's also a perfect "parallel invention" of what used to be done with
floor boards before power saws and thickness planers.

(summarising from memory, "The Village Carpenter" by Walter Rose).

A sash rebate plane was run done the edge of each board, with its fence
referencing the finished (upper) surface. This created a very good
reference for the desired underside.

This underside was only thicknessed across it's full width where it
contacted joists. Each joist "station" was sawn down to the reference
plane, and then the waste chopped out with chisels, and finished with a
carpenters plain skew rebate.

     BugBear