I built this carving table when doing a valet in anticipation of spending a fair amount of time on hand carving. It would save making a custom jigs to hold the pieces which is what I've usually done previously.
The top was actually inspired by a Lee Valley Tools product with a square top and a large and sophisticated cast-iron support permitting the rotation and angle adjustment. To accomplish similar adjustments sans custom metal castings, my table was made to permit the vertical angle to be adjusted by means of simple support rods in concert with a front piano hinge. This worked pretty well and gave a nice solid base to work on. The top was made from laminated maple and included the 3/4" holes for bench dogs and clamp mounting points, drilled with the aid of a buddy with a deep-throated drill press (thanks Gary). The top was originally built to be pivoted on a central spindle - the brown piece of walnut seen at the center. The theory was that the piece to be carved could be clamped to the table, and then it could be rotated to permit carving at different angles.
In lieu of custom metalwork, my cunning plan was to use a round table with a radial pattern of holes. The support board that permitted vertical angle adjustment was drilled in a similar radial pattern to match the top holes, and a 1/16 rotation (22.5 Degree) would have the holes lining up again - I figured that was adequate resolution. Unfortunately, the clamps are usually long enough to prevent rotation, which makes that function impractical. Fortunately, the main utility is the adjustable angle and having lots of clamping positions so the table still works pretty well.
And in lieu of more of the nice solid brass "wonder pups", also from LVT, I made a couple of my own short bench dogs from maple, more to avoid a drive to the other end of town than any particular fiscal economy on my part. They worked just fine, and while not as strong as the metal versions, were more than adequate to hold the workpiece for hand carving. I imagine if I was using a big chisel and a mallet, more clamping force and tougher bench dogs might be necessary.
All in all it worked pretty well, and while a rectangular grid of holes would likely be a bit more versatile for clamping, I figure my round top looks rather cooler than the square version, so I can't complain.
| Material: | Maple, plywood |
| Finish: | None |
| Size: | 24" x 24" x 19" typ. |
| Done: | September 20, 2013 |
