Trestles: Episode 2
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Paul assembles the legs of the trestle. Then the posts are marked out and fixed in place to make a sturdy, reliable trestle, using gussets for additional strength and rigidity.
Again, thanks Paul and team!
Loved the use of the stool foot-rest to aid the camera . . . (and the back!).
Puzzled as to why the top gussets were set down 1/32″ from flush . . .
(Ps here’s what I added at my FB pointer to this video:
Beautiful:
‘It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it . . . ‘
‘Simplicity . . . Love it!’
Paul is a Quaker without knowing it!
Ps good relevant book: ‘Meaningful Manufacturing’ . . . (Out of print? Sessions of York, Publishers, forgot the Author’s name . . .)
Pps, yes, I am a Quaker so I much prefer ‘Quiet woodworking’ than all those ‘power’ tools
Ppps and, if I recall there is a ‘quiet woodworking’ series on YouTube . . .
Hello John, thank you for the comment. The top gussets are set down so that the cap isn’t being held off by them overlapping.
Just a hair. WHOOT! finally something the flashing conversion meter man cannot handle.
The constant popup conversions have always driven me a bit (more) batty. At what point does a craftsman buy a chart or memorize the most common conversions? Been doing it in my head since the 1970’s when this country claimed to be going metric. Update–it has only very slightly.
Personally I’m quite fluent in most any scale under a meter (that’s a yard plus a couple/three) to wit: machinist, woodworker, historic gunsmith, surveyor, automotive, etc. Only to be challenged (require mental gyrations to convert) the big stuff (meters elevation or kilometers for distance/rate) save for cycling- where a “metric century” is quite a bit shorter (and more pleasant) than full “old-money” century (100 miles).
So maybe the site could have a static “list/table” or reference area for all the poor souls who must stop and convert 3/4 inches to 19mm every time Paul mentions it? Or a calculator they can scurry off to use? It drives me to distractions-like this composition.
As to scientific measurements there are a few variations on the “hair” as an increment of space. Paul’s “just a hair” is one of the “generous ones”. Sometimes a more refined hair is specified, but I won’t call it out here. Some might not approve, and some may be too young to understand.
https://www.stationaryengineparts.com/Zeus-Precision-Data-Charts-and-Reference-Tables.html
The best conversion reference for the workshop. With tapping drill sizes for the little bits of metalwork you find yourself doing as well.
I wish these had been posted prior to the workbench videos.
Hey Paul,
I heard you say “Middle for Diddle” and it made me smile. I’m an avid dart player over here in the states and we use that term all the time. Great video!
Thanks Paul for show us how one can make sturdy and true pieces of work without “joinery proper”. As visually “unappealing” and “piecemeal” it may look at first (and because that’s what so many of us have experienced in the past –where gussets/braces were added because the original “design and execution” was wholly inadequate for the job at hand. These give an alternative method for building fixtures and othersuch shop necessities that should do their work quietly and adequately.
I’m trying to figure out why these are different than a sawhorse I might make? Both can essentially do the same job of the other so why have both of them?
Likewise–I am curious for what makes them functionally different from Paul’s sawhorses.
I believe Paul’s team is creating a mini series of how to setup your garage workspace.
Paul used these trestles to build the garage workbench and here he is demonstrating how to build the trestles without a workbench.
Building the sawhorses would be quite challenging without a workbench.
There isn’t much difference. Sawhorses are a little more stable, particularly on uneven ground. If you’re using them outside, you can usually find a way to move a sawhorse around so that all four legs are in contact with the surface. But inside on a level floor, they’re pretty much the same thing and can be used interchangeably. If you’re going to do a lot of sawing on them, I would opt for the sawhorses. If you want them for temporary support or to stack wood or whatever, the trestles are simple and easy to build. Throw a sheet of plywood on them and you have an instant table for assembly, finishing, etc.
Trestle about a foot taller than saw horse
Approximately, how much does it weight? Just curious.
The very last minute showed Paul screwing into another screw (and the workaround). Given the length of the screws throughout and that screws in this piece are coming in from both sides in a seeming mirror image, how much risk is there of frequently running into this problem? Or was there something I missed where the screw holes are slightly staggered on either side to mitigate this risk? That’s a lot of metal going into the same piece of wood in near proximity…
I was wondering the same thing. Especially since in the first video Paul drilled all of the gussets together so they are identical.
It is not that common an issue, as you have to drive both screws exactly straight or of in the same direction. You could offset the holes if you wish, but drilling them all at once saves time.
Great Video! Thank you Paul!
Every time I watch Paul make something, being it a cupboard, a table, a chest of drawer or trestles I am always fascinated by the dedication and attention to detail and the love for woodworking as a craft. Paul is definitely a true master of his craft.
Thanks, Paul. As always, outstanding!
Paul, a question based on curiosity here. Would there be anything gained by using 4 X 4s (US) for the feet, uprights, and cross-member instead of 2 X 4 stock?
Hi Randy,
Paul said that it would make is stronger and capable of taking greater weight, but would also make it a bit harder to handle around the workshop. Thanks
Thanks for the reply Paul, Philip, and team. It seems that I struggle with a continuing desire to “overbuild” things, thinking more is better, and yet I know there is a point of diminishing returns. Maybe it is because I have seen and experienced too many “purchased items” (aka, manufactured) fail because of either poor design or an attempt to use it in a way which is beyond their designed application — usually the “me” factor. Thanks again.
I’m relatively new to woodworking, and I thought that it was always necessary to also drill a pilot hole on the 2nd board that is going to be attached to the first one. I see Paul drilling the pilot hole, but he doesn’t drill a pilot hole in the end grain of the leg post, and also when placing the gussets, the board where the gussets will be attached to don’t have a pilot hole. Shouldn’t the pilot hole be also used on the back board to prevent wood splitting?
Thanks
Hello Antonio,
Pilot holes are more necessary in some instances than others. When drilling into the middle wider stock it is less critical as they unlikely to split, but they never do any harm.
Best, Phil
Finished my trestles, these will give me good service for a lot of years. Thank you for this free project!
Love the simplicity and the precision Paul delivers to all his works, even the most simple ones like these trestles. I’ve seen several woodworking videos and I think Paul is a great craftsman. Very interesting the importance that he gives to hand tools and the way that he explains everything. Also, and very important, he shows what to do when something goes wrong and not perfect like on almost videos out there. Good job!!!
Just a little concerned that Paul fastened the cap to the top rail with steel screws, although well countersunk there’s still quite a risk of running a hand saw or circular saw into them. I would have used large wooden dowels – say from an old broom handle. Then you are really safe.