A Pair of Adjustable Trestles

Posted on November 6, 2013 by jonathancuff

Well it is now six weeks into my first term at WestDean. It has taken some adjustment being a
full time student but it is a great experience and I am loving it. I have recently completed my
first project…..sorry it has taken so long to get a post up. Below is a copy of my report.

My new project has just started. It involves green wood working including splitting wood
from the log and working to shape by hand…..real old school stuff. This should make for
interesting reading so I will post again as soon as I can (assuming I have all my fingers!!!)

This project was inspired by an existing pair of workshop trestles, which were adjustable in
height as well as angle. My task was to make a pair of trestles that would meet the same
criteria and if possible improve upon the design and build.

Pine was used which matched the original trestles but also made for a very practical and
affordable material. This would not only be easy to work but would accept a range of finishes.
My redesigned trestles shared many aspects of the originals but I had chosen to use joints
such as through mortise and tenon and lap joints instead of butt jointing with screws. The
main design change was to rotate the two main trestle uprights through 90 degrees so that
their width ran in the direction of the grain of the base section. This made the assembly more
rigid and strong under load.
The upright sections were joined to the base with lap joints. These were made with a
combination of hand and machine work. Firstly the lap joint on the upright was cut using a
tenon saw. This was then cleaned up with a paring chisel. The base members were then
marked to accept these components with a marking knife and marking gauge. They were then
taken to the table saw where the majority of waste material was removed by a number of cuts
with the blade set to a level just within the marked area. Once all bases were cut they were
taken to the work bench where the rest of the waste was removed using a paring chisel and
finally cleaned with a shoulder plane.
Once the uprights were dry fitted to the bases they were removed so that a channel could be
made in them to accept a sliding member that was to become a part of the trestle top
assembly. As with the base sections I marked the area to be removed with a marking gauge
and knife and then the table saw was used to remove the majority of the waste with a number
of shallow cuts. Again the saw was set just within the marked area to allow for fine finishing.
The rough area was converted to a smooth channel by removing the remaining waste with a
paring chisel and then smoothed with a shoulder plane with a very fine setting.
The next step was to glue the uprights to the base sections. Once glued these sections could
then be paired and joined together with a cross member using through mortise and tenon
joints.

The main challenge was to keep everything square. As the uprights had channels in them it
was important to put a spacing block at the top of each pair of channels so that when each
assembly was clamped, the channel did not distort in anyway. It was chosen to clamp the
assemblies to the bench to ensure flatness. You can also see a number of other components in
this image including a pair of top chassis as well as block feet on each base. These pieces
were cut with the table saw. In the case of the chassis these had already been glued the day
before.

The block feet were to be held in place with bolts so the drill press was used to create clean
straight holes. A Forstner bit was then used to recess an area for the nut. In all of the above
components PVA glue was used and left clamped up overnight.

The next day each pair of trestle assemblies were joined with a cross member. I had decided
to use through mortise and tenon joints. The joint was marked out with a marking knife and a
mortising gauge. The tenons were created in the cross members using the table saw with a jig
I had modified so it could accept a piece of wood vertically to make the tenon cheek cuts.
Clean up was then done with a paring chisel and shoulder plane.
The mortises in the upright assemblies were first drilled out by hand using a brace and bit.
The holes were then cleaned and the mortise defined with a selection of chisels. The mortise
was worked from both sides to ensure a clean joint with no split out.
The components were then dry fitted and the joints adjusted for the best fit before being glued
with Fish Glue. Fish Glue was used due to its reversible nature.
Construction of the sliding top of the trestles was next. This simple mechanism relied on a
series of equally spaced holes which would allow the user to slide a bolt into place to lock the
trestle at a certain height and angle.
To ensure accurate and repeatable holes I made a simple jig for the drill press. This jig
comprised of a flat surface which had a channel to accept the work piece. Within this channel
sat a series of identical wooden blocks. These blocks lined up in the channel before the work
piece. With the work piece in place, the first hole was drilled, then a block was removed so
that the work piece could slide forward. This was repeated until all holes were drilled and no
blocks remained in the jig. Numbering the blocks and making a note of their orientation in the
jig ensured that each of the work pieces had an identical column of holes. To ensure a clean
finish the holes were first counter sunk. A drill bit was then set up in the drill press so that it
could drill to a set depth. In this case the depth would only just break the surface on the other
side. The work piece was then turned over and then counter sunk, ensuring a clean hole.

The top of these drilled bars were then rounded on the bandsaw and finished with the orbital
bench sander. A hole was then drilled in each so the top chassis could be fitted with nuts and
bolts.

To allow users to set the trestles set at an angle it was important to make sure that the chassis
could allow for expansion. This was achieved by creating a slot in one end of the chassis. This
slot was created on the drill press by drilling two identical holes at a set distance apart. These
holes were then made into one slot with the use of a coping saw. The entire slot was then
chamfered with the counter sink bit in the drill press.

This completed the main trestle assembly. Before it could be finished and sealed I decided to
create a pair of removable tops/ trays which were to sit on top of each trestle. These trays
would be wide enough to accept most pieces of furniture as well as allowing for storage of a
small selection of tools.
The main material used for the trays was plywood. This was simply cut to size from a large
sheet using the table saw. To enable the tray to attach to the trestle, two blocks of pine were
screwed to each tray. These blocks were cut on the table saw and then sized and shaped with a
plane. The final fit to each trestle is very tight and secure.
Each tray was then framed with a pine strip. The strip was created from a larger piece of
wood. The piece was reduced in size and a groove cut to accept the plywood. This was carried
out on the table saw. The frame members were then mitred by hand using a tenon saw and the
45 degree cuts were tuned for the best fit with a plane and a shooting board. The frame was
glued to the plywood with PVA glue.
A rubber mat was then cut to fit within this frame. Rubber was also cut for the feet of the
trestle body. This ensured protection of the feet and good grip on the workshop floor. The
rubber in each case was cut by hand with a knife and straight edge. Any holes or rounded
parts were also cut by hand using a punch and a mallet.
All wooden surfaces were then cleaned ready for sealing and finish. A variety of cabinet
scrapers, planes and abrasive papers were used.

The trestles were then taken to the finishing room where they received two coats of a clear
acrylic. The acrylic (WS24) was diluted 1:1 with water and applied with a soft brush. A light
sand with 400 grit abrasive was used between coats.

Finished Product
Personal Reflection

This has been a very enjoyable and rewarding first project. It has introduced me to a huge
variety of machine work and techniques and the redesigning of an existing idea has really
made me think more about furniture design as well as the properties of wood in construction.
The fact that two trestles were made also gave ample opportunity to try different things as
well as giving my hand tools skills much needed good practice.

I am pleased with the finished outcome and if I were to re-make them I would keep most of
the design the same. The only possible changes I would make would be to adjust the lap joints
that attach the uprights to the bases. I believe that the joint is strong and will last well over
time. However, there is no allowance for wood shrinkage. This could cause the joint to open;
leaving gaps which could affect long term stability and the aesthetic value of the piece.