I tend to concur w/ the latter view -- one thing that is pretty effective and inexpensive for a first bench is to use the construction lumber then lay a piece of masonite or similar hardboard on top--a couple small brads countersunk can hold it down but not be a problem w/ edges and if it gets destroyed it's easy/cheap to replace. It's surprisingly durable as well as smooth...
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There's also a school of thought that says make a cheap first bench and learn as you go, use it for a few years and change it around to see what you like, then make a better one once you know your preferences.
A softer top does have the advantage that if you accidently drop a workpiece on the edge of the top it's less likely to damage the workpiece.
Chris
I'm slowly putting together ideas for a new (small) bench to fit beside the old bench in our cramped garage. I thought a hardwood butcher-block top would be nice until I started checking prices. Guess where I found reasonably-priced butcher-block tops? Ikea. They make them in various sizes for kitchen cabinets, and one is perfect for the size bench I'd like to build and way cheaper than anybody else I've seen. I might slap a sheet of plywood underneath it to be sure it will support a couple of vises with no problems, but I think I've found the top I wanted and it won't need drying.
The main problem with that is that the butcher-block top will expand and contract with humidity changes, while the plywood will not. As long as you plan for this, you shouldn't have any problems.
Chris
Why don't you double the top up with 3/4" plywood and with a 1/8" masonite top that you could turn over when the top gets beat up? I would also band the edges with 2" by 3/4" hardwood.
I appreciate everyone's input. Based on other websites and forums, people that have built this bench seem to be happy with it and use it for many years to develop their skills. I'm sorry if I've offended the purists here :-) . I can appreciate their views because I'm the same way with guitars and musical instruments.
Don't knock the workmate, you can do a whole lot with them. Including build a workbench.
Why, indeed? Build what you are capable of building Now with the least expensive materials that will do the job and *not frustrate you* by being difficult to to work or warping within weeks. When you know you want to continue woodworking and know the type of woodworking you like doing, Then build your ultimate bench. You may even find you have already built it.
The suggested books are still worth reading Now, as they do have tips on Simple work benches. The Landis book, IIRC, even has a chapter devoted to the workmate.
LD
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Josh I think you have the right attitude. Listen to the purists and take them with a grain of salt.
Build it.
I have the killer euro-maple-bench but it took me a long time to get there. Developing you woodworking skills is an iterative process as is upgrading your tooling to match your skills.
Others have mentioned the Landis book; buy it. It addresses all types of benches spanning European, Japanese, Plywood and even a chapter on the workmate. Live with the tubafor bench for a couple of years and you will have a better idea of the style of bench that will best suit your needs for the long term. That book will give you a broad selection of designs from which to draw ideas.
-Steve
I think that's the key here. First of all, it's cheaper wood than maple, regardless of which soft wood you choose. I did a lot of things with softwood before I felt OK with tackling harder woods, and I found the softwoods more forgiving for the things I was doing.
Secondly, there's no real waste of time. The bench will give you lots of enjoyment when you use it, not to mention the wonderful feeling of satisfaction you'll have when it's finished, but still has its virginal cherry. That won't last long, but it's still worth calling up relatives and bringing in people you don't know from the street and showing it off to them.
You said you were a newbie. Maybe this will spur you on to become less of a newbie, or maybe you'll be satisfied with just doing a few projects from time to time. If the latter is the case, then you'll likely get to a point where you want a more substantial bench. But you'll always have this one to look at and do lessons learned on it.
There are many different levels of skill in the Wreck, but I can broadly generalize it into three: professionals, amateur hobbyists and the very exacting group that demands the best all the time of everything. This last group can be either pros or amateurs.
Each group will look at a problem from their own perspective and that has to be taken into account when you ask for an opinion.
In this question, you're lucky because you have a wide range of opinions. Some support your original idea, some don't. But lots of them give you flexibility to alter your ideas if need be.
I don't know if this is any cheaper or better, but in the current Woodcraft sales flyer[1] that arrived in the mail today, I see they've got laminated maple bench tops on sale. I was going put up a URL, but Woodcraft's web site is still showing the old sales flyer. In case you don't receive it, here's what they're offering:
24" x 60" 70 lbs regular: $249.99 sale: $199.99 30" x 60" 88 lbs regular: $269.99 sale: $215.99 24" x 84" 98 lbs regular: $299.99 sale: $239.99For those like me, with no Ikea near by, but have a Woodcraft store in the area . . .
Grizzly sells laminated maple bench tops at
While the woodcraft ones are of a different class the Ikea ones are 30 Bucks for some sizes.
Solid Beech Length: 48 7/8 ", Depth: 15 ", Thickness: 1 1/8 " $29.99
Length: 73 1/4 ", Depth: 25 5/8 ", Thickness: 1 1/8 " $59.99
Not too shabby. Put some 3/4" ply under that and you should have a nice rigid top.
I actually kinda doubt that it's "green"...it may be wet, but I haven't seen construction grade lumber that wasn't dried in mo years than I care to admit to having.
That said...it may be wet in a "sitting in the rain" kind of wet and it will twist and warp no matter what, so...let it sit, stickered, and pick and choose when it comes time to make your bench.
Mike
You are invited to tour any lumber yard in SoCal to see a whole lot of wet construction grade lumber.
It is the norm, not the exception.
Lew
The lumber one gets from either of the Borgs may not be "green", but if it was ever in a kiln, the kiln setting was for "rare", not "medium" or "well-done". The dimension lumber from those places usually looks great in the store, but it feels wet even when picking it up. Take it home and don't use it immediately and it will make corkscrews look straight in comparison.
From what I've seen of that lumber, it has nothing to do with setting in the rain.
If one were to buy a pallet of that wood and let is set, banded in a dry place for a few years, one might get a pretty decent batch of dry dimension lumber. Fresh from the store, not so much.
That occured to me but I'm not sure how to address that. If the idea is to in effect make the top thicker and tougher to support vises without danger of cracking, what would be the best way to go about that provided I want to stay with the butcher-block top?
I"m guessing that expansion slots in the plywood for screws routed in the direction that's across the maple grain would take care of the expansion/contraction. And no glue on the ply/maple surfaces.
But is that enough to hold the ply to the maple?
Oh oh, I didn't even realize Woodcraft had a location within driving range until you mentioned them, and now I've talked the wife into dropping by there this afternoon, just to take a look around. Something tells me she doesn't actually believe that. Thanks for the tip, I think. ;^)
It's a good habit because one might set the plane on non-wood surfaces, including screws &c, but mostly (I think) because it can mess around with your depth adjustments. But if you're getting nicked a lot with your tools, you gotta do what you gotta do.
S.
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