Workbench top?

[Dave Balderstone]

When I did my bench I laminated maple T&G flooring from Windsor Ply on Millar to a solid core door.

Pics at

(Yeah, I'm in S'toon...)

djb

[Greg G.]

I've had no need of a larger one - yet. Very seldom do I use stock wider than 6", as it tends to cup and twist when wider. The considerable price jump into the 8" and up jointers is financially unfeasible for me. Mostly I use it for edge jointing boards for glue up and straightening framing stock. I have a 13" planer as well - between the two I have not run into anything reasonable I couldn't work with. A nice 48" flat-bed drum sander would be nice, but... FWIW,

Greg G.

[BRuce]

what wood was the base made from? Looks very sturdy and usable.

BRuce

Dave Balderst> >

[Dave Balderstone]

Just your standard SPF 4x4, 2x6 and 2x8, painted brown with an exterior stain.

djb

[Dave Keith]

The have a lot of maple ! Standard maple is $8.90 /bf, 'birdseye' is $12.90 (these are Canadian$). They also have a lot of bowl blanks and other turning blanks, all at fixed prices.

[daryl1138]

I am planning on going the pine 2 x 4 route but I would like to have bench dogs as well and I am concerned about these prematurely elongating. If I were to alternate in a few strips of hardwood at the dog locations would I run into any significant shrink/expansion problems? If so, any recommendation to counter it?

[Conan the Librarian]

Some folks recommend lining the dogholes with harder material, or even drilling an oversize doghole, plugging it with hardwood and then drilling your hole centered in the hardwood.

Personally, my top is made of laminated SYP (slightly less than 3" thick) and I have noticed no signs of the dogholes elongating. (I've been using it since February of 2001, so it's not old, but it's seen almost daily use since then.)

I guess it partially depends on how you use dogs/dogholes as well. I don't use them bearing against a face vise, rather I usually use "Wonderdogs" in pairs, or little 6" clamps as hold-downs for planing stops.

You could always start using the bench and see how they wear. If it becomes a problem (most likely in *years*, not months), you could either build your "ideal" bench, or retrofit your current one.

Chuck Vance

[Charlie Self]

But leave us remember, there is pine and there is SYP, which is a LOT harder. Anyone who doesn't believe that should try framing a couple rooms with the stuff, using a hammer instead of a pneumatic nailer. It has been 20+ years, but my hand still aches when I think about it.

Somewhat like framing with red oak, except that with the oak you expect the hardness.

Charlie Self "Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves." Dorothy Parker

[The Firehouse]

If you're patient and have access to some hardwood pallets and a thickness planer....

There's lots of maple pallets out there. cut them into 2" slats and laminate them up. It'd make a super solid top. Take the time to lay it out properly and make sure you add holes for your dogs before you glue it up (if you're using square dogs).

Jeff