White Oak for Workbench Top

[Dave Rizzolo]

I have enough white oak to build a large workbench. Just wondering how WO would be for building the top. I have 8/4 at rough 12" wide, mostly flat sawn. Thought I could rip down to just less then 3", use end grain, and glue up. (after letting the wood relax in the shop for awhile).

Suggestions? Thanks

[Prashun Patel]

It'll make a good, stable, heavy top.

Only thing I can think of is that it might tend to turn black in parts if contacting metal and or acidic products. However, I think you can mitigate that with a finish.

[Nate Carey]

Dave, end grain? You won't get end grain by ripping...and I don't think you really want an "end grain" work bench.

...otherwise white oak is an excellent choice for a work bench...go for it!

[Frank Drew]

Thought I could rip down to just less then 3", use end grain, and glue up.

Dave,

End grain? Edge grain (the surface adjoining the flat sawn face) might be what you intended to type.

But if you actually meant end grain, like in some butcher blocks, then, no, I wouldn't recommend that.

I agree with Shawn that oak would be a good choice although it might be a bit more stain prone than some other woods, partly because it's open pored, but as he said putting on a finish would help prevent that and in any case the bench's function wouldn't be at all affected.

[James Carmichael]

You might want to take inventory to see if there's enough rift-sawn material on the edges of those boards to make the whole top. If so, I'd use those pieces for the top lamination, as they should be the most stable.

IIRC, growth rings on the end of RS stock are 30 to 75-degrees to the face of the board. Over 75 is QS, and under 30 is PS.

[Mac McQuinn]

Hi Dave,

The edge grain White Oak should make a great bench top, albeit with some heft to it. How do you plan on flattening it? Depending on width I'd glue it up in 2 or 3 sections and run it through the planer. If your really careful and have a extra pair of hands to help, you could then glue the final 2 or 3 pieces together and hand plane the final piece if you don't have access to a 24-30" thickness planer. This will be heavy at 3" thick so be careful. Good luck.

Mac

[harry strasil]

Here is the thread on my Pin Oak Bench Build. FWIW

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=76185&highlight=bench

[Dave Rizzolo]

Dave,

End grain? Edge grain (the surface adjoining the flat sawn face) might be what you intended to type.

But if you actually meant end grain, like in some butcher blocks, then, no, I wouldn't recommend that.

I agree with Shawn that oak would be a good choice although it might be a bit more stain prone than some other woods, partly because it's open pored, but as he said putting on a finish would help prevent that and in any case the bench's function wouldn't be at all affected.


Sorry Edge.

[Ben Davis]

If you haven't invested the $25 in Chris Schwartz's Workbenches (http://www.lostartpress.com/product/3513e08a-2f07-4616-8f2f-74017f296377.aspx)book, then I certainly wouldn't invest any white oak into a workbench! That's premo hardwood for workbenches IMO and would lust after a very nicely put together one.

[Jim Foster]

Sometimes White Oak is not a bad choice.

In MA, I can get Doug Fir 4x4x8' boards, messy Hemlock Fir framing lumber, green Doug Fir 2x12x28 either sitting open outside for a long time or custom ordered without getting to pick the boards or I can use hardwood. I can get White Oak for somewhere between $2.00 and $2.50 per board foot. I'd like a bench longer than 8', but I might just make one out of Fir 4x4s for now to get one going, and later put this one in the garage if I decide to build a longer one. So, I think Oak may be a good choice sometimes. The Schwartz book is great. I picked it up at the advice of a SMC member.



If you haven't invested the $25 in Chris Schwartz's Workbenches (http://www.lostartpress.com/product/3513e08a-2f07-4616-8f2f-74017f296377.aspx)book, then I certainly wouldn't invest any white oak into a workbench! That's premo hardwood for workbenches IMO and would lust after a very nicely put together one.

[Dave Rizzolo]

Thanks for the feedback, Team. I'll take a look at the book. I will prob go with the WO. Thanks Again

[Peter Quinn]

I like the Schwartz book, lots of great info in there, and some considered opinions too. The whole notion (or phenomenon) about using SYP for a bench seems to come from the idea that one might consider using something local, inexpensive, readily available, repairable, and durable. I suppose this is a reaction to the notion (or myth) that European Beech makes the best bench because many European bench makers use it. The theme I gathered from reading his book was that many people today over think and misconsider their choice of wood for a bench, then go blindly forward with a design that is impractical for actual wood working. His designs are some real food for thought.

I guess where Mr. Schwartz is SYP would be a practical choice of bench wood, but I'm in New England, and you can scarcely find the stuff here in an affordable grade, almost everything construction grade is Doug Fir or Hem/Fir/Spruce. I can't imagine the entire rest of the country is awash in SYP either. So maybe the SYP thing only makes sense where it actually makes sense. Here, I can get ash, red oak and sometimes maple cheaper, and any of those is a He** of a lot more pleasant to work with than SYP.

Soooo, I think oak is a fine choice, especially considering you already have it in your possession. Meets the available, affordable and most definitely the durable criteria. When my boss (first cabinet shop job) told me to make myself a bench a few years back, I naively asked him whether I should pull beech or maple stock. He laughed, real hard, for a while. Then he said "try poplar and MDF moron, we may be selling cabinets, but your bench is a tool you are going to beat with a hammer, not a piece of furniture headed for the Smithsonian!" Many thousands of board feet of work later and the poplar and MDF are still in fine shape. And it takes three guys to move the bench when necessary.

[Ben Davis]

Peter,
I totally agree with you on the SYP bit. It's available totally cheap here in North Carolina... and the rest of the deep and mid south. It's the framing timber down here and what most paper pulp is made from.

If I could get WO at $2.00 my entire house would overflow with A&C pieces. It's nearly $4.50 for only so-so stock. QSWO goes for $6.00 - $8.00 in some places. I can get walnut and cherry for way less!

[Ed Peters]

If I could get WO at $2.00 my entire house would overflow with A&C pieces. It's nearly $4.50 for only so-so stock.
I have 3 stacks of (albeit, flat sawn) 4/4 white oak totalling about 1,500 bdft that I bought at $.50 per bdft. Most is rough sawn at a bit more than 1 and an eight thick.

Ed

[Richard Chan]

I think I can say we all hate you :D:D. Nice gloat


I have 3 stacks of (albeit, flat sawn) 4/4 white oak totalling about 1,500 bdft that I bought at $.50 per bdft. Most is rough sawn at a bit more than 1 and an eight thick.

Ed