Buying a bench top

[Nathan Talbert]

I'm trying to get a decent bench together to focus on basics and fundamentals of handtool woodworking. I can get a 3" thick sold maple top, 24" x 48" already sanded flat from a shop in PA for $220. I'll do the rest (legs and vise) myself. I haven't decided on a design yet, so the dimensions might change a wee bit. I just wondered if its worth the money to get the top made instead of doing it myself.

[lowell holmes]

Using Houston prices, the 24 board feet of rough hard maple would cost $234. That is figuring 25% waste. Sounds like a good deal to me if the dimensions are satisfactory.

I have a bench that is 72 inches long. I think it is about as small as I would want.

[John Schreiber]

That's a good price and will save a lot of work. A bench that size would be too small for me though. You could add a lightweight extention table and just do the heavy work on the 3" thick part. Also, if you are doing hand tool work, there's no substitute for mass, but that could come from other parts of the construction.

As usual, I recommend borrowing or buying Chris Schwarz book, Workbenches (http://www.amazon.com/Workbenches-Design-Construction-Popular-Woodworking/dp/1558708405/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_0_2) before you get too far into the planning.

[Robert Rozaieski]

If you are just using the bench to cut joinery and as an assembly table the size will likely be fine. It will also be fine if you only make small things.

However, I think 48" is way too short for hand planing furniture sized parts. My bench is 7' long and there are many times I wish it was longer. The side of a chest of drawers can be over 4' long. I recently finished a piece where the sides were over 7' long. Moldings can easily be over 8' for a large case (you want to stick the entire molding as one long piece and then cut it apart so the profile matches at the miters). If I had the room, I'd have a much longer bench. I think that 7' is a bare minimum if you plan to hand plane furniture sized parts but in this case, longer is just about always better IMO.

[Dominic Greco]

I'm trying to get a decent bench together to focus on basics and fundamentals of handtool woodworking. I can get a 3" thick sold maple top, 24" x 48" already sanded flat from a shop in PA for $220. I'll do the rest (legs and vise) myself. I haven't decided on a design yet, so the dimensions might change a wee bit. I just wondered if its worth the money to get the top made instead of doing it myself.

Nathan,
I'm assuming that since you are speaking of a shop in PA that you live in that fine state. :D If so, might I suggest that you contact Bally Block in Bally PA and speak to an indivual named "Russell". Russ works on the floor as a foreman and will tell you if they have "seconds" available. You can get a 26" wide x 6' long x 2" thick top for around $70. And sometimes they have 3" or 4 thick tops! They're "seconds" because they might have dark grain in them, or they are reclaimed from an old school (or even Army bases)

I got several very nice butcher block maple tops from them and have spread the word about this place to all I know. Here's a photo of what I got last October.

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z287/DominicGreco/Bally_Block2.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z287/DominicGreco/Bally_Block1.jpg

[Chris Kennedy]

I have a 24 by 48 workbench, and as others have said, it is fine for small work. I also have a considerably larger assembly table that I can use for planing as well as assembly (though no vises). On the other hand, I got by with my 24 by 48 for at least three years.

On other hand, if you can get something from Mr. Greco's friend, you would clearly be in good shape.

Cheers,

Chris

[Dominic Greco]

:rolleyes::D
I have a 24 by 48 workbench, and as others have said, it is fine for small work. I also have a considerably larger assembly table that I can use for planing as well as assembly (though no vises). On the other hand, I got by with my 24 by 48 for at least three years.

On other hand, if you can get something from Mr. Greco's friend, you would clearly be in good shape.

Cheers,

Chris

Cause that's the only Mr. Greco I know! :D :D

People around these here parts (i.e. my friends) call me "Dominic". Calling me "Mr" just makes me look around and say, "Who?"

[John Coloccia]

I just wondered if its worth the money to get the top made instead of doing it myself.

For what it's worth, you couldn't pay me enough to build and level a workbench top. It's not that it's impossible, but the workbench top pricing I've seen over the years is often better than the raw material cost retail. A truly GOOD reason to build a bench top is because you really want to build a bench top.

I'm currently building a little rotary holder for all of my small precision screwdrivers. It will cost too much and take too long, and I could just buy one, but I really want to build it and have it come out just so :)

[Sam Takeuchi]

I think it's worth it if it's the right size for you and price is agreeable to you. But I tell you, building a bench from scratch is an experience, no matter how many times you build it. You learn much. As tiring as leveling and flattening the top is by hand, for me, it's one of the most satisfying part of bench building. When I built my first bench, I thought I could do anything with wood! Of course that wasn't true and still not. If you could, I'd recommend doing it by hand from experience and learning point of view.

[Matt Radtke]

Don't suppose anyone knows of a magical, used bench top source (like the above in PA) around Madison, WI, do they?

[Dominic Greco]

Don't suppose anyone knows of a magical, used bench top source (like the above in PA) around Madison, WI, do they?

Best I could do for you is Bally Block's Michigan (http://www.mapleblock.com/detail/contact-mapleblock/)plant


Michigan Maple Block Co.
P.O. Box 245
Petoskey, Michigan 49770

[Matt Radtke]

Best I could do for you is Bally Block's Michigan (http://www.mapleblock.com/detail/contact-mapleblock/)plant


That's what I've figured. I've had poor luck finding such a place locally. Oh well, just build my own, I guess.

[Jerome Hanby]

I haven't used it yet, but I bought a 1 1/2" thick beech counter top from Ikea. Planning on cutting it in half lengthwise and gluing it up to be 3" thick and building the bench around that.

[amiel gernentz]

Bout a year ago I bought a benchtop from Baird Bro. on Ebay, 96"X26"X2" oak top that was straight, flat and beautiful. I think it was $165+$18 shipping they have maple and other woods at 2" and other thicknesses ebay name is Baird2945 I don't work for them just a satisfied customer.