ian maybury
01-04-2011, 6:16 PM
Bob's thread on use of leveling compounds got me thinking about the European beech Schwarz Roubo type bench I'm about to start building. (honestly! :rolleyes: - the workshop is taking longer than I expected to get ready)
I've been planning to use the more or less traditional 4 in plus thick laminated on-edge strip (effectively quarter grain) construction recommended by Chris Schwarz (which anyway seems to be more or less standard), but recently found a comment by a well known UK maker that I respect to the effect that this can require very frequent flattening to keep it that way. He uses heavy 1in MDF over a solid timber base with an oiled hard board working surface on top.
It's possible he was referring to a top using plain sawn timber (beech), but I guess I'm wondering what your experience has been. I'd been thinking more in terms of needing to flatten it once or twice, but that after that it should stay that way....
ian
I've been planning to use the more or less traditional 4 in plus thick laminated on-edge strip (effectively quarter grain) construction recommended by Chris Schwarz (which anyway seems to be more or less standard), but recently found a comment by a well known UK maker that I respect to the effect that this can require very frequent flattening to keep it that way. He uses heavy 1in MDF over a solid timber base with an oiled hard board working surface on top.
It's possible he was referring to a top using plain sawn timber (beech), but I guess I'm wondering what your experience has been. I'd been thinking more in terms of needing to flatten it once or twice, but that after that it should stay that way....
ian