Benchtop lamiantion question/ideas

[Joe Fabbri]

Hi everyone,

From all the threads on benches and benchtops, it seems most people make their benchtops by laminating boards (either 4x4's or ripped down 2x10/12s) vertically. I'm wondering if it's possible to make a decent top by laminating the boards flat? I know Garret Hack in Fine Woodworking a little while ago made a nice bench by laminating three layers of 1x3 or 1x4 maple together, staggering the joints in order to create a tongue and groove effect, then he added an apron around, hiding the laminations. This seems like a good way to incorporation breadboard ends too.


Has anyone done this? I'm thinking that using a two or three layers of wide flat-sawn wood (2x12s for instance) would probably act like a large slab of wood, right?

What are your thoughts, guys?

Joe

[Zahid Naqvi]

the reason for laminating construction lumber the way most people typically do is so that you end up with a quarter sawn top, which is much easier to plane and keep level.

[Frank Drew]

Joe,

Laminating in one plane with all the boards the same width and on edge is a lot easier to do well than making a several layer thick lamination of edge glued boards, IMO.

[Joe Fabbri]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies. I figured there had to be reasons. I forgot there that it's easier to achieve a quartersawn top by laminating vertically.

The idea came to me, when I saw Bob Easton's bench using regular lumber relatively flatsawn. That, and the idea of the original Roubo bench being a flat sawn slab. I guess the top is much more stable, though, when the lamination is vertical, right? This way the expansion is not taking place as much along the depth (or width of the bench), rather up and down?

[Zach England]

If you are going to laminate flat-sawn boards it is best to orient them so the rings orient up/down/up/down.

Let's say you are looking at the bench top on its side vertically:
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(
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(
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I know it's a crude illustration.

[Jerome Hanby]

I'm in the process of doing something similar to what you describe. I'm splitting a 39+" wide Ikea Beech Countertop longwise and glueing it up as a stack to give me a 3" thick 19+" wide core for my workbench top. I'll wrap beech aprons, shoulder vise, tail vise, and tool tray around that.