High wear areas on Roubo workbench?

[Marko Milisavljevic]

I got some very nice knot-free and straight douglas fir that I will use to build a Roubo bench. I also have some 8/4 hard maple. Are there any high-wear or dent areas that I would be well-advised to use maple for? Like vise jaws, or first 2 pieces of laminate top where dog holes are? Aesthetically I would prefer not to mix these two species.

Thanks.

[Jim Koepke]

You have already mentioned two high wear areas that come to mind for me.

I would also consider any area where you will have dog holes.

Why not mix the species?

jtk

[Tom Vanzant]

Mix away on the wood species... that wonderful wooden aircraft-carrier at the Hancock Shaker Village is topped with a mix of maple in the dog-hole area, another hardwood plank, flat-sawn, in the center, and a flat-sawn pine plank to the rear. It was a tool to be used, not something to stand and gawk at.

[Marko Milisavljevic]

Why not mix the species?
Only because I find that both aesthetically and in tactile terms, these 2 species are not complimentary. I'm sure I'd get over it if mixing offered increase in fuctionality.

[glenn bradley]

The fir trim around my benchtop is pretty beat up compared to other materials. Primarily the vise areas. I would mix the harder material in where your dogs will go and around the vise area.

[Zander Kale]

On my doug fir roubo, one the leg vise jaws is the side of the bench; both chops are pretty chewed. Leather would probably have been a fine fix. The dog strip has been fine, but I made that out of oak.

[Jim Neeley]

Marko,

If you don't like the two side-by-side, why don't you insert a strip of a contrasting wood in between.. purpleheart, walnut or something similar to draw the contrast away from the pine/maple and to the accent wood - both?

Jim

[Jim Matthews]

Only because I find that both aesthetically and in tactile terms, these 2 species are not complimentary. I'm sure I'd get over it if mixing offered increase in fuctionality.

Would you consider a "picture frame" all the way around the douglas fir acceptable?
It seems to me that the chief advantage of dissimilar materials would be avoidance of chip out at the periphery.
Were I building something like this, I would make the exterior of the hardest materials and assemble it with hardware for the purpose of replacement in the future.

Some larger screws in countersunk holes with a large strip of double sided carpet tape comes to mind.

If wear on the dog holes is a concern, making the insert replaceable (and symmetric) would allow you to remove the insert and flip it end for end. That would give two wear surfaces from one board.
If the top is oiled, I wonder if cosmetics would improve to your liking?

That said, my bench is so ugly, you wouldn't cross the street to pick it out of the trash; but it was useful to build my dining table.
217089217090

[Mike Holbrook]

I was about to make another Roubo post but this post is close to the same topic. I am trying to choose wood to make a Split Top Roubo and I have not had much luck at local Lowe's & construction lumber suppliers. I find the idea of using multiple types of wood intriguing? I have been considering Soft Maple or Ash if I can find a good deal on some. Now I am thinking about a harder wood in high traffic areas.

What about making the larger part of the bench out of Soft Maple or Ash & making the dog areas & front edge of the bench out of hard Maple? Actually just making the side of the bench where my leg vise & dead man will be out of Hard Maple for maybe 4- 6" might do the trick? Maybe, as Jim suggests, make the front edge part of a picture frame but a little thicker on the front side to accommodate dogs. Certainly the edges of any bench take extra abuse.

[Kevin Adams]

Hi Jim,

Nice job on your table. What's the wood? Is the center board of the table curved as well or is that just the camera angle?

And btw, being a part-time chairmaker, I also love the chairs. Did you make those as well? Very Brian Boggs-esque!

Take care,
Kevin

[Jim Matthews]

Hi Jim,

Nice job on your table. What's the wood? Is the center board of the table curved as well or is that just the camera angle?

And btw, being a part-time chairmaker, I also love the chairs. Did you make those as well? Very Brian Boggs-esque!

Take care,
Kevin

All three boards are curved, I couldn't bear to waste so much of the outer "Glastonbury" cherry from your neck of the woods.
The center "surfboard" is cherry from my Father in North Carolina, that tree was not well seasoned and the yield has been poor.

Good eye on the chairs, Brian made those for us last year.
It took me six months to make the table, I would never have finished 6 chairs in my lifetime.

jim

[Andrae Covington]

I got some very nice knot-free and straight douglas fir that I will use to build a Roubo bench. I also have some 8/4 hard maple. Are there any high-wear or dent areas that I would be well-advised to use maple for? Like vise jaws, or first 2 pieces of laminate top where dog holes are? Aesthetically I would prefer not to mix these two species.

Thanks.

As I've probably said ad nauseam, douglas-fir likes to splinter and crush along edges. Away from the edges it can take much more abuse, but the front top edge of my workbench top is getting rough. I keep re-planing a chamfer, which is now up to about 1/4". The grain is a little wavy in places though, so it is probably the short-grain areas that are tearing up the most. A less splintery wood as the first board of the top might be worth considering. I used oak for the vise chops so not sure how douglas-fir would hold up for that. I haven't had any problems with the dog holes, but I did use a large countersink bit (Beall (http://www.bealltool.com/products/threading/countersink.php)) to chamfer them.