2x4 tool stands/preparing lumber?

[Phil Thien]

I remember seeing a page for building tool stands and workbenches from construction lumber (2x4). The author planed the lumber down to clean it up, and I think he ripped in down, too. I can't remember much beyond that, other than he said it was a fast, efficient method for building shop tool stands and workbenches.

I wish I had bookmarked it. I'm wondering what kind of finished dimension he was getting out of 2x4's. I've tried google, there are millions of sites for building tool stands and workbenches, but few, if any, clean the lumber up with the planer.

I would have sworn the guy had a fairly uncommon first name (like Gaylord) but I simply cannot find it again. The Internet is expanding faster than the universe.

[Jamie Buxton]

So your question is what you can get from a 2x4? The answer depends on a bunch of things... How nice is your raw material? (The quality of construction lumber varies widely.) Do you care if the workpieces shrink after you mill them? (Remember that construction lumber is either completely wet, or perhaps kiln dried to 19%. Either will shrink and warp as it goes to the 8-9% typical of indoors lumber.) And how long are the pieces you need? (If you need 8'-long parts, you may need to take out long bows. If you need only 1'-long parts, there would be less to fix.)

[Mike Cutler]

Phil

My benches and router table are made from 2x4's and 2x6's.
They are rock solid, straight, true and heavy. They are also in my garage shop which sees all of the seasonal humidity changes.
I would disagree with whomever the author was that stated they were "fast". There is no difference in the material prep just because it's a 2x'.
All of the legs and stretchers I build out of 2x's are doubled up in thickness. They are all milled S4S, screwed and glued together with the growth rings opposing each other. It takes a lot of glue.I build the joints into the glue up process.
Once I'm done building the frame, I use plywood sides to reinforce everything and remove shear load.
A milled 2x loses about an 1/8th to a 1/4". You have to do a lot of sifting through the piles to find the boards that are the most true and knot free to start with.

[Bob Lang]

There is an article I wrote on the PWM editor's blog called "Benches on a Budget" that details the process. When I do this I generally end up with finished pieces at 1 1/4" x 3 1/4". If you pre-cut the pieces to length and let them dry for a couple weeks, this dimension will take care of the worst offenders for warping and twisting. The actual finished dimensions really don't matter structurally, it's easier to build (and do the math) if you use my dimensions. In any case, don't waste time milling a 2 x 4 straight from the lumberyard, they will loose water and warp as they reach equilibrium.

Bob Lang

[Carl Beckett]

I mill 2x4's for benches and such. I guess it saves time over rough stock, but it's still the same process. Also have noticed the Borg stores stocking kiln dried material ( and different species ). Th KD doesn't work great for studs (splitting) but does work well for bench building since it's a lower moisture content.

Watch for staples where they might have stuck a tag..... Can nick a knife......

[Bill Huber]

I use 2x4s for both my benches, just work benches not woodworking benches, router table base, flip stand for planer, and my old table saw base.
I do plan the wood to get nice square corners, this makes for much better joints. My joints are dowels on the stands and on the benches just screws. After planing the 2x4 it will be right at 1 1/2 x 3 1/4, I plan both sides and the edges.

I find that it is cheap, easy to work with and strong.

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[Phil Thien]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I have a bunch of 2x4's I had removed and saved a couple of years ago, and want to use them to make a small tool stand. But I wanted to do some design work and wasn't sure what I could expect to get out of them. Besides the nail holes, they're pretty nice, tight grained, old KD stock. So I'm pretty sure that if you guys can get 1-1/4 x 3-1/4 from new stock, I can achieve that with these 40-YO studs.

[Aaron Berk]

Make sure you check for bent or broken nails and screws in those holes!
I've stumbled upon a few hidden fasteners while recycling 2xs.

sucks big time

[Jamie Buxton]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. I have a bunch of 2x4's I had removed and saved a couple of years ago, and want to use them to make a small tool stand. But I wanted to do some design work and wasn't sure what I could expect to get out of them. Besides the nail holes, they're pretty nice, tight grained, old KD stock. So I'm pretty sure that if you guys can get 1-1/4 x 3-1/4 from new stock, I can achieve that with these 40-YO studs.

Just regard the old 2x4s like you would any other roughsawn lumber. Do the design work, so you know what lengths you want. Then crosscut the stock, mill it to s4s, and see what it turned out you got. Then tweak your drawings to fit reality. Then build.

[Gary Herrmann]

If you want to do this with new 2by stock, buy 2x10s or 2x12s and rip them to size. You'll get less twist, cupping etc than in 2x4 stock.