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eric mah
03-01-2013, 4:15 PM
Is it better to laminate a benchtop (8/4 maple) or if available use a properly/kiln dried slab?

Eric
Rod Sheridan
03-01-2013, 4:31 PM
Hi Eric, I would vote for laminated with the pieces on edge so there would very little change in width with humidity.........Regards, Rod.
Brent Ring
03-01-2013, 4:46 PM
Hi Eric, I would vote for laminated with the pieces on edge so there would very little change in width with humidity.........Regards, Rod.

+1 for Rods opinion. much easier to keep it stable.
Kevin Bourque
03-01-2013, 5:11 PM
Glue up is much more stable. A big slab would be nearly impossible to keep flat and without any twist.
Bill Wyko
03-01-2013, 5:21 PM
I would have to say laminated. The grain is not connected across the lamination's so there's no chance of a big twist happening over time. If solid slabs were better, you would see many more of them I would imagine.

An example. A business back east shipped a fellow BOTL (brother of the lumber) a giant walnut slab from a conference table here to Tucson. They wanted some Dutchman inlays done to stop a creeping crack. Once it sat here in Tucson's summer for just a couple weeks, the whole slab turned into a cork screw. It curled up over 3 inches from corner to corner. I never heard what happened but I'd imagine they were beyond pissed. I'd definitely go lamination.
Gary Petrauskas
03-01-2013, 6:33 PM
A couple of months ago I happen to meet a guy who had built the 21st Century Workbench. He used two 12" wide 8/4 ash slabs to build it. I looked it over pretty good as I had never seen one done like that before and I have to say it appeared to be dead flat. So....perhaps it would be ok if you building that bench but I totally agree lamination would be best.
Jeff Duncan
03-01-2013, 6:57 PM
Depends on the bench! There's at least one type of bench, (Roubo maybe?), that was originally made from a single wide slab of wood and if you were into that idea may want to keep same. Of course finding wide stable slabs is not anywhere near as easy to do as it once was:( Most benches though are indeed glued up in some way shape or form.

good luck,
JeffD