Want to build a workbench but limited wood selection?

[Steve Mathews]

I would like to build a Roubo split-top workbench but wood selection here in NW Arizona is limited. It doesn't have to be made out of traditional maple but even dried softwoods are hard to find. About the only thing available close by is wet construction grade lumber. Is it reasonable to use that? If so, what is the process for drying it out? Any other suggestions on wood to use for construction?

[John K Jordan]

...If so, what is the process for drying it out? Any other suggestions on wood to use for construction?

The process of drying construction lumber is the same as planks from a sawmill. Make a stack with stickers between the boards. Allow plenty of air flow. Weight the top. Protect from the sun and rain. Wait.

I've seen work benches from all kinds of wood.

Or have it shipped in. This company has a kit of just the wood (maple or ash).
http://www.bellforestproducts.com/exotic-lumber-projects/roubo-workbench/

JKJ

[Steve Mathews]

The process of drying construction lumber is the same as planks from a sawmill. Make a stack with stickers between the boards. Allow plenty of air flow. Weight the top. Protect from the sun and rain. Wait.

I've seen work benches from all kinds of wood.

Or have it shipped in. This company has a kit of just the wood (maple or ash).
http://www.bellforestproducts.com/exotic-lumber-projects/roubo-workbench/

JKJ

Thanks for heads up! I sent in a request for a shipping quote.

[Steve Mathews]

The link that John posted led me to the series of instructional videos by The Wood Whisperer Guild on making the Roubo split-top workbench. Has anyone purchased this series? If so, what did you think of it?

[Jim German]

The local Home Depot or Lowes doesn't have any kiln-dried lumber? Around here the 2x4s are generally terrible, however they have some nice douglas fir 4x4s that would work just fine for a workbench. If not at a big box store, find a local supply company. A place where framers are buying their lumber from will certinly have some decent wood.

[Steve Mathews]

The local Home Depot or Lowes doesn't have any kiln-dried lumber? Around here the 2x4s are generally terrible, however they have some nice douglas fir 4x4s that would work just fine for a workbench. If not at a big box store, find a local supply company. A place where framers are buying their lumber from will certinly have some decent wood.

Nope, our local Home Depot and hardware stores only have wet construction lumber. I haven't checked the nearest Lowes the next town away yet or any of the lumber sources in Las Vegas, which is the largest metropolitan area within 100 miles.

[David Eisenhauer]

Lots and lots of Ruobo style (and others) workbenches have been built with construction grade Fir and Southern Yellow Pine. As John K said, sticker it, let it continue to dry out for a while (weeks, months?) until the stack is in the way and you need to use it up to get it out of the way. I bought enough SYP 2x12's to build the base and then bought a second batch for gluing up the tops when the first stack was depleted. I also let the second stack dry while I worked on the base joinery. The wider width framing lumber usually contains better wood than the narrower widths and you can plan to rip the 2x10's and 2x12's to use both halves in an efficient manner if you take the time to draw up a cutting pattern. Pick the straightest, bets looking ones with the knots buried more to the middle of the board rather than on the outer edges.

[Chris Hachet]

You might consider making a one time shipment from a sawmill in the Midwest. Have them ship you lumber for a bench and several projects.

Lumber gets really inexpensive from a mill when you buy 500 board foot. Secondary grade kiln dried hardwood sometimes sells from Ohio mills for under $2 a board foot...Yoder lumber might be a good place to start. IIRC they ship nationwide.

Just checked, they have a #2 grade Alder and Poplar in 8/4 for around $1.85 a board foot.

At 301-500 Board feet, the cost of the Alder goes down to $1.56 a board foot...

[Steve Mathews]

You might consider making a one time shipment from a sawmill in the Midwest. Have them ship you lumber for a bench and several projects.

Lumber gets really inexpensive from a mill when you buy 500 board foot. Secondary grade kiln dried hardwood sometimes sells from Ohio mills for under $2 a board foot...Yoder lumber might be a good place to start. IIRC they ship nationwide.

Just checked, they have a #2 grade Alder and Poplar in 8/4 for around $1.85 a board foot.

At 301-500 Board feet, the cost of the Alder goes down to $1.56 a board foot...

Thanks Chris! My heads swimming with the possibilities.

[Chris Hachet]

Thanks Chris! My heads swimming with the possibilities.Post pics of your bench in the neanderthal section when it is in progress/complete. We go nuts over work benches. Good luck!

[Steve Mathews]

Post pics of your bench in the neanderthal section when it is in progress/complete. We go nuts over work benches. Good luck!

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of the Neaderthal section. There's a workbench build being discussed now.

[Steve Mathews]

I double checked Home Depot's lumber stock this morning. Even the 4x6 Douglas Fir is wet. Someone at the store mentioned that Lowes has a better selection and limited dried lumber. I'll check there later in the week.

After doing a quick calculation, it looks like it would cost about $210 for 220 bd. ft. from Home Depot's stock. The price from Bell Forest Product is $850 for the same quantity of wood but nicer hardwoods. But shipping will cost me almost $400 more. I haven't checked the source(s) member Chris Hachet mentioned yet. Since this is my first large woodworking project I'm leaning in the direction of using cheaper wood to start. I won't feel as bad making mistakes.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

Woodworkers Source has an excellent selection and three stores in AZ. Good sale prices. If you're not close enough to pick it up they often offer free shipping.

[Steve Mathews]

While at Home Depot I noticed that Douglas Fir 2x6x8' was 1/3 the cost of 4x6x8'. I'm laminating these pieces for the top so it's obvious that it would be cheaper to use 2x6x8'. If starting with wet wood wouldn't the 2x6s dry faster? Seem like it's a double benefit to use 2x material.

[David Wong]

I am (slowly) building a split top roubo using #2 grade wet construction Douglas fir for the top. I started by hand picking 4x6 8ft beams with as few defects as possible. I haunted the local Home Depot for months before an acceptable selection materialized. I aimed to yield enough lumber for a 6ft long top.

I weighed each piece and wrote the weight and date on each beam. I then sticker-ed and stacked the wood. Every week, I weighed each piece and wrote the new weight and date on the wood. When the wood stopped loosing weight, I assumed it had reached equilibrium and was stable enough to work. I did this process over 2 or 3 months in a 80-100 degree garage during the summer. I have since prepared and glued up the wood into two 12 inch wide tops. They have been very stable for the past year. Still working on the base.

[Jim Andrew]

This is why I bought a bandmill, and saw my own lumber. Problem is, you also have to dry and store the lumber. My last batch of red elm got a case of powder post beetles. Great thing is, I don't have to buy lumber.

[Mark Gibney]

Steve, construction lumber is better for it's intended use when it's wet - it's less likely to split when it's nailed.

I would think lumber would need to be very dry to make a Roubo bench - any shrinking after the fact will pull the legs together, or maybe split the top.

And one last thought. I like the look of the Roubo bench, but I decided against making it. I made a separate top and base, and so if I want to I can easily remove the top to either transport it, or put it thru a wide belt sander. I'm not sure there are any advantages to the Roubo construction over making something the less sexy way.

[Steve Mathews]

I am (slowly) building a split top roubo using #2 grade wet construction Douglas fir for the top. I started by hand picking 4x6 8ft beams with as few defects as possible. I haunted the local Home Depot for months before an acceptable selection materialized. I aimed to yield enough lumber for a 6ft long top.

I weighed each piece and wrote the weight and date on each beam. I then sticker-ed and stacked the wood. Every week, I weighed each piece and wrote the new weight and date on the wood. When the wood stopped loosing weight, I assumed it had reached equilibrium and was stable enough to work. I did this process over 2 or 3 months in a 80-100 degree garage during the summer. I have since prepared and glued up the wood into two 12 inch wide tops. They have been very stable for the past year. Still working on the base.

If you don't mind me asking, why did you go with the 4x lumber instead of the 2x?

[David Wong]

If you don't mind me asking, why did you go with the 4x lumber instead of the 2x?
I was looking at the 2x as well as the 4x lumber. The quality of the 2x lumber at my local store was uniformly poor. The store did not carry higher quality kiln dried lumber.

[Steve Mathews]

Woodworkers Source has an excellent selection and three stores in AZ. Good sale prices. If you're not close enough to pick it up they often offer free shipping.

Nice selection of wood but my enthusiasm fizzled after seeing their prices online. The same wood in the kit offered by Bell Forest Products is quite a bit less and that's delivered to my door. Too bad as we often go to Phoenix to check on other property we own there.

[Dave Sabo]

The Depot will order you anything you'd like from their distributor at pro desk in the store.

Check their website . Usually its free to ship to store if it's on/in their website inventory already.

My local carries cedar, poplar, oak, and clear(ish) pine. I suspect it's on their website too, but haven't verified it.

[Don Jarvie]

Using 2x4s is fine once dry but they will twist over time so you will probably have to plane the top flat a few times. As other have suggested order maple online.

[Chris Hachet]

I double checked Home Depot's lumber stock this morning. Even the 4x6 Douglas Fir is wet. Someone at the store mentioned that Lowes has a better selection and limited dried lumber. I'll check there later in the week.

After doing a quick calculation, it looks like it would cost about $210 for 220 bd. ft. from Home Depot's stock. The price from Bell Forest Product is $850 for the same quantity of wood but nicer hardwoods. But shipping will cost me almost $400 more. I haven't checked the source(s) member Chris Hachet mentioned yet. Since this is my first large woodworking project I'm leaning in the direction of using cheaper wood to start. I won't feel as bad making mistakes.

If this is your first woo working project, use stuff from the big box store. Once you build a work bench, be it roubo, English/Nicholson style, or whatever, you will realize what you don't like about it and want to change. Build it out of soft wood and use it for five years. You will know then what you want...

Hand planing, people have different preferences for height.
People have different preferences for work holding.
Some people love split to benches, some people hate them.
The list goes on and on...

[John K Jordan]

...The price from Bell Forest Product is $850 for the same quantity of wood but nicer hardwoods. But shipping will cost me almost $400 more. ... Since this is my first large woodworking project I'm leaning in the direction of using cheaper wood to start.

My first thought was hey, it's just money. But if this is your first major woodworking project you would be crazy to spend that much - you could buy a serviceable bench for less than that.

When I built my last workbench I mostly stuff I had around: old 2x6 lumber left over from building my shop, constructed around a steel roll-around shop cart with nice drawers (which also made it easy to keep things square). Then I put a surplus laminated hard maple top on it that was made to go on a kitchen counter. Then I added a nice vise from my storage building. I had to spend about $4 for some lag screws and washers. Does the job and does it well.

JKJ

[Gary Cunningham]

You might consider making a one time shipment from a sawmill in the Midwest. Have them ship you lumber for a bench and several projects.

Lumber gets really inexpensive from a mill when you buy 500 board foot. Secondary grade kiln dried hardwood sometimes sells from Ohio mills for under $2 a board foot...Yoder lumber might be a good place to start. IIRC they ship nationwide.

Just checked, they have a #2 grade Alder and Poplar in 8/4 for around $1.85 a board foot.

At 301-500 Board feet, the cost of the Alder goes down to $1.56 a board foot...


Can you provide the names of these mills?

Thanks,

gary

[Izzy Camire]

If you get the wet wood from HD as was said you need to sticker it.
Some pointers on stickering:
The base of your pile needs to have some strength. I have used pallets with success. You should have no more than 16-20 between pallets. The pallets need to be co-planer. 1"x1" stickers will work fine. The length should be the same as the width of your pile. You should run a sticker every 16-20". Make sure the stickers are vertically in line so you transfer the weight straight down to your base. Weight on top is good but not mandatory. Cover the top of the pile. Drying out of the sun is important. Since you are using softwood you will have an 8-12 month wait for dry wood.

[Matt Lau]

This isn't sexy, and it might not be Roubo-esque.

Have you thought of just laminating multiple Ikea/butcher block tops?
It should be solid, flat, and heavy.

-Matt

[Steve Mathews]

In response to some of the comments and suggestions above I already have a large U-shaped work area that has a machinist vise and an old Record woodworking vise. The bench envisioned will strictly be for woodworking and mostly for use with hand tools. Years ago I built a sturdy workbench from plans purchased at Sears. It served me well over the years up to the time when it was left behind during our last move. I would like to kick it up a notch this time around with something special and challenging to build. After a few months of looking at workbench builds on YouTube and here the Roubo split-top seemed the most interesting. I don't have a lot of experience in woodworking so any idiosyncracies in the design will be probably not be felt and I will probably just work into it. As I've found with woodturning wood is my achilles heel here in NW Arizona and sticker shock with the price of hardwoods hasn't settled in yet. I was leaning in the direction of just using local softwoods but now after learning what is required to dry the only available wet wood I'm not sure that's the best way to go. So far pricing of hardwoods have been all over the place, the worst being from suppliers on the left side of the country. Of course hardwoods are cheaper east but shipping can easily be half the cost of the wood itself. I plan to contact Yoder Lumber in Ohio and see what shipping charges are from there. Their online prices for the wood itself have been the best so far. Hope this clarifies my thinking and direction. Thanks for all of the ideas and responses.

[Steve Mathews]

The mill Chris is referring to is Yoder Lumber in Ohio.

[scott vroom]

Google says Las Vegas is an hour and 42 mins drive....pick up whatever hardwood you need, play a few slots and head home same day. Peterman Lumber says it carries a large selection of hardwood.

[Steve Mathews]

Google says Las Vegas is an hour and 42 mins drive....pick up whatever hardwood you need, play a few slots and head home same day. Peterman Lumber says it carries a large selection of hardwood.

We go to Vegas about once a month for shopping, entertainment, etc. I'll look into Peterman Lumber but I'm not optimistic about getting decent prices. Spellman in Flagstaff is also a possibility but I've been told they are expensive. I already checked with Woodworkers Source in Phoenix and their prices were the absolute highest. I think my best bet is to look east as mentioned before. My baseline is the price received from Bell Forest Products for 220 bd. ft. at about $1200 delivered.

[Steve Mathews]

Update - Thanks to member Chris Hachet's suggestion I contacted Yoder Lumber in Ohio and their hardwood prices were the best I've found. Shipping from their Ohio location was much more reasonable too. I created another thread with an alternative approach of buying a used woodworking bench as that thought came to me last night. I intend to balance that possibility with the cost and effort of making a new one. Decisions, decisions .....

[glenn bradley]

Blasphemy! I once built a bench with an MDF top due to a few factors, one being that the location was temporary. The MDF with a BLO and paste wax finish performed so well I built my next bench out of 4 layers of MDF.

359697

When I wanted a smaller bench with a little different configuration, I used two layers of 13-ply birch plywood and two layers of MDF on top, all laminated.

359696

Couldn't be happier. I'd do it again.

[Steve Mathews]

Blasphemy! I once built a bench with an MDF top due to a few factors, one being that the location was temporary. The MDF with a BLO and paste wax finish performed so well I built my next bench out of 4 layers of MDF.

359697

When I wanted a smaller bench with a little different configuration, I used two layers of 13-ply birch plywood and two layers of MDF on top, all laminated.

359696

Couldn't be happier. I'd do it again.

Glenn - Nice looking benches! Yes, I felt a little sheepish suggesting a bench purchase instead of making one but it is tempting to go that route, especially if the price and availability is right. There are so many things I want to do that having a bench already made would help.

[Peter Kuhlman]

Some random thoughts
Woodcraft occasionally has sales on their laminated style bench tops - have a few different sizes. Have seen free shipping too.
Grizzly sells similar tops also.
Much faster and easier but limited in thickness to around 2 1/2".
Benches have been made from salvaged solid core doors to great success.
Reclaimed bowling lanes are another source.
Reclaimed 2by from demo jobs would be great for hard pine. Pine gets harder the older it gets. Just try to pull a nail out of 40 year old lumber.

[Jim Andrew]

I see ads locally on craigslist where guys with a bandmill advertise their wood for sale. Some is pretty reasonable. There are farmers who saw some wood in their spare time. In my neighborhood here in Kansas I personally saw and have 4 neighbors who also saw lumber.

[John K Jordan]

I see ads locally on craigslist where guys with a bandmill advertise their wood for sale. Some is pretty reasonable. There are farmers who saw some wood in their spare time. In my neighborhood here in Kansas I personally saw and have 4 neighbors who also saw lumber.

I have a Woodmizer and hardwood is free or cheap around here. Following Steve's other posts I believe he indicates a different problem - living in a part of the country where no hardwoods grow! There is evidently nothing to saw unless it is hauled in.

I'd be tempted to relocate. Or take up rock collecting or gem mining instead of woodworking. :)

JKJ

[johnny means]

I know some will consider this blasphemy, but I think laminating plywood is the way to go. It's readily available, easily milled to size and stable. Just rip plywood strips to the thickness you want, glue and clamp.

[Steve Mathews]

I have a Woodmizer and hardwood is free or cheap around here. Following Steve's other posts I believe he indicates a different problem - living in a part of the country where no hardwoods grow! There is evidently nothing to saw unless it is hauled in.

I'd be tempted to relocate. Or take up rock collecting or gem mining instead of woodworking. :)

JKJ

John - Not a bad suggestion. LOL Despite what's alongside my shop/barn (pic below) I have no interest in rock collecting or mining. There are gold and turquoise mines all over this area. They don't call our local newspaper the Daily Miner for no reason.

359844

[Steve Mathews]

I've been thinking about what others here have suggested regarding alternative materials for constructing a woodworking bench and was wondering if more modern materials would be more suitable, especially for the top. Rob Cosman mentioned in one of his videos that MDF was very stable and certainly dense enough for a top. The budget one he made had 3 layers for the top. The frame was made out of layered plywood as another member also suggested. So, setting price aside are there modern materials better suited for a woodworking bench?

I recall also in another video where the support structure for a woodworking bench was made out rectangular tube steel. It seems that would be better than wood for its weight and strength.

[John K Jordan]

...Rob Cosman mentioned in one of his videos that MDF was very stable and certainly dense enough for a top. The budget one he made had 3 layers for the top. The frame was made out of layered plywood as another member also suggested. So, setting price aside are there modern materials better suited for a woodworking bench? I recall also in another video where the support structure for a woodworking bench was made out rectangular tube steel. It seems that would be better than wood for its weight and strength.

I built a several workbenches - one has 2x6 construction lumber for legs with a laminated maple counter top for the top - very sturdy. One has two layers of 3/4" MDF - quite stout although it is only 48"x18" Another uses a layer of ply and a layer of MDF - it holds my milling machine and after a few years it is still flat and strong. I painted that one since it would be exposed to oil/cutting fluids. One is made of steel with a sheet of 3/8" steel for the top - heavy and strong and perfect for my weld shop. Another uses a 2.5'x7' section of bowling alley floor (full of nails, BTW) and has been sitting for 13 years on an some pieces of 2x4 on old kitchen base cabinet - I didn't even fasten it down.

I built all these from materials I had on hand. (OK, I have a lot of "stuff".)

I think you can make a workbench out of what ever kind of material you can get. If using sheet goods, just use sturdy cross members to support the top. Use strong fasteners - I like lag screws and carriage bolts. "Pretty" is not a priority for me.

JKJ

[Steve Mathews]

Admittedly I'm having some fun with this workbench research. To further that effort I ordered the following books yesterday.

The Workbench Book by Scott Landis
The Workbench Design Book by Christoper Schwarz

I spent a little time sprucing up and strengthening my existing U-shaped workbench surfaces so it can be used more effectively with current woodworking projects as well as other tasks. That takes some of the pressure off of needing or wanting a proper woodworking bench. Moving forward I plan to do some more research, reading and looking for materials or a used completed bench. In other words I'm no longer committed to one plan of action.

[Alex Burkhardt]

The usual dilemma for building a first workbench is that, well, you almost need a workbench on which to build your workbench! Since you already seem to have some quality horizontal surfaces, you've overcome that obstacle, and as you mention, you can afford to be a bit more patient with your build while still being able to complete some projects. I would encourage you to build a few small projects during this planning phase -- it will help you better understand what you need in a bench based on what you like to make, how you want to hold your work, etc.

My current bench is build entirely from HD 2x12's and 4x4's for the legs. I build the base prior to owning my tablesaw, and despite some questionable construction methods with a circ saw and a router, ended up with a decent foundation. I threw 3 layers of MDF on top of it, and worked like that for the better part of a year. I eventually purchased more 2x12's, ripped out the center of the boards, and laminated up a 26" wide top @ ~3.5" thick after flattening. I added in an quick release vise scoured from craigslist, and haven't looked back.

I will never regret using soft, big box lumber for my first workbench. Building ANY workbench is a great experience, and immensely satisfying.

If I've ever heard anyone complaint about their current bench, it's always relating to height, maybe too long, too wide, or wanting for a different or additional vise setup. And to be honest, most of those parameters can't be fully known until you've worked on a bench. I can't recall anyone ever regretting the type of wood they chose.

Focus on function, enjoy the process, and use your new tool to keep woodworking.

Best of luck.

[Pat Barry]

I would go with the best HD construction material you can find -- ie - best is straightest, clearest, best grain direction and then I would get it home and laminate the top ASAP, before it gets a chance to warp, bow, twist, etc. When laminating I would try as best as possible to 1) get the grain direction the same so that it is easier to plane, and 2) get the grain growth rings alternating as much as possible to mitigate the tendency of the boards to differentially shrink. After lamination, the boards will be bound to each other, constrained, and won't be so liable to warp, bow, twist etc.. I see no benefit whatsoever in letting the construction lumber acclimate as has been recommended by others. Same for the legs - laminate a couple 2x4's to make each leg using the same basic procedure described above. Tie everything together before it can move on you.

[Steve Mathews]

Had a lot of fun today beginning the process of reorganizing and beefing up my U-shaped work area. What started out just putting a layer of Masonite over the worn plywood surface led to adding some additional supports, which were doubled from what existed before. All of this is temporary so I didn't want to tear too deep into the bones of it. I plan to also remove the the delapidated structure above the right side bench and build a wall similar to what exists on the left side. The front facing stuff will also be removed and replaced with plywood for some cabinets and shelves on all three sides. Just about everything shown in the pics was in place when we moved in. Rather than tear everything out and start from scratch I decided to let it be a continual work in progress and make modifications when needed or probably better put, when I'm convinced what I want. The pics also show the old Columbian woodworking vise that I spruced up and installed. That's what I'll use for woodworking for the time being. On the other side of the U will be a machinist vise.

While I'm at it and the pics are posted I planned to put my proper workbench in the center of the U shape or just in front of it. What do you think of that arrangement? There is just over 8 ft. in the opening.

359943 359944 359945 359946

Here are also a few pics of the small loft I constructed below the stair landing to store small pieces of wood for mostly woodturning.

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[Curt Harms]

One thought I had while reading this thread. Steve is in Arizona, afaik Arizona isn't exactly humid. I'd think BORG softwood, even if it's around 20% moisture from the store would dry to ambient pretty fast, maybe too fast? Something like a Doug Fir base and either hardwood or MDF/Plywood could make a pretty substantial if non-traditional bench.

[Jake Elkins]

Yeah, Lowes and HD should be able to ship anything your want that they typically carry. I built my first bench, A Roubo beast from solid walnut. Its a great bench, but I made some mistakes. Once I get that first real job, my next bench will be a 12-foot Roubo from either SYP or cheap sawmill oak. I wish I used pine on the first one, and had the walnut back to make furniture.

[Brian Holcombe]

Don't use anything especially expensive or rare. Do build something traditional and take the time to build it correctly.

If you can spare 8' of room in your shop, build an 8' long bench. The only feature of my bench that would truly lead to its demise is the fact that it is 6' long. Drives me crazy whenever I have to work on a project larger than cabinet sized work.

Don't make it very wide, 20-22" is ideal. I made the mistake of making mine large enough that it can double as an assembly table (don't have room for both). Use a couple of leveled saw horses for assembly if need be but don't make your workbench do double duty.

The traditional benches are organized in a way that they work very very well for use with hand tools, you'd be wise to consider them since they evolved over many years and woodworkers.

Make sure that you orient the grain the same direction on the laminated top so that you can plane it flat every 6 months or year, that is the big aggravation of butcher block tops. (bowling alley strips).

I deviated from this on my work bench, but after using it for a number of years I would do all of the above. In fact if my planing beam were 8' long I would probably sell the work bench and just use the beam. Skip the many many gimmicky features available all over the place online, keep it simple.

[Greg Hines, MD]

If this is your first bench, you might want to consider the 24 hour workbench. It has a laminated top of 3/4" plywood, and mine has lasted for about 13 years so far, and I have yet to do anything to it that has even put a dent in it. Legs are PT 4x4s, stretchers are SYP 2x6s, and everything is available from any big box store or lumber yard.

Doc

[Chris Hachet]

If this is your first bench, you might want to consider the 24 hour workbench. It has a laminated top of 3/4" plywood, and mine has lasted for about 13 years so far, and I have yet to do anything to it that has even put a dent in it. Legs are PT 4x4s, stretchers are SYP 2x6s, and everything is available from any big box store or lumber yard.

DocPlans for this bench are available from popular woodworking-very similar to a bench I built and still use several times a week in my shop.