Built-up wooden legs a good idea?

[Joe Hollis]

Hello,

I am planning on building a better workbench to replace the plywood one I have made do with for years. I would like to know if the technique shown in this video is a good idea - whether the legs would be stable in dimension over time. My understanding is that gluing solid wood surfaces face to face together is generally not a good idea. I plan on using hard maple for the outer face boards and perhaps hemlock (because I have some) for the cores. The finished dimension of the legs would be about 5" square.

This fellow is a professional, so do I assume this is ok? I don't want to take any chances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wfSBLyMSEQ


Thanks in advance for any advice.

Joe

[Andrew Hughes]

It's very much acceptable to laminate boards together for a work bench.It usually not good for furniture because its obvious to even the most casual observer and it looks cheap.
I don't agree with gluing up hard maple from a tablesaw good luck if you can find wood that behaves.But if you have a proper jointer then your good to go.
I saw the video guy has a jointer but it doesn't look like it set up to deliver flat boards.What a shame.Steering viewers wrong.

[Nick Stokes]

It's very much acceptable to laminate boards together for a work bench.It usually not good for furniture because its obvious to even the most casual observer and it looks cheap.
I don't agree with gluing up hard maple from a tablesaw good luck if you can find wood that behaves.But if you have a proper jointer then your good to go.
I saw the video guy has a jointer but it doesn't look like it set up to deliver flat boards.What a shame.Steering viewers wrong.


If it's good enough for Andrei at MTMwood, then it is dang sure good enough for me...

[Doug Hepler]

Joe,

I do not think the process shown is necessary for workbench legs, but I don't see any problem if you want to laminate 2x4's. Just make sure that the surfaces are well jointed.

I used KD Doug Fir 4x4 for my workbench legs. They have not warped or cracked at all in 4 years. I assume that you can get KD Doug Fir 4 x 4 where you live. I live near Denver where the humidity is usually low. My previous workbench had doubled up larch 2x4's That bench went all over from western SoDak to Florida. Those legs never warped either over a span of 50 years.

The issue in workbench stability is not only the thickness of the legs. Design and joinery are also very significant. If you would like to read more please see chapter 51 of Notes and Reflections While Shaving Wood (http://plaza.ufl.edu/chepler/)

Doug

[Ted Reischl]

My understanding is that gluing solid wood surfaces face to face together is generally not a good idea.

Joe

Where did you get that idea from? That is the absolute BEST way to glue wood together.

Even gluing cross grain works well, as in half lap joints for door frames.

You should only use the method in that video if looks are important to you. Otherwise, it is a huge waste of material (think $$$$). You pay for lumber by the board foot, think about how much lumber you saw him using to produce two rather small legs.

[Ted Phillips]

My workbench uses laminated 2x4 Sapele for the legs and it has held up very well over the past 10 years of hard use. Just joint the surfaces to be glued together and use lots of clamps.

[Joe Cowan]

I always heard that flatgrain to flatgrain glue joints were stronger than the wood itself. Both my workbenches are laminated legs and are good. I have laminated quartersawn thin strips to the flat grain side of legs to enhance the appearance of furniture, without any ill effects.

[Brian Tymchak]

Hello,

I am planning on building a better workbench to replace the plywood one I have made do with for years. ....I plan on using hard maple for the outer face boards and perhaps hemlock (because I have some) for the cores. The finished dimension of the legs would be about 5" square


Did not view the video, but I personally would not mix maple and hemlock in a lamination. I would think that the Hemlock would have greater seasonal movement than the Maple. I would go all Maple or all Hemlock, preferably Maple as I would want to get as much mass in the base of the bench as possible. I laminated 8/4 Ash for my bench legs. That bench is a rock.