Nicholson bench - glued up top & aprons?

[Monte Milanuk]

So... local hardwood/ lumber dealer doesn't have any wide plank boards available other than 2x12 vertical grain Doug Fir (pretty expensive @ $25 per linear foot) or knotty white pine. Anything else would have to be glued up to make the widths necessary for the aprons and tops (was planning on having a split-top for clamping, tool slot, etc.). I don't think I've seen any Nicholson style benches with glued-up tops... but I don't think there would be anything particularly *wrong* with it, would there?

[John Sanford]

Nothing at all wrong with it. Heck, you could just get a premade maple top, whack it in half, and have your top done.

[David Bassett]

Seems like the biggest advantage of the Nicholson bench is that it's quick & dirty made with available board sizes. You certainly could glue-up boards and make it, but if you will be gluing up boards anyway do you want to go to a thicker top? And, perhaps different leg construction?

(Sorry, you just want confirmation read only the first part of the second sentence. :) )

[Lonnie Gallaher]

Why not go the local Lowes store and pick out some nice 2x12s?

[steven c newman]

Maybe watch a few of Paul Sellers videos, on how he makes his benches? I hear tell he has a new video out....

[Monte Milanuk]

David, Lonnie,

That's probably about what I should do. I've just been trying to 'convince' myself that I would be better off not sorting thru the lumber bins @ the box stores and going with something 'nicer', but I think I'm at a draw. I did find from a local source that (at least around here) the long 2x10s and 2x12s used for joists and rafters at the local lumber yards are generally a couple notches above the box store stuff. Guess I'll look there next.

Steven,

Last workbench video I see by Paul Sellers is 4-5yrs old.

[steven c newman]

I am on his Blog list.....he just posted a new bench video.....

[Monte Milanuk]

Huh. I was looking on his YouTube channel earlier. I see the new post on his blog. Thanks!

[Lonnie Gallaher]

John, I can tell you that the lumber that commercial framers get is much better than the lumber that is available at Lowes and such. I am often at commercial job sites and if there are units of lumber there I check the quality and I am amazed at how nice it is.

[Rick Malakoff]

Just remember that the construction grade lumber is of high moisture content and it will move and shrink, the BORG out west has KD 2x3 and 2x4s but then you have to glue them up.

[Mark Ackman]

Yeah big orange in TX usually has kiln dried heat treated 16’ 2x10s and 2x12x and they’re the nicest material on the shelves by a long shot. I don’t have a moisture meter but I judged it as too wet for a bench just from sawing the length in half to get it home. After a few months stickered mine is definitely dry enough to use and still no movement, so maybe it would’ve been fine if I had just thrown it together right away?