advise on wood for a work bench

[ryan sikes]

Hello to all-
Next month I will start making a woodworking bench (vises in hand), at first due to money concerns I was think of trying Bob Keys 2x4 bench but now I found a local supplier of hardwoods with good prices. He has white ash for ~$3/bf, $2/bf less than hard maple. So I am thinking of spending the money for the white ash. I know that most people use maple or beech but how would ash work? Has anyone built a bench with it? I know that it is grainy like oak but that shouldn't bother me much. Also, is 3.5" thick over kill or just right(I figure about 60bt should do it for a 7'-8' foot bench)?

Your advise is greatly appreciated-cheers,
ryan

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Ryan, I think ash would be okay, its certainly a tough wood, I like a thick top with no apron because its easier to use clamps to hold stock flat to the top. The only drawback is some things like bench dogs and hold fasts are harder to use on a thick bench.

[Steve Wargo]

I built my last bench out of ash, and Red Oak. It was the cheapest stuff I could find. It held up fine for 5 years until I built a new bench. Good luck.

[Bob Johnson2]

Hello to all-
Next month I will start making a woodworking bench (vises in hand), at first due to money concerns I was think of trying Bob Keys 2x4 bench but now I found a local supplier of hardwoods with good prices. He has white ash for ~$3/bf, $2/bf less than hard maple. So I am thinking of spending the money for the white ash. I know that most people use maple or beech but how would ash work? Has anyone built a bench with it? I know that it is grainy like oak but that shouldn't bother me much. Also, is 3.5" thick over kill or just right(I figure about 60bt should do it for a 7'-8' foot bench)?

Your advise is greatly appreciated-cheers,
ryan

What part of the bench are you using it for, the whole thing? I just bought 60bf for the legs assms for 2 benches. I would have gone with all ash as it's the cheapest but they ran out of acceptable stock before I had enough so I also picked up maybe 20bf of soft maple. I've also got some oak around that I'll use. I'm figuring for the legs and such it's all fine. I'm using a preexisting all maple top on one and maple edged MDF on the other for $$ reasons. Don't know that I'd worry too much about using ash for the top, it's definitly hard enough and planes up okay from what I've run into. It can be tricky working it by hand, but it works. And it is HEAVY.

You could think about having the outermost top laminate maple or something similiar with a tighter grain, but only if you want to.

I'm going with 3"ish for the legs, 4 ply I guess you'd call it.

The soft maple was .50 a bf more then the ash.

[James Mittlefehldt]

When I built my workbench I had a pile of thick White Ash that I had gotten for a good price at an auction sale and like you I was worried about using it as Maple or Beech was what was usually recomended. I saw Mario Rodriquez at a wood show so I asked him what he thought. his answer was if that's what you have it will do fine.

I used it and have not regretted it.

[Bob Noles]

ryan,

60 bf may be a little conservative on an entire bench. To be completely honest, I would reconsider Bob Keys idea of pine if this is your first bench. Notice that I said "first".... the 2nd and many times the 3rd come shortly after. By staying with Key on this one, you will have a very useable bench that will do you a good job, but even more important, prepare you for that ultimate bench down the road when funds may be more available. The experience you will gain from this one using pine will follow you from now forward.

Just my .02 as Tod would say ;)