Is hard Maple the most durable domestic?

[Jamie Baalmann]

What is the BEST domestic to use for a workbench. Putting cost aside? Walnut, Red Oak, White Oak, Hard Maple?:confused:

[Christof Grohs]

What is the BEST domestic to use for a workbench. Putting cost aside? Walnut, Red Oak, White Oak, Hard Maple?:confused:

Check out this article (http://www.workbenchdesign.net/frankbench.html) the guy used Beech to build his bench with Frank Klausz.

[John Shuk]

My vote would be Hard maple of those four.
I know the european benches are often made from Beech. I'm not sure it is the same as American Beech tho. I find American Beech to check very quickly and in unexpected ways when I've roughed it out for turning. I could only imagine that it would be difficult to deal with in making a bench. IMHO.

[Brandon Shew]

Hickory & Pecan are harder than Maple.

http://tinytimbers.com/pdf/chart_janka.pdf

[Brian Ruhlman]

Hickory feels heavier that hard maple and seems to be much harder when nailing / drilling. I would choose hickory over all that you listed. It is .35 to .40 / bd foot. Of those you list I would choose hard maple.

[Jamie Baalmann]

Yeh I think Hickory and Beech should be added not sure if Beech is considered domestic. But it is an option. Hickory is one of the most elastic woods does that mean it would sag after time? I would love to use Walnut but I want it to be absolutely rock solid...

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Hard maple would be a good choice from the standpoint of being both hard and a close grained wood - it wouldn't have pores like say, oak to catch dust. Pecan or hickory are very hard also. If you could get your hands on enough bois d'arc it would make some kinda stable hard heavy table also, as would black locust or honey locust.

[David DeCristoforo]

"...not sure if Beech is considered domestic..."

There is "domestic" beech and "European" beach which is generally considered to be superior. Traditionally, European benches are made of beech but either maple or hickory would make a fine bench. So would oak for that matter but I would not use oak because I am "prejudiced" and not a big "fan" of oak. But hey, comeon... it's a workbench.....

YDMDMYD

[Jamie Baalmann]

Yes it is a "workbench" but it is going to serve as my desk until I move out of Florida... A place I can layout large sets of blueprints and set my laptop on when working. It is going to be kept very clean. Though I will still use it for woodworking and it will go in my shop when I move back. I am building it because I am bored. Many hours and much thought will go into it.

[Vince Shriver]

I bought a maple slab for my bench, but the local lumber supplier here in central calif had an abundance of european beech and about half the cost of maple. So I purchased that for the aprons and vice jaws. After becoming familiar with beech I think it would be a very good choice for the whole bench.

[Joe Chritz]

My "bench" is mdf so my opinion may not count but here it is anyway.

If you want a "traditional" bench then I assume it would be made from trees you have growing in your immediate area. I doubt anyone 150 years ago drove to a lumber yard to buy something not available in their area.

If you are just looking for hardness and US grown woods, Hickory or maple are at the tops for readily available woods.

I doubt it makes much difference at all in reality. If I had a cheap supply of white oak I would build it with that and wouldn't feel bad at all.

Joe

[Jamie Baalmann]

I think I've decided on Jatoba realize it isn't domestic but it is close to the same price as hard maple and the chart says Brazilion Cherry is one of the hardest. If anyone has any reason why that is a bad idea plz let me know

[Narayan Nayar]

I don't know why some people use super hard woods for benches. Hard maple is about as hard as I'd go. Benches, if used well, are going to take a beating. I'd rather the bench take the beating than my tools.

I'll put it this way--you'll be flattening the top sometime in the not so distant future. I don't think a harder wood will offer much protection against that necessary step, and since this post isn't in the neander forum I don't know if you'll be using handtools. I wouldn't want to plane a jatoba benchtop. And jatoba and woods like it are pretty hard on power tool blades as well.

Don't get me wrong--it's your bench; you decide! If it were me, though, I'd much rather put that jatoba to use on a piece of furniture--the kind on which I don't use my chisels :)

[Jamie Baalmann]

I hear you and I will take that into consideration. I am going to try and flatten it with a hand plane so maybe I will go with Maple. Maybe I can work out something with Mike Morgan, then I wouldn't have to pay 6 a board foot.

[Rick Levine]

How about ash. I think they make baseball bats out of it and I used it to build one of Norm's step stools out of it several years ago and it's holding up fine (disregard the table, it is sugar pine).

[Wayne Cannon]

Christopher Schwarz makes a strong argument for his choice of construction-grade Southern Yellow Pine or Douglas Fir as the best domestic woods for a workbench based on tradeoffs between stiffness, density, and resistance to blows and denting (in that order of importance). He shows tables comparing various varieties, including the popular Hard Maple and European Beech.

Read his new "Workbenches: from Design & Theory to Construction & Use". It's an excellent book. He makes you think. I like it far better than Landis', Schleining's, and Allen's workbench books (though they are great survey books). It may change your entire outlook on bench design and construction. http://www.amazon.com/Workbenches-Design-Theory-Construction-Use/dp/1558708405/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207636312&sr=1-1

[Dan Barr]

I believe that a balance between all the factors is the best decision.

The following factors come to mind when judging materials only:

-wood movement
-hardness/brittleness (somewhat of a trade-off)
-porousness
-density and weight
-availability
-cost
-workability

These are just the obvious factors i thought of.

I've heard of numerous types of benches made from just about every wood possible. I think maple is just one of the best performers considering these factors though.

I think Maple scores good marks in all of these categories and that is one reason it seems to be a traditional favorite.

ciao,

dan

[Jack Briggs]

Hard maple is very stable, compared with other hardwoods. Something to consider.

[rob durfos]

you might take a look at eucalyptus. we have been using it as outdoor decking with good results. very heavy and durable.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Depending on the sort of bench you want and the use it'll be put to I'd ask the question "Do I want a hard or a more yielding surface?"

I am the sort who would not like a really hard bench surface for a whole host of reasons.

But then If I had one of those beautiful old school laminated beech or maple benches with those lovely huge wood vices with the gorgeous dovetailed intersections I know exactly what I'd do with it.
Nothing (well, maybe I'd take a picture of it).
I couldn't touch it. 'Cause If I touched it there'd be random saw cuts, drill holes, nails & screws driven in in odd places, spilled paint & glue, stain rings, chisel gouges, random dents, and what all else inflicted on it in less than a week.

[J. Z. Guest]

What is the BEST domestic to use for a workbench. Putting cost aside? Walnut, Red Oak, White Oak, Hard Maple?
None of the above. The best domestic is plywood with a tempered hardboard top.

Laminate 3 or 4 layers of plywood together as the base, then screw a tempered hardboard top on. When the top gets marred, stained, or gouged, simply sand it down, unscrew it and use it for templates. Then put a new hardboard top on.

Building it out of solid wood is not the best idea because it is going to break your heart every time you put a ding in it.

I do realize there are different schools of thought, so if it MUST be solid wood, hard maple is good not just because it is hard & dense, but also because it doesn't have any big drawbacks either.

It isn't particularly hard on your tools, it isn't prone to splintering and has tight, closed grain.

Of course, that is just my opinion and I'm probably in the minority.

[Wilbur Pan]

None of the above. The best domestic is plywood with a tempered hardboard top.

Quick question: Suppose that you put together this sort of top, brand new piece of hardboard on top. It's a bit out of flat. How do you flatten the top?

The ability to flatten the top is why I am going with a solid wood top. Douglas fir, in case anyone is wondering.

[Lee Koepke]

I plan on building my out of SYP. From what I have researched, it will be plenty hard enough to work on, stable and massive enough to be useful, yet yeilding enough to not damage my tools.

Considering I have never built a REAL workbench, you can take my idea with a grain of salt ... :D

Now I will use my maple for other uses ....

[Chris Friesen]

I plan on building my out of SYP. From what I have researched, it will be plenty hard enough to work on, stable and massive enough to be useful, yet yeilding enough to not damage my tools.

Considering I have never built a REAL workbench, you can take my idea with a grain of salt...

Chris Schwarz is a big fan of SYP, especially for workbenches, sawhorses, etc. It's dense, strong, and cheap if you're in the right part of the continent. Buy wide/long boards (floor joist material) and cut it down to size, that way you get better quality lumber with fewer knots.

Unfortunately I'm up in the Canadian prairies and SYP is an exotic wood up here. :) My bench will be hard maple for the top and legs, and douglas fir for the stretchers/trestle tops/shelf.

The maple for the top is recycled from bowling alley sections. Originally they were nailed together (no glue). It was seriously tedious work to pull all the laminations apart and remove all the nails, and I lost about half my material due to cracks from the nails.

[J. Z. Guest]

Quick question: Suppose that you put together this sort of top, brand new piece of hardboard on top. It's a bit out of flat. How do you flatten the top?

Personally, I don't flatten the top. But if you wanted to do it, you could shim it. I use my table saw table as a flat reference and the floor for a reference when assembling projects with legs.

[Johnny Fischer]

Jamie,
Have you ever built something and once your done wonder why your project turned out cockeyed, offset or racked? Its because when you assemble something your surface needs to be next to perfectly FLAT.
I purchased my work bench top because of this very reason in addition to the fact I dont own a 36" drum sander or planer.
Its made from hard maple (36" x 96" x 1 5/8") and was purchased for a very reasonable price from a company at this web sight: globalindustrial.com.
You can also purchase adjustable leg stands w/ pre punched out electrical socket holes. This company carries just about every imaginable shop accessory you can think of in addition to tools as well.
Good luck getting your top flat with a hand planer.

[Chris Padilla]

Balsa! End of Thread.

;)

[David DeCristoforo]

Next to dust collection and who should be president, I can't imagine any subject upon which you will get more diverse opinions that how to build your workbench or what you should build it out of. The fact that you want to use your bench as a piece of furniture may justify a more "obsessive" approach than might otherwise be considered. For me, I am very "abusive" of my benches and never have a second thought about screwing something down on them or drilling a hole in one of them. For this reason, my benches all have cheap "sacrificial" plywood tops that can be easily replaced. I do have one "fine joiner's bench" with the vises and bench dogs (made of Euro beach) that I try to keep "clean". But even this one has some wounds. Johnny F. is correct in that you need a flat assembly surface. But I never do assembly on my "tall bench". I have a low table made with fir legs and a plywood top for that. There are many who would completely disapprove of how I "disrespect" my benches. In truth, the difference between a bench made of SYP and maple is not going to be all that great. Unless, of course, you are thinking about how much easier it's going to be to drive screws into the pine....

Sue Veneer

[Ray McGrath]

I built this bench from southern yellow pine, it has remained quite stable.
86072
Ray

[Lee Koepke]

I am reading Charles Schwartz' book right now ...and I have come to a realization or two.

1. There are workbenches and work surfaces. Both are necessary and both are very different.

2. I have neither in my shop ... haha ... I have just plain surfaces. They are horizontal and mostly flat, but hardly useful.

That is why I am getting ready to build a workbench. Knowing my skills, most likely it will end up being a nice sturdy SYP work surface, but thats why I like woodworking, because the more I do, the better I get.

[Roger Warford]

Ray, that's a good looking bench. How much does it weight? Does it rack or wobble?

BTW, I'm guessing you're local inspecter would frown on your wood storage! ;)

[Jamie Baalmann]

In case anyone is concerned I've decided on a 26" by around 80" Maple top wrapped with 8/4 by 6-7" Walnut skirt dovetailed together. Vises will also be Walnut. Maple base with pegged tenons and an 8 drawer cabinet. Fronts will either be solid Walnut or Veneered walnut. Either way will make it look like one piece when all drawers are closed. This will take alot of time but as soon as I find a suitable lumber source I will get started. I'll try to document from the time I get rough lumber

[Dick Strauss]

Guys,
I ran across this chart from a flooring manufacturer when I was doing some poking. I think the testing regime for flooring will prove valid for furniture as well (since it's based on how easily the wood dents). Their testing procedure is spelled out on the page linked below. The list definitely has a few surprises. The woods are ranked numerically rather than relatively which is a big plus in my book!

http://tinytimbers.com/janka.htm

I hope this helps!


Good luck,
Dick

[Bob Jeppson]

I have seen the chart mentioned before. Having a bit of experience with walnut, maple, the oaks and hickory I can tell you hickory is one tough wood. It can really put the hurt on planer knives if you are dimensioning.

As to material to make a workbench, I read a book recently by an editor of a woodworking magazine who was advocating douglas fir. Surprised me.

[Lee Koepke]

In case anyone is concerned I've decided on a 26" by around 80" Maple top wrapped with 8/4 by 6-7" Walnut skirt dovetailed together. Vises will also be Walnut. Maple base with pegged tenons and an 8 drawer cabinet. Fronts will either be solid Walnut or Veneered walnut. Either way will make it look like one piece when all drawers are closed. This will take alot of time but as soon as I find a suitable lumber source I will get started. I'll try to document from the time I get rough lumber
sounds like a nice combination of woods.

[James Carmichael]

If you want the most durable domestic, bois d' arc should make a very interesting bench top:D You can even leave it outside.

That's osage orange for those North of the Mason-Dixon line;)

[Carl Fox]

OK, since you didn't say it had to be wood, and cost is no object...

What about Granite, Steel, or Cast Iron?