Yawbq

[Ken Garlock]

Yet Another Work Bench Question.;)

For several years I have been saying/planning to build a real workbench to replace my 5 years old "work door". Several years ago I did some investigation and found a company in Dallas that would order a Bally Block benchtop for me. I had asked for a quote for a special size and the quoted cost was more than I was willing to pay.

A couple weeks ago I contacted Bally for the name of a local distributor in Dallas once again. My reply simply said to go to the Grizzly website for a list of workbench tops (http://www.grizzly.com/products/g9916).

Some time ago, some one had posted a reference to Perfect Plank in California. The poster said he was happy with the bench top I had gotten from PP. One thing they offer that Bally/Grizzly doesn't is a Hickory Top (http://www.perfectplank.com/hickory.html). In theory, Hickory should be a better top than sugar maple. PP also sells sugar maple tops, as well as other popular woods.

So, good people, what do you recommend for a 30X96 bench top that will last, and last, and last?:confused:

[Matt Meiser]

I've heard of people ordering from McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/). Search for "Maple Workbench Tops" on their site.

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Matt. McMaster and Carr never crossed my mind. I have bought a lot of things from them, but never thought about bench tops. Their 2 1/4 thick 30x96 is rather high. But, I will keep them on my list.

Thanks Matt.

[John Keeton]

Ken

Off topic, but did you have any wind damage from the storms? My daughter lives in Collin county(Allen) and their area had a lot of damage though they escaped with minimal damage. Hope you faired well!

[Ken Garlock]

Hi John. We are located due west of McKinney, the next town north of Allen. I think Allen and Plano got the worst of the storm. We had strong winds around 4 AM with lots of rain, but nearly as bad as south of us. I haven't seen any damage when driving around our immediate area, say a 5 mile radius of us. I guess we got lucky. I talked with a friend in Allen yesterday, and she said they were without electricity for 13 hours, and two neighbor's trees were uprooted. I think our electric was off for about 2 or 3 seconds, just long enough for the computer UPS to beep a couple times.

I hope your daughter and family get their lives back to normal quickly.

[Mark Engel]

Maple top from McMaster-Carr 30x96x1-3/4 = $341.51 + motor freight

Maple top from Grizzly 30x96x1-3/4 = @249.95 + $76.50 shipping charge.

If I was going to get a maple top, I think I would get it from the Griz.

[Ken Garlock]

Yes Mark, I am leaning the Grizzly way. When I looked in detail, I saw that the finishing oil/varnish/whatever that is sold as an accessory is made by Bally. That leads me to think that the tops are really made by Bally and marketed for the WW by Grizzly.

[Matt Meiser]

Yeah, McMaster is more expensive, but they do offer the 2-1/4" option. Ken, another hint is that those Grizzly tops are made in the US.

[Bruce Pearce]

Lumber Liquidators: has Maple 1 1/2" x24 x 96 $198.99 for pickup if there is one near you.

[Ken Garlock]

First off, I thank everyone for their comments regarding my question. THANKS.:)

I liked the idea of the Bally top through Grizzly, but in the back of my mind, I wanted something thicker. I looked at the Perfect Plank site and thought about their 1 7/8 inch Hickory for about the same price as the top at McMaster & Carr.

After several days of indecision, I just placed an order for the 2 1/4 inch 30X96 maple top at McMaster & Carr. It will be shipped via truck, so I have no idea when it will be delivered or how much it will cost. My experience with McMaster and Carr shipped via UPS, is that I get 3rd day delivery. I am sure it will be longer than it....:confused:

[Chris Padilla]

In general, any tight-grained wood ought to make a suitable bench top. Maple is very tight, like Beech, like Hickory. Ash and Oak are great, too, but the early/late wood is not for everyone nor is the openess of the grain.

Now toss that maple top on a set of Noden's adjust-a-legs and you'll have an extremely tough, yet versatile bench for the rest of your life!

[Ken Garlock]

The bench top I ordered has been "sealed" with Mineral oil. I haven't heard of using Mineral oil before but maybe it is used to get NSF approval for use in food service environments.

So what do I do with the the mineral oil finish? Mineral oil does not dry like BLO does. Do I just leave it alone? Do I try to remove it with a thinner? Do I just put some finish directly over it? That sound like a bad idea to me.

Inquiring minds want to know.:D

[Chris Padilla]

I'd leave it alone and let it wear a bit before considering applying something else. MO and BLO don't last too long so regular application will be the name of the game.

[Ken Garlock]

The Maple bench top I bought through McMaster&Carr arrived yesterday afternoon. It was well wrapped. The top was in a heavy paste-board container the fit exactly, and strapped to two pallets. The truck driver helped me slide it down off the 18 wheeler and onto the bed of my pickup.

Later, when I opened up the packing, I could find zero damage. With the help of my wife and my lift cart we moved the 2 1/4X30X96 top into the shop. and placed it, top down, on top of my "work door." It will remain there until I build a base and complete corrective surgery on another project in the queue. I am very pleased with the quality of the top. The good side is as smooth as a baby's bottom and the ends are square and sanded to the same degree as the top. It is covered in mineral oil from the factory, but none can be detected in handing it. Shipping weight was 230#, but I am guessing the actual slab is more like 180#.

The top was manufactured by John Boos & Co. (http://www.johnboos.com/) in Illinois. The only thing they make is maple counter tops.