Bench top question--will this work?

[Matt Meiser]

I picked up a 30x96 maple top a couple weeks ago and started tonight cutting it down for my bench top. First, I cut the length down to 72" since I only want a 72" bench. The off fall from the end will eventually become a butcher block top for a small mobile island for our kitchen. Then I started looking at the width. 30" plus an apron is really too deep. My current bench is 27" which is pretty good. So if I cut off 3", plus 1-3/4" for an apron, that gives me a 4-3/4" off fall. Looking at that, I got to thinking maybe that would work for the apron if it was just a little wider. So if I take the bench top down to 26" that gives me 5-3/4" off fall to use for the apron. The attached is a quick sketchup drawing of what I'm thinking.

The big question though is will a laminated apron work?

[Mike Cutler]

Matt

I don't see why a laminated apron can't work. You could be limited by some clamping activities, but it should work.
Personally, I would probably try to find a way to back the laminated pieces with a solid piece of wood and screw and glue them for strength, or do a 3" wide glueup the depth of the apron piece, but installed with the edge of the glueup perpindicular to the face of the apron. I like overkill on benches though.

I think the bench will be nice when you get done.

[Art Mann]

I clamp stuff to my bench all the time. A skirt or apron around it would be a nuisance rather than a benefit to me. OTOH, I can't imagine any reason why the cutoff couldn't be used for an apron.

[Pat Germain]

I think Art makes a good point. Why do you want your top to be wider than your base? Make the top even with the base. This will allow you to clamp work to the front, thus creating another, large clamping surface.

I admit I don't have much experience in this area. I'm currently building my first workbench. Based on what I'm reading, if a bench top is much wider than 24", you will find yourself constantly walking around it to get to your work. Thus, I think 27" would work OK.

[Art Mulder]

I've done it both ways. I've had situations where I want to clamp things DOWN to to the top, and also situations where I want to clamp things to the FACE of the bench. Your call.

Did you think about laminating it UNDER the front of the bench instead of along the front? What I mean is, you'd end up with the front 5-6" of the bench twice as thick. This makes the leg construction a bit tricky, but gives you a double thick + beefy section along the front of the bench which is where you do most of the pounding.

[Matt Meiser]

Well, I'm going to change my plans slightly anyway since I picked up an 8/4 x 7" x 10' piece of "rustic" maple, meaning it has a knot and some streaking. At $2.66/bdft that's hard to pass up. This piece of off fall may become some beams for across the bottom of the bench or maybe legs for the island cart.

[Jim Becker]

Shouldn't be an issue, Matt. If you want to get fancy, cut a 45º bevel on the top and the apron when you mate them... :)

[Cary Swoveland]

All maple? Boring! After all, it's not just a bench, it's a piece of furniture for your shop. Why not mix in some contrasting woods for accents and details? See, for example, http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=842715 .

Cary