Building my first Bench

[James Williams 007]

I am gathering all the necessary wood and supplies to build a bench of respectable stature. I have salvaged about 60 feet of true 2x4 white oak from our shipping dock and I plan on using that for the legs and support beams. I was surprised to learn that alot of people are using SYP. I really don't want to use the stuff because I hate how it gums up my blades and I really wanted somthing a little harder. That being said I will use SYP if I can't find anything as economical. I was on youtube and a guy said he got his top from Ikea so I went to there site and found this
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40057754 (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40057754)
Beach seems like a suitable wood for a top but the thickness is only 1 and 1/8 inch so it seems a little on the thin sizes. But for the price I could buy two of them and glue them together!?:confused: If anybody has any other leads or suggestions on tops or workbenches in general please let me know. Thanks James

[James Williams 007]

Ok I just searched the creek and found some old posts about these tops I'm still unsure because the fed back seems half and half!?

[scott spencer]

The white oak should make for a very stable base but would also make a great top if the boards are suitable. Make it big enough, and plan your storage and bench dog type & locations well.

My whole bench is hard maple and it's holding up well. Some folks like to use a renewable surface like MDF or hardboard that's well supported and framed with hardwood. They flip the top when it gets worn and get two uses from each piece, then replace it when it's used up on both sides.

[mike holden]

Jim,
A workbench is a tool. A giant clamp if you will.
Some people make them fine furniture, and if thats your goal, enjoy!
Some people make them a step away from disposable, and thats fine too.
But it is something that you need. First it has to be flat, second it has to clamp workpieces securely. After that, then it needs to please you, so you *want* to go work wood.
Dont overthink this, gathering what would have been scrap wood is a good way to start.
The IKEA top may or may not be too thin, but, you can build it with one layer first and then add a) a second layer, b) battens across the bottom, or c) take it off and build a new top.
Build one, use it, modify it, use it some more. Eventually, you will know what *YOU* want, then build that.
Mike

[kevin willis 557]

I use a solid core door from HD. 50 bucks brand new and it is SOLID. I have not built legs yet I use it on top if some saw horses. It works really well.

[Greg Cole]

James,
I'm about 85% done with my bench.
I went rather non traditional and fabricated a stainless steel base.
I also went with a premade top to speed up the building process. I bought my top from McMaster Carr. A 30" x 72" x 2 1/4" hard maple top was $313.00 delivered (saves quite a few days of my time and not "that" much more price wise with hard maple being less than cheap here). It was crowned between 1/16 and 1/8" over it's length, no biggie as I have the proper hand tools to flatten.
I echo Mikes sentiments. Truly a bench is a tool, if you want to make it a fine looking tool.... feel free. The idea of having a bench make you want to use it is a great thing. I HATE my current bench and have been having to modify how I work because of the bench, a discomforting notion to me.
The design and layout of vices, dog holes etc are all pretty much personal choices. I've mostly built mine around hand tool use, but I am very much a hybrid ww'er.

[John Thompson]

I've used beech before James, as it is very common to do so on traditional benches in Europe as maple is here in the U.S... I have also used maple.. hickory.. ash.. and made one with birch ply laminated once. But... the last five I have built have had a southen yellow pine top and a douglas fir base which have proven to be extremely stable.

Good luck with that bench down the street in Acworth.

Sarge..

[Maurice Ungaro]

James:
One option for you is to go to Lumber Liquidators (they have one somewhere in metro ATL), and get a section of their 1.5" thick maple counter top material - it's pretty darn flat. An 8' x 25" section goes for $189, and is extremely stout. The part that you cut off could be used for a smaller machine stand top, or something.

[Mike Wilkins]

Use some of that oak that you are recycling from the shipping dock for the bench top. I have salvaged some really nice pieces of lumber from shipping crates and pallets, everyting from oak, mahogany look-a-likes, to some really reddish wood from some Asian neighborhood. The oak wil really make a hard working surface; I would just fill in the nail holes with a sawdust/epoxy mixture or drill for a dowel and fill it in. After all-it is going to be a work surface. Save the pine for the base and glue up several pieces for the thickness you may need.
Good luck and don't forget pics after you are done.