Ken Frohnert
11-22-2008, 8:26 AM
Well, I did my research and read the CS workbench book. I was going to build a bench with the laminated wood top out of one of the workwooking mags I have and so about 6 months ago I purchased like 24 SYP 2x10s and stickered them in my garage to dry out a little more. However, as I get ready to build I keep thinking that a top like that is going to take me a very long time to do (and I only have a few hours a week to work on projects) and there is so many other projects I want to build - bookcase, coffee table, some chairs. Since use power tools the more I reflect on the laminated top the more I think - not for me right now.
I thought about the CS English Bench but cannot get excited about it. I think because I want an end vice and front vice - plus with the aprons look like they will be in the way.
A while back in a book somewhere I saw a bench plan by a Canadian workworker (I think we was an editor of a CA woodworking mag or a teacher too) that used a solid wood top but had the wood (I think he used 2" think Ash) for the top laid face down and then edge jointed them together. At the time I did not really consider it for my since I thought I knew what I wanted. But laying the wood face down would seem to make the top much quicker to build. I thought I could use my 1.5" think SYP to do the same thing - Maybe 1.5" SYP would be to thin in that application. If to thin maybe I could use some 3/4 plywood under the 1.5 SYP and just put a band around the top but there maybe issues with plywood verus SYP in wood movement. Any thoughts on the 1.5" SYP and/or using SYP with 3/4 ply under it?
Does anyone know where I can get more information on that Canadian guys bench - it looked well built - kind of 1/2 way in between a knock together bench an some of the beautiful furniture benches you guys have made. I have searched the internet for like 3 hours and cannot find anything.
I thought about the CS English Bench but cannot get excited about it. I think because I want an end vice and front vice - plus with the aprons look like they will be in the way.
A while back in a book somewhere I saw a bench plan by a Canadian workworker (I think we was an editor of a CA woodworking mag or a teacher too) that used a solid wood top but had the wood (I think he used 2" think Ash) for the top laid face down and then edge jointed them together. At the time I did not really consider it for my since I thought I knew what I wanted. But laying the wood face down would seem to make the top much quicker to build. I thought I could use my 1.5" think SYP to do the same thing - Maybe 1.5" SYP would be to thin in that application. If to thin maybe I could use some 3/4 plywood under the 1.5 SYP and just put a band around the top but there maybe issues with plywood verus SYP in wood movement. Any thoughts on the 1.5" SYP and/or using SYP with 3/4 ply under it?
Does anyone know where I can get more information on that Canadian guys bench - it looked well built - kind of 1/2 way in between a knock together bench an some of the beautiful furniture benches you guys have made. I have searched the internet for like 3 hours and cannot find anything.