Oak Workbench top?

[Rick Hubbard]

Due to an incredibly bizarre set of circumstances this week-end it appears that I need to replace the top on my 84”X30 work-bench. In a perfect world I would build the top from laminated 6/4 maple, but I’m having a devil of a time finding any of that up here in the sticks. I do, however, have an abundance of 8/4 red oak. Would this be suitable for a bench top?

Rick

[Chris Schumann]

I know others will chip in here, but the only drawback to oak that I read was that it's very brittle and prone to splinter, so it easily makes sharp edges that catch and tear. Any time you drop a chisel or plane on it could result in edges like that.

Then again, with the proper finish, oak furniture, even heavy tables, lasts for generations.

Hopefully someone who has worked a lot of oak will speak up.

[Rick Hubbard]

I know others will chip in here, but the only drawback to oak that I read was that it's very brittle and prone to splinter, so it easily makes sharp edges that catch and tear. ......

Then again, with the proper finish, oak furniture, even heavy tables, lasts for generations.

.

Here is one made from oak that has been around for close to 100 years:

[Greg Hines, MD]

I would use it if I had it. Maple or Beech is slightly more traditional, but only slightly. Chamfer or round-over the edges, and I doubt you would have any problems.

Doc

[Marcus Ward]

Mine is white oak, and incredibly durable. I wouldn't hesitate to build out of oak. I'll probably build the next one out of oak too. I have never had the splintering problem so described. Schwartz makes a point in his book that the reason beech is traditional is because that's what there was a lot of in europe, and that you should build your bench out of what you have available. So red oak it is for you!

[Matt Benton]

That oak bench may be 100 years old, but you'll have a tough time using it as a flat reference surface.

I say use the oak, but either use a separate table for assembly or plan on (somewhat) more frequent maintenance....

[Hank Knight]

One problem with oak that no one has mentioned is that it's an opened grained wood. If you do any kind of metal working on your bench, small metal filings and chips will lodge in the pores and damage your wooden workpieces and tool edges. Jameel Abraham made a beautiful bench from ash - also an opened grained wood. He later wrote that the only thing he'd do different would be to make the top from a closed grained wood because of the problem I mentioned.

Not a big issue, but something to consider.

Hank

[Rick Hubbard]

That oak bench may be 100 years old, but you'll have a tough time using it as a flat reference surface.



Thats for sure, but it is probably better than what mine is right now-

About 4 (?) years ago I built my existing bench using 4 layers of laminated MDF finished off with 6/4 maple edging and countless coats of clear shellac. The thing has been amazingling serviceable- flat as can be and extremely solid. I spent lots of time maintaining it (meaning additional coats of shellac from time to time and paste wax at least once a month).

This week end, I rounded up a bunch of dried out shellac brushes and soaked them in DNA to loosen the shellac. When I was done soaking them in the DNA I made a mixture of water, detergent and ammonia, and poured it into a plastic bucket to let the brushes soak overnight. Sunday morniing when I went to the shop, I discovered that the bucket had a leak in it!

I also discovered that MDF will swell to many times its finished size when given the opportunity!:mad:

[Marcus Ward]

My oak bench is 2 years old and as flat as can be. I have no idea what you're talking about. Wood moves, occasionally you have to flatten it (although I haven't done mine since the initial flattening). This is a normal part of having a workbench.

[Randy Redding]

I made an oak workbench top about 12 years ago. It is mainly oak that I recovered from shipping pallets. I had dozens of 16" x 3" x ~3/4" pieces that I milled and glued together butcher-block style (with the 16"x3" sides upward). It was heavy as a black bear but has been very solid and flat for years. It grows and shrinks with the seasons quite a bit. I have no splinter problems so far. I can post a pic. later if anyone is interested. Also, "go Black Bears".

[Matt Benton]

I'm not referring to wood movement (in fact, oak may very well be more stable than maple).

I'm suggesting that as an open-grained wood, oak is more suseptable to loosing larger chunks (splintering) over time, creating an unflat surface (albeit slowly). If the bench sees light to moderate use, I doubt it would matter much, just a consideration...

[John Thompson]

You won't have any problems with Oak that you would with other species except... as mentioned it is open grain. But... if you do metal-working as suggested (and I do) drop a cotton painters tarp over the table when you do it as I do. And a good semi-stiff brush and a Shop Vac makes sense whether you do metal-working or not.

Sarge..

[Marcus Ward]

I'm suggesting that as an open-grained wood, oak is more suseptable to loosing larger chunks (splintering) over time, creating an unflat surface (albeit slowly).

I don't think this is an issue, seriously. I have an oak bench. I pretty much do everything on it, beat the heck out of it, and I've never had this splintering problem. This sounds like an a priori analysis that doesn't stand up to reality.

[Rick Hubbard]

a priori .

Hmmmm, a term not often used in woodworking in general, or on this forum in particular. Only the third time EVER used on SMC, as near as I can tell!

Rick

[Larry Browning]

I have a workbench that I completed this past summer made from ash. Ash has a slightly less open pore grain than oak. I put a beeswax/turpintine finish on it. This filled the grain and provides a very nice durable finish that glue and paint won't stick to. Applying this finish to an oak top would probably help with the open grain issue. However, I also believe that the splintering argument just boils down to a personal preference. If you are worried about your benchtop splintering every time you get a little rough with it, go with something else. But if this doesn't bother you or you aren't a bench abuser go for the oak. It's not like you were going to use that lumber for something else.:D