Pre-made bench tops?

[Dan Karachio]

Hi All,

In yet another purchase decision, I am really going nuts to have a nice bench. Perhaps not THE bench, but something nice. I do not have a planer or jointer and limited access to one, so building a top is really not in the cards right now. So.... why not buy a maple top?

See this company: HTTP://www.mapleblock.com/detail/ind...bench-tops-34/

The "2 1/4" Standard Maple Benchtops" down a bit on the page. I have a 32 x 60 butcher block from this same company in PA and it is fantastic. I'm betting these tops would be nice too. I'm sure the 1 3/4 would be fine too.

I can ask the mfg, but given they are selling these as bench tops, do you think they orientated the grain of each piece/strip? I'm thinking ahead to flattening/planing some day. Overall, what do you think about going this route? My local lumber supplier can order anything from this company for me.

Thanks,

Dan

[John Fricke]

I occasionally see used bowling alley sections for sale in the local "swapper" magazines. I have often thought they would make really nice benchtops. Prices I have seen are $10-12.50 / linear foot often in 5-20 ft sections.

[Bruce Page]

Dan, I put a prefab 36"x96" top on my bench. My primary motivation was cost - even with shipping from Horse Cave, Kentucky, the cost was about half of what the maple alone would have cost me here in New Mexico. They didn’t pay any particular attention to grain orientation/direction on my top but it is at least 90% edge grain.
The top has stood up really well.

[Casey Gooding]

John,
I have a big piece of bowling lane I used for my outfeed table on my table saw. It wouldn't work as a benchtop. First it's only 1/2" thick. It's really only woodgrain laminate over particleboard. Granted it's more heavy duty than what you find in the typical kitchen. I like it for what I did with it, but I wouldn't want a benchtop from it.

[Gene DiNardo]

Depending on where you are located, it might be worth the trip to visit Bally Block. (call first to make an appointment)
I have been there several times.
The shop foreman sells "seconds" for about $60.00
Seconds are laminated maple and ash with just have a little sap wood showing on the top.
I picked up about 5 or 6 of them appx. 34" X 60" or so.X 2 1/4"-2 1/2" thick.
I dont think a little dark streak matters for a workbench.
Real nice guy too. He even threw in a few cutting boards for my wife and some 1 ft. wide edge cutoffs for aprons and some 4" thick stuff for vice faces.
Dominick Greco a regular here told me about them.(Thanks again Dom !)
Heck come to think of it I'm about due for a trip to Bally Block

[David Gendron]

I don't have a planer or a jointer and did my own top, if you take good care when you cut the wood(ripping it), you don't have to much work to do with the hand plane after ripping and glue up. But if you can find a hard wood top thick enough( I like over 3 inches thick) to work well with hold fast and banch dogs than go for it!
you will save time and energy!!

[Jim Rimmer]

Are there any school auctions in your area? many high schools are closing sown their wood shops. A few years abo I got a 5.5'x5'x2" maple table with two vises for $250.

[Dominic Greco]

Depending on where you are located, it might be worth the trip to visit Bally Block. (call first to make an appointment)
I have been there several times. The shop foreman sells "seconds" for about $60.00. Seconds are laminated maple and ash with just have a little sap wood showing on the top. I picked up about 5 or 6 of them appx. 34" X 60" or so.X 2 1/4"-2 1/2" thick. I dont think a little dark streak matters for a workbench. Real nice guy too. He even threw in a few cutting boards for my wife and some 1 ft. wide edge cutoffs for aprons and some 4" thick stuff for vice faces. Dominick Greco a regular here told me about them.(Thanks again Dom !)
Heck come to think of it I'm about due for a trip to Bally Block

No problemo Gene! Just passing along a good source.

I've gotten several bench tops from Bally Block. On my last visit there back in October of '08 Russell (the foreman you were speaking of Gene) loaded me and my buddy Mike up with so much free and almost free cut offs that we filled up the back of my pick up. Here's a couple photos showing some of the stuff we got.





We walked away with several reclaimed work bench tops from an old Army Base (I use one for my auxiliary bench). I also got some pre-finished butcher block beech table tops that were given to my brother for his lathe table. Along with that Russel threw in some scraps that I made cutting boards out of. He also gave me some sections of Lyptus that is a lot like mahogany, but harder.

My big bench is made from a section of 2" thick butcher block maple I got from Bally's back in 2001. I trimmed with black walnut. I think I got that top for $60

[Roger Benton]

I know this route will be a big turn off for some, but since I don't have room in my current shop for "THE" bench, I made a smaller one (60" x 22") with a top laminated from one sheet of 3/4" birch ply on top of two sheets of 3/4" mdf. It's edged with 1" thick maple. It's heavy, stable, flat, and works very well with grammercy holdfasts. I don't have any vices, so I can't vouch for the top's ability to cope with a lot of lateral pressure from a bench dog.
When the top layer gets too banged up, I'll just screw on a new sheet of ply or mdf from underneath and keep replacing that new layer as needed.
I can't wait to build a nice 8 footer from hardwood, but for now this thing gets the job done and then some.

[Dewey Torres]

I bought one from Sams and once you use router rails and true it ...it is as good as gold!

my .02

[Joe Feistritzer]

Thanks for the info on Bally Block. I'm new to woodworking and relatively close to the Michigan location; at least closer than my previous home in Texas. So, the deal is to just head in and ask for seconds and prices? Almost sounds too easy...

[Dominic Greco]

Thanks for the info on Bally Block. I'm new to woodworking and relatively close to the Michigan location; at least closer than my previous home in Texas. So, the deal is to just head in and ask for seconds and prices? Almost sounds too easy...

You have to make sure that they HAVE some seconds on hand already. Here in PA that can be accomplished with a phone call to their shop forman "Russell" (a very cool guy BTW).

[Mark Zbikowski]

I made this bench earlier this year w/ the 30" x 6' Grizzly top.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Soli...-4-Thick/G9914



It works great holdfasts work. The boards are not selected for grain direction.

--mz