Major surgery on workbench top?

[Gary Ragatz]

It comes time for me as well to build something better. The major problem with the one I have now is the glue joints have separated in places. The top is also uneven and needs to be resurfaced.

I'm a little uncertain about your objective here. You say it's time for you to build something better - does that mean you want to build a better bench top for the bench you have, a better chassis for the top you have, or do you want to start from scratch?

It's always hard to tell from photos, but the bench you have looks pretty serviceable to me. If the top is uneven, you certainly want to deal with that. The separations in the glue joints I can see in your photos don't look like they would present a significant problem in terms of the functionality of the bench - though they might, if they're getting worse.

If the concern about the glue joints is mainly an issue of appearance, and they aren't getting worse, then I like Dave Mount's suggestion, below - rout and fill.

[Tom Bender]

Go back and reread Dave Mount's post. No need for a temporary bench or big tools or weeks of work. Low cost and options to make it pretty.

[Thomas Crawford]

Well I change my vote to the waterjet just because I want to see it. Solid first post.

[Alan Schwabacher]

I hear that you like that it's solid maple, and want it to look better. You could saw down each ugly or separating join using a circular saw and a guide (or a tracksaw.) Then glue in a maple shim the thickness of your kerf. Or use a contrasting wood if you like pinstripes.

[Don Stephan]

What seems to be missing from the discussion is how to joint the cut edges perfectly flat and straight if the top is only cut into large sub-assemblies. The suggestion to rout and inlay strips sounds inspired if the top has to be worked.