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Thread: How often do you flatten your workbench?

  1. #1

    How often do you flatten your workbench?

    Happiness is a freshly flattened workbench. I built this about 25 years ago. I think it's the third time I've flattened it. So, that averages out to every eight years. I used an old #7, LV LA Jack, and a LN #4 with a York pitch (for some gnarly grain).


    IMG_20200720_111707.jpg

    I've used GF's Arm-R-Seal in the past. But this time I used the GF Enduro-Var water based satin urethane. It doesn't add any amber color to the maple. Little sheen because it's satin. It also doesn't feel slippery.

    IMG_20200720_193520 (1).jpg



    I'm ready to go for another eight years! How often to you flatten your workbench top?

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Question: If you do this once every eight years or so, how long do you put the task off or waffle over whether or not it really needs re flattening before you actually re flatten the top? What finally drives you to saying, "ok, no more putting it off, I got to re flatten this top"?
    David

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by David Eisenhauer View Post
    Question: If you do this once every eight years or so, how long do you put the task off or waffle over whether or not it really needs re flattening before you actually re flatten the top? What finally drives you to saying, "ok, no more putting it off, I got to re flatten this top"?
    Yep inquiring minds want to know .

    Nice looking bench, shop made?

    ken

  4. #4
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    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
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    When parts start to "rock" on the bench.....
    3 times in 7 years....

  5. #5
    Never have. Occasionally I scrape it to remove residues.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by steven c newman View Post
    When parts start to "rock" on the bench.....
    3 times in 7 years....

    This, and.. so about 8 years ago.

    The stains don't bother me, and my bench is plenty stained. I pop any glue off though, and wipe up any finish that ends up on it too
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  7. #7
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    Sep 2013
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    Wayland, MA
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    I try pretty hard not to do things to my bench that will make it un-flat. It's been 25 years now. There may be some seasonal movement, but it's not detectable without instruments. Nothing rocks.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by David Eisenhauer View Post
    Question: If you do this once every eight years or so, how long do you put the task off or waffle over whether or not it really needs re flattening before you actually re flatten the top? What finally drives you to saying, "ok, no more putting it off, I got to re flatten this top"?
    The tail vice was a bit higher than the rest of the bench, by maybe 1/16". Just enough to catch on things and not be able to place things flat across. Made for a little wobble when a board was clamped. I flipped the benchtop over, but couldn't find any mechanical reason.

    And the final straw was a whole lot of stains and dings. The finish had worn off a few areas, including the legs.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by ken hatch View Post

    Nice looking bench, shop made?

    ken
    Thanks. Yes, I made it from scratch.

    It's a Frank Klausz style bench. I had a book long ago.....I think it was called The Workbench Book. It had discussions and measured drawings for several styles of bench. It's served me well over the years.
    Last edited by Clifford McGuire; 07-24-2020 at 7:27 PM.

  10. #10
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    Thanks Clifford for your interesting question. My bench is 8 foot long, soft Maple, shop built. As a matter of regular maintenance, I routinely scrape the surface, primarily to remove spilled glue.

    I guess on average I resurface my workbench every two years. For me there are two main benefits; reestablishing a flat working surface, particularly for where my bench dogs align with my tail vice. This is where I do the bulk of my planing. Secondly, and unexpectedly for me, planing the work surface makes everything a lot lighter in color (back to the natural color of soft Maple), versus the much darker patina that is acquired in my shop overtime. I much prefer the lighter color, and if my bench is flat and something's not working with a given plane, I know where to look for the problem/solution.

    All the best, Mike

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
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    I flatten mine twice a year. Because I like my bench really flat around the dog holes where I hold boards to plane.
    I have uninsulated shop it doesn’t stay flat all year long.
    I use a foreplane.
    Aj

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
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    First a photo of the top taken after it was built ((April 2012) ...



    The bench top was planed down for the first time about 12 months ago (in other wirds, 7 years later). This is the surface before that occured ...





    The bench to is good repair, with no major dings, however it developed a slight hollow along the centre. This needed to be planed out so as the top could be used as a reference surface.

    After planing down, it looked like this ...





    I probably should not have waited 7 years. One should monitor/check the flatness regularly, and plane it when it reaches a point where it is no longer acceptable.

    Edit to add:

    After flattening, the surface was slightly roughed using a toothing blade. Finish was a single coat of Danish Oil - just enough for protection against glue or water, but not enough to make it slick.


    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Last edited by Derek Cohen; 07-25-2020 at 2:49 AM.

  13. #13
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    Thanks for the response Clifford. I never really completely flattened both of my individual split top 12" wide x 8' long slabs so that they were totally coplanar to each other and just recently addressed the worst of that after using the bench for a few years. My driver was to finally buy a longer, decent straight edge to use across both slabs when I noticed some rocking of something when planted on both slabs. I do like your bench. Thanks for sharing.
    David

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    I'm with Bob Engel.

    I use a Starret straightedge for my reference.
    I don't expect wooden things to remain flat or straight in my basement shop.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
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    Got to change my spectacles! Opened this thread, thinking it read "how often do you FIND your workbench" and not "...flatten..."!

    For the record, I found mine this past Saturday, as I put away my tools and cleaned off the debris. With everything off, I did take a peek at the flatness - not bad. Last time I flattened it? A year or two, maybe three. Oak was repurposed and decades old when I remade the stock into a bench, which is now several decades ago!
    If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.

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