I’m currently attempting to build my first bench, and had intended to build the top slab from beech; however, the timber merchant had a stack of cheap elm that I ended up purchasing. Having got home & read a little about the properties of elm I’ve discovered its a fair bit less hard than beech – can anyone advise me whether it would still make a reasonable benchtop?
Thanks
Replies
Funny,
Yes it would still make a reasonable bench top, so would pine!
If you have the opportunity to buy beech you should go for it, it is definitely the best choice.
Zucca.
Hard maple is better than beech.
Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has at least two, and they all stink.
I think Jon Arno once suggested Pau Marfim as the ultimate best benchtop wood. I'm holding out for that.
(Just kidding). One of my benchtops is Southern Yellow Pine, the other is Douglas Fir and my outdoor benchtop is Pressure Treated Lumber. All of them pretty much look like they've been whacked with a motorcycle chain.
That's why for hundreds of years people who had the choice made benches out hard maple!C.
Look up the Janka hardness rating for Elm. I believe you will find it's a bit softer than you want for a bench top. Good luck on your bench though. I am just oiling my first bench right now and hope to put it all back together this weekend. I almost used Ash for my top because of the price. I ended up using Hard Maple because it's going to get abused. I could have gotten Hickory cheap but I hard a miserable experience with it on another project.
Thanks all,I've looked at using beech, and it seems to work out cheaper to use a doubled-up kitchen worktop rather than buying sawn boards & constructing the benchtop myself (am in the UK) - is there any disdvantage to going down this route?
Well, as i posted before, I made mine of 2x4's (pine), then decided it was too soft, so I went the easy way and bought a beech kitchen counter (1 1/8" thick) plopped it on top of the 2x4 top ( i want the weight since i use a lot of hand planes and my previous bench used to walk all over the place). So far so good, however its not quite finished I need to fit an apron around and oil it
Welcome aboard buffo..
I don't wanna sound like I'm ducking your questions, but the best answer I can think of (re elm, beech and worktop) is that it depends largely on the use you intend putting the bench to.. I promise it's nae a trick question...
If you're mainly using power tools, your bench will most likely be used most as an assembly table, seeing only the occasional power tool (though you'll seldom catch a Normite actually admitting to it)... Your worktop solution would be pretty good here provided the structure underneath it is well built, properly braced to prevent it from racking... You'll need to ensure that the top is well supported along it's length with regularly spaced cross braces; worktop is usually made of veneered chip board and has all the structural integrity of cold porridge if the veneer is compromised...
If on the other hand you intend to use more handraulics than electrons, you're gonna need something with more meat on the bone; build quality needs to be every bit as solid as the previous description, but what you need is solidity and mass..... loadsa mass... last thing you wanna do is chase your bench around the shop every time you swipe a board with a hand plane.. In that respect, there's no substitute for a huge slab of beech for a bench top.. strong enough to last a lifetime, heavy enough to stay where it's at without resorting to bolting it to the floor.. resilient enough to survive a few lifetimes of use and abuse...
re your elm.. I've used a fair bit of it in furniture projects... it's not bad to work with... challenging at times but really rewards effort you put into it.. Personally I wouldn't recommend it for a bench though... it likes to move a lot with changes in temp / humidity, and that movement can be in all 3 axis at once.. chances are that it'd warp if tied down as a bench top.. bench tops tend to be used as a large reference surface... something that's known to be flat n true.Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Von, I have two large hickory trees coming to me this fall and I thought to use them in two years (or so)for a classic bench. 1 7/8 to 2" x 4" slats for the top and 4x4 for the 3 sled base units. The top would be 36" x 90" with a twin screw end vise and an Emmert clone on the front. What did you see as a problem with the hickory? I don't mind working with a very hard wood and even dressing the mill cut close to size and laying it up again for 6 months to get it proper. I will appreciate the input. Thanks, Pat
ps. I haven't seen a lot of beech ( the best choice) in East TN. pfh
I shouldn't have said miserable. It was a "learning" experience. I used hickory for a bar top to match the cabinets that are in my kitchen. my biggest problems were in the finishing stages when I needed to flatten and smooth. It can be quite stringy, worse than maple, and I didn't know how to work it that well. So I had to re-do a few peices after I ripped large chunks out of what was almost finished. I also couldn't tell the sapwood from the heart wood and had a couple places that didn't take ANY stain. My dog now has hearing loss from the cussing that I did. Don't let my experience stop you. The end result turned out nice and I learned alot.
My problem was I didn''t do enough research and talk to people before hand.
I'll tell you what though, a kid can slam a metal bar stool into the edge of that bar and you can't see a mark. I also took some of my scraps and made a mallet for my chisels. I used the end grain as the contact surface. I have absolutely wailed on some chisels when I am hogging out a carving and there is hardly any wear on the faces.
Use the Hickory. Just buy a fork truck to lift the end product when you're done.Magnus
"Remember, a bad carpenter always blames his tools" -Joe Conti-
I used dimensional SPF for the top connecting it side by side. I then covered it with tempered board with the smooth side up. When it gets too bad, it is easy to replace. Been using it 10 years.
Edited 5/26/2006 1:33 pm ET by dherzig
Von, thanks for the info, I have a fair number of power and hand tools that I will try to use to advantage as much as I can. This will be my last bench( the retirement bench) so I can take my time. Thanks again, Pat
If properly dried I can't think of a better American hardwood than Hickory for a bench top.C.
Thanks for the vote of confidence. I will, of course, still have to see the yield quality of the trees with the purest wood going for the top and the rest for the bases, crossmembers and 2x8 stringers. I surely expect to change a bunch of planner and jointer blades and re-hone a few plane irons and chisels before it's done. All the best. Pat
One word of warning: although I like the contrast between heartwood and sapwood, because of the difference of density if they are present in the same (thick) board, they have tendency to act wierdly.
That said, I am sure you will have an easier time building it than you think ... !C.
C.
I figure the story gets told when we cut these two trees and I can see what the yield is in good and marginal wood. I will scope them out in late July and might drop them then if we are all are in accord. Otherwise it waits till the fall when I move in. Thanks for the insite. Pat
If you make the top thick enough, say 3" it should be fine and if it gets to dinged up you could just plane it smooth again, while maple or beech would be nice I think the elm will work just fine, my bench is made up of old growth doug fir that I salvaged from some old roof rafters and they are more than hard enough. Good luck and have fun.
Troy
buffo
My 2 cents would be that go ahead and build the bench with elm, because elm is what you currently have and can afford. Speaking from experience, your first bench is never the bench you really wanted to build 10 years from now, because after having one, you quickly learn what you would like to change on it, add to it, etc.....
The worst case scenario is that this elm bench can become your finishing bench when you figure out what you really like, and build the next one out of a harder, more stable wood.
BTW, I'm getting ready to begin construction on of my third bench in 20 years. I think I finally know what I want.
Jeff
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