A week or so ago there was an interesting thread started by 5418 (9/27/05 post 25847) on benches which promted many responses on low-cost alternatives.
As luck would have it, I am in the process of designing my next (first real) woodworking bench and the design looks amazingly like the one lydensden shared in posts #15 and #16.
I had a line on a pile of fir from an old barn that was to be my new bench, but that supply fell through. Just last night I got a call back on some nearly free 5/4 and 4/4 oak (white I suspect). This prompts 2 questions.
1) Are there any opinions on using the oak (laminated to get sufficient thicknesses, of course) to build a bench
2) How crazy am I to consider using laminated legs?
Family Man
Edited 10/6/2005 12:05 pm ET by Familyman
Replies
Sounds like a good idea, just a lot of glue and clamps. I made my bench out of old douglas fir and am quite pleased with it. Just don't drop it on your toes.
Troy
i was thanking about building the bench in the latest issue of woodworking magazine. they used syp but i can only find fir and spf arround here. how has your fir top held up? not too soft?
The old growth fir is very hard not like the framing lumber you would get a HD. It splinters easily but made a very nice top and legs. If I was buying new lumber I would use maple but this lumber was "free" Troy
Red or white oak will make a fine bench. I have made quite a few benches in my time. Most have been softwood benches for manufacturing plants. You could laminate almost any wood for a solid work bench. Maple and beech are generally used, that does not mean other woods are inferior.
In the attachment this is a full length and width bench for my grandson. The height is only 26", when he grows will swap the legs out for higher ones. This particular bench is made from construction grade fir 2x4's.The end vice is homemade.Laminate the legs, no problem.
mike
Oak would be great. I have one, and turned the boards so they show quartersawn on top, and that thing is bulletproof. I made it out of left over flooring material.
Laminated legs would be just fine too. I bolted one of my benchtops onto a file cabinet designed for 3x5" micro fiche cards that I got from a used business supply. It isn't pretty, but isn't ugly either. It hold half a ton of tools right at hand. It doesn't rack or shift one iota, and it didn't take all day to make. I think I paid $40 for it. I am thinking about putting a layer of leftover bamboo on the top of that one, because I want it to be about 1/2" or so higher. I don't know how the bamboo will hold up, but if it doesn't, I will try something else when it goes bad.
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