I’m thinking I need a new top for my workbench. It’s probably more of a want than a need but the difference gets blurry. I would like to make it myself using a combination of hand and power tools. Time is not an issue as I’m retired. The issue is material. I have available 2x4s in the quantity needed but they are your basic big store mostly pine and maybe a few fir boards. I would laminate them face to face with the hope of coming up with something around 3″ thick. Is it worth my time to do this with ‘soft’ lumber even at this price, (free)?
Your thoughts please.
Thanks,
BobE
Replies
Absolutely. I think a "softer" bench is nice.
Thank you for your reply.
The exercise may be worth it even if the top doesn't turn out to meet your needs. Going through the process you will learn many things.
Thank you for your reply.
The answer is maybe, I think the answer lies in how you intend to use your bench, if your workbench is more a work platform for power tools and an assembly table the pine will serve you fine and as chuckvandyck stated softwood benches have their supporters, many feel this can prevent some workpiece marring as the bench would give way first.
Others, myself included, prefer a harder bench surface to take the pounding we put it through and appreciate the lower maintenance required, less frequent resurfacing and flattening needed. In addition hardwood is generally heavier providing a more stable bench which can be important if you do a lot of handplaning and other hand tool work such as dovetails and hand chopped mortises.
If you do decide to move forward I would only do so if your wood has been thoroughly seasoned in your shop environment. Big Box dimensional lumber is kiln dryed in name only and can contain large amounts of moisture that could cause problem as your top drys out.
Thank you for your reply.
Use the money you save by making the top out of the 2x4's on hand to buy a new tool or some nice hardwood for your next project.
Thank you for your reply.
My bench is built from ripped down 2x10s that are laminated together. So far no issues in the two plus years since I made it. I’m not sure what benefit a hard wood bench would give me, though I was worried when I started the build. I did go with the ripped 2x10s to get to a 4 inch thick top, so that is my possible concern with 2x4s. I expect you end up around 3 inches thick, which might be a bit thin. Of course you could add a sacrificial top if that’s the case.
Thank you for your reply.
I made my bench out of 2x4s. It has held up fine. It has dings and dents but so what it is a bench. I'd rather the bench dent than the work I'm making. Some day I'll rebuild my bench (bigger) and I would not hesitate to do the same again if it was the economical option. Although maple is cheeper for me than a 2x4.
So I'm curious how maple is cheaper than pine/fir 2x4s. Maple is supposed to be an excellent wood for bench tops.
Thanks,
BobE
The weird economics right now. I'm in a area that local maple is plentiful. There is a lot of home building going on keeping dimensional lumber expensive but not to the same degree with hardwoods. Now that is not, nice white maple but brown and with knots. Last time I was at the hardwood lumber yard it was one of the lowest cost woods with ash being slightly cheaper (I was looking for paint grade stuff).
I could also do better on maple as I have a stack of stuff I milled myself from my trees but I don't count that.
I have a 30"x 72" workbench made of laminated 2x4's that is 30 years old. To build again I would laminate (3) 10" wide sections, surface them to identical thickness and drill 3 holes horizontally to run all-thread through to laminate those 3 pieces together and bolt. A few of my boards are separating but not end to end. The all-thread would have prevented that. I just purchased a 22" Stanley jointer plane to flatten the surface. I may fill the cracks with epoxy. I would love a perfect maple table but after 30 years I will settle for flat and refinished. Good luck.
Thank you for your reply.
Pine would be a little too soft for me. I made one benchout of Douglas Fir 4x4s. It's denser than the pine and Spruce construction lumber around here, and it's also drier and more dimensionally stable.
Aside from the softness, I'd be more worried about how wet and prone to movement the 2x4s would be. Around here, almost every one is cut from the pith.
Thank you for your reply.
My bench is plywood and I'm not complaining.
I also use an assembly table for a lot of work too though so have options.
As a mostly power tool guy, I don't do much hammering on the bench, but the bit where I do dovetails has stood up well enough.
I say go for it. You have nothing to lose but time.
In this video, James Hamilton discusses his 2x6 bench and how well it has lasted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxLht1JaRAY
Thank you for your reply.
Sounds like the perfect species: FREE.
My first choice would be maple, second would be reclaimed SYP from a salvage yard. Here in NYC that's M Fine Lumber in Brooklyn. They have old-growth stuff that spent the last 100 years as warehouse rafters baking down to stone. Don't pull into their parking lot, there are nails everywhere.
Tough to beat free though.
Thank you for your reply.
I was commissioned to build a plinth with some of that pine from M Fine a few years back. It was basically a 12x12 block of pine resin. Whew, that was a rough one. My makita hand plane has never quite been the same.
Many folks have used a bench made out of 2x4s like you have described and many have been happy with this set up. Since you already have the wood, why not go ahead and use it. I've made plenty of things based on the wood I've had laying around. I suspect you will be happy with it.
Thank you for your reply.
I made my bench top out of 2x4s. I ordered #1 Southern Yellow Pine from Home Depot and that was a waste. I got mediocre wood. I also cut it down to 3" thick. I love the top, but wouldn't mind if it was a bit thicker. If I did it again, I would buy 2x10 or 2x12 SLP boards and cut strips out of them so I would end up with a 4" thick top. With the wider boards, I could make sure I had one edge without knots.
Thank you for your reply.
Bndsley
Do you mind sharing your final decision on your new workbench?
I am also preparing to build a new bench. I believe I will invest my money in Benchcrafted hardware and use construction lumber for the bench.
you might want to check out Vic Tesolin's book : The minimalist woodworker. He has a great bench in his book, made from pine lumber.
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