Comments

1. 
   Edswoodshop | Apr 20, 2010 05:12pm | #1

   Great workbench! I have a question that should go to a general blog but I don't know how to do it. Is there a way to use 42"x4x4 oak timbers for a bench top from pallets? I have quite a few but of course they are too short lenght ways unless there is some way to joing them together. I have thought of overlapping and using allthread to band them together. Any thoughts?

   Thanks,

   ed

2. 
   jfsksa | May 02, 2010 12:38pm | #2

   Ed,
   Many people make a bench top and sandwich knots in wood in the interior. They know the adjoining boards will provide the needed rigidity.

   Along the same line, I saw a guy make a 7 foot table top out of reclaimed 2x4 shorts (3-4 feet long each) and it turned out very solid. He used dowels and glue to connect the boards (joining the end grain) to make longer boards. then when he glued up the longer boards to make the table top, he made sure the joints were not next to each other (similar to the pattern in a hardwood floor). I'm a newbie woodworker but starting with 4x4s, which should be 3.5" thick, then taking some thickness off to level the top should result in about a 3" or more thick top. You could make sure the outer edge was a continuous, non-joined board. This should produce a rock solid top.

   But you're right - post this to Knots and see what the experts say.