Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I can't
find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody happens to have
a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4 for 3.29/bd ft.
right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks

I was looking into getting a solid wood table top for a work bench. I
found that I could but ready made 6 and 8 quarter maple tops for about
the same price that I could get the wood for. I know Grizzly has some,
so does Woodcraft. I went to my local hardwood supplier, where they
give me a wholesale price. You may be able to get them through Home
Despot, or some of the other bigger stores.
robo hippy

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm trying to figure out. I can buy one from
Sears with two vises for $279
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...00&tab=del#tab

or I could make one and put exactly the vises I wanted on it, plus make it
the exact size I need.


"robo hippy" wrote in message
oups.com...
I was looking into getting a solid wood table top for a work bench. I
found that I could but ready made 6 and 8 quarter maple tops for about
the same price that I could get the wood for. I know Grizzly has some,
so does Woodcraft. I went to my local hardwood supplier, where they
give me a wholesale price. You may be able to get them through Home
Despot, or some of the other bigger stores.
robo hippy

Pete:

At woodfinder.com
there is a listing for a Co-op timber company out on Washington Island a
short drive from GB.

They list as having Beech, but just a small bit of info about the place at
www.woodfinder.com so be sure to call ahead for how much beech they have.

BTW: Beech wood bench top is more of an European thing. More important than
the wood species of the bench top is the top being flat and stable. Maple
would be my choice just for the $$$. Ready made bench tops as mentioned in
post above, are very stable. But do watch the cost of shipping that much
weight.

Phil

"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
t...
Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I
can't find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody happens
to have a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4 for
3.29/bd ft. right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks

Pete,

Maple works well. I went that route. My lumber guy sells "sap maple" for
about that price. He also sells "brown maple" It's the same species
(sugar/hard maple) but it has some dark heartwood showing. Technically, it
is a lower grade of lumber because of these cosmetic defects. IME, it works
just the same and he sells it for $1.90/bf. I use it for all of my shop
stuff.

Ask around you could save quite a bit of $$ if you can find a similar deal.

-Steve



"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
t...
Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I
can't
find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody happens to
have
a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4 for 3.29/bd ft.
right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks

"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
t...
Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I
can't find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody happens
to have a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4 for
3.29/bd ft. right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks


It would be a better bench. American beech is a different animal,
uncooperative when drying, anything but good-looking with wide unremarkable
sapwood, and likely to do a break dance in a damp basement come summer. In
the UP you can't give it away. Pallet lumber or pulp is what it's used for.

Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I can't find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose
anybody happens to have a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4 for 3.29/bd ft. right in town. Would that be a
good substitute? Thanks

At a price like that go for the maple, seriously. Out here in Cali I paid $6.85 and
$8.95 a b/f for the same purpose in a bench top, so, you have it good.

--
Alex - "newbie_neander" woodworker
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/

Thanks for the great info, guys. Now I just have to actually make a
decision on whether to buy the ready-made one or if I want to make my own.
Decisions, decisions....
Thanks again
Pete


"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
t...
Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I
can't find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody happens
to have a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4 for
3.29/bd ft. right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks

I've been looking around at some of the benches that are commercially made
and they mostly seem to be made from beech. They also seemed to be of a
European flavor as well, at least the ones I saw. I figured if a bench that
cost over a grand used beech, they must know what they're doing so it would
be great for my little homemade deal too. But, now armed with proper
information, I think I'm going to make my own and do it with the maple
option. Thanks for the help.
Pete

"Phil-in-MI" NO Spam & pam wrote in message
link.net...
Pete:

At woodfinder.com
there is a listing for a Co-op timber company out on Washington Island a
short drive from GB.

They list as having Beech, but just a small bit of info about the place at
www.woodfinder.com so be sure to call ahead for how much beech they have.

BTW: Beech wood bench top is more of an European thing. More important
than the wood species of the bench top is the top being flat and stable.
Maple would be my choice just for the $$$. Ready made bench tops as
mentioned in post above, are very stable. But do watch the cost of
shipping that much weight.

Phil

"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
t...
Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I
can't find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody
happens to have a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4
for 3.29/bd ft. right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks

On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 18:00:31 GMT, "Pete Stolz"
wrote:

Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I can't
find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody happens to have
a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4 for 3.29/bd ft.
right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks


Maple makes a great top. I made mine from hard maple about 15 years
ago. It's still in great shape and probably will be until long after
I've left this earth.

Some will point out that buying a top is possible, or even buying a
ready to go bench.

Those are good alternatives, but I must point out that building your
own from rough lumber allows practicing the skills that you'll use
when you make the furniture you'll put on the bench. Plus, you can
get the features you want. Take a look at a book by Landis, "The
Workbench Book." In it the author shows several styles and the
evolution of workbenches. You could pick and choose the kinds of
vices and the various helpers benches have used. Things like a board
jack or holdfasts. The particular features you choose should aid you
in the type of work you do or plan to.

"Phil-in-MI" NO Spam & pam wrote in message
link.net...
Pete:

At woodfinder.com
there is a listing for a Co-op timber company out on Washington Island a
short drive from GB.

They list as having Beech, but just a small bit of info about the place at
www.woodfinder.com so be sure to call ahead for how much beech they have.

BTW: Beech wood bench top is more of an European thing. More important
than the wood species of the bench top is the top being flat and stable.
Maple would be my choice just for the $$$. Ready made bench tops as
mentioned in post above, are very stable. But do watch the cost of
shipping that much weight.

Phil

"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
t...
Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I
can't find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody
happens to have a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4
for 3.29/bd ft. right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks


American beech is not really stable enough for a fine work bench top. Here,
hard maple is better. European red beech is a whole different tale. It's
very stable.

"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
. com...
I've been looking around at some of the benches that are commercially made
and they mostly seem to be made from beech. They also seemed to be of a
European flavor as well, at least the ones I saw. I figured if a bench
that cost over a grand used beech, they must know what they're doing so it
would be great for my little homemade deal too. But, now armed with
proper information, I think I'm going to make my own and do it with the
maple option. Thanks for the help.
Pete

"Phil-in-MI" NO Spam & pam wrote in message
link.net...
Pete:

At woodfinder.com
there is a listing for a Co-op timber company out on Washington Island a
short drive from GB.

They list as having Beech, but just a small bit of info about the place
at www.woodfinder.com so be sure to call ahead for how much beech they
have.

BTW: Beech wood bench top is more of an European thing. More important
than the wood species of the bench top is the top being flat and stable.
Maple would be my choice just for the $$$. Ready made bench tops as
mentioned in post above, are very stable. But do watch the cost of
shipping that much weight.

Phil

"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
t...
Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I
can't find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody
happens to have a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4
for 3.29/bd ft. right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks

"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
. com...
I've been looking around at some of the benches that are commercially made
and they mostly seem to be made from beech. They also seemed to be of a
European flavor as well, at least the ones I saw. I figured if a bench
that cost over a grand used beech, they must know what they're doing so it
would be great for my little homemade deal too. But, now armed with
proper information, I think I'm going to make my own and do it with the
maple option. Thanks for the help.
Pete

"Phil-in-MI" NO Spam & pam wrote in message
link.net...
Pete:

At woodfinder.com
there is a listing for a Co-op timber company out on Washington Island a
short drive from GB.

They list as having Beech, but just a small bit of info about the place
at www.woodfinder.com so be sure to call ahead for how much beech they
have.

BTW: Beech wood bench top is more of an European thing. More important
than the wood species of the bench top is the top being flat and stable.
Maple would be my choice just for the $$$. Ready made bench tops as
mentioned in post above, are very stable. But do watch the cost of
shipping that much weight.

Phil

"Pete Stolz" wrote in message
t...
Hi guys,
I'm trying to make a workbench top and I'd like to use some beech. I
can't find it locally near Green Bay, WI. I don't suppose anybody
happens to have a good internet supplier. I can find maple in a 5/4
for 3.29/bd ft. right in town. Would that be a good substitute? Thanks


Blew this once. I'll try again. You're not making do. You're doing better.
The beech workbenches you see are European red beech, for the most part, a
wood that is more stable than American beech. In the U.S., and Canada, hard
maple is the way to go.

Just a little information. Kettle Moraine Hardwoods, located in Hartford,
WI carries beech. I know that may be a little far for you, however, they do
have a web site and I know they ship. Do a google search for them, they
have all their prices posted.

I am not sure where you are from, but The Wood Rack in Branford CT ha
beautiful european steamed beech , and it is cheap 3.75 bf. 4/4 and 8/4

pawel
wrote in message
om...
Just a little information. Kettle Moraine Hardwoods, located in Hartford,
WI carries beech. I know that may be a little far for you, however, they
do
have a web site and I know they ship. Do a google search for them, they
have all their prices posted.