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#1
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Work Bench
For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. I have
been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon |
#2
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Work Bench
"Leon" wrote For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. I am not sure if this applies or not. But I knew somebody who lived down the street from a waterski factory. They had some monster 17 ply board. He used to haul the scrap away. If I recall correctly, they were about 1 1/8" thick and about 18" wide by about 5' long. He had hundreds of these things. All of them very heavy, thick and straight. He used them for everything. His shop floor was made from these. He made all kinds of benched for himself and others from this. Big, heavy and thick. He often used harboard as a replaceable top. I wouldn't cut them on edge. If youhave enough plywood to make a tope, do that. Lay it flat and cover it with hardboard. I have build a number of shop benches and cabinets out of scrap. When there was enough materials, I would build something else. This sounds similar. |
#3
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Work Bench
Leon wrote:
For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon Best thing I have found for the top is a used solid interior door. I bought a discarded hospital door for about $5 or $10 a few years ago. Would have cost me at least 10x that much to build a hardwood slab like that. Bob |
#4
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Work Bench
On Dec 22, 10:00*am, "Leon" wrote:
For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. *I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. *In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. *I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. *Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon I take it none of the plywood pieces are large enough to glue up flat to make the top. Given that, I think you could laminate what is essentially a 2"-3" slice of a very, very thick piece of plywood. It should make a reasonable top, at minimal cost, mainly the cost of the glue, of which you will probably use a lot. I can only think of two drawbacks which are probably easily worked around. 1) Since plywood is generally made of veneers glued up perpendicular to each other, half of the grain of your bench top will be end grain, oriented vertically, and the other half will be side grain, oriented horizontally. This means that your bench top may be a bit less stiff than a solid word version. If you are concerned about the stiffness, especially if you don't make the top thick, you should be sure to incorporate some support in the leg structure under the top to stiffen it up. 2) The grain of the top will be half end grain, and half side grain. You may be unsatisfied with the texture of the top with its varying grain. You could work around this by applying some kind of uniform thin top layer, such as a sheet of masonite, to be replaced when it wears unacceptably. Other than those two caveats, I say, "Go for it!" Recycling is the way of the future, and we should try to appropriately use all of our scraps instead of merely tossing or burning them. I just built a very heavy bench out of some glulam beams from our neighborhood gas station that were headed for the landfill (someone who can't read ran his too- tall truck into the canopy). Now I have a really beefy bench and the landfill has 600 pounds less wood in it, and it only cost me a bit of glue and labor. My last bench was made of recycled 4x4's and oak flooring. I used bolts I have gleaned from garage sales, keeping them out of the landfill, and even made some barrel nuts for the stretchers out of some scrap aluminum. I painted it with the tag ends of paint that I am not allowed to put in the landfill, and that our county no longer recycles. About the only way I can think of to have made the bench "greener" might have been to use some kind of glue not made of petroleum products, such as hide glue. Good luck! |
#5
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Work Bench
"Leon" wrote:
Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. Since you are in the "Biz", you can appreciate that material is maybe 30%-35% of the final project cost. Given the "top" represents maybe 80% of the material cost, the "top" is maybe 25% of the project cost. If you save 50% of the "top" cost by using inferior material, you only save maybe 15% of the total project cost. For a "one shot", personal, last a lifetime project, is saving 15% worth it? Inquiring minds want to know. Lew |
#6
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Work Bench
I'm kind of with Lew on this one. If you shop for relatively cheap wood
(common rather than select and 5/4 rather than 8/4 stock) you will have alot less invested in a top than vises. Not to say that there is anything wrong with a bench made from recycled material, I applaud that. It just seems a bit inconsistent with the premise: "For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench." -Steve "Lew Hodgett" wrote in message ... "Leon" wrote: Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. Since you are in the "Biz", you can appreciate that material is maybe 30%-35% of the final project cost. Given the "top" represents maybe 80% of the material cost, the "top" is maybe 25% of the project cost. If you save 50% of the "top" cost by using inferior material, you only save maybe 15% of the total project cost. For a "one shot", personal, last a lifetime project, is saving 15% worth it? Inquiring minds want to know. Lew |
#7
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Work Bench
On Dec 22, 1:18 pm, "Lee Michaels"
wrote: I wouldn't cut them on edge. If you have enough plywood to make a top, do that. Lay it flat and cover it with hardboard. I have build a number of shop benches and cabinets out of scrap. When there was enough materials, I would build something else. This sounds similar. Yeah, if they aren't big enough on their own get a sheet of 1/4" then piece together your scraps on top of that. Run them through the drum sander first to make sure the thickness is consistent on each layer. Then flip the sucker over or put another 1/4" layer on top. Or they'd be good for building drawers to go under it. -Kevin |
#8
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Work Bench
"Lee Michaels" wrote in message ... Snip I wouldn't cut them on edge. If youhave enough plywood to make a tope, do that. Lay it flat and cover it with hardboard. I have build a number of shop benches and cabinets out of scrap. When there was enough materials, I would build something else. This sounds similar. My concern with a hardboard or MDF top is that the holes for the dogs would eventually deteriorate. AND while I would make the MDF of hardwood top replaceable I think I would want something a bit more permanent. |
#9
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Work Bench
"zxcvbob" wrote in message ... Leon wrote: For Best thing I have found for the top is a used solid interior door. I bought a discarded hospital door for about $5 or $10 a few years ago. Would have cost me at least 10x that much to build a hardwood slab like that. Hummmm, I'll keep that in mind. |
#10
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Work Bench
Not to say that there is anything wrong with a bench made from recycled
material, I applaud that. It just seems a bit inconsistent with the premise: "For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench." -Steve LMAO!!! I peed a little. No offense to the OP, because we are all like that are sometimes, but it reminds me of the posers in Nashville who post ads for "professional musicians" who inevitably have no budget to pay them. -- -MIKE- "Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life" --Elvin Jones (1927-2004) -- http://mikedrums.com ---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply |
#11
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Work Bench
wrote in message ... On Dec 22, 10:00 am, "Leon" wrote: Leon I take it none of the plywood pieces are large enough to glue up flat to make the top. Given that, I think you could laminate what is essentially a 2"-3" slice of a very, very thick piece of plywood. It should make a reasonable top, at minimal cost, mainly the cost of the glue, of which you will probably use a lot. I can only think of two drawbacks which are probably easily worked around. I'm thinking buying a sheet or two for the sole purpose to rip in to 3 or so inch wide strips. those turned on edge and the faces glued together. It would be like a 360-400 on edge ply top when considering that 1/2" BB comes in 9 ply to start with. Thicker pieces would actually save me some glue up time and would use less glue. 1) Since plywood is generally made of veneers glued up perpendicular to each other, half of the grain of your bench top will be end grain, oriented vertically, and the other half will be side grain, oriented horizontally. This means that your bench top may be a bit less stiff than a solid word version. If you are concerned about the stiffness, especially if you don't make the top thick, you should be sure to incorporate some support in the leg structure under the top to stiffen it up. Right, but I am considering at least 3" thick so I don't think that the possibility of sag would ever be a problem. And unlike regular plywood Baltic Birch is all hardwood with no voids if you can get the real stuff. 2) The grain of the top will be half end grain, and half side grain. You may be unsatisfied with the texture of the top with its varying grain. You could work around this by applying some kind of uniform thin top layer, such as a sheet of masonite, to be replaced when it wears unacceptably. Other than those two caveats, I say, "Go for it!" Recycling is the way of the future, and we should try to appropriately use all of our scraps instead of merely tossing or burning them. I just built a very heavy bench out of some glulam beams from our neighborhood gas station that were headed for the landfill (someone who can't read ran his too- tall truck into the canopy). Now I have a really beefy bench and the landfill has 600 pounds less wood in it, and it only cost me a bit of glue and labor. My last bench was made of recycled 4x4's and oak flooring. I used bolts I have gleaned from garage sales, keeping them out of the landfill, and even made some barrel nuts for the stretchers out of some scrap aluminum. I painted it with the tag ends of paint that I am not allowed to put in the landfill, and that our county no longer recycles. About the only way I can think of to have made the bench "greener" might have been to use some kind of glue not made of petroleum products, such as hide glue. Good luck! Thanks |
#12
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Work Bench
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message ... "Leon" wrote: Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. Since you are in the "Biz", you can appreciate that material is maybe 30%-35% of the final project cost. Given the "top" represents maybe 80% of the material cost, the "top" is maybe 25% of the project cost. If you save 50% of the "top" cost by using inferior material, you only save maybe 15% of the total project cost. For a "one shot", personal, last a lifetime project, is saving 15% worth it? Inquiring minds want to know. Well there is that to consider and one of the reasons I am not sold on a sacrificial top. Having said that however the Baltic Birch plywood top would be all solid hard wood. I think ultimately it would be stronger than the same sized solid wood slab and less likely to be affected by climate changes. ;~) Being in the "BiZ" I have a lot more labor in the price than 65-70% of the price. Typically on the skinny side my labor is at least 75% of the total price and more often closer to 80%. And then again it all depends on whether I am building fine furniture or a fence. ;~) I am really not trying to save money in this situation so much as building a top that would be just as strong as a top with all the wood grain running in the same direction, and perhaps easier to actually cut up and glue. Thanks for the reality check. |
#13
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Work Bench
"StephenM" wrote in message ... I'm kind of with Lew on this one. If you shop for relatively cheap wood (common rather than select and 5/4 rather than 8/4 stock) you will have alot less invested in a top than vises. Not to say that there is anything wrong with a bench made from recycled material, I applaud that. It just seems a bit inconsistent with the premise: "For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench." -Steve ;~) My whole idea of using Baltic Birch over solid stock is to hopefully speed up the preparation of the materials for glue up. I am not really looking for a cheaper way out although it seems it would be significantly cheaper with new Baltic Birch plywood over solid stock. My thinking is if I buy solid wood stock and rip it to width for glue up there is going to be some bow in some of the pieces after being cut and that will have to be dealt with. Baltic Birch on the other hand should stay straight after being cut and should eliminate some of the problems that solid wood present from the equation during assembly. It's the stability of the product that I am interested in more so than saving on expense. |
#14
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Work Bench
"-MIKE-" wrote in message ... Not to say that there is anything wrong with a bench made from recycled material, I applaud that. It just seems a bit inconsistent with the premise: "For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench." -Steve LMAO!!! I peed a little. No offense to the OP, because we are all like that are sometimes, but it reminds me of the posers in Nashville who post ads for "professional musicians" who inevitably have no budget to pay them. Yeah he got me there.. ;~)) I guess legitimate was probably not the correct description. I am actually trying to steer towards a bench with less steel than wood. ;~) |
#15
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Work Bench
zxcvbob wrote:
Best thing I have found for the top is a used solid interior door. I think the first order of business is to determine what the bench will be used for... For instance, a door or replaceable MDF top might make a good assembly bench or machine table. If you're going to flatten faces of boards with a hand plane, flatter than the thicknesser leaves it, you're going to need a surface than can be trued up on occasion with hand planes or cleaned with a cabinet scraper. A surface used for lots of hand work is usually better without a slippery film finish. On the other hand, the right film finish will protect against glue, sharpening oils and water, etc... I have surfaces ranging from melamine to urethane coated MDF to unfinished pine and ash, depending on the use. Lots and lots of very nice old benches have pine or fir tops that still survive today. The surface doesn't have to be a hardwood. |
#16
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Work Bench
On Dec 22, 1:00*pm, "Leon" wrote:
For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. *I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. *In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. *I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. *Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon I picked up a used kitchen table with an Oak top and put two layers of plywood underneath. The table top was the standard country style top with running bond blocks of Oak. Cut the table to width and used the remainder to edge band everything, if you didn't look underneath you would think it was 3" thick Oak. I used cauls to clamp the layers flat using the TS as a backer and ended up with a damn flat top. |
#17
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Work Bench
"B A R R Y" wrote in message ... zxcvbob wrote: Best thing I have found for the top is a used solid interior door. I think the first order of business is to determine what the bench will be used for... For instance, a door or replaceable MDF top might make a good assembly bench or machine table. If you're going to flatten faces of boards with a hand plane, flatter than the thicknesser leaves it, you're going to need a surface than can be trued up on occasion with hand planes or cleaned with a cabinet scraper. A surface used for lots of hand work is usually better without a slippery film finish. On the other hand, the right film finish will protect against glue, sharpening oils and water, etc... I have surfaces ranging from melamine to urethane coated MDF to unfinished pine and ash, depending on the use. Lots and lots of very nice old benches have pine or fir tops that still survive today. The surface doesn't have to be a hardwood. That bit of information probably would have been helpful. ;!) I am wanting a "flat" work bench to shape wood and or use for assembly of furniture. I really want to get something bigger than my TS top. LOL |
#18
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Work Bench
Leon wrote:
For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon I've built a couple of benches over the past 20 years and the best top was made from a hunk of bowling lane I picked up when one of the local establishments went out of business. I regret the day that I decided to leave that bench in the basement of a house we were renting. Regards, Larry |
#19
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Work Bench
"Leon" wrote in message news "StephenM" wrote in message ... I'm kind of with Lew on this one. If you shop for relatively cheap wood (common rather than select and 5/4 rather than 8/4 stock) you will have alot less invested in a top than vises. Not to say that there is anything wrong with a bench made from recycled material, I applaud that. It just seems a bit inconsistent with the premise: "For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench." -Steve ;~) My whole idea of using Baltic Birch over solid stock is to hopefully speed up the preparation of the materials for glue up. I am not really looking for a cheaper way out although it seems it would be significantly cheaper with new Baltic Birch plywood over solid stock. My thinking is if I buy solid wood stock and rip it to width for glue up there is going to be some bow in some of the pieces after being cut and that will have to be dealt with. Baltic Birch on the other hand should stay straight after being cut and should eliminate some of the problems that solid wood present from the equation during assembly. It's the stability of the product that I am interested in more so than saving on expense. I'm preparing to re-top my primary workbench in the spring. It is 2' by 6'. I'm going to extend the top by a foot. I'll be using a layer of 3/4" ply and then a 1 1/8" thick butcherblock countertop from Ikea. The 1 foot extension will give me a place to install at least one vise (that I already own) and probably a 2nd going the other way and allow a cutout for tools at the opposite end. It'll start out with a good solid flat top and I'll be able to resurface it at least 2 times (and probably a couple more). It'll be easy to remove that countertop layer and replace it if and when the time comes. Ed |
#20
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Work Bench
Leon wrote:
That bit of information probably would have been helpful. ;!) I am wanting a "flat" work bench to shape wood and or use for assembly of furniture. I really want to get something bigger than my TS top. LOL I built a very flat assembly torsion box, with a melamine top, that sits on my hand tool bench, outfeed table, painter's steps (for tall projects), or even the floor. When I'm not assembling, I really prefer an unfinished wood top, with end and face vices, a board jack, and surface dog holes. In addition to hand tool work, the "hand tool" vises and dogs easily clamp router dovetail and pocket hole jigs, and even nicely (and QUICKLY) holds boards for biscuiting! Whatever you build, don't forget pop-up planing stops, as they work as well with belt sanders as they do with hand planes. Mine are just 4/4 white oak boards mounted in strategic locations with hanger bolts and wing nuts through slots. With the proper screw tension, I can pop them up and push them down without touching the screws. While you're building stuff for yourself, I also like the mini-bench I built a few years back that brings the work to chest level. I followed a FWW article to build it from 8/4 maple and some veneer press screws. It's nice not having to bend over to use paring chisels and the like. If you end up doing a hardwood top, you could probably build the mini-bench for free. I've been thinking of building a copy of Popular Woodworking's "21st Century Bench", the Bob Lang bench unveiled last fall. Check that one out, too. |
#21
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I'll look into all of that , Thanks.
"B A R R Y" wrote in message ... Leon wrote: That bit of information probably would have been helpful. ;!) I am wanting a "flat" work bench to shape wood and or use for assembly of furniture. I really want to get something bigger than my TS top. LOL I built a very flat assembly torsion box, with a melamine top, that sits on my hand tool bench, outfeed table, painter's steps (for tall projects), or even the floor. When I'm not assembling, I really prefer an unfinished wood top, with end and face vices, a board jack, and surface dog holes. In addition to hand tool work, the "hand tool" vises and dogs easily clamp router dovetail and pocket hole jigs, and even nicely (and QUICKLY) holds boards for biscuiting! Whatever you build, don't forget pop-up planing stops, as they work as well with belt sanders as they do with hand planes. Mine are just 4/4 white oak boards mounted in strategic locations with hanger bolts and wing nuts through slots. With the proper screw tension, I can pop them up and push them down without touching the screws. While you're building stuff for yourself, I also like the mini-bench I built a few years back that brings the work to chest level. I followed a FWW article to build it from 8/4 maple and some veneer press screws. It's nice not having to bend over to use paring chisels and the like. If you end up doing a hardwood top, you could probably build the mini-bench for free. I've been thinking of building a copy of Popular Woodworking's "21st Century Bench", the Bob Lang bench unveiled last fall. Check that one out, too. |
#22
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"TD Driver" wrote in message ... I've built a couple of benches over the past 20 years and the best top was made from a hunk of bowling lane I picked up when one of the local establishments went out of business. I regret the day that I decided to leave that bench in the basement of a house we were renting. I bet that worked out well, did you find any nails in the wood? |
#23
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On Dec 22, 12:00*pm, "Leon" wrote:
For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. *I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. *In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. *I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. *Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon I think it's going on four years ago that I built mine with a three- layer MDF top. Someone had given me two really nice vintage quick- release vises, I had a load of rough-cut oak 2x4's (two inches by four, real measurement) I got cheap, and I had some MDF from some shelves I'd taken down. I finally decided if I didn't make it out of what I had, it wouldn't get built for years, so I laminated three sections of MDF together, and edged it all around and built the bottom frame with those oak two by fours. Round dog holes and retractable casters. Finished it with Waterlox. I figured the dog holes would deteriorate but when they did I'd drill a bigger hole, plug it with hardwood and drill a new hole. Turns out so far I haven't needed to. Maybe because I don't pull the dogs in and out a lot. They've held up pretty good. The whole bench has. I thought I'd have built another by now but this one keeps doing what it's supposed to. It's nice and heavy. Stays put when it's not on wheels. (It's kind of frustrating when I forget that) It sure has stayed flat. But if it ever goes out of flat I won't try to fix it. I'll make a hardwood top now that money's not quite so tight and I've found a couple good suppliers. |
#24
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On Dec 22, 3:18 pm, "Leon" wrote:
;~) My whole idea of using Baltic Birch over solid stock is to hopefully speed up the preparation of the materials for glue up. I am not really looking for a cheaper way out although it seems it would be significantly cheaper with new Baltic Birch plywood over solid stock. My thinking is if I buy solid wood stock and rip it to width for glue up there is going to be some bow in some of the pieces after being cut and that will have to be dealt with. Baltic Birch on the other hand should stay straight after being cut and should eliminate some of the problems that solid wood present from the equation during assembly. It's the stability of the product that I am interested in more so than saving on expense. Well if its about saving time and effort, not money, it's hard to do better than when the wood has gone to the trouble of already assembling itself into a top for you. http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2008/Main/270 But I really can't see where ripping the plywood into strips and gluing up is going to save you time. There is no way you're going to get it all aligned perfectly to be *flat* without surfacing it after glueup anyway, versus just stacking three 3/4" sheets together which will be plenty thick and heavy and flat and stable. You could even do ply-MDF-MDF-ply if you want to get it silly thick and heavy, and the ply at the top and bottom will take most of the abuse in the dog holes. That bit of information probably would have been helpful. ;!) I am wanting a "flat" work bench to shape wood and or use for assembly of furniture. I really want to get something bigger than my TS top. LOL Assembly tables usually want to be bigger than workbenches, but don't need to be as sturdy or heavy. -Kevin |
#25
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B A R R Y wrote:
While you're building stuff for yourself, I also like the mini-bench I built a few years back that brings the work to chest level. I followed a FWW article to build it from 8/4 maple and some veneer press screws. It's nice not having to bend over to use paring chisels and the like. When I got my first bench not too long ago I realized it had been designed for users half a foot shorter than me. So the first thing I did was make a riser for the base to bring it up to a more comfortable level, and I was pleased that the finish on my addition was good enough to make it indistinguishable from the original. Of course that's because nobody can see the snapped-off screws etc. on the underside of the riser, but hidden (and nonfunctional) incompetence is more or less tolerable at this stage. |
#26
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Stuart wrote:
The top for my new bench came from Ikea - see Pronomen or Numerar. I chose the Beech option. 6ftx 2ft I almost went the same route until I found a bench kit that had everything I wanted including vises at a reasonable price. It would be tough to beat Ikea's prices on laminated hardwood tops even if they intend them for kitchen cabinets rather than work benches. |
#27
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Work Bench
"Leon" wrote in message
... Right, but I am considering at least 3" thick so I don't think that the possibility of sag would ever be a problem. And unlike regular plywood Baltic Birch is all hardwood with no voids if you can get the real stuff. The high price for BB gives you quite a few options. For example, 4/4 hard maple for $2/bft: http://www.woodworkersshop.com/index...n=Custom&ID=10. (250 bft minimum for that price, though.) |
#28
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Work Bench
On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:00:32 -0600, "Leon"
wrote: For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon Any wood will work. My benchtop is glued up 2x4 pine studs, finished with danish oil. Spent lots of time flattening the top. I redo the top every 3-4 years. A good bench should be large, sturdy and heavy. |
#29
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Work Bench
"Leon" wrote:
Well there is that to consider and one of the reasons I am not sold on a sacrificial top. Having said that however the Baltic Birch plywood top would be all solid hard wood. I think ultimately it would be stronger than the same sized solid wood slab and less likely to be affected by climate changes. Baltic Birch harder than vertical grain maple pieces laminated together?????? ;~) Being in the "BiZ" I have a lot more labor in the price than 65-70% of the price. Typically on the skinny side my labor is at least 75% of the total price and more often closer to 80%. And then again it all depends on whether I am building fine furniture or a fence. ;~) Which makes any material savings achieved by material substitution even smaller. I am really not trying to save money in this situation so much as building a top that would be just as strong as a top with all the wood grain running in the same direction, and perhaps easier to actually cut up and glue. Thanks for the reality check. Don't know what size table you want to build, but consider a 2'x6' table. Make the primary surface from 3/4" x 2-3/4" maple vertical grain laminations. Surface both sides of the glue-up with a drum sander to about 2-1/2" finished. Rip a 5 x 5 x 3/4 BB panel into two (2) 24x60 and two (2) 11-3/4x60 pieces which get laminated on bottom side providing a 4" finished top. Epoxied together, be tougher than a bull's pecker in fly time. Lew |
#30
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Work Bench
Leon wrote:
I'll look into all of that , Thanks. Ping me if you'd like pics or article references of anything. |
#31
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Work Bench
DGDevin wrote:
When I got my first bench not too long ago I realized it had been designed for users half a foot shorter than me. So the first thing I did was make a riser for the base to bring it up to a more comfortable level, and I was pleased that the finish on my addition was good enough to make it indistinguishable from the original. I know what you mean. I'm 6' tall, and mobile bases usually add just enough to machines to be right for me. Even if I'm not wanting a machine to move, I like the extra height. To make matters worse for taller folks, lots of traditional style benches are low to better facilitate face planing. |
#32
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Work Bench
"B A R R Y" wrote in message ... Leon wrote: I'll look into all of that , Thanks. Ping me if you'd like pics or article references of anything. Yeah, thanks, I'd like any thing you could send that would not be a bother to you. I am also thinking about adding a fold up/down extension on the back side of the bench to increase work area. I now have a 30" x 60" steel table top that I would like to use. |
#33
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
I haven't seen it mentioned yet but I'd suspect that plywood won't
wear very well. I think you'll find the intermixed grain in the plies will wear differently and leave you with lines and dips. The only way to resurface will be taking the whole thing to a drum sander. I've seen a lot of benches made from 2x4 studs and they've worn pretty well. Mine was made with recycled wood. The wood came from a subdivision that was being fitted with utilities. When steel pipe is hauled in for sewers, it's racked with 4x4's of different species. A few minutes with a power planer to clean off tar, rocks and dirt is all it takes to get some usable wood. Then it's a matter of sizing, squaring and glue up. I'd also recommend putting a square of old car/truck tire under each leg of your bench. It keeps the bench from vibrating back when you pound on it. It's so much nicer to use a bench that absorbs impact and responds like dead weight. Wood legs on a wood or concrete floor will vibrate. |
#34
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
I got lucky when I worked for a builder.
We had some glue lamb beams that were ordered wrong and couldn't be returned ,they were 2 ft' x 10 ft' ,it made one hell of a work bench. You can even glue up 2x 4's with P L 400 construction glue. Jerry http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutc...oodWorkingPage http://community.webtv.net/awoodbutcher/1974Tryke |
#35
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:53:52 -0600, Leon wrote:
My concern with a hardboard or MDF top is that the holes for the dogs would eventually deteriorate. AND while I would make the MDF of hardwood top replaceable I think I would want something a bit more permanent. Somewhere recently I read about a woodworker that equipped his bench with T-slots instead of dogholes. I haven't really considered all the pros and cons of it, but the idea is interesting. Anyone here done this? Any opinions? |
#36
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
"MikeWhy" wrote in message ... "Leon" wrote in message ... Right, but I am considering at least 3" thick so I don't think that the possibility of sag would ever be a problem. And unlike regular plywood Baltic Birch is all hardwood with no voids if you can get the real stuff. The high price for BB gives you quite a few options. For example, 4/4 hard maple for $2/bft: http://www.woodworkersshop.com/index...n=Custom&ID=10. (250 bft minimum for that price, though.) Yeah that would depend on where you live. LOL.. I'm betting there would be a pretty good shipping charge on tat liquidation price. I just referbed a kitchen with Maple and it was a tad more than $3 per linear foot in S4S 1x6. I paid premium but I did not want to go through milling the stock on a paying job aside from the veneer that I made for the cabinets. IIRC s2s was around $4.50 per BF. I can get 5'x5' 1/2" BB for just under $30 per sheet. If my top is going to be 3" thick 24" wide and 60 " long I would need a bit more than 30 BF considering waste. Basically $135.00 for s2s. Baltic Birch would be about $45.00 cheaper. |
#37
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
"Leon" wrote in message ... For years I have been threatening to build a legitimate work bench. I have been using fold up ones and steel ones but I want a wood top with dog holes and a couple of vices. Because there is a rather large investment in the "TOP" I have kicked around using several different less expensive materials. In recent years the replaceable MDF top has been popular with many magazines. I forget what I was building several months ago but I ended up having several pieces of 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood stacked up and noticed that they looked quite substantial. I am wondering if any one has used Baltic Birch ripped in to "lot's" of strips and glued up on the faces to make a bench top. Basically the edges of all the Baltic Birch plywood would be facing up and down to form the top of the top. Ideas appreciated Leon Here's one I did a few years back and Bernie Hunt kindly made it available on his site. http://www.huntfamily.com/work_bench.htm Bob S. |
#38
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
"Larry Blanchard" wrote in message news On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:53:52 -0600, Leon wrote: My concern with a hardboard or MDF top is that the holes for the dogs would eventually deteriorate. AND while I would make the MDF of hardwood top replaceable I think I would want something a bit more permanent. Somewhere recently I read about a woodworker that equipped his bench with T-slots instead of dogholes. I haven't really considered all the pros and cons of it, but the idea is interesting. Anyone here done this? Any opinions? IIRC I saw that too. WoodWhisperer maybe. |
#39
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message ... "Leon" wrote: Well there is that to consider and one of the reasons I am not sold on a sacrificial top. Having said that however the Baltic Birch plywood top would be all solid hard wood. I think ultimately it would be stronger than the same sized solid wood slab and less likely to be affected by climate changes. Baltic Birch harder than vertical grain maple pieces laminated together?????? Not harder, stronger. ;~) Being in the "BiZ" I have a lot more labor in the price than 65-70% of the price. Typically on the skinny side my labor is at least 75% of the total price and more often closer to 80%. And then again it all depends on whether I am building fine furniture or a fence. ;~) Which makes any material savings achieved by material substitution even smaller. Yeah but this is for me. ;~) I think I am stering back away from the plywood however. I am really not trying to save money in this situation so much as building a top that would be just as strong as a top with all the wood grain running in the same direction, and perhaps easier to actually cut up and glue. Thanks for the reality check. Don't know what size table you want to build, but consider a 2'x6' table. I am using a 60 inch table now and like the length but am also considering a telescoping end.. The problem is the steel top. Make the primary surface from 3/4" x 2-3/4" maple vertical grain laminations. Surface both sides of the glue-up with a drum sander to about 2-1/2" finished. Rip a 5 x 5 x 3/4 BB panel into two (2) 24x60 and two (2) 11-3/4x60 pieces which get laminated on bottom side providing a 4" finished top. Epoxied together, be tougher than a bull's pecker in fly time. Lew Thanks Lew. |
#40
Posted to rec.woodworking
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Work Bench
"Bob S." wrote in message ... Here's one I did a few years back and Bernie Hunt kindly made it available on his site. http://www.huntfamily.com/work_bench.htm Bob S. Thank you Bob. |
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