Wood Recomendation for Workbench

[cadnams]

Thanks guys. Your replies have made for interesting entertainment as well as very useful advice (including justifications, very impressed).

I have just spend large chucks of the last three days (yes I even took a day off work to get stuck into my bench) and have progressed a considerable way. I still am yet to acquire my top. Whilst I salivate at the thought of having a great hardwood top my budget will not allow for it at the moment (spent too much money on good quality tools).

I have built a frame that is partly solid and partly bolted together (it will be too heavy to move otherwise) and should last my life time at least. It might not be made of exotic timber but it looks pretty good to me (I have taken considerable care in its construction even if the timber is not the stuff I have dreamt of) as well as being good and strong. Tonight I will be assembling the entire frame (just waiting for the glue to dry) and I am quite excited about it. I have spent many hours already and it is starting to really take shape.

Anywan, thanks for the advice. I am now up to the point of deciding what type of top I will use so the advice has come very much in handy.

[Glen Bridger]

Hi,

I was recently at my brothers place in Qld and he had just finished building an Island Work Bench.
He bought a sheet of hardwood ply which is used to construct concrete form work. I know its very dark to make a bench top with, but it is a flat, smooth hard wearing surface.

Cheers,

Glen

[xron]

Hi there Tex - class me as a group 2 bench man - though woodwork is my hobby I still need to fix the family cars , fix the plumbing, household appliances etc. etc.. Hence I need a bench that can take a pounding.
Of importance is that you need to be able to rely upon the fact that the top is flat and true! Thus - being of Scottish background and stingy I used a reject kitchen bench top. Those who do the roll form laminating sometimes have "whoops - slips" or they have a "ding" during handling. Here they are about 1 1/4 inch thick - flat and solid!! Try your yellow pages in the phone book for a roll former near you.

[Markw]

This will probably make all you chippies spew but that life!

My bench is solid steel, yes 3/16" mild steel sheet welded to an angle iron framework which in turn supports 5 shelves of dexion draws. It has a multi rotational engineers offset straight/pipe vice which would make any mechanic green with envy and three side of this structure have a 1/2" rise to prevent bolts or screws rolling off.

Takes 4 men to lift - less with skates or floor jacks, but its solid. The worlds best bench for rebuilding classic go fast motorcycles like my FJ1100.

When I want to work in the other medium (wood) the 3 sided rise takes a fitted section of timber to form a bench top and the holes for the wood vice are already there to be bolted in.

A bench has to be versitile and you can't hammer something into submission without cold hard steel underneath.

Mark

[cx3]

hi,

i hope this little info will help.

if you re lookin for good quality wood yet being tight in your budget. Can try looking for old furniture that sell cheap or give away free.

i realise nowsaday most furniture were made of chipboard or other low cost material which somehow with compromised quality. And in the olden time, most furniture were made of good quality hard wood.

i've collected quite a big pile of good clean maranti wood from a thrown away bed (some pple just like to replace the old furniture though still in good condition). After a few hard work of cutting to size, some were converted into stool, bench, chest...

i ve made one small workbench which i ve used heavily with lots of hammering and sawing process. sometime i stand on it to reach for thing. it is still very sturdy. and all it cost me are the screws that i purchase- other materials were $0.

look around. wish you all the best!

C