Work bench tops?

[Haynie]

Why are workbench tops Maple? Is it a tradition thing or is there a practicle purpose?

 

[Scruffy]

Maple Work Bench

Maple is hard, stable, finishes easy, relatively inexpensive, easy to work with, tight grain.

I would not want a table top out of pine, cedar, oak, ash, poplar. Just because of thier properties.

Maybe fir.

If none of these reasons have any value to you, then just get a coupe piece of 3/4" MDF and glue hardboard to the top. Get some saw horses to put it on.

(I started with that a number of years ago.)

 

[Haynie]

I was curious. At some point I think it would neat to have one but the cost of the hard maple is prohibitive right now.

I am currently working on an 8x8 table that was left by an upholsterer who rented space from us. It does the job and I can toss a 4x8 sheet on it with no worries.

 

[Scruffy]

Work Bench Table tops

For around $250 you can get (delivered) a solid maple workbench top 60 " x 30" x 1 3/4". No end grain on top; all long grain.

If you get the top then you can build your own base. Lots of plans on line. Add whatever else you need later.

G9914 Solid Maple Workbench Top 60" Wide x 30" Deep x 1-3/4" Thick

 

[D.Oliver]

Mark, here is a link to plans for a work bench from popular woodworking. It's made from pine and has suited my needs. While I won't disagree that Maple is a better top, I personally don't see the need for it. I've had my bench almost 5 years and while there are some minor dings in the work surface, they are not any major ones.


$175 Workbench - Popular Woodworking Magazine

 

[76winger]

It doesn't have to be maple by any means.

Christopher Schwarz from Popular Woodworking Magazine wrote a book a few years back on making a workbench (actually he's done several articles on them). But the one in this book, he made using SWP (southwest or Southern Yellow Pine), which actually has a hardness value similar to maple and at a much lower cost in most places. It's got a chart in it that compares a couple of the hardness values that are of particular interest when making a workbench.

This is the book I believe (I'm at work and it's at home): Workbenches: From Design And Theory To Construction And Use (Popular Woodworking): Christopher Schwarz: 9781558708402: Amazon.com: Books
I read it back when it was new and have kept it around thinking I might make it one day.

 

[Russianwolf]

Beech is another popular benchtop wood. Mainly European. In the States Maple is more common.

Premade saves a lot of headaches.

A piece of Ply with laminate flooring glued on top is great for casting area. Glue and resin will pop off.

I have one bench made of glued and screwed 2x3 studs. Easy cheap and HEAVY.

 

[76winger]

Mark, here is a link to plans for a work bench from popular woodworking. It's made from pine and has suited my needs. While I won't disagree that Maple is a better top, I personally don't see the need for it. I've had my bench almost 5 years and while there are some minor dings in the work surface, they are not any major ones.


$175 Workbench - Popular Woodworking Magazine

This one was made from Souther Yellow Pine also. It's a lot harder than the standard pine you find in normal use. Usually used for 2x8's, 10's, 12's in framing buildings.

 

[Scruffy]

I have read most of that book...

It is probably one of the best there is for work benches.

I like maple and built my bench over seven years ago and it still serves me well. No matter how badly I have mistreated it.

 

[StephenM]

My benches are built in place around the perimeter on two walls. 2x4 framing @ 12" o.c. Topped with 3/4 plywood and then that's topped with #2 common red oak T&G flooring (3/4"). It's finished with whatever I had too much of at the time - some shellac, some Watco, etc.

It looks good and it's tough as nails. Probably been there 9 or 10 years.

 

[Haynie]

Thanks for the links. I shall read them when I have the chance.

 

[Smitty37]

mine is 2X4 lumber on edge with a 3/4 inc plywood top. Works just fine for about everything i want to do. Heavy bugger but that helps at times to doesn't bounce around much if I need to do some pounding on it. Originally I built it as a picnic table but we moved and don't need it for that purpose here. My other work bench uses 1/2 of a 3/4 inch sheet of plywood as the top and the other half as a lower shelf, built on a frame made from 2X4 (doubled in places) southern yellow pine. It has served me well for at least 15 years.

 

[chrisk]

Here in Europe, beech is more common.

 

[Smitty37]

Here in Europe, beech is more common.

I would suspect that is because it is more common there just as Maple is more common here.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Mine came out of a school shop. I have several others with plywood tops as well.

 

[jttheclockman]

Whats wrong with oak?/ My bench is a old solid core oak door. If i am doing jigs or something on it I use MDF or hardboard. Make a bench out of anything you want or have at your disposal.




Other tool table tops I used pine solid core doors and put a formica top on them.

 

[Haynie]

Nice bench Dan. They shut down our middle school shop class. Cleared everything out to put a computer lab in.

Unfortunately they left all the benches like that on outside unprotected all winter. By the time of the auction none were salvageable. I even pointed out that they would get ruined in late august when I saw them. Their response was "no one will want them anyway." I said I would take two off their hands but they would not go for it. Lots of people at the auction were as saddened at the waste as I was.

 

[Haynie]

Nice tables John. What is the tool on the left side of the last picture?

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Nice tables John. What is the tool on the left side of the last picture?

My guess is drum sander.

 

[mikespenturningz]

Wait just a minute John T. I cannot let you get away with this one. You show us your shop and never included a picture of your lathe! Come on you can't bait us like that!:wink:

 

[Lucky2]

Haynie, it looks to be a Performax thickness sander, at least that's my guess.
Len

 

[jttheclockman]

Nice tables John. What is the tool on the left side of the last picture?

That is my 16/32 Performax drum sander. That is one of the most widely used tools in the shop. Could not do without it.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Nice bench Dan. They shut down our middle school shop class. Cleared everything out to put a computer lab in.

Unfortunately they left all the benches like that on outside unprotected all winter. By the time of the auction none were salvageable. I even pointed out that they would get ruined in late august when I saw them. Their response was "no one will want them anyway." I said I would take two off their hands but they would not go for it. Lots of people at the auction were as saddened at the waste as I was.

That's a minor tragedy.

They are closing one of the local middle schools this year. I'm just waiting for the next sale.

 

[jttheclockman]

Performax 16/32 drum sander. Believe me the shop looks alot different than when tose photos were taken. Way more tools have been added. Sorry but these photos were reduced some time ago. You will have to blow them up yourself.









This is one of 2 lathes. Since added a dust port and got rid of the cardboard backing. This is the Jet 1014 that most of my pens are turned on.





The drum/ disc sander was the latest toy I added 2 years ago. That is another one of those tools i wonder how I did without. I need a bigger shop for sure.

 

[EricJS]

Preferences usually gravitate toward light colored woods and hardwood if possible - but not necessary.

Oak is a popular choice, as mentioned by John. Ash is another good choice. I've worked on benches made of Southern Yellow Pine and they are slightly easier to dent. However, they are very easy to resurface/flatten.

 

[76winger]

A lot of your wood choices comes down what available locally to you and at what price. I saw a couple mentions of beech being used in Europe, instead of Maple. I believe that's mostly because beech is a lot more plentiful over there and thus more economical to purchase. In the same light Maple is more plentiful and cheaper here in the states.

A lot of the design and type of top to be used would depend on how you're going to use your bench. The big, thick maple and beech topped benches with 4x4 or larger legs and reinforcements were designed to stand the abuse of hammering, chiseling, planing and such by hand, where the table take a beating as well as side to side forces applied against it. The heavier the better for this type of use and is what the book I mentioned earlier discusses.

If you're going to be cutting with power saws, power planers, routers and such, then all you need is a good flat top that's "fairly sturdy" (using less that half the heft needed for the above) that you can clamp your work to so it doesn't move around on you while powering through all your work. A lot of the bench plans you find today accommodate this type of work because it's how most of us work with wood today.

 

[PenMan1]

ROTFLMAO! At one point (and I believe it was during Norm Abram's "New Yankee Workshop), a shop crafted maple top work bench became the "maker's mark" for quality craftsmanship.

In today's global economy, you can buy a superbly built 6' x 30" Maple top workbench of $199. That features powder coated steel frame and legs and designed to allow modular wheeled tool cabinets to "nest" underneath the bench or slide out for additional "modular" , "collapsable" workspace. The QUALITY of these pieces FAR SURPASSES what could be shop built.

The FUNNY part is these benches SELL ( at Sam's Club prices) for about $100 LESS THAN a pre-made maple TOP ONLY, or about $250 LESS than ordering the lumber to build your own.

My, the times, they are a changing.

 

[ghostrider]

While researching the topic when I set out to build My workbench, I discovered that a Maple top while nice, was not totally necessary. I saw some very nice looking plans that called for a particle board top with hardboard over it. The nice thing about that setup is that when the hardboard wears out it can easily be replaced. I think it also depends on what will be done on/with the bench.

There's a lot of different materials to use for the top. I even saw a plan to glue and screw fifteen 2x4's together. I can't afford maple, and the material for my top was given to me. Menard's even sells MDF bench tops with the Formica already glued on.

While I was fortunate enough to have some lumber donated, for the amount of lumber I used I could probably have bought the Harbor Freight bench for $140, however it wasn't the size and shape I wanted.

My bench is Ugly!

It isn't true, and it's got shims where I cut too much at the joints. It isn't even flat.

What can I say. I don't have a joiner or planer, and my skills with my hand planer are pathetic. So, when I built my bench I was missing some key elements to a making a nice bench.

That said, My reason for building it was so that I would have a sturdy place to put some of my machines while expanding storage space for them, as well as better organization.

It's sturdy and solid, and that's what I needed.

Hears a good series for someone just trying to learn the ropes (They use particle board for the top). There is also a plane/video that uses particle board in a compression box for the top.
Getting Started in Woodworking: More Woodworking Basics for Beginners | Startwoodworking.com

 

[jttheclockman]

Now lets not get carried away here. If you are into other things than pen making which I definetly am, then you do need a table that is reliable flat and preferably level. now if you are fortunate to have enough room for having a work bench and a seperate assembly table than la-de-da. You are good to go. But most of us do not have this luxury so when building a table keep in mind what you are using it for. Many materials can be used but alot of times a good source is home centers. You may get a good deal on a solid core door or a countertop that was miscut. A good solid base makes for a nice workbench.

 

[Haynie]

I am happy with my tables and will be happier when I raise them to the height of my machines so I can use them as outfeed tables too

What I really need is a welding table. All I have to weld on is the floor and I am not as young as I was last year. This would be sweet but I question their definition of affordable.

 

[Russianwolf]

ROTFLMAO! At one point (and I believe it was during Norm Abram's "New Yankee Workshop), a shop crafted maple top work bench became the "maker's mark" for quality craftsmanship.

In today's global economy, you can buy a superbly built 6' x 30" Maple top workbench of $199. That features powder coated steel frame and legs and designed to allow modular wheeled tool cabinets to "nest" underneath the bench or slide out for additional "modular" , "collapsable" workspace. The QUALITY of these pieces FAR SURPASSES what could be shop built.

The FUNNY part is these benches SELL ( at Sam's Club prices) for about $100 LESS THAN a pre-made maple TOP ONLY, or about $250 LESS than ordering the lumber to build your own.

My, the times, they are a changing.

I recall all the rage you are talking about. But it goes back further than that. Back during the Guilds the test to move from Apprentice to Journeyman was to be able to build a workbench that met the Master's approval. Several of Norm's wouldn't have passed muster in my book.

I agree with most of what you say but I disagree heartily with the Bolded part. They may be able to do it cheaper (which is the case for almost any mass produced item) but not better that what CAN be shop built.

Here's a pretty good example of what can be built in a shop. 42 - The Roubo Workbench in Action - YouTube

Now in today's world with most people using power tools for most work, the workbench isn't needed as much. But one built right (massive and unmoving) makes working with hand tools much more fun and easier.

Oh, and find cheaper wood dealers. I can buy all the lumber to build a 72 x 30 x 4 inch thick Hard Maple worktop for about $100.

 

[glenspens]

My work benches are 2 old doors on h f metal tables/legs, 1 is an old solid wood door and the other is a metal door they work just fine....

 

[glenspens]

and they are cheep to build....

 

[Haynie]

Oh, and find cheaper wood dealers. I can buy all the lumber to build a 72 x 30 x 4 inch thick Hard Maple worktop for about $100.

And where would this be? Seriously. For me to get the material-white hard maple- at 12/4 thick is 12.99 a board foot. Plus a 7 hour drive one way to get it. The top alone would cause a divorce.

 

[Russianwolf]

Oh, and find cheaper wood dealers. I can buy all the lumber to build a 72 x 30 x 4 inch thick Hard Maple worktop for about $100.

And where would this be? Seriously. For me to get the material-white hard maple- at 12/4 thick is 12.99 a board foot. Plus a 7 hour drive one way to get it. The top alone would cause a divorce.

The mill I've used for the past dozen years in Pennsylvania. Maple is much cheaper here in the East. $.80 per bf for 4/4, and 1.20 for anything over 12/4

 

[Waluy]

Please disregard this post I forgot to convert the 72 into feet before using my bf spreadsheet STUPID ME!!

 

[Russianwolf]

Oh, and find cheaper wood dealers. I can buy all the lumber to build a 72 x 30 x 4 inch thick Hard Maple worktop for about $100.

And where would this be? Seriously. For me to get the material-white hard maple- at 12/4 thick is 12.99 a board foot. Plus a 7 hour drive one way to get it. The top alone would cause a divorce.

The mill I've used for the past dozen years in Pennsylvania. Maple is much cheaper here in the East. $.80 per bf for 4/4, and 1.20 for anything over 12/4

Even at your listing of $1.20 per bf that still comes out to around $860 just for the lumber for the top of a 72 x 30 x 4 worktop, as that is 720 board feet. To get the lumber for the top at around $100 you would have to pay close to $0.15 per bf.

6 foot, by 2.5 foot is 15 foot. 4 inches thick is 60 bf.

 

[jttheclockman]

Oh, and find cheaper wood dealers. I can buy all the lumber to build a 72 x 30 x 4 inch thick Hard Maple worktop for about $100.

And where would this be? Seriously. For me to get the material-white hard maple- at 12/4 thick is 12.99 a board foot. Plus a 7 hour drive one way to get it. The top alone would cause a divorce.

The mill I've used for the past dozen years in Pennsylvania. Maple is much cheaper here in the East. $.80 per bf for 4/4, and 1.20 for anything over 12/4

Even at your listing of $1.20 per bf that still comes out to around $860 just for the lumber for the top of a 72 x 30 x 4 worktop, as that is 720 board feet. To get the lumber for the top at around $100 you would have to pay close to $0.15 per bf.

Say what????? 720 bf Someone needs this.
▬

Try this Board Foot Calculator

 

[Waluy]

Oh, and find cheaper wood dealers. I can buy all the lumber to build a 72 x 30 x 4 inch thick Hard Maple worktop for about $100.

And where would this be? Seriously. For me to get the material-white hard maple- at 12/4 thick is 12.99 a board foot. Plus a 7 hour drive one way to get it. The top alone would cause a divorce.

The mill I've used for the past dozen years in Pennsylvania. Maple is much cheaper here in the East. $.80 per bf for 4/4, and 1.20 for anything over 12/4

Even at your listing of $1.20 per bf that still comes out to around $860 just for the lumber for the top of a 72 x 30 x 4 worktop, as that is 720 board feet. To get the lumber for the top at around $100 you would have to pay close to $0.15 per bf.

6 foot, by 2.5 foot is 15 foot. 4 inches thick is 60 bf.

I stand corrected for some reason I did 72 feet my apologies

 

[Waluy]

Oh, and find cheaper wood dealers. I can buy all the lumber to build a 72 x 30 x 4 inch thick Hard Maple worktop for about $100.

And where would this be? Seriously. For me to get the material-white hard maple- at 12/4 thick is 12.99 a board foot. Plus a 7 hour drive one way to get it. The top alone would cause a divorce.

The mill I've used for the past dozen years in Pennsylvania. Maple is much cheaper here in the East. $.80 per bf for 4/4, and 1.20 for anything over 12/4

Even at your listing of $1.20 per bf that still comes out to around $860 just for the lumber for the top of a 72 x 30 x 4 worktop, as that is 720 board feet. To get the lumber for the top at around $100 you would have to pay close to $0.15 per bf.

Say what?????


Try this Board Foot Calculator

Yeah bad fuzzy math on my part