Work bench tops?

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airborne_r6

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Oct 28, 2008
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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

I think it would be cheaper for Haynie and me to have you ship wood to us than it would be for us to buy it locally.

Forgot to add:
My bench top is two layers of 3/4" ply that I intended to cover with hardboard and never did. I really think that unless you are using hand tools a solid wood top is not needed. Even then I think it is probably more tradition/luxury than necessity. I have thought about making one with three layers of mdf or particle board topped with a layer of hardboard and using some type of insert glued in for the dog holes. The weight difference would be made up with sand in the lower shelf.
 
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Russianwolf

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Jul 13, 2007
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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

Now that is a BIG workbench
 

sbell111

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Jan 16, 2008
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Franklin, TN
I threw together my primary workbench using 2x4s and galvanized brackets with a plywood shelf and doubled plywood top. It took me all of about thirty minutes to throw together and it is super stable. Our next most used table is a steel table with an aluminum top that used to have some sort of machine bolted to it. It's also strong, stable, and cheap.
 
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Waluy

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Jan 30, 2013
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285
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Olathe, KS 66061
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

Now that is a BIG workbench

Yep it sure would be. I would love to have a shop that could accommodate that bench LOL.
 

jsolie

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Apr 25, 2013
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2,100
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Sunny Murrieta, CA
My bench is not terribly pretty, but it is one of the most used tools in my garag, er, shop. It's close to an 8 foot long section of bowling alley that's maybe a little over two feet across. It sits atop some Lee Valley cast iron legs. I assembled it probably 12-13 years ago. I don't know how heavy it is, but it's a chore to move by yourself.

Being that it is a bowling alley top, it's always fun when drilling holes through it to mount things. So far, I haven't hit any nails.
 

Russianwolf

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Jul 13, 2007
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Martinsburg, WV, USA.
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

If I send you an order will you ship me some. It will be cheaper than buying it around here.

I don't get up there often any more. Last load was about 600 bf (As much as I could fit in my Ram1500) of American Elm that has held me over for a long time. Not enough shop time to do much more right now.

try http://www.woodmillonline.com another mill with similar pricing. He usually will work with you to arrange shipment on big orders.

Both places are more than an hours drive for me, so the reason I don't make the drive unless I need a load.

Nice thing about working with a Mill, If you need something specific and have the time, your order it and they mill and kiln dry it for you.
 
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plano_harry

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Joined
Jan 12, 2012
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1,959
Location
Plano, TX 75093
Simple STRONG Bench

Here is a simple bench I built for my lathe. Good ol' SYP Southern Yellow Pine
2x8's and 2x4's put together with 3" deck screws. If I can get rid of my wife's flower pots, I might put in a lower shelf!:tongue:

Harry
 

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