Framing lumber for bench? What is the trick?

I have been wanting to build a bench for years now but I have had several excuses that I keep coming up with for not doing it. No money for hardwood for one. No jointer/planer. Need a bench to build a bench etc. I have decided I am just going to do it. I will be following the lead from others and using framing lumber for it. I have decided that even though I would like a hard maple bench, since this IS my first bench, I would rather screw things up using framing lumber. Plus it will allow me to see what I like and dislike about the design and THEN, later on, I can make my "good" bench out of hard maple.

So here is my problem. I have seen all these guys posting photos of their great looking benches made from framing lumber obtained from Lowes/HD and what not. I go down to start getting ideas of a cost for this project. I am in upstate New York and stopped at the Lowes, Home Depot and another more local lumber yard. We don't get southern yellow pine up this way. But I know folks make very nice benches out of Fir as well. Problem is, all I see available is knots with a little wood holding them in place. This lumber is junk. It is all knots! Where are people finding even reasonable framing lumber to use for making a bench? I am looking at 2x10's and 2x12's in 12, 14, and 16 foot lengths. I can barely find anything that I would be able to get a 7 or 8 foot length of wood from that would not have knots on the edges, which would then become part of my bench top. What am I missing here?

What you're 'missing' is that the quality and quantity of lumber varies from store to store in these big boxes.

For instance, I can get quite clear, straight KD DougFir 2x4's where I am, but the same store doesn't sell 2x6's or larger that are KD.

If you are going to go the Big Box route, then you gotta (IMHO) be prepared to shop a few locations.

That being said, straight, clear stock is really only important on the top, where flatness over seasonal changes is demanded. I submit that without a jointer or planer, you might have a tricky time getting any lumber flat enough with just the tablesaw for a good glue up. So, have you considered using framing lumber for your support structure, and MDF or plywood for the top? This can make a great bench that can serve your needs until (and IF) you want for more cowbell.

I'm on my 3rd bench now, and with each I really learn a lot about what I like and don't like. I'm glad I didn't invest a lot of effort in my very first (I think I built it in an afternoon: PARTICLE BOARD and 2x4's).

Hello, Building an "ugly" bench is to me very worthwhile. I've had mine for about 5 years now and it I keep changing stuff here and there. One of these days I'll make a pretty one. This bench has a maple top from an auction and otherwise built using 2X6s. I used a plane a squared them up, glued and screwed. My first bench was built using plywood cut, screwed and glued (laminated)to make dimensional lumber. I did that because it was to be the base for my wood lathe and I didn't want anything to move. It was a pain but I still have it and it is still solid as day one. If the wood where you are at really sucks then maybe laminating plywood may be the way to go. Like I said, a lot of work but it gets the job done. Good luck!!

Living in the northeast, I've had better luck waiting until the building season picks up; once lots of construction is going on, you'll see the stock start rotating a lot faster. (At one location in my area, multiple times a day from what I've heard.) In the winter, it seems like stuff takes a lot longer to move, so a lot of times the junk you see is are the leftovers other people left, and have been sitting there for weeks. Sometimes you just have to go more than once. If you go when it's slow, sometimes you can get them to let you pick into a new pallet.

Also, if you're going to be ripping 2x12s and laminating them, if the edge has a few knots and the center is clear, you could in theory put the knots on the underside. Still not the best solution, I know.

Nothing I can really add to this but sometimes you have to go back a few times. If you can find a manager who's helpful, they might give you an idea what time of the week new shipments come in or things get rotated.

I've had better luck at other home centers, smaller regional chains like Curtis Lumber, but because of the way they operate, you're not always able to go picking through the lumber yourself like you can at a HD/Lowes type place, unless you get someone to bend the rules a bit. Helps to not go in the morning when they're hammered with contractors.

I live in the south and love southern yellow pine for shop furniture. I'm also in the process of building a bench. I don't know how The Schwarz did it, but I have been unable to find enough "usable" SYP in one trip for a bench regardless of where I shop. I'm rather picky, and they just don't have a bench-ready pile sitting around. However, I've made a habit of digging through the entire pile of 2x12x12's and 2x12x16's every Friday or Saturday. A week is usually enough time for my FLHS to go through whatever is on the bottom bunk and open a new one (they yell and engage in large amounts of arm waving and manager calling if you climb to the top one. Don't ask how I know this.)

My "board a week" strategy works well for me. I'm usually able to find a board or two that is sufficient, and in some cases actually really nice, clear, and straight. If you're in a hurry to build your bench, YMMV. You could also try an actual lumber yard or sawmill. They could have just what you're looking for.

I had thought about the laminated plywood route or MDF for a top but I really want to do a laminated timber top...just the principle of it all. Like I said...I would like to use this cheaper lumber as my first time/model for a better/higher quality bench down the road. I don't need the timber to be perfect, especially on the framing, but I don't want big voids and holes in my bench top. I know that it is not ideal, but I had planned to use a hand plane to get as nice of a glue surface as possible for gluing up boards for the top. I was also going to incorporate two or three 3/8" threaded rods to assist in holding the laminations all together after the glue up.

All you need is a Bailey Stanley No6 and some way to sharpen the blade
You can pick one up on ebay for about $65 and a new blade and chipbreaker from Stanley for $17.50
http://www.stanleytoolparts.com/12-325-1-02-0c-02.html

You can flatten the top of a 2x12 glue up in less than one hour maybe two hours for perfection

Maybe a secondary wood from a yard where they have properly cut, dried and stored material available. I did the math (after the fact unfortunately) and I would have spent very little more on poplar at a good yard than than I spentd on BORG construction fir by the time I factored in the waste.

What others have said about multiple visits....

I live in Indiana, and southern yellow pine is available here at a reasonable price.

Every time I go into a Menards (even when I'm not looking for wood), I check the 2x8 and 2x10 piles to see if there is something I can use. Often I don't find anything. Even when I do find something, I seldom walk out with more than two. I just stock up for when a project comes along, and have the advantage that the wood can acclimate a bit.

Happy Hunting :).

-Jeff

You may want to try heading to the back of the store where they carry wood intended for floor joists. Dig through the stacks and you can usually find some straight and pretty clear boards. Usually, the longer and wider boards are the best. So, if you have the means to move 16' 2x12's, then you should be good to go.

The advice to look through the longer wider planks is good advice. Take it a step farther and build a Nicholson joiners bench. Keep it simple. You will find that the softer SPF type lumber is a bit grippier and being softer the bench dents instead of your project. It is also easier to flatten with a hand plane. This type of bench can be built with hand tools in a weekend. (We built one with power tools in about 5 hours) I posted about building one at
http://schoolofwood.com/node/22
Bob Rozalieski also posted on his
http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/1/...derations.html
The material doesn't have to be perfect.
Mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick Cicciarelli

Problem is, all I see available is knots with a little wood holding them in place. This lumber is junk. It is all knots! Where are people finding even reasonable framing lumber to use for making a bench?

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My local store has 2 piles @ 2 different price points. One is kiln-dried and fairly free of knots. The other is wet and full of knots (and cheaper). I ended up spending a good bit of time picking through the "good" pile to find enough lumber for my bench. Also, I built a torsion box design which used significantly less wood & allowed me to use good plywood for the surfaces. The dog holes were created by laminating pieces of a 1x6 between two 2x6s (which was then attached to the torsion box top).

I built my bench from shipping pallets we received at work.

The lumber was all 2x6 and 4 x 4's.

It does the job and I couldn't beat the price.

Bill

Rick - You can easily build a bench top out of Eastern White Pine instead of SYP. While it won't be hard, that really won't matter for the top - and it will be very easy to flatten when the time comes. I'm guessing here, but I'm thinking that EWP relatively free of knots shouldn't be too hard to find in your area. You will want to use something harder and stronger for the base, though - EWP will deform under load, and quite soon, your base will be very loose.

There is absolutely no reason you must use laminated lumber. You can make a perfectly solid, serviceable bench from Medium density fiberboard and plywood.

Craigslist is a resource for old, serviceable benches.

Don't waste time building a showpiece tool that only you will see.

Workbenches are tools - not jewelry boxes.

A phone call to SUNY Delhi could shorten the process, or help you find raw materials.

• Address: 2 Main St., Delhi, NY 13753
• Phone Number: (607) 746-4000

An honest phone call to a local sawmill is appropriate, ask them when a convenient time would be to come over.
These guys encourage beginners, that's who buys their stuff...

http://www.yellowpages.com/cayuta-ny...7?lid=18574517
Collins Robert Sawmill

1100 Conkrite Rd, Cayuta, NY 14824 » Map (607) 594-3490

Lowes and HD have enough money - shop local!