Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 21

Thread: Beech is it hard enough...

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Renton, WA
    Posts
    228

    Beech is it hard enough...

    I am building a mini bench to do close work with and will have a 7" steel vise connected to one end. Is the 8/4 beech going to be hard enouch to holdup the vise? I will have a spacer under the top so I can get the vise even with the top. I will also be putting in holes for bench dogs. Can the beech be stained easily? The legs and trim will be in cherry. I want the beech to be a little darker than it is now. Maybe I will just leave it alone and let the top be the contrast. Thanks!

    Chuck

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    BC, Canada
    Posts
    58
    Beech is a very traditional wood to make workbenches out of. It must have been because it's good for the application.

    I don't have access to much beech on the West coast, but the few pieces I've worked so far have been wonderful. If it was available here I'd make lots of things out of it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Virginia and Kentucky
    Posts
    3,364
    I have a beech bench and it works as well as the maple bench. Technically, it's not quite as hard as maple, but it's close enough for most folks.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Milton, GA
    Posts
    3,213
    Blog Entries
    1
    Hammer makes very nice benches from German Kiln dried Beech. I have had a small one for 15+ years. The wood still looks as nice as the day I brought it into the shop. I like it so much I found German 8/4 kiln dried beech for sale in Metro Atlanta and bought it to make my larger bench from. Several people on SMC have used this same wood for benches. I had a surplus piece that was used to ship the bench I bought. I made a handle for an Adze with it and it has held up very well too.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    2,534
    European Beech is harder than American Beech.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    'over here' - Ireland
    Posts
    2,532
    I've a stack of German beech about to become a bench too - I've been looking at it for several years.

    Beech is frequent usage for benches over here (Europe) as it's a very common species, and not expensive - seems like it's maybe a shade harder than the US variety. It moves quite a lot with changes in moisture content, so drying and correct conditioning are probably a bit more important than some hardwoods - but is nevertheless used for lots of volume produced kitchens and the like. It's as Marc/Mike very traditional for benches.

    One issue to watch out for is that the naturally grown variety (unless it's a stand alone tree) tends to branch a lot, and while having lots of character is typically full of knots. The plantation variety (often German) is grown to be straight, and the branches are trimmed off so that it ends up almost perfectly clean. Very nice timber: http://www.johnboddytimber.co.uk/Pic...tebeech_b.html

    It's sometimes steamed to equalise the colour, but i'm not wild about the pinkish tinge it brings out..
    Last edited by ian maybury; 04-13-2015 at 6:52 AM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Neither here nor there
    Posts
    3,831
    Blog Entries
    6
    I envy all of you who can get beech. I have the beach, but no beech!

    Just wanted to say don't stain it- the contrast will be nice, and also you want a light colored top to brighten things up. I have access to beautiful mahogany but am holding out for some lighter woods for a top. Beech would be my preference even over maple. It doesn't yellow as much as maple does, works well, has tight grain, and is close enough to as hard.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Suwanee, GA
    Posts
    297
    A friend just gave me about 200 BF of 10/4 beech. Most is square stock, but it's all rift/quarter sawn.
    Blood, sweat, and sawdust

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    I have beech vise jaws with dog holes. Years of use and no signs of wear.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  10. #10
    Check with Woodworkers Source Lately they have had a good stock of 8/4 European Beech at very good prices, several dollars a BF cheaper than Soft Maple.

    Here is a photo of a Beech bench I build several months ago. All Beech except one of the vise chops is Cherry (no reason, just because), and the lower shelf slats are Honey Locus also just because. Right at $1000 USD in the Beech and I've enough left over stock to keep me in Krenov plane blanks for the rest of my life:



    It's a great wood to work, much nicer than Ash or Maple but as someone else posted, give it time to settle down. It, Beech, can do some amazing stupid wood tricks when FOB and/or after the first cut.

    ken

  11. #11
    I suppose there is some variation in beech, but I milled a couple hundred bf from some trees in my back yard.

    In my short experience, it stains horribly. But for a workbench, why would you want to stain it anyway?

    It warped and cracked like crazy while drying, but once dried, I experience it to be very stable.

    IMHO, it's perfect for a bench. You've given me a great idea. I'm going to make my 'joinery' bench out of my beech.

    I've used a lot of my scraps for hacking around with, and I think it's plenty strong for a bench.

  12. #12
    Great to learn all about beech! I have a logger buddy who will be supplying me with beech for food safe products but now, with a new shop going up this summer, I may have to build some benches as well! Thanks everybody for chiming in!
    Mike
    Mike Schnorr
    CNCs - Camaster Stinger (25"x36"x5"), Shopbot (4'x4'), Roland Modela (6"x8"x2 3/8")
    Laser Engravers - Epilog Legend (12"x24" - 25W)
    Embroidery Machines - SWF t1501C, Brother BAS-416, Renaissance, Melco EMC1, Melco EP1

  13. #13
    Mike, I found drying beech to be a challenge. It liked to warp and twist and crack. Worst, a lot of it stained to an unsightly, uneven gray.

    I'd take pains to try do things properly so you don't end up with a lot of waste as I did.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Neither here nor there
    Posts
    3,831
    Blog Entries
    6
    Quote Originally Posted by ken hatch View Post
    Check with Woodworkers Source Lately they have had a good stock of 8/4 European Beech at very good prices, several dollars a BF cheaper than Soft Maple.

    Here is a photo of a Beech bench I build several months ago. All Beech except one of the vise chops is Cherry (no reason, just because), and the lower shelf slats are Honey Locus also just because. Right at $1000 USD in the Beech and I've enough left over stock to keep me in Krenov plane blanks for the rest of my life:



    It's a great wood to work, much nicer than Ash or Maple but as someone else posted, give it time to settle down. It, Beech, can do some amazing stupid wood tricks when FOB and/or after the first cut.

    ken
    WOW- love it. How wide is that skirt? Looks like it's only one board.

  15. #15
    I think beech is the premier wood for benches. Beech absorbs shock much better than hard maple, because it is a deader wood. Lively woods like maple, hickory or osage will not absorb the shock so well so working on them is a little harder on your joints long term. Andre Roubo recommends elm or beech for a workbench and says beech is the common one.

    The American beech, Fagus grandifolia,and the European beech, F. sylvatica,are different species, but the wood is similar. One difference is that the European species is quite vulnerable to borers and the American is not. We often see English moulding planes with little pinholes. There are a few other beeches in Asia.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •