Is my Workbench math right?

[Mike Palmowski]

I have been looking at trying to build a basic woodworkers woodbench, and have pretty much decided to base it on Chris Schwarz's $175 bench plans. I have a pretty good idea of what I want so I started searching for the lumber, but to my dismay SYP as well as Douglas Fir #1 are not available in my area. I than found an ad on Craigslist for some 8/4 Ash at $4.50 a bf which is about a dollar cheaper than the local mills. Now here is where I became shocked and am curious if my math is right. Please look at these numbers and tell me if I am right.

The TOP
I was thinking 15- 8/4 pieces about 6' long by 7" wide = 105bf So a 6' x 27" top would be $472.50

For the legs I has going to laminate 2 8/4 x 5"x32" boards 4.44 bf per leg times 4= 17.78bf or $80

Stringers 2- 8/4 x 50"x7" + 2- 8/4 x 15"x 7" 12.64 BF or $56.88

So, not taking any waste, or mistakes into account it appears to me I would be looking at $609.38 + tax 59.94 So $668.92 for a small Ash bench with no vices?

Am I not understanding something here? This is a Long way from Chris's $175 bench with a vice.... I wish I could find decent dimensional lumber, but after 3 days on the phone and driving around, I'm at a loss. (Hoping my math on the Ash is wrong)

Thanks for any guidance you might be able to give this rookie.

[Mike Palmowski]

Whoops. I see one mistake, The top would only require half that much, so actually it would be $236.25 new bench total after adjustment $373.13 + tax =$403.91 plus vices/glue/dogs ect. So Im guessing I'm still looking north of $500 Huh?

[Stephen Cherry]

Mike- unless you want to build some sort of an heirloom bench, I would keep looking. If you keep looking, eventually you will find solid bench materials for just about free. Used bowling alley, industrial doors, etc. Even stashes of lumber on craigslist, auctions, etc. I've been at auctions where the lumber would need to be free to make it any cheaper. I had one bench made of non-pressure treated 4x4's with 2x8 stretchers that was very solid. Vises come up also, but not usually for super cheap.

[Pat Barry]

First, I hate board feet so I am probably wrong, but a top 6 feet by 2 feet by 2 inches thick (8/4) would be 24 board feet correct? 6*2*2. This would be 24*$4.50 = $108. Add 25 to 30% for waste and you are looking at around $150. By the way I think Ash is a great choice for the material and I don't think the price is bad. I did my bench top with ash that I salvaged.. I laminated 3/4" wide x 2 1/8" thickness pieces. I used construction lumber for the legs and frame. Time will tell how it holds up but so far, approx 2 years in, I have no complaints. One other thought - Consider narrowing the top a bit to 22 to 24" wide.

[ed vitanovec]

I get 24 board feet for the Top plus I would add a 15%-20% waste factor.

[Carl Beckett]

Ya - your math is off.

But that doesnt change the basic problem - its still going to be expensive!!!

You might post your location, and there might be others here that have a suitable source of cheap lumber for a workbench. I built mine out of material that was free (it was elm... and a pita to work with).

The vices are going to cost a lot as well. So yep, its easy to have a grand in a workbench, and I think thats one of the reasons not as many people build them (prioritizing other tools). And its easy for someone like Schwarz to have some preferential sources that the average person doesnt, so take his estimates with a grain of salt until you see his details for how it adds up.

Early in my WW career I built a bench from a plan. It used standard 2x4's for the frame, and two layers of plywood on the top. I added a metal vice. This workbench worked great for years - until I passed it on the the next person starting out. That one I DID build for less than $150.

[Mike Palmowski]

I actually forgot to even say the thickness in my original post, which was 3" So to reiterate I am looking at a top that is 72x27x3 Witch I believe to be 45 BF. At this time I am strongly considering using Douglas Fir #2 common with a three layer MDF top, as I would rather put the money saved towards picking up some of the hand tools that I want to learn how to use, the original reason for building a new bench.
Thanks for the input guys, I have SO much to learn as a woodworker, truly a lives journey!

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Mike, first, jointing and planing losses are going to be in the 20 to 25% range, then you have to account for losses due to defects.

Many mills sell "shorts" which are pieces in the 3 to 4 foot range, sold at a good discount, I would select those for a bench top and legs.

I like ash, however unless you get quarter sawn stock I wouldn't make a bench top out of it, too open grained for my liking, flat sawn stock would be fine for legs and stretchers however.

Chris promotes Southern Yellow Pine, unobtainable in my area however I did pick up some SYP 6 X 6 from the local Caterpillar dealer for free a few years ago.

Regards, Rod.

[Phil Thien]

I built the base of my bench from LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) which I painted, and used a solid color door for the top. Total cost was about $125 to $150.

The LVL is a nifty material to use as it is straight (and stays straight) and very strong. It is nearly universally available at home centers and lumber yards.

A year or two after I built my bench, one of the woodworking magazines made an LVL workbench with an LVL top. I wouldn't advise an LVL top, though. I think they went too far with that.

[Paul Saffold]

Mike, where do you live? It helps to state your location. There might be a creeker in your general area that knows sources you haven't discovered yet.

Have you looked at the materials section of Craigslist? Watch there regularly. Good deals don't last long before someone buys them.

[Stephen Cherry]

Or buy a used bench. Right now I use an antique bench that I bought for 150, and it's better than most of the new benches available commercially. Not better than a LN bench, but it's pretty good.

Or craigslist search for Ulmia, they made nice benches which pop up for maybe 500 bucks from time to time.

[Larry Gipson]

Hi Mike,

Board feet is apparently a volume. It is, however, based on a 1" thickness of wood. That makes a 1ftx1ftx1in board one board foot.

I see several ways on various web pages to calculate this. The simplest to me is simply to use the same dimensions (inches) and divide by 144. Another way I might use is simply to calculate the value in ft^2 per per inch (thickness), then multiply by thickness.

So your 6*27/12 size is 13.5bf, which is then multiplied by the thickness in inches (3) to get 40.5bf.
Or it could be 72*27*3/144=40.5bf

I think. :-) Where's my coffee?

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Larry, a Board Foot is indeed a volume, and it is 144 cubic inches.

It has nothing to do with being based on a certain thickness, the 12 X 12 X 1 is simply a visualisation aid.

The OP wanted a 72" X 27" bench top so use 3" thickness for a reasonable guess.

72 X 27 X 3 /144 = 40.5 BF. I would expect to lose somewhere around 25% at least for surfacing so at least 50BF would be required for the top..........

regards, Rod.

[Mike Palmowski]

Wow, thanks for all the responses! I just had one more question, I found a guy on CL who had maple logs that have been sitting around for a year that he is willing to mill up at 8/4 for me, if I commit to taking the whole log (about 100bf) he will sell at $1.00 per Bf. If I want to pick and choose it will run me $1.20 per Bf.

He thinks that it if I sticker the lumber outside for a few months it will be ready to build with.. Do you agree? I am also going to call around looking for pricing on getting the lumber kiln dried. Do you think it is a good idea for me to try and buy lumber this way? Or should I just deal with the larger local mills? Thanks again, Mike

[Greg Hines, MD]

My workbench is based on Schwarts' 24 hour workbench from Popular Woodworking. Legs are 4x4s, stretchers are 2x6s, and the top is four layers of 3/4" thick birch plywood. I think I spent about $150 on it in total, including glue and hardward, as the stretchers use a bed bolt configuration to hold them together. Check my photos for pictures of mine.

Doc