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Thread: Benches made from BORG wood.....PICS/designs, tips, tricks, sock it to me!!!!!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
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    Wheat Ridge Colorado
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    Benches made from BORG wood.....PICS/designs, tips, tricks, sock it to me!!!!!

    So I am RE-building a very small shop finally, after divorce, patience, and determination. I am significantly downsizing, and starting from scratch.

    I want to build a bench. no rookie to this, I assure you. Several maple and Beech benches laminated and constructed over my career, and another, eventually in my future again.

    For now though, I want something that will serve my needs, yet provide me with just a little.....pinache?

    For that reason, and since my budget is so thin, I wanted to just see what benches, traditional Scandi, Europian,etc. benches you folks have made using the SYP, Doug Fir, or whatever, that you have been able to source from the local BORG stores.

    ANY takers?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Victoria, BC
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    2,367
    I have a good friend who built a very nice Roubo bench from Douglas fir. I am positive you could build a Roubo from Borg lumber. You may need to weigh it down a little, he does.
    The top of my bench is jointed 2x6 lumber, and it works fine. Frankly, I don't fuss over it too much. I have never even flattened the top (gasp!) It works great for someone of my extraordinarily modest skills.
    Paul

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Wheat Ridge Colorado
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    Wonderful,
    I am planing to build a bench because I need one, but have neither the funds, nor the need for a replacement to my old Beech bench from a previous life until the new shop building is actually built. For now, I just wanted to hear about build experiences using the BORG sourced materials, and to see what folks had built.

    I have been/am running searches here, and have seen some already. Loving what I see.

    I don't know, I guess I feel that even if it is BORG lumber, I still want to build something traditional, as well as functional. Something pleasing to the eye, that I won't be as concerned about actually using, and that can eventually be a good spare bench once a replacement can be built for the one I lost in the meelee of divorce.

    Anybody else have pics? Words of wisdom? Tips on design or construction?

  4. #4
    I don't know if we are allowed to link in this forum, but at Lumber Jocks, project # 39550 is a split top bench that is currently giving me a lot of inspiration.

    Sorry about your divorce, that really is unfortunate.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    Mechanicsville, VA
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    101
    I built the Paul Sellers/English Joiners workbench from SYP that I got from Lowe's. He has a video series about it on YouTube and a blog series as well. You'll have to Google those, since I can never keep whatever the link rules are here straight from week to week.

    IMG_20141016_181000.jpgIMG_20141016_181051.jpg

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Rich Harkrader View Post
    I built the Paul Sellers/English Joiners workbench from SYP that I got from Lowe's. He has a video series about it on YouTube and a blog series as well. You'll have to Google those, since I can never keep whatever the link rules are here straight from week to week.

    IMG_20141016_181000.jpgIMG_20141016_181051.jpg
    I have always liked that video series and that bench. Gald to see that you did such a ncie job building it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Ellsworth, Maine
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    Sorry about the poor pictures but this bench was made with Doug Fir 4x4's from the BORG that I selectively picked up over a period of time. But if I had it to do over again, which I eventually will, I would not use 4 x 4's but would pick out 2x12's and rip them to width and laminate my benchtop using those. The 4 x 4's caused me to get a bit too shallow in thickness than I wanted. But so far this bench has served me really well!

    Shop resize.jpg Bench vise resize.jpg Bench side resize.jpg

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Wheat Ridge Colorado
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    That's awesome guys, thanks.....Chris, unfortunate ? Well....yes, I suppose. But ultimately the best move either of us ever made. Zero regrets....thanks for the encouragement and compassion though.

    What a great looking bench. I will absolutely look up the YouTube for that.....thanks.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
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    Wheat Ridge Colorado
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    @tony....that is sweet Tony! I love that bench. That is more or less what I am considering for design of mine. Something rather traditional, mortised trestle base, thick top, et .

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Essex, MD
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    420
    Here's my scandinavian bench, posted a few years ago: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/album.php?albumid=794 . Used BORG Doug fir 4x4s for all of it, had to go to several stores to hand-pick wood with the tightest rings and least knots; as stated above, when I do it again, I'll use ripped 2x12s now that they carry those in DF. The top doesn't flex, but dents pretty easily - I've gotten used to using bench hooks and other props for mortising, beating things, etc. It's a bit lighter than others, but you get used to it and put wieghts on it or strategize how to place things so you're putting any great force along the length, not across it (like ripping thick boards). For most tasks, I don't have to pause at all, just do it. For assembly, it was definitely worth grooving and putting splines in each top board to help alignment and strengthen the joint, based on problems others have reported when doing large glue-ups. I got these all together at once and clamped, no issues at all with the joints ever since.

    bench01.JPG
    Karl
    Last edited by Karl Andersson; 12-10-2014 at 11:09 AM. Reason: picture

  11. #11
    What problems did you see with the 4 X 4s? Why do you need a 6" thick bench?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Shea View Post
    Sorry about the poor pictures but this bench was made with Doug Fir 4x4's from the BORG that I selectively picked up over a period of time. But if I had it to do over again, which I eventually will, I would not use 4 x 4's but would pick out 2x12's and rip them to width and laminate my benchtop using those. The 4 x 4's caused me to get a bit too shallow in thickness than I wanted. But so far this bench has served me really well!

    Shop resize.jpg Bench vise resize.jpg Bench side resize.jpg

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Wheat Ridge Colorado
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    Karl, that's beautiful. I am leaning to something very similar. Perhaps sans the shoulder vice.

    I have actually been looking at the Acorn bench in Landis's workbench book. That design feels good to me as a potential jumping off spot for a bench made from BORG materials. If for no other reason than to get some practice, live with the bench a bit, and also give me time to figure out tweaks for when I go to build in a hardwood.

  13. #13
    I don't have pics, but my first bench was built out of Doug fir from HD. It was hard enough for me, easy to work with and affordable. IIRC, the 8' 4 X 4 ' s were about $9

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Millerton, PA
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    1,558
    I made this out of BORG stuff. Mostly 2x12's that I ripped to size.


    DSC04334b2.jpg
    I am never wrong.

    Well...I thought I was wrong once...but I was mistaken.

  15. #15
    I have Doug Fir 4x4 for legs on my bench with zero regrets.

    Chris

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