Stair treads for bench top

[Irvin Gomez]

Absolutely necessary disclosure: I'm a beginner who does not have the skill (or hand planes!!!!!) to build a 3" thick bench top. I don't have the $400+ (including shipping) to buy a good one. So, I have an idea: get 4 oak stair treads at HD, cut them to size (my bench will be around 54x24) and glue them to a single layer of playwood of the same size.

Not having a table saw or miter saw, I want to leave a 5"-wide transversal groove some 12" from one of the ends in order to do quick cross cuts on 3/4 material with my circular saw / guide rail combo.

Total cost will be around $100.

Perhaps due due to my inexperience, I don't feel I need an absolutely flat bench top and it also seems to me these materials (oak stair tread plus plywood base) would provide a flat enough surface with the power to hold a few bench dogs.

is my plan realistic? Drawbacks? Alternatives? Shoot, please and be brutally honest. I'm here to learn.

[Andrew Howe]

That is an interesting idea. But most treads I see are about 12x36". Do you have access to bigger ones?
I also saw a youtube video of one make etirely of laminated 3/4" plywood for all of it. Neat idea if you ask me.

[Jerry Miner]

If you glue oak lumber to plywood, you will cause problems. The lumber will want to expand/contract with seasonal moisture changes. The plywood will not. They will fight each other, resulting in warping and/or splitting of the wood.

If you haven't done so yet, take a look at the Paul Sellers video about building a bench with construction lumber: Paul Sellers video

IMHO you'd be much better off with a construction lumber bench top than with the plan you propose. Also, think again about whether "flat" matters. Flatter is better. It will affect everything you build on it. Flatter is better.

[David T gray]

if it was me i would just build a torsion box and fill it with sand or not and u will have a extremely heavy and flat top and cheap without needing any real tools flatness is is more important then anything

[Dave Zellers]

Buy one sheet of good quality underlayment grade plywood (at a real lumberyard, not a borg), rip it in half lengthwise and glue the two halves together using at least 20 clamps and bow clamps.

Cut it off at 54" and you will have a top that will last forever.

Save the cutoff and down the road when you are ready, turn it into a router table top.

After you cut the plywood in half, let it sit for a few days before you glue it, then oppose whatever bow has developed on the two sheets.

Don't skimp on the glue or the clamps, and let it sit clamped for at least 24 hours.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I don't see your location in your profile.... someone local may be able to help you

Take a look at this thread

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-MDF-other-%29

Woodcraft sells a 24x60 laminted bench top for about $220 I think, something to consider.

You can use construction grade lumber (like 2x4, 2x6, whatever), but, I expect that you lack the tools to make them flat (just guessing).

[Chris Hachet]

Buy one sheet of good quality underlayment grade plywood (at a real lumberyard, not a borg), rip it in half lengthwise and glue the two halves together using at least 20 clamps and bow clamps.

Cut it off at 54" and you will have a top that will last forever.

Save the cutoff and down the road when you are ready, turn it into a router table top.

After you cut the plywood in half, let it sit for a few days before you glue it, then oppose whatever bow has developed on the two sheets.

Don't skimp on the glue or the clamps, and let it sit clamped for at least 24 hours.

This....or...my outfeed table for the table saw is also a work bench. I used Melamine and screwed it together. Tough, flat, Cheap (with 4 x 4 legs from the Borg and a dumpster dive at a new home subdivision for the rest of the lumber, entire bench was $40 without vices) I have used that bench on a regular basis for five years with no Ill effects. I even added holes for holdfasts, Gramercy hold fasts work fine.

I used mostly reclaimed wood for my other bench, I am not into it much deeper than the cost of the Bench Crafted Classic Vise and Criss Cross.

Were I to build a 3rd bench, I would use SYP. (Southern yellow Pine).

You may want to wander over to the Neanderthal Haven part of the forum and look at the sticky section, they have interesting threads about benches. If you don't mind a bit of theory, try one of Christopher Schwartz books. He had an excellent article in PWW a few years ago called the $175 work bench that should be within your skill set to build.

Also, goggle Bob and Dave's good cheap fast bench or the like....guys 12 year old son built a workable bench in a weekend with minimal hand tools.

[Chris Hachet]

I don't see your location in your profile.... someone local may be able to help you

Take a look at this thread

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-MDF-other-%29

Woodcraft sells a 24x60 laminted bench top for about $220 I think, something to consider.

You can use construction grade lumber (like 2x4, 2x6, whatever), but, I expect that you lack the tools to make them flat (just guessing).

IF he is careful, a router a straight bit and a bit of patience can get it done. You tube would be his friend here.

[Chris Hachet]

...also, MDF, properly supported will work fine. Fine woodworking has a really decent bench built out of only plywood in an article a few years ago. But to repat the advice I give everyone, build you first bench on the cheap and fast side....you will know what you want to change, and then you can either rebuild that bench or build another one. You will not know what you really want in a bench until you work with it awhile.

[Irvin Gomez]

That is an interesting idea. But most treads I see are about 12x36". Do you have access to bigger ones?
I also saw a youtube video of one make etirely of laminated 3/4" plywood for all of it. Neat idea if you ask me.

There is an 11 1/2 X 48 size available. 1" thick. Being 1" thick is appealing to me because of the possibility of just buying 3 of them and cutting them into 4 pieces to cover my planned 54x24 bench top while leaving a groove naturally thick enough to do cross cuts with relative ease.

I have to to clarify that I'm not trying to be 'creative' or 'original' here. I have read a lot about the topic, but, unfortunately for me, I need to work under very strict limits in space, tools, budget and even personal woodworking skill. I do not have a jointer, table saw or miter saw. All I have is a Makita circular saw with the 55" rail guide, a Jessem doweling jig, a Makita router kit, a few chisels, a cheap block place and a small assortment of other minor tools and jigs (shelf pin, jigsaw, drill/driver, etc.).

Doing this as a hobby also means that I must strike a fine balance between spending money in a realistic, meaningful matter and doing the best work I can: I don't have the necessary skill or bank account to justify $2000 invested in nice Veritas planes (but I do play the lotto a couple of times per year). I will probably never have the skill to effectively flatten an all-wood bench top with hand tools! But I love to work with wood and enjoy the challenge of tryin my best with my limited skills and resources.

Thay's the reason for not going the tried-and-true route. Sorry for the long post, but I felt a bit more background would provide a better picture of what I'm trying to achieve.

[Michael Dye]

Here is an option. As another poster mentioned, Woodcraft has laminated tops on sale from time to time. My story............my son was looking for a bench he could use for projects, glue-ups, computer disassembly, term papers, etc. We went to Woodcraft planning on getting one of their sale 24X60 tops for the advertised $169 (this was a few years ago). Lo and behold, the store had a top that had been dropped, damaging one corner. Sold it to use for 50% off the advertised price. We took it home, trimmed off the bad corner, installed a backsplash and mounted it atop 2 36" military surplus file cabinets (Craigslist - $30 for the pair). Timing played a big part in the build but, you might run into a similar set of circumstances.

[Irvin Gomez]

...also, MDF, properly supported will work fine. Fine woodworking has a really decent bench built out of only plywood in an article a few years ago. But to repat the advice I give everyone, build you first bench on the cheap and fast side....you will know what you want to change, and then you can either rebuild that bench or build another one. You will not know what you really want in a bench until you work with it awhile.

Thanks, Chris. Very true - not to mention it seems you need a workbench to build one! Lol

[Irvin Gomez]

Here is an option. As another poster mentioned, Woodcraft has laminated tops on sale from time to time. My story............my son was looking for a bench he could use for projects, glue-ups, computer disassembly, term papers, etc. We went to Woodcraft planning on getting one of their sale 24X60 tops for the advertised $169 (this was a few years ago). Lo and behold, the store had a top that had been dropped, damaging one corner. Sold it to use for 50% off the advertised price. We took it home, trimmed off the bad corner, installed a backsplash and mounted it atop 2 36" military surplus file cabinets (Craigslist - $30 for the pair). Timing played a big part in the build but, you might run into a similar set of circumstances.

thanks, Michael. Yes, I will keep an eye on that angle. I'm in NYC at it's surprisingly difficult to find woodworking-related tools and materials (specially non-construction wood). There's a few specialty outlets, but they have exhorbitant prices.

[Charles Wiggins]

Irvin,

Given your restrictions, I would tend toward a laminated plywood bench top. You could use construction grade ply for the lower layers and then have some sort of smoother board for the top layer - hardwood ply, MDF, or masonite (hardboard), all work fine.

And you can make a passable table saw by mounting your circular saw to the underside of a piece of plywood and doing a plunge-cut through the board:



Izzy Swan is a great resource for guys in your position (limited resources) but be forewarned, he is not big into safety equipment, etc. He calls his show Think Woodworks. Part of that philosophy is that safety starts between the ears, not with relying on some gadget to foolproof your work.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Sorry for the long post, but ....

No apology needed. We are here to help.... and to learn.... So, be certain to also let us know what you finally choose to do, how it works out, and what you would have done differently.