Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 50

Thread: Want to build a workbench but limited wood selection?

  1. #16
    This is why I bought a bandmill, and saw my own lumber. Problem is, you also have to dry and store the lumber. My last batch of red elm got a case of powder post beetles. Great thing is, I don't have to buy lumber.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    1,356
    Steve, construction lumber is better for it's intended use when it's wet - it's less likely to split when it's nailed.

    I would think lumber would need to be very dry to make a Roubo bench - any shrinking after the fact will pull the legs together, or maybe split the top.

    And one last thought. I like the look of the Roubo bench, but I decided against making it. I made a separate top and base, and so if I want to I can easily remove the top to either transport it, or put it thru a wide belt sander. I'm not sure there are any advantages to the Roubo construction over making something the less sexy way.

  3. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by David Wong View Post
    I am (slowly) building a split top roubo using #2 grade wet construction Douglas fir for the top. I started by hand picking 4x6 8ft beams with as few defects as possible. I haunted the local Home Depot for months before an acceptable selection materialized. I aimed to yield enough lumber for a 6ft long top.

    I weighed each piece and wrote the weight and date on each beam. I then sticker-ed and stacked the wood. Every week, I weighed each piece and wrote the new weight and date on the wood. When the wood stopped loosing weight, I assumed it had reached equilibrium and was stable enough to work. I did this process over 2 or 3 months in a 80-100 degree garage during the summer. I have since prepared and glued up the wood into two 12 inch wide tops. They have been very stable for the past year. Still working on the base.
    If you don't mind me asking, why did you go with the 4x lumber instead of the 2x?

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Cupertino, California
    Posts
    361
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mathews View Post
    If you don't mind me asking, why did you go with the 4x lumber instead of the 2x?
    I was looking at the 2x as well as the 4x lumber. The quality of the 2x lumber at my local store was uniformly poor. The store did not carry higher quality kiln dried lumber.

  5. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Rosenthal View Post
    Woodworkers Source has an excellent selection and three stores in AZ. Good sale prices. If you're not close enough to pick it up they often offer free shipping.
    Nice selection of wood but my enthusiasm fizzled after seeing their prices online. The same wood in the kit offered by Bell Forest Products is quite a bit less and that's delivered to my door. Too bad as we often go to Phoenix to check on other property we own there.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    1,592
    The Depot will order you anything you'd like from their distributor at pro desk in the store.

    Check their website . Usually its free to ship to store if it's on/in their website inventory already.

    My local carries cedar, poplar, oak, and clear(ish) pine. I suspect it's on their website too, but haven't verified it.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    1,740
    Using 2x4s is fine once dry but they will twist over time so you will probably have to plane the top flat a few times. As other have suggested order maple online.
    Don

  8. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mathews View Post
    I double checked Home Depot's lumber stock this morning. Even the 4x6 Douglas Fir is wet. Someone at the store mentioned that Lowes has a better selection and limited dried lumber. I'll check there later in the week.

    After doing a quick calculation, it looks like it would cost about $210 for 220 bd. ft. from Home Depot's stock. The price from Bell Forest Product is $850 for the same quantity of wood but nicer hardwoods. But shipping will cost me almost $400 more. I haven't checked the source(s) member Chris Hachet mentioned yet. Since this is my first large woodworking project I'm leaning in the direction of using cheaper wood to start. I won't feel as bad making mistakes.
    If this is your first woo working project, use stuff from the big box store. Once you build a work bench, be it roubo, English/Nicholson style, or whatever, you will realize what you don't like about it and want to change. Build it out of soft wood and use it for five years. You will know then what you want...

    Hand planing, people have different preferences for height.
    People have different preferences for work holding.
    Some people love split to benches, some people hate them.
    The list goes on and on...

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298

    It's just money, but wait...

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Mathews View Post
    ...The price from Bell Forest Product is $850 for the same quantity of wood but nicer hardwoods. But shipping will cost me almost $400 more. ... Since this is my first large woodworking project I'm leaning in the direction of using cheaper wood to start.
    My first thought was hey, it's just money. But if this is your first major woodworking project you would be crazy to spend that much - you could buy a serviceable bench for less than that.

    When I built my last workbench I mostly stuff I had around: old 2x6 lumber left over from building my shop, constructed around a steel roll-around shop cart with nice drawers (which also made it easy to keep things square). Then I put a surplus laminated hard maple top on it that was made to go on a kitchen counter. Then I added a nice vise from my storage building. I had to spend about $4 for some lag screws and washers. Does the job and does it well.

    JKJ

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    SE Ohio
    Posts
    144
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Hachet View Post
    You might consider making a one time shipment from a sawmill in the Midwest. Have them ship you lumber for a bench and several projects.

    Lumber gets really inexpensive from a mill when you buy 500 board foot. Secondary grade kiln dried hardwood sometimes sells from Ohio mills for under $2 a board foot...Yoder lumber might be a good place to start. IIRC they ship nationwide.

    Just checked, they have a #2 grade Alder and Poplar in 8/4 for around $1.85 a board foot.

    At 301-500 Board feet, the cost of the Alder goes down to $1.56 a board foot...

    Can you provide the names of these mills?

    Thanks,

    gary

  11. #26
    If you get the wet wood from HD as was said you need to sticker it.
    Some pointers on stickering:
    The base of your pile needs to have some strength. I have used pallets with success. You should have no more than 16-20 between pallets. The pallets need to be co-planer. 1"x1" stickers will work fine. The length should be the same as the width of your pile. You should run a sticker every 16-20". Make sure the stickers are vertically in line so you transfer the weight straight down to your base. Weight on top is good but not mandatory. Cover the top of the pile. Drying out of the sun is important. Since you are using softwood you will have an 8-12 month wait for dry wood.

  12. #27
    This isn't sexy, and it might not be Roubo-esque.

    Have you thought of just laminating multiple Ikea/butcher block tops?
    It should be solid, flat, and heavy.

    -Matt

  13. #28
    In response to some of the comments and suggestions above I already have a large U-shaped work area that has a machinist vise and an old Record woodworking vise. The bench envisioned will strictly be for woodworking and mostly for use with hand tools. Years ago I built a sturdy workbench from plans purchased at Sears. It served me well over the years up to the time when it was left behind during our last move. I would like to kick it up a notch this time around with something special and challenging to build. After a few months of looking at workbench builds on YouTube and here the Roubo split-top seemed the most interesting. I don't have a lot of experience in woodworking so any idiosyncracies in the design will be probably not be felt and I will probably just work into it. As I've found with woodturning wood is my achilles heel here in NW Arizona and sticker shock with the price of hardwoods hasn't settled in yet. I was leaning in the direction of just using local softwoods but now after learning what is required to dry the only available wet wood I'm not sure that's the best way to go. So far pricing of hardwoods have been all over the place, the worst being from suppliers on the left side of the country. Of course hardwoods are cheaper east but shipping can easily be half the cost of the wood itself. I plan to contact Yoder Lumber in Ohio and see what shipping charges are from there. Their online prices for the wood itself have been the best so far. Hope this clarifies my thinking and direction. Thanks for all of the ideas and responses.
    Last edited by Steve Mathews; 05-02-2017 at 8:08 PM.

  14. #29
    The mill Chris is referring to is Yoder Lumber in Ohio.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Three Rivers, Central Oregon
    Posts
    2,340
    Google says Las Vegas is an hour and 42 mins drive....pick up whatever hardwood you need, play a few slots and head home same day. Peterman Lumber says it carries a large selection of hardwood.
    Scott Vroom

    I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.

Posting Permissions

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