Confused & Canadian Workbench - Plans

[Ken Frohnert]

Well, I did my research and read the CS workbench book. I was going to build a bench with the laminated wood top out of one of the workwooking mags I have and so about 6 months ago I purchased like 24 SYP 2x10s and stickered them in my garage to dry out a little more. However, as I get ready to build I keep thinking that a top like that is going to take me a very long time to do (and I only have a few hours a week to work on projects) and there is so many other projects I want to build - bookcase, coffee table, some chairs. Since use power tools the more I reflect on the laminated top the more I think - not for me right now.

I thought about the CS English Bench but cannot get excited about it. I think because I want an end vice and front vice - plus with the aprons look like they will be in the way.

A while back in a book somewhere I saw a bench plan by a Canadian workworker (I think we was an editor of a CA woodworking mag or a teacher too) that used a solid wood top but had the wood (I think he used 2" think Ash) for the top laid face down and then edge jointed them together. At the time I did not really consider it for my since I thought I knew what I wanted. But laying the wood face down would seem to make the top much quicker to build. I thought I could use my 1.5" think SYP to do the same thing - Maybe 1.5" SYP would be to thin in that application. If to thin maybe I could use some 3/4 plywood under the 1.5 SYP and just put a band around the top but there maybe issues with plywood verus SYP in wood movement. Any thoughts on the 1.5" SYP and/or using SYP with 3/4 ply under it?

Does anyone know where I can get more information on that Canadian guys bench - it looked well built - kind of 1/2 way in between a knock together bench an some of the beautiful furniture benches you guys have made. I have searched the internet for like 3 hours and cannot find anything.

[Chris Friesen]

However, as I get ready to build I keep thinking that a top like that is going to take me a very long time to do (and I only have a few hours a week to work on projects) and there is so many other projects I want to build - bookcase, coffee table, some chairs. Since use power tools the more I reflect on the laminated top the more I think - not for me right now.

If you lay them flat you'll get more movement with humidity change, and you definately won't want to involve plywood.

Go with the laminated top. With nearly 1.5" thick strips you'll need 16-18 of them for the bench top. It really doesn't take that long to joint/plane them. Glue them up 5-6 at a time, then get on with your other stuff while the glue dries. Make it 3" thick, maybe even 3 1/2" and you won't regret it once it's done.

I made my top with strips salvaged from bowling alleys...they averaged out at 7/8" or maybe even a bit less...I had a lot of strips.