New Bench Top

[Tom Hamilton]

Greetings Fellow Creekers:

The old Southern Yellow Pine bench top was looking pretty shabby after cleaning some old tools. I planed a fresh surface on about half of it and thought a new top would be a nice way to start 2007.

What do ya know, but Lumber Liquidators ran an ad for 89 cent per foot solid oak flooring. Gee, they are only 10 minutes away...so an hour later I've got three 7 foot long bundles in my shop. Each bundle is about 9 sq ft.

Here's what I learned about the 89 cent stuff. It is rejects and the only the top layer is full length. So I've got some sorting to do.

Finally I found enough good pieces to cover the 44x71 top with only two joints per row.

New Bench Top 002 SMC.JPG

I attached the first row with screws from underneath so insure a solid edge the rest with a nail gun. A homemade mallet and a block of scrap snugged the pieces against each other.

It's been through the planer at the factory so I moved right to sanding with 150. The Onieda mini cyclone caught all the dust before the filter in the vac.

New Bench Top 005 SMC.JPG

A little touch with a plane to smooth a couple of joints and I was ready for coat of BLO.

New Bench Top 008 SMC.JPG

After the BLO dryed an application of Golden Oak stain evened out the color. The center strip is cherry also with a BLO and Cherry stain treatment.

New Bench Top 013 SMC.JPG

The new top was a fun project and I like the look. If you try this be sure to buy plenty of the oak, you will have alot of waste. There are some knots that need to be filled. I'm considering a sawdust and glue mix or cutting out the knot and making a plug. I'm pleased with the results and think it is a good way to get an oak bench top. Obviously is it much harder and more durable than the SYP.

I'm not sure how to finish the edges but I leaning toward a skirt out of the oak, with a slight softening of the top edge with a roundover bit. Another option is a cherry or contrasting wood skirt. We'll see.

Best regards,

Tom, in Houston, liking his new oak bench top

[Tim Malyszko]

Tom,

I also finished my bench top using the Utility Grade Oak Flooring from Lumber Liquidators with a Golden Oak Finish. I trimmed it out in White Oak and used a roundover bit on the edges to give it an ever so slight roundover. Here's a picture just so you can see what the finished product looks like trimmed out in oak.



If I were to do it over, I would have used a contrasting wood as the trim.

Nice work.

[Corey Hallagan]

Excellent, that is what I am lacking in my shop, a nice flat solid top like that. Nice job.

Corey

[Tom Hamilton]

Thanks, Tim. Your bench looks like it has a sheen to it. Did you finish with a top coat of some kind?

Best regards, Tom

[Tim Malyszko]

Thanks, Tim. Your bench looks like it has a sheen to it. Did you finish with a top coat of some kind?

Best regards, Tom

4 coats of Watlow Wipe on Glossy Polyurthane. It makes clean-up very easy.

[Marc Prudhomme]

How would you attatch the edging?Glue and screws or just glue

Greetings Fellow Creekers:

The old Southern Yellow Pine bench top was looking pretty shabby after cleaning some old tools. I planed a fresh surface on about half of it and thought a new top would be a nice way to start 2007.

What do ya know, but Lumber Liquidators ran an ad for 89 cent per foot solid oak flooring. Gee, they are only 10 minutes away...so an hour later I've got three 7 foot long bundles in my shop. Each bundle is about 9 sq ft.

Here's what I learned about the 89 cent stuff. It is rejects and the only the top layer is full length. So I've got some sorting to do.

Finally I found enough good pieces to cover the 44x71 top with only two joints per row.

New Bench Top 002 SMC.JPG

I attached the first row with screws from underneath so insure a solid edge the rest with a nail gun. A homemade mallet and a block of scrap snugged the pieces against each other.

It's been through the planer at the factory so I moved right to sanding with 150. The Onieda mini cyclone caught all the dust before the filter in the vac.

New Bench Top 005 SMC.JPG

A little touch with a plane to smooth a couple of joints and I was ready for coat of BLO.

New Bench Top 008 SMC.JPG

After the BLO dryed an application of Golden Oak stain evened out the color. The center strip is cherry also with a BLO and Cherry stain treatment.

New Bench Top 013 SMC.JPG

The new top was a fun project and I like the look. If you try this be sure to buy plenty of the oak, you will have alot of waste. There are some knots that need to be filled. I'm considering a sawdust and glue mix or cutting out the knot and making a plug. I'm pleased with the results and think it is a good way to get an oak bench top. Obviously is it much harder and more durable than the SYP.

I'm not sure how to finish the edges but I leaning toward a skirt out of the oak, with a slight softening of the top edge with a roundover bit. Another option is a cherry or contrasting wood skirt. We'll see.

Best regards,

Tom, in Houston, liking his new oak bench top

[Tom Hamilton]

Hi Marc:

I'm thinking a little glue and some 18 gauge pin nails hidden in the grain and shadow. And covered with a touch of concealer if necessary.

Best regards, Tom

[Marc Prudhomme]

Im not sure the best way to put the edging with the vice mount.I havn't recieved the vice in the mail yet but I am guessing that 2 of the mounting holes will be right between the edging and the MDF

[Tom Hamilton]

Well, I think it is finished. I added a pecan/hickory skirt and am calling done. The pecan was rough saw 4/4, dimensioned in my shop to 3/4.

New Bench Top 001 (Small).jpg

Since the verticle edge was not flush from all the differenct layers of tops I have added over the years, I attached the skirt with screws and used biscuits to align the edge.

The oak caps hide the underlying screws. I may soften the top edge with a roundover bit one of these days but now am just enjoying the end result.

New Bench Top 007 (Small).jpg

All in all it was a fun project, not expensive using the oak flooring, yielded a rock hard and an attractive, in my humble opinion, bench. Now if I can just quit treating it as furniture and make something on it, I'll be OK.

All the best, Tom

[David Cramer]

Tim and Tom, nice bench tops to both of you! Tom, yours is a BOHEMETH!!!! Don't know if I spelled that correctly, but you get the point. I declare that there will be no sag in that bench from now to eternity!! Great finish on yours Tim and great idea using the flooring. Now your giving me ideas fellas!

Dave