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  1. #1
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    workbench material

    I've seen lots of benches that are made of maple, or at least have a maple top. Is there any reason why that is the material of choice? Would oak, hickory or any other hardwood accomplish the same?

    Ian
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  2. #2
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    Mine is solid oak and so far i'm real pleased with it

    Response #10
    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...&highlight=oak

    Brian
    The significant problems we encounter cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.

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  3. #3
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    That's a nice workbench Brian, looks like a lot of work to make it.

    that thread answered my Q... should have done a search..

    Ian
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  4. #4
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    There are a variety of materials and methods used for building workbenches. "Traditional" workbenches most often have hard, dense species, such as maple, European beech, etc., but oak, hickory, others or tropical hardwoods get used. Some folks build them of douglas fir, pine or even milled construction lumber...

    There are also some alternative methods, such as using a triple layer of MDF for the core of the work bench with a 1/4" hard-board "topper" that is replaceable. The dog area may or may not be made of hardwood for durability in that case. Were I building a bench today, I'd very likely consider this method as it provides tremendous mass at a relatively low cost.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
    Maple is very light in color, so it reflects light onto the bottom and into corners of your work better than walnut or other dark woods. Hardware is less likely to get lost on it, you are less likely to set your work on a stray nail that was left on the bench, etc.

    But you can go dark. For example, David Marks's workbench is quite dark; I believe it is made of walnut.

  6. #6
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    A couple of years ago Popular Woodworking did a special issue on Workbenches in which there was an article named $230 Workbench by Christopher Swartz who also has what is probably the definative book on workbench design. In the article they used Southern Yellow Pine for the top.
    Thats what I used here :

  7. #7
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    Interesting that you should mention Christopher Schwartz... he's teaching a class or two at Kelly Mehler's place. I went down and met Kelly a couple years ago when I started getting into woodworking before. His shop is only about 40 minutes away. I'm on the waiting list to get into the Classic Joints with Power Tools class in June. My wife has offered to pay for half the class, bless her heart. I'm sure she expects bountiful household projects as payment.

    Ian

    P.S. How do you folk manage to keep your workbenches so clean? Mine would end up oily or at least very dirty.
    Last edited by Ian Haywood; 01-07-2008 at 8:32 PM.
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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ian Haywood View Post
    Interesting that you should mention Christopher Schwartz... he's teaching a class or two at Kelly Mehler's place. I went down and met Kelly a couple years ago when I started getting into woodworking before. His shop is only about 40 minutes away. I'm on the waiting list to get into the Classic Joints with Power Tools class in June. My wife has offered to pay for half the class, bless her heart. I'm sure she expects bountiful household projects as payment.

    Ian

    P.S. How do you folk manage to keep your workbenches so clean? Mine would end up oily or at least very dirty.
    Keep those durn chainsaws off of your benches Ian and they wont be gettin' oily. LOL.

  9. #9
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    Lies I tell ya... rotten dirty lies... my chainsaws do not leak oil, they just get overfilled sometimes!
    Last edited by Ian Haywood; 01-08-2008 at 4:40 AM.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thom Sturgill View Post
    A couple of years ago Popular Woodworking did a special issue on Workbenches in which there was an article named $230 Workbench by Christopher Swartz who also has what is probably the definative book on workbench design. In the article they used Southern Yellow Pine for the top.
    Thats what I used here :
    What issue was the bench in or know of a book that is available?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Lehnert View Post
    What issue was the bench in or know of a book that is available?
    A quick google search yielded this:

    In 2000 Chris created an inexpensive workbench, with a cost of $175. The same bench was modified slightly in construction and published in a PWW special issue "Workbenches and Toolboxes" which was available in May of 2005. Chris was the main force behind this special issue, IMO, and did much of the article writing (that spalted maple toolbox is the cat's meow). The $175 workbench was now $230, but improved. Chris did his best to keep the cost down to enable as many folks to build a decent workbench as possible. Then he built the Roubo a year or two ago, the Nicholson, and the Holtzapffel even more recent. Each bench was quite different but he tried to find as many solid designs that haven't been common as of recent, without being impractical. This has opened many woodworkers to different benches, and many folks are building Roubo, Nicholson, and Holtzapffel benches as I type.

  12. #12
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  13. #13
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    Here is another article that I have found about reasonably price benches:

    http://web.archive.org/web/200206131...cts/index.html

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ben Martin View Post
    Here is another article that I have found about reasonably price benches:

    http://web.archive.org/web/200206131...cts/index.html
    All the links are dead, pictures, cut lists, everything but the basic article.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Bonham View Post
    All the links are dead, pictures, cut lists, everything but the basic article.
    Hmm, sorry, that has changed since I last looked at it. It has a basic 2X4 construction with an MDF top.

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