[OP]
Contributor
Today I got a quote for a single piece of wood for a bench 5" by 22" by 6-7 feet. The only material around that big is black locust, I know even asking is against the prevailing wisdom for benches. But I'm smitten with a one piece top, my only concern is the BL being insane to work with, but then again maybe I don't care? I don't know yet. The BL certainly isn't the cheaper or easier option, but it's one piece. and apparently BL is also very stable, and heavy. Thoughts on this?
Trevor Walsh
TWDesignShop
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Well it would probably never rot.Originally Posted by Trevor Walsh
I've never worked with black locust so can only pass on some things I've read. It has been used for boat building, so it seems if the wood can be worked into something with that complex of a shape, a workbench would be quite possible. Apparently the physical properties are similar to purpleheart, so if you have any experience with that wood, it would give you a good idea. I have read that it becomes more rock-like over time with exposure to weather, so it would be worth asking your supplier if this is recently cut and kiln-dried or if it has been sitting for a few years. As the years go by, you might eventually find it impossible to replane the top? Perhaps staying indoors will prevent it from turning into petrified wood.
[OP]
Contributor
That's a good point, I'll add that to my list of questions. I certainly don't want to get into geology. I was reading that the antioxidants in the wood will keep it intact for over 60 years in dirt in the forrest. Wow.
Trevor Walsh
TWDesignShop
Member
I recently worked on a wood bridge in which we used Black Locust for the contact blocks between the bridge and the concrete footings. I didn't get to do any milling on the blocks, but I believe the woman that did used regular tools, power and hand, to do the task. The timber we used was fairly green, air dried for about 5-6 months, so that probably played a factor. Sorry I can't be of any more help.
Moderator
If it's like purpleheart, then GOOD LUCK. PH is splintery and hard to level without tearout. Sandpaper is no match for it PH, and will really test your planing skills.
Member
I had resawn quite a lot of old BL barn beams for various furniture items. I think a comparison to ash is better than purpleheart. This stuff was a bit hard/brittle, but it was 125+ years old. Dense stuff, I see no reason it wouldn't make a good bench. And, I can verify the anti-rot properties: there wasn't even a hint of rot/bug damage in any of these beams, much less than W. oak beams. Good luck
Member
You have several hardwood species locally that large. White Oak, Sweetgum and Tulip Poplar come immediately to mind as the most common, with Black Locust being a smaller tree than all three, and Tulip the largest.
The problem with one-piece slabs that wide is they are usually taken from the center of the log and look like the center-cut 2X12's below. Namely two nice vertical-grain sections separated by pithwood, which is prone to checking and warping. The wise solution is to cut out the unstable pith area and edgejoin the VG sections.
““Perhaps then, you will say, ‘But where can one have a boat like that built today?’ And I will tell you that there are still some honest men who can sharpen a saw, plane, or adze...men (who) live and work in out of the way places, but that is lucky, for they can acquire materials for one third of city prices. Best, some of these gentlemen’s boatshops are in places where nothing but the occasional honk of a wild goose will distract them from their work.” -- L Francis Herreshoff
[OP]
Contributor
Good points everyone, I'm asking the guy (from Bark House) if I can get photos of the endgrain slabs, and check out what sort of thing I'm looking at before I commit. Jake, what a relief to hear that you'd compare it more to ash. I like planing ash. If the grain is sucky, I'm also seeing what they have in the 5" by 10-12" by 6-7 feet range, and will glue up a top. If they have something pretty like cherry that big I'd go two boards to get a cherry bench. We'll see what they say...
Trevor Walsh
TWDesignShop
Member
If I were to build another bench, something more like a slab top bench, I think I'd opt for a nice 11 or 12 inch wide by 3 or 4 inch thick front section and edge glue a 1 1/2 to 2 inch piece of 12 inch wide to that. I really don't think that it's necessary to have a full thickness bench for the full depth of the bench. You mainly just need the thickness in the front section.
[OP]
Contributor
Nothing against you or your suggestion Jamie, but I think the mass is important. The bench is destined to be a close version of Schwarz's 18th C. French bench. I even found a pair of sheldon style quick action vises.
Trevor Walsh
TWDesignShop
Member
No problem. I kind of figured that's the design you were gonna be using when you started talking about a single slab top. That Schwarz bench in cherry is a beautiful piece. I know many agree with you on the importance of mass, and while I would never argue that mass is a bad thing, I've done quite a bit of hand planing on my Nicholson style bench, made with 1 3/4" SYP, and I've never had it budge on me at all. Hope your able to find the wood you're looking for. I love following along on a good bench building thread.
[OP]
Contributor
After I sort the wood out, I just need the space. Currently I'm renting a room in the house of a buddy, his basement is a workshop with harbor freight benches and a good hybrid Tablesaw and bandsaw. I hate the benches. I'm thinking of renting the whole house from him, mostly to get all of his stuff out of the basement. Then I can add some wood floor, build a bench that will be exciting to remove from a Philadelphia row-home's back alley steps.
I agree that bench threads are a lot of fun. on the FalkFestool forum, there is a cool split top Roubo in ash, Groggy's workbench and a hand tool build going on by a guy Fred West. TF is an interesting and small group, but very fun.
Trevor Walsh
TWDesignShop
Member
My experience has been the same. My bench is 3" thick and it is all I can do to move it when I have to.
Some other points: you will not be able to move a slab that size without help. When making a bench you have to move and flip it alot. Just trying to flip it yourself on saw horses would be downright dangerous. Also holdfasts may not work very well. Mine work great in my top but are finicky on my 4" thick legs.
Salem
Last edited by Salem Ganzhorn; 08-16-2011 at 8:13 AM.
Member
Just food for thought, the Dominy family bench was set up like this IIRC. Doubt it walked around a lot on it's own.
Member
I think the Dominy bench was something like 12' or something, though. I kind of followed suit on my bench with the splayed back legs and tool tray (in lieu of just a plank) to make the top full width. But the overall length is 7' 10", so the length makes for good heft and stability.
Just do it Trevor...I want to see the pics! This was the first thread in a long time where I read the title and got a "shiver up my leg". I thought there'd be pics.
Just food for thought, the Dominy family bench was set up like this IIRC. Doubt it walked around a lot on it's own.
Last edited by john brenton; 08-16-2011 at 9:59 AM.
It's sufficiently stout..
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