Concept to share

[Doug Carpenter]

A while back I made a workbench. It is a dual purpose bench that is to be used for reloading shotgun shells and doing some stockwork on guns.

I am a remodeling contractor and we often use Microlam beams in our projects. If you are nor familiar with a microlam it is basically a stuctural beam made up of thin layers of southern yellow pine. The range in size but a common size is 1 3/4" thick by 11 1/4" tall and they come in lenghts up to like 50'. Maybe longer that is the longest I've ever used in one length.

Anyway I have always save my cut off peices because I thought they would come in handy one day. Well I took all my peices and ripped them on the table saw to the same thickness. I also skimmed the sides so they would glue easily. The sides of Microlam beams are covered with a wax type layer so the can handle some weather. I was afraid the glue wouldn't stick so I skimmed that part off with the saw.

I used the peices randomly and came up with a butcher block top. I attatched them with biscuts to eachother and to the sold core door I used as the base. Then I put a Brazillian cherry edge. This is an extemely heavy top. It is nice and solid. When reloading you need a good solid bench to ensure consistant powder charges.

The end result almost looks like bamboo. I have started a couple more I'm going to use for a desk top I use for checkering the stocks and another fliptop rolling cart to match my bench.

[John Keeton]

Now that is sharp!! That would have to make a heck of a workbench top, and you are right - Microlam is heavy. Excellent use of leftovers.

[Prashun Patel]

That glue lam really looks great.
I went into a shi-shi-foo-foo customer of mine in Manhattan last month, and their conference table was done out of this. It was flanked by walnut chairs and a walnut shelving unit. It was brilliant.

I've been trying to find a source for the stuff so I can make a table or bench myself.

If you have extras, I'd love to purchase them from you. Finding a small supply is a PITA (apologies to Karl Brogger).

[John Thompson]

Clever usage.. very nice end results. I have never seen the material nor have I heard of it for that matter as I am not a contractor in need. Would love to check it out though..

Nice job...

[John Schreiber]

That looks very sharp. How did you flatten the top? Is it hard on tools?

[David G Baker]

I am looking for a few cut offs to use for a couple of steps between my porch and living room. Heard they clean up nice and can be stained to the point they look almost like a piece of furniture.
Great idea and a great looking work bench.

[Jim Koepke]

What a coincidence, was watching a video yesterday about an LVL Workbench. LVL is laminated veneer lumber.

Here is a link to the article, not sure where the video can be found as I was aimlessly following video links. It may have been at the WIA site.

http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com...+Thinking.aspx

jim

[Doug Carpenter]

I guess I'm not the poineer I thought I was!

It is extremly stable and heavy. Mine is a two person lift for the top alone. I'm sure as with any composite type material it is alot of glue and unknown lumber so it can do away with a good tablesaw blade before its time. Although I'm still using the blade I cut this bench with and I cut up enough yesterday to do two tops one 24" by 24" and another 48" by 30".

It is not the hardest wood so it probrably wouldn't take a beating like maple but it is so dense I'm sure it would do just fine. Usually lumberyards carry it and I'll bet if a person asked they would fine either scraps or peices that they couldn't sell. Also if there is any new contruction in your area there are bound to be peices lying around because they are often delivered longer than ordered. The LVL's that are 1 3/4" by 11 1/4" run around 5$ a foot. You couls buy it and have a 32" by 7' top for about 110 dollars. Of course we all know it is more fun use scraps cause there sort of free.

[Doug Carpenter]

I forgot to answer a question. I gave it to a friend of mine who has a wholesale door shop he sent it through a sander to surface the top. I think it the glue illed up the belt pretty quickly. I glued the peices together with ployurathane glue. Honstly if you take your time puting it together it doesn't require that much surfacing. I had thought of making a jig and surfacing it with a router. I put a few coats of tung oil on it to seal it. I didn't want to put anything on it that would chip off easily.

I don't have any to give right know but the next time I have some I'll post it here. It's so heavy though it certainly wouldn't ship.

[Jim Koepke]

Here is the link to the video on the LVL Bench video:

http://popularwoodworking.com/articl...LVL_workbench/

jim

[Doug Carpenter]

The one in the video is really cool. I don't believe they build it as fast as they say they did. Looks like that top would take more time than that. I did my like a butcher block and that one would have to be continous lengths. The vises were really cool. I wonder if they go into good detail in he magazine. That would be a great project.

It reminds me of one Finewoodworking did with pipeclamps and dimensional lumber. It was really versatile but I think the one in the video looks better.