# Timber choice for workbench top.



## Karl (12 Feb 2008)

As the title suggests - what timber is best for a workbench top ????

I know Beech is the "traditional" choice, but any others??? I can get hold of some nice Iroko at a very reasonable price, but don't really know about its suitability.

Also, what thickness? I was thinking about 50mm (after thicknessing).

Cheers

Karl


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## DaveL (12 Feb 2008)

Karl,

David Charlesworth has pictures of a very nice bench made form iroko in his first book, I have made mine to a similar style from ash, Good Timber had some in their sale (several years ago).

As the 50mm thick, I think its OK if your not going to pound mortises out by hand on table legs on top of it. However it may end up a little on the light side and need fixing down to stop it walking long the shop if you hand plane anything with lots of vigour. Could you laminate the 50mm stock vertically to produce a 4" slab for the top, nice and sturdy, lots of weight, very stable. 8)


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## Anonymous (12 Feb 2008)

Karl

In Chris Schwarz's article on bench flattening this month Practical Woodworker), he advocates regularly flattening the bench top and claims it takes around 1/2 hour (about right for mine), thus most close grained hard woods ought to be suitable

Hard maple is a popular choice in America I think. Moine is beech and I am very pleased with the wood and the cost (Yandles)


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## OPJ (12 Feb 2008)

Traditionally, they seem to be made of Beech - I intend to (hopefully) use it myself for my own bench, some time this year. As far as hardwoods go, beech is quite easily affordable compared to many other species'.

I've also read, and have been advised at college, that 2-1/2" is an ideal thickness for a bench top. Not sure if this means having to plane down from 3" thick sawn stock or, as DaveL suggested, laminating several narrower lengths face-to-face (rather than edge-to-edge).

Do make sure you keep us up to date with your progress as well!  :wink:


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## soundaz (12 Feb 2008)

I used to work designing / planing kitchens and 50mm worktops where considered the dogs what's it's. Karl's suggestion of using Iroko is interesting, it's a beautiful wood and very durable. The size and colour scheme of your kitchen though should be taken into consideration. Beech or Iroko tops would hardly be pleasing if you have a dark colour scheme in the kitchen.


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## harryc (12 Feb 2008)

Karl, that would be interesting a workshop in your kitchen have you O.K'd this with SWMBO :lol: 

Harry.


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## seanybaby (12 Feb 2008)

Karl,

What is traditional? and what is local?

Traditional to UK is Beech and traditional to the US is Maple. 

Personally I'm still a student and i'm making my bench from Beech. The main reason because it's on the cheaper end of timber. IE. around £10-15 cheaper per cube than maple.

What i have gathered from research, is thicker the better 
My bench will be 80mm thick, laminated from many 2" beech boards.

Hope this helps, cheers


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## seanybaby (12 Feb 2008)

Forgot to mention Iroko might be cheapish....however there is also a health risk!!

You might want to research this before you use!!

Beware as i ripped 2" thick with no extraction and it caused, everyone in the workshop to cough and sputter for the next half hour!



BTW... It was me who complained to the college about having extraction before i made the cut!

Thanks


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## johnnyb (12 Feb 2008)

i know this is not what your after but..... i much prefer 25mm birch ply for a top. i just love to have a dead flat surface on which to work end of. if you do a lot of hand planing/mortising a hefty bench is needed, mine is mostly for assembling and fitting.


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## Karl (12 Feb 2008)

OK, just to clarify a few points

The bench is mainly for hand planing and chopping of joints. 

I know that thicker is better, and may have to go the vertical lamination route.

I intend to make it 18" deep, with a removable tool well behind (ala DC style).

Iroko - yes I have read quite a bit about the "side effects" - may give it a miss.

Should also point out that the top will be 8' long.

And no, it isn't a kitchen worktop.............

Cheers

Karl


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## soundaz (12 Feb 2008)

Damm...I should have gone to specsavers!!! :lol:


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## BradNaylor (13 Feb 2008)

Talking of kitchen worktops though, why not use a kitchen worktop?

Scandinavian Pine in Winsford do 4m lengths of 40mm laminated oak or beech worktop for £200 + VAT

I reckon that would do the job just fine, would stay flatter than a homemade one, and would be cheaper.

Just a thought...

Dan


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## Lord Nibbo (13 Feb 2008)

seanybaby":2j0qpsnf said:


> What i have gathered from research, is thicker the better
> My bench will be 80mm thick, laminated from many 2" beech boards.
> 
> Hope this helps, cheers



Thats exactly how I built mine 2x4 on edge


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## druster (19 Feb 2008)

hi there lord nibbo,
do you have a plan for that bench, I am just about to make one for my new workshop and like the look of yours!
cheers,
Dru


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## Jimbo! (19 Feb 2008)

lovely bench that, but where are the piles of [email protected] all over it - or is that just mine!!!


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## OPJ (19 Feb 2008)

druster":8djm70iu said:


> hi there lord nibbo,
> do you have a plan for that bench, I am just about to make one for my new workshop and like the look of yours!
> cheers,
> Dru



If you do a search for it under the Projects forum, you should be able to find the entire Work-In-Progress for it.


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## Lord Nibbo (19 Feb 2008)

druster":ysyq4yky said:


> hi there lord nibbo,
> do you have a plan for that bench, I am just about to make one for my new workshop and like the look of yours!
> cheers,
> Dru



I never made it from plans. I did use sketchup for the initial idea and to measure up how much wood I needed. As OPJ has said there is a thread on the making of it.


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## Lord Nibbo (19 Feb 2008)

Jimbo!":1rcd9fmo said:


> lovely bench that, but where are the piles of [email protected] all over it - or is that just mine!!!


 No your not the only one, just look at the background in this pic, the overrun of rubbish even extends to cover the table saw too. :lol:


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## Jimbo! (19 Feb 2008)

that's better  8)


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## tnimble (20 Feb 2008)

My current allround workbench is of 50mm pine with a skirt around is of 100mm thick. It's finished with a clear polyurethane because the bench is mostly used a lot for greasy metal work. The bench has now got about 4 years intensive use on it and holds up much more then I initially expected.


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