Beech Prices

[ByronBlack]

Senior/Scrit:

The timber merchant was the builders yard that i've been using for my workshop project - to be honest they aren't the sharpest tools in the box, and the main reason I still use them is that they always get my bill wrong - in my favour

I think based on eveything that has been said. I'm going to go the nibbo route and do mine in all beech with a nice thick laminate top. If I scrimp and go the softwood or premade route i'll never be completely satisfied.

So, just got to do my cutting list and order the wood!

When I get the stuff and rip/plane to rough size, should I then leave in stick for a couple of weeks before working it - or is kiln dried ready to use as is?

 

[ByronBlack]

Just got a final quote back from the yard based on my cutting list with 15% wastage and the whole lot (which is 2" and 1.5" boards 5-6" wide) Comes to £185+VAT

I'm very pleased with that, I was hoping to get it doen for about £200 - which is very favourable compared to bought benches which all seem to be about £350+ for decent beech made ones.

 

[engineer one]

now all you have to do is factor in the cost of your labour :twisted: :lol:

good luck

paul :wink:

 

[ByronBlack]

Paul - my labour is free as this is a hobby - sure, if I was doing it professionaly it would be a different matter, but if I weren't building the workbench, I'd be building something else so personally, I think it's a good deal for me.

The other big factor is that none of the commercially available benches suit my needs as my bench will be slightly taller, and not as long and with more dog-holes than is currently available, but I get what your saying, but i'm really looking forward to it, I kind of see it as a sort of apprenticeship - I can continue my learning process with the M&T joint and get to further my lacking skills of hand-planning. I just hope I can achieve the same quality as Lord Nibbo's who's build-quality is superb and an inspiration!

 

[DaveL]

The ray flecks won't take stains very well at all and always seem to stand out is light "pimples" unless you do the same as chair manufacturers and hide it beneath a horrid, muddy, thick layer of tinted lacquer.

Donkey Brown anyone? :wink:

 

[ivan]

Has anyone tried laminating from (birch) ply? There was a recent design in FWW, including a heavy laminated underframe.

There's ~ 2 cuft in an 8x4 3/4 nom. sheet which comes out at £17.50 a cube including VAT. I once saw a top laminated from ~3" strips glued up edgewise - so you could see the laminations as you worked - the owner said the end grain improved the wearing properties of the top, but it was a bit hard on the eyes!

 

[Dave S]

Has anyone tried laminating from (birch) ply? There was a recent design in FWW, including a heavy laminated underframe.

There's ~ 2 cuft in an 8x4 3/4 nom. sheet which comes out at £17.50 a cube including VAT. I once saw a top laminated from ~3" strips glued up edgewise - so you could see the laminations as you worked - the owner said the end grain improved the wearing properties of the top, but it was a bit hard on the eyes!

I want to model mine on the one by Jim Mattison featured in The Workbench Book by Scott Landis. His was made from laminated strips of ply, with a piece of hardboard on top, edged with Maple.

Dave