New work bench top

[stuckinthemud]

I am a woodcarver not a joiner or furniture maker. This means several things that are relevant to making a new bench. I love small detailed work with hand tools, but don't enjoy planing or sanding large areas. I own a 20 year old hobby router, an asthmatic 600w b+d drill and an aldi/lidl belt sander I stripped the living room floor with and a jig saw from the same supplier. I can sand large surfaces, just don't enjoy it. I also have only 1 large clamp.Anyway, I have a couple of old pews, yellow pine, 14"x1 3/4 x 14ft I can laminate. I believe best practice is ripping the boards slightly over size (by jigsaw in this case) into 3 lengthwise strips to make the most efficient use of the boards, sand them to remove the varnish and laminate with pva to get a table around 4.5 inches thick. Would you bother sanding them (I'm guessing the answer is YES), would you sand then cut, or would you not sand but plane them down instead? Oh, the issue re clamps - suggestions ? I was wondering about using blocks and wedges?

 

[Orraloon]

I would plane them. I would not trust a belt sander to make a good enough jointed edge for the glue up. Basically how this bloke does it.


How to Make a Workbench Episode 1 | Paul Sellers - YouTube


On a workbench no sanding is really required at all. When the time comes to do the final flattening of the top with a plane you dont want the whole thing contaminated with sanding grit.
Clamps can be made up with the block and wedge method if its all you have. Plenty info out there on the web. Enjoy the build and remember we all like to watch bench builds.
Regards
John