Hi all,
I am a teacher and traveling to my Virginia mountain vacation home this weekend to stay for the summer, and I got it in my head to build a woodworking bench. After two months of research, I think I am settling on a bench that is a combination of Christopher Schwarz's Roubo workbench (Woodworking magazine Autumn 2005 and Popular Woodworking June 2007) and Cliff's bench (at www.user.dccnet.com/cedwards/bench/bench.htm). I already purchased the vises and the major tools for the job, but most of my tools remain here in Cuba, even though I can still throw one in the suit case if need be.
The major decisions I am still trying to resolve is whether to build the top or buy one? Second, if I make the top, what to make it out of? And third, what size should it be?
Many of the top builders glue and plane the top in sections and then biscuit the sections together. One builder dowels each board so that the boards will remain aligned during glue-up. The school shop teacher says to just nail the boards in the middle to ensure reasonable alignment, to not get a warped fan look. Some slabs I see even have metal rods going through the width. It seems that warping during glue-up is a concern. So, wanting a flat top when I get done, I am a little concerned about whether I should attempt to build a top or buy one. I do have a good router and have considered routing the top with a track and sled arrangement that others have done. I figure my top will be about 40 to 45 board feet, so materials could be any from $100 to $400 before gluing. Perfect bench (www.perfectplank.com) sells almost what I want in maple, 2 7/8" thick x 25" x 8' for $334. So what should I do, make or buy?
If I do build the top, I was first lured to Christopher Schwarz's article, where he makes his bench out of Southern yellow pine. Fair idea, until the hardness and density of yellow pine is compared to other woods. The hardness of yellow pine is about half that of birch, oak, beech, maple, and almost a third of harder woods like hickory. Yellow pine's density is classified as a light wood. I like Christopher Schwarz's articles, but I am not sure about this choice of wood for my bench, a bench that I would like to think will last a long time and be passed along in the family. I live near Independence, VA. Any information on what I should/could make the bench out of?
Lastly, I am still deciding on the size of the bench top. Again I like Schwarz's rationale for a 24" deep top, perhaps leaning towards a couple of inches more. I have a shop space of 12' x 24', and am tending towards making the top about 75" long, and after the vises are installed would make it about 7' long. I would like to the top to be at least 2.25" with 3 to 4" being better. Schwarz makes his 4" thick and that seems to work well with the pinch vise he has, which I also want to include. So folks, what do you think, what size should provide the best benchtop?
Thank-you in advance for all input,
Guy
I am a teacher and traveling to my Virginia mountain vacation home this weekend to stay for the summer, and I got it in my head to build a woodworking bench. After two months of research, I think I am settling on a bench that is a combination of Christopher Schwarz's Roubo workbench (Woodworking magazine Autumn 2005 and Popular Woodworking June 2007) and Cliff's bench (at www.user.dccnet.com/cedwards/bench/bench.htm). I already purchased the vises and the major tools for the job, but most of my tools remain here in Cuba, even though I can still throw one in the suit case if need be.
The major decisions I am still trying to resolve is whether to build the top or buy one? Second, if I make the top, what to make it out of? And third, what size should it be?
Many of the top builders glue and plane the top in sections and then biscuit the sections together. One builder dowels each board so that the boards will remain aligned during glue-up. The school shop teacher says to just nail the boards in the middle to ensure reasonable alignment, to not get a warped fan look. Some slabs I see even have metal rods going through the width. It seems that warping during glue-up is a concern. So, wanting a flat top when I get done, I am a little concerned about whether I should attempt to build a top or buy one. I do have a good router and have considered routing the top with a track and sled arrangement that others have done. I figure my top will be about 40 to 45 board feet, so materials could be any from $100 to $400 before gluing. Perfect bench (www.perfectplank.com) sells almost what I want in maple, 2 7/8" thick x 25" x 8' for $334. So what should I do, make or buy?
If I do build the top, I was first lured to Christopher Schwarz's article, where he makes his bench out of Southern yellow pine. Fair idea, until the hardness and density of yellow pine is compared to other woods. The hardness of yellow pine is about half that of birch, oak, beech, maple, and almost a third of harder woods like hickory. Yellow pine's density is classified as a light wood. I like Christopher Schwarz's articles, but I am not sure about this choice of wood for my bench, a bench that I would like to think will last a long time and be passed along in the family. I live near Independence, VA. Any information on what I should/could make the bench out of?
Lastly, I am still deciding on the size of the bench top. Again I like Schwarz's rationale for a 24" deep top, perhaps leaning towards a couple of inches more. I have a shop space of 12' x 24', and am tending towards making the top about 75" long, and after the vises are installed would make it about 7' long. I would like to the top to be at least 2.25" with 3 to 4" being better. Schwarz makes his 4" thick and that seems to work well with the pinch vise he has, which I also want to include. So folks, what do you think, what size should provide the best benchtop?
Thank-you in advance for all input,
Guy
