Thread: Work bench advice please?

What glue should I use for this bench?

Originally Posted by Bob Winter

I am going to build a bench this winter and I have given it some thought. I have also read a couple of books on the subject. Some workbenches are a piece of art but I am really more interested in something to work at, not to look at or impress. My current plan is to laminate three pieces of 3/4 inch plywood together for the top. I think that should give me enough mass to keep things from bouncing around too much if I am cutting a mortice. Am I right?

Seems to me a solid wood top would be more prone to movement than plywood.

Bob - it's horses for courses, and I heartily agree that a bench is a work station first, and a showpiece second (if at all). As Gunnie says, you need a minimum amount of mass, but also a sturdy base. Three thicknesses of 3/4 ply shold give you reasonable mass, but not sure how ply would hold up around dog-holes & the like (if you plan to have them).

Can't say wood movement has ever been an issue on my bench. As long as the design can accomodate seasonal movement, there should be no problem. To me, laminating lengths of wood seems a lot easier than glueing large sheets together, unless you have the right sort of gear?

Cheers,

Originally Posted by johnredl

What glue should I use for this bench?

When I made mine, I used PVA, because that was what was readily available and I didn't think creep would be a problem on the laminated top, given the acres of glue surface involved. The legs & cross-pieces were through-tenoned & wedged, so the glue in those is superfluous anyway. I was more or less correct in my assessment, but the wood I used on the top wasn't quite as dry as it should have been, and opened a teeny bit along the top of the glue-line. This happend in the first year or so, the joint remained sound apart from that, and in any case, the bench's integrity wouldn't be affected if it did let go altogether, due to the end-caps. So it's only cosmetic (but annoying!).

If you go with your staggered laminations of short pieces, you might like to consider a high-strength, creep-resistant glue, like melamine or epoxy, because in that case, structural integrity of the top will depend on the glue remaining sound. Again, given the surface area of glue involved, Titebond or any PVA is probably up to the task - just a matter of how cautious you are.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by johnredl

Sorry Polie, I didn't mean that to sound rude, came out wrong. That's one serious table. I guess when you think of it like that it would be all to easy to eat up room. Do you have any pics of it?

No offence taken (and my original statement did sound more blunt than I intended)
I had a quick look through my magazine collection last night but couldn't find it, may have another look over the weekend.

Regards

Originally Posted by Bob Winter

I am going to build a bench this winter and I have given it some thought. I have also read a couple of books on the subject. Some workbenches are a piece of art but I am really more interested in something to work at, not to look at or impress. My current plan is to laminate three pieces of 3/4 inch plywood together for the top. I think that should give me enough mass to keep things from bouncing around too much if I am cutting a mortice. Am I right?

Seems to me a solid wood top would be more prone to movement than plywood.

Hi Bob,

I would be a little hesitant of trying to laminate 3 sheets of ply together. It will be very difficult to stick 3 sheets together without getting air bubbles (not little bubbles but big ones) between the sheets, this will make the top drumy rather than a solid mass.
Also... don't know what ply is like up in your neck of the woods but the stuff we get from Bunnies (big Aust hardware) tends to be full of voids where knots in the wood fall out prior to gluing up the plies.

Solid wood will move but most designs take this into account.

Regards

Originally Posted by johnredl

What glue should I use for this bench?

I like epoxy because it is both a very strong glue and it is gap filling. Generally I use WEST brand or the home brew from the local fibreglass shop.

One trick, to guard against dry joints, is to paint on a coating of standard mix epoxy on all glue surfaces, wait a couple of hours until it goes off (no longer tacky) and then mix up a second batch thickened to the consistency of honey and use this for the glue up. You can use microfibres, thickening powders or the contents of your sander bag - I save good clean sanding dust for future epoxy use - huon pine, blackwood, messmate, etc in jars. Clean up any "squeezeage" after 12 - 24 hours.

The resultant join should be stronger than the timber, even Jarrah.

Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by Polie

No offence taken (and my original statement did sound more blunt than I intended)
I had a quick look through my magazine collection last night but couldn't find it, may have another look over the weekend.

Regards

Thanks, that'd be interesting to see.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

I like epoxy because it is both a very strong glue and it is gap filling. Generally I use WEST brand or the home brew from the local fibreglass shop.

Graeme

Really, a fiberglass shop? I hadn't thought of that. I was looking at carbatec website earlier, so I have bit more of an idea...will investigate both options. Watch this space!

Well...tomorrow I'm Mr Dad for the morning, so I think that it will be the perfect time to take my 2 little 'Tinkerbells' to the salvage/demolition yard. After all they need to learn how to pick nice straight timber with a good grain at an early age (5 & 2)!

If the 6 long pieces of Jarrah are still there I'm going to take them, and make a stop past a fiberglass shop on the way home. If they are gone I reckon that they weren't meant for my home, and I'll be bringing home a load of 1.5m instead.

Don't go anywhere...I still need advice on how to build the thing!

Originally Posted by Polie

I had a quick look through my magazine collection last night but couldn't find it, may have another look over the weekend.

Polie
is this the stand you're thinking of?

I am now the proud owner of 21.05 Lm of Jarrah!! Turns out that it's actually 100x75, but I'm pretty sure that it's still a good deal - after all it's not like I won't be able to find a home for any leftovers

I was thinking about making a vice with a wooden thread. Is jarrah suitable? I remember someone on WW forum saying that they have a 2" threader, failing that a the carbatec 11/2" thread cutter should make a plenty strong enough threaded dowel?

What have others used?

Originally Posted by johnredl

I was thinking about making a vice with a wooden thread. Is jarrah suitable? I remember someone on WW forum saying that they have a 2" threader, failing that a the carbatec 11/2" thread cutter should make a plenty strong enough threaded dowel?

What have others used?

John - to save repetition, have a read of this thread:

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/wood-threads-91959/

And this one:

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f44/threading-wood-8513/

That will get you started.

I haven't tried threading Jarrah, but Derek Cohen has, if I recall corrrectly, and found it good. The problem you are going to have is finding a large enough threading kit for the job. Most wood thread users would recommend at least 50mm diameter screws, with about 3 or 4 tpi for main vises, but the kits available only go up to 1 1/2" & are about 6 tpi. Those folks who do have2" taps have generally made them themselves. No problems if you have the skills & access to a metal lathe that can cut very coarse threads. I know of two low-tech ways to make a tap for wood. Both involve a fair bit of mucking about, and you need a wood lathe to turn some necessary bits. But that's a whole 'nother story....


Cheers,
Chers,

Thanks Ian. I'll have a look at the links. Sounding like I might investigate other options tho, just found another link about bench vices that's quite interesting.