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Thread: Timber For Benchtop
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18th April 2021, 11:14 AM #1Senior Member
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Timber For Benchtop
G'day all,
I'm planing my first hand tool workbench and looking for some advice on timber for the top. I have a couple choices of timber which i already have on hand. I have some radiata pine which is 100 x 50 and can laminate together to get my width. The other timber i have is a couple slabs of what i believe is vic ash which i could dress to say 300mm wide boards and laminate together to get the thickness.
The timber i have for the legs is red ironbark which is from a tree that was removed to build the shed. I milled it to rough size for legs and stretchers etc around 2 years ago.
Thanks Stevo
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18th April 2021, 01:55 PM #2
Pine is ok for a top provided its not got too many knots. The vic ash may be best kept for a more fitting project as laminating for thickness may leed to movement problems. You could rip it into strips and laminate it to get the width and it would make a fine top that way but to me a workbench is a functional thing and I would keep the better wood to make things. If you have a thicknesser I would suggest a split top so you can stick the 2 halves through the machine and save a lot of work. My pine top is still fine after 8 years and should see me out.
Regards
John
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18th April 2021, 02:18 PM #3GOLD MEMBER
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I would consider saving your nice timber for another project and just use cheap structural pine and skin the face with ply or MDF that can get replaced when it is looking tired
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18th April 2021, 07:56 PM #4Senior Member
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Hello
I'd say the answer to your question would depend on the work you're doing,
if you have/plan on a good surface planer in the shop,
and whether you have the space for another bench for rough stuff.
My bench is my surface planer as I spend a lot of time laminating reclaimed, and gets treated
quite well compared to most folks benches.
I'd use the ash, as it would make a decent hard surface and a lovely bench.
Have you enough, if you decided to radially cut the timber instead?
Might not stay flat otherwise.
Tom
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19th April 2021, 02:05 PM #5Senior Member
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Thanks John
I have read good and bad regarding pine as a top. There is a few knots but I would be able to keep the majority yo the underside. It's good to hear yours has held up well for 8 years, gives me more confidence in pine over the more expensive ash. I do have a planer and jointer so split top was my plan for the top.
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