Thread: Kitchen Bench

I have posted this thread on the renovators forum, but thought you guys might be able to provide some useful input also.

I have been restoring an old cottage, and building a new extension and the budget is running out at the point when I need a fitted kitchen that I forgot to include in the budget at all ... So I managed to get a couple of those ridiculously cheap kits from Bunnings which will provide the carcases and doors (in the short term, the doors will be replaced as soon as I get my workshop fitting up properly and moved out of the loungeroom). But the benchtops provided are pretty manky and do not fit the layout I need to have.

So I looked around at options (concrete - too heavy; laminate - ouch the cost etc) and thought perhaps I could make one up from laminated wood.

So I looked around at wood - hardwood/softwood and thought about delivery costs (hmmm) and then looked around the yard. In the yard I have large quantities of 2x4 hardwood timber rescued from the fence I demolished and the lean-to I demolished and the shed full of bits of wood stacked to make make-shift chookperches by the previous owner, and discovered that a lot of them have a lovely weathered surface, but are solid hardwood inside.

So here is the plan (in gestation). Each piece of hardwood to be run through the table saw (making sure no nails of course) to cut it down to suitable dimensions for a benchtop (say 350mm?) with one side being the weathered timber. Take the top off the weathered bits so that there is good wood exposed but there are still bits of weathered grey and black timber remaining to show on the benchtop and the bench side.

Glue it together using small nails with their heads cut off as locators, and clamps to hold it all together, then screw up from beneath to attach it to the carcasses. Finish it off with a two-pack that also levels the surface to a degree.

Would that work do you reckon?