Thread: Perth pine timber confusion for workbench

Originally Posted by gonetopilbara

Hi all,

Fairly new to woodworking and making myself a bench.

Have worked out that USA plans for 2x4 = 90x45 or thereabouts in Australia.

I went to Bunnings and got 3 2.4m lengths of 90x45 which are H3 treated.

It now seems I am getting conflicting advice on what I should be using so I have a few questions I am hoping someone can help a newbie with please.

1. Should I be using H3 treated pine or untreated DAR pine?


2. Is $25 per 2.4 metre length of DAR 90x45 a good price?

3. Is it cheaper to get a jointer and thicknesser and dress my own wood? If so what would (I assume untreated)

4. Based on recommendations where is the best place to buy this timber in Perth (Closer to Rockingham/Mandurah would be preferred if possible)

Thanks in advance.

There's actually a lot to be said for the steel framed kits bench kits you can buy, with a different/heavier top... I just bought one to mount my drill press down low and used an old solid door as the top...

H3 any day and 2.4 is (I cannot believe I'm saying this) under $16 at the green shed.
There's so much out there on benches and some folk get all knicker twisty about best timbers, vices, and a whole host of other details.
For my money, I'd probably frame up the legs in TP, and use some hardwood for the top. Mine for instance is something I knocked up out of old 2x4" jarrah roof joists, bolted with a frame in that supports my sacrificial melamine top.
So much depends on what your plans are for the bench. Pine I'd say will be no good for a top, too soft.
My gut says pine will be too light for a frame too...

So don't think too hard, make one as cheaply as you dare, use it, and... then you'll know more about what you are wanting the bench to achieve, how you use it, and what you need in the perfect bench you will build with your newly acquired skills.

Originally Posted by david.elliott

There's actually a lot to be said for the steel framed kits bench kits you can buy, with a different/heavier top... I just bought one to mount my drill press down low and used an old solid door as the top...

H3 any day and 2.4 is (I cannot believe I'm saying this) under $16 at the green shed.
There's so much out there on benches and some folk get all knicker twisty about best timbers, vices, and a whole host of other details.
For my money, I'd probably frame up the legs in TP, and use some hardwood for the top. Mine for instance is something I knocked up out of old 2x4" jarrah roof joists, bolted with a frame in that supports my sacrificial melamine top.
So much depends on what your plans are for the bench. Pine I'd say will be no good for a top, too soft.
My gut says pine will be too light for a frame too...

So don't think too hard, make one as cheaply as you dare, use it, and... then you'll know more about what you are wanting the bench to achieve, how you use it, and what you need in the perfect bench you will build with your newly acquired skills.

Ok, so the top is 2x18mm screwed and glued pieces on MDF that are 24x62 inches.

the 4 legs will be 90x90 pine

there are 2 frames (upper and lower if you like) of 90x45 which are routed to take a threaded rod along their lengths (secured by nuts/washers on the end)

A lower 18mm MDF shelf.

The plan is from finewoodworking. http://images.taunton.com/downloads/GSIW_workbench.pdf



Are there any concerns with H3 and Zinc plated thread?

H3 pine is just ordinary pine which has been treated with a preservative. it is for exterior use (for above ground applications). it is waaaaaaaaaay more expensive than ordinary MGP10 pine. MERCH (non-structural pine) is the cheapest of all and also the nastiest, but im pretty sure you can't get 90x45 as a merch grade. if your bench will be inside, just use ordinary MGP pine.

i looked up prices for pine in bunnies in melbourne
MGP10 90x45 x 2.4m = $7.80 each
H3 MGP10 90x45 x 2.4m pine = $11.72 each

Originally Posted by Kuffy

H3 pine is just ordinary pine which has been treated with a preservative. it is for exterior use (for above ground applications). it is waaaaaaaaaay more expensive than ordinary MGP10 pine. MERCH (non-structural pine) is the cheapest of all and also the nastiest, but im pretty sure you can't get 90x45 as a merch grade. if your bench will be inside, just use ordinary MGP pine.

i looked up prices for pine in bunnies in melbourne
MGP10 90x45 x 2.4m = $7.80 each
H3 MGP10 90x45 x 2.4m pine = $11.72 each

That's interesting - same MGP10 90x45 x 2.4 in Perth =$10.83

I think when i looked at this it had an almost "grooved" finish. Don't know if this was normal or just a one off.

Is it necessary to get a nice square edge instead on the machined "rounded" edge?

If so, assume I need to get a jointer and thicknesser?

Would seem that at less than half price I would be better of getting construction grade MGP10 and dressing myself.

Also want to build toys eventually.

If I only want to "dress" 90x45 construction grade pine could I just use a jointer to get nice square edges?

Sorry for all the dumb questions/

You 'could' use a jointer to DAR all 4 sides of timber, it takes more skill and know how to do it, but it is possible. The idea of a jointer and thicknesser working together is you start with rubbish bowed timber. you straighten and square up two faces of the board, and then use the thicknesser to copy those two faces to the other side of the timber, giving a consistent thickness all nice and straight. to use just a jointer would mean having to straighten and square up 2 faces, and then doing the same thing to the other 2 faces while maintaining a constant thickness (requires planing more off one end of the board than the other).

the grooved profile on the MGP is created when the timber went through the four sided moulder which was equipped with rougher head cutters. the knives have serrated edges rather than a straight edge. it breaks the chips up allowing better chip evacuation through the dust extraction system, instead of having big wide and fat shavings which clog up the dust ports in the system.

to buy a jointer and thicknesser will be many hundreds of dollars at the minimum. your financial circumstances and possible future use of the machinery will determine whether you should spend the cash. alternatively, joining a woodworking club or mens shed equipped with the right gear is a relatively inexpensive way to go about it, and you gain access to more machinery and tools.

a quick look at the plans you are following. it seems mostly everything is referencing off the face of the timber, so rounded edges shouldnt be much of an issue. laminating 2x 90x45's to make a 90x90 post will leave a umm..bum crack down join line(cant think of a better way to describe it. excuse the crudeness). though the timber from the mill will be poorly machined, not straight etc etc resulting in poor mating surfaces for a glueup....however, its just pine and at 90mm wide, the joint wont open up.

I made my workbench frame out of MGP10 and laminated two pieces together to make the legs. All joints are halved joints and the top is 30mm thick Tassie Oak.

I did have a jointer and a thicknesser but to be honest the jointer wasn't used, I just dressed the wide faces through the thicknesses then cut the thin faces on the saw, then dressed those faces on the thicknesser.

If you have a table saw you can remove the grooving and get a clean-ish surface that can be glued using polyurethane glue. If you have a handplane you can smooth the mating faces enough to glue with PVA, you don't need a jointer or thicknesser to build your frame.

Have you tried the woodwork-general section on this forum? There's a sub section titled "workbench". It might be of interest, mind you they don't go for light weight benches that move every time you use a hand tool.