Thread: material

When building a new bench, consider using recycled framing material. In the not too distant past, most house, and commercial building framing in Australia was made of eucalyptus hardwood, heavy, hard, and strong. It's available from building sites, recycling yards and the like, and I built my bench from this material (3x2 and 4x2hardwood) at minimal expense decades ago, and it's still going strong. I bolted the frame together, with corner braces added to keep it square. You can hammer on it without the bench flinching, and the weight ensures it never moves. When you mount the vices (I have a woodworking vice one end, a quickly detached metal working vice on the right hand end), the bench doesn't sag, doesn't ever notice the weight. And it's green, stops good timber going to the tip.
... Keith
Highly recommended