Thread: Sourcing timber for my first project - workbench

The most economical source of timber for a bench where I am are 45x90 hardwood framing studs.

I’ve priced a bunch of options and this was close to the cheapest (35x90 was marginally less, but would have required more laminations). I had intended picking up the timber a couple of weeks ago, but I hurt my back, so no lifting for me at the moment. Gah!

I’m keen to follow your progress, so keep us updated.

Lance

I think the 45x90 would be almost perfect sizing for the top of the bench I'm building. Any particular species I should be looking out for?

I'll definitely keep you guys updated on my progress (and I'm sure I'll have heaps more questions as I get into this project).

Dean

I just found this place in Keysborough which looks good https://www.renovatorsparadise.com.au/ - anyone have any dealings with these guys in the past?

For hardwood buy F17 kdhw from mitre 10 or another builders timber/hardware shop ie not Bunnings. It’s structural framing timber and is vic ash/ tas oak (or very close to, and close enough for a bench). My Paul sellers bench is made from it. Make sure you get solid timber, not finger jointed or laminated - it doesn’t look as good.

For pine which is perfectly acceptable for a first bench buy mgp10 from Bunnings , seems like everyone builds more than one bench so learn on the cheaper stuff if you like, no shame.

edit - the dogs eyes during the intro of that video freaked me out and I had to turn it off !! Hahaha

Thanks Sam, I've found some f17 at Everest timber in Hastings but wasn't sure if it was appropriate. I'll be sure to check it out. There's also a mitre 10 pretty close by so I'll check them out to.


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seriously my first bench was going to be the bees knees. I thought one bench and one only.. it finished being recycled...[SIZE=1]as firewood[SIZE=2] no one but my family saw it and when daughter jumped up to sit on it and it moved sideways I knew my limits.

go pine as mentioned.... if it looks good trim the top edges with redgum or jarrah or something fl;ashy, stain it . be proud of your first attempt

faaart, just looked at the vid, please try something a lot simpler easier PLEASE

Wow, talk about jumping in at the deep end!

You haven’t told us what tooling you have available to you; in the video there are table saws, hand saws, circular saws, mitre saws, mortice chisels, bench planes etc etc etc.

As you say you are new to woodworking I’m guessing your workshop is a little on the light side and your hand skills have not yet been established. I highly recommend you make your bench out of softwood; it’s easier to work, much cheaper and (more importantly) will be perfectly adequate for a workbench. If you want a speccy bench still build it out of pine but when you make a boo-boo out of one component you can just shrug your shoulders, throw it on the firewood pile and buy more pine to make another. Repeat until satisfied with eventual product and thank your deity of choice that you didn’t do all that with expensive hardwood.

You also haven’t told us what you want to make on the wookbench; do you see yourself making cabinets, boxes, chairs, toys....?

Your right my workshop is a little on the light side, however I am beginning to acquire some nice equipment such as a sawstop 36 inch t-glide table saw and some nice hand planes. I also just picked up a bunch of clamps second hand, but yes I have a long way to go tool wise. I figured I can get some basics and then acquire what I need when I need it.

As for projects the first thing that will be priority is wainscoting and built in hidden cabinetry for our bedroom. I'll then be building a kitchen and bathroom cabinets from scratch as part of a large extension we are planning. Once I have finished the extension/renovation I plan on learning to make furniture and if also like to learn how to turn. This is a hobby I've wanted to get into for some time now but haven't had the time or resources to do it until now.

A beginner would find pine far easier to work and much cheaper than hardwood. If you are going to be flogging out large mortises or planing large chunks of gnarly hardwood the weight and strength of hardwood will serve you well. Otherwise, a pine bench will work just fine. I have five benches in my shop, all are made from pine gluts from melamine packs. Cost me nothing. Have been in service for over twenty years and continue to perform well. If I was going to build another I would probably go hardwood, just in the interest of brutality and for a bit of variety. When it comes to moving things around in the shop, I'm glad the existing ones are pine.

Seems like the overwhelming consensus is to use pine. I guess that would probably be the smart move and if I find I'm getting good use out of it and I want something harder I can always upgrade it the top to hardwood later.

I guess one question I have is, is pine hard enough to handle the dogs without elongating the holes and does it really matter to the performance of the table? If it does would I be best to laminate the top with say a 20mm hardwood on top of the pine just for some extra beef?

Also i'm going to check out Renovators Paradise out in Keysborough after work today so I'll let you know if I find anything cool.

I'm going to throw a spanner in the works here.

First please consider the comments above. Don't build that bench and don't spend big money on timber.

If you are just starting you haven't found your path yet. People like to do things different ways. You will develop your own preferences over time and once you do you will have preferences for how your bench is laid out.

Make a quick and easy one first up, use it. Once you settle in build your dream bench.

Pine: If you drop your job on your bench made of hardwood your job will dent. Do the same on pine the pine will take a lot of the impact. Which would you prefer to damage ?

The non structural studs from bunnings have become expensive and are now marginal value. As I mention elsewhere pallets can be had for free but can be problematic. There are cover sheets advertised on gumtree, here in brisbane they run $5-$10 per. There are designs for mdf and chipboard workbenches. They work fine, go together fast and will do for a first bench you can scrap later when you build your masterpiece.

I spent good money building a well equipped workshop and I am quite happy with it, but to be honest if I did it over I'd buy hand tools, get some lessons and pass on pretty much all the machinery I have. YMMV but ask here and plenty of people would do it differently a second time...

Good advice from the others. A bench is a very personal thing as we all work our own way. I think you need to work a while on a basic(but still solid and functional)bench to build a list of features wanted in the next bench. I am on bench No4 and even if it was going to do everything I wanted I have still had to tweek it here and there as needs change. The ultimate bench is always just out of reach.
Pine makes a good practical bench and is a bit easier on the wallet. Recycled wood is another option but there is a bit of work denailing and some risk to your machines if you miss some. The bench on the clip is overkill in that both sides do the same thing so was it necessary. Those video woodworkers are mostly out to impress. Last bit of advice is think if you will ever have to move the bench and should it be able to be taken apart as in knockdown construction.
Anyhow whatever you decide to build there will be plenty helpful advice on here .
Regards
John

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To answer your original question regarding sourcing cheap timber for your bench, you can try Marketplace on FB or Gumtree to get some decent secondhand timber. The problem is you don’t always get the type, quantities and lengths you want. Another issue is the quality and the type of timber you are getting but if you are patient they do appear. Generally old hardwood timber is roughly cut, sometimes painted and full of nails, so allow extra time for cleaning and dimensioning. I lucked out as a neighbor down the road was renovating his house and he gave me a combination of karri and jarrah for free. Materials aside, the type of work and tools used will generally determine the type of bench you should build.

Here is mine during glue up....somehow I can't get the pic to rotate

Yeah I've been watching FB marketplace and like you said it's pretty hit and miss with quality and quantities.

P.S. nice clamps!!! Also what glue are you using?