Thread: First workbench - help regarding timber selection

I got in to this whole 'proper woodworking' about 18 months ago and initially intended to build a big, expensive workbench, but luckily before I committed to this I realised I really didn't have a clue what I was doing and instead decided to use the first bench build as a practice piece and made it out of pine, making a point to make it the same height as my table saw so when the time came to build the mega bench later the original would serve when needed as an outfeed table for the saw.

I am so glad I went with this plan as I surely would have messed up a more ambitious build. Fast forward 18 months and I now feel I have the skills to make a serious bench, and have spent enough time with the original bench to be aware of its shortcomings and know what I want in the next build.

So, much the same advice as the rest here from me.

'My dodgy first bench build'- My dodgy first bench build

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

While recycled timber is often 'full of charm' it is also often full of pitfalls (eg. hidden nails) or of an age to be difficult to work. To my mind, recycled timber is lovely stuff to use if you get it cheaply enough but... well... the prices for recycled timber in Sydney have never, ever - to my mind - been cheap. Unless a more accurate description of the timber is 'landfill.'

For a large build like a good, solid workbench I'd be more inclined to look for a slabber close to you.

Most slabbers I know (the conscientious ones, anyway... there are always cowboys who'll try to sell you firewood as 'furniture grade') air- or kiln-dry their own so, generally, you can see potential faults and movement areas 'in the rough.' It really doesn't take much to rip a slab down to more manageable sizes, even if you only have a chainsaw or old hand-held circ.

For the price of a drive into the country you can take home more than enough timber to make your bench, plus still have some change left over as compared to buying recycled in town.

eg. At a Lithgow slabber I recently bough two slabs of Himalayan Cedar (app. 3.2m x 900mm x 60mm thick), a slab of eucy burl (800-900mm dia. x 30mm thick) and a couple of blue gum slabs around the same size as the cedar. All for under $500 and a few hours of my time.


I suggest that you at least look into what fellers/slabbers are within a comfortable driving range for you and giving 'em a bell to see what they carry and what sort of prices they're asking.

Hey skew,

Who was the slabber you mention? I'd be happy to take a drive for that price!

Regards,

Adam

There is much wisdom in this thread and am glad I read it, I bought a pack of recycled Blackbutt a few months ago and have been jointing and thicknessing with a view to building a work bench and after having read this have shifted gears completely. There isn't much point building a workbench that is too good to use and my current bench which is a simple solid core door on a pine frame does suffer some serious punishment, I hammer, cut, and drill on it without a care, and am not too fussed if I spill things on it, drill into it, dent it and all of the rest of the normal incidental damage that any workbench suffers and is still going strong and does all I ask of it.

Think I fell in love with all of the pictures of amazing and beautiful benches I was looking at on google without really considering the functional reality of things, will now be running with 75mm pine for the top as suggested and will leave the Blackbutt for a project that deserves it.

Cheers,

Rudy

If anyone is in Sydney and would like to look at some sections of Bowling Alley for a bench top please get in touch. I have listed some Rock Maple pieces for sale but I also have a few other pieces of similar size. I plan on using one for a bench myself later in the year but I'd be very happy to see the other pieces go to a good home. Since I got no bites on my other post, price is very negotiable.

Steve

If I lived in Sydney would be there in the ute tonight.....!

Hi all,

Re-igniting the thread!

I had taken people's advise to make my first bench from untreated radiata pine but seems we are all out.
Spent last few weekend calling and sending emails but seems the dry spell is here to stay ... I was not even offered the option to pre-order
...I would love some one to prove me wrong though

So questions that follow:
1. How bad would it be to use treated pine instead? Thinking either 70x90 or 70x45?
2. Is there an alternative softwood to untreated radiata pine that is not in short supply? Thinking cypress?
4. Have considered using MDF/ birch ply similar to this https://robcosman.com/blogs/robs-blog/make-your-workbench-from-mdf-plywood ... concerned how durable MDF top would be (edge and water damage my main concern)

So my main headache right now is just sourcing softwood timber ... if anyone knows how to get around this, your input would be much appreciated

Regards

Alex

Hi Alex. The most immediate drawback to treated pine is the smell, which will fade eventually but linger longer inside. It is also a little greasy to handle. But having said that my very basic workbench has a top made from recycled 140 x 38 treated pine. I am finding construction pine hard to get too and my timber yard is warning me of a 25-30% increase in price. Maybe get in contact with a timber recycling mob, I know a great one in Melbourne.

Treated wood is toxic Alex. Your bench is not something that lives in a bubble that you can stay away from. While building it, you're going to expose yourself to some serious inevitable catastrophic outcomes. Don't do it, as the end result will cause you unimaginable suffering down the track and maybe even sooner than that. Even after your bench is built, you will still be exposing yourself to nasty chemicals - your family probably too. Do extensive research on it - talk to your Doctor as well - talk to a lot of people - then after that, just don't do it. Remember, a forum is not necessarily a domain of experts on anything at all. There will be experts here, but you may not know who actually is one. On this subject of risk, I suspect there's even less chance of it. No offense to anyone reading this, but forums are infamous for spreading false information.

Untreated wood is potentially dangerous, so imagine what treated wood is going to do to you. Safe wood will come back into stock one day, but would you like to be healthy and strong to take advantage of when it does? Stay safe!

Hi DS. "Untreated wood is potentially dangerous". You might need to elaborate a little.

Originally Posted by alex_australia

Hi all,

Re-igniting the thread!

I had taken people's advise to make my first bench from untreated radiata pine but seems we are all out....

Hi Alex

Have you considered Steve's offer above of a section of rock maple bowling alley? It looks seriously good and quite cheap.

You are both in Sydney.

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

Hi Alex

Have you considered Steve's offer above of a section of rock maple bowling alley? It looks seriously good and quite cheap.

You are both in Sydney.

Assuming the bowling alley is constructed like the majority of bowling alleys, unless your going to use it in one piece and just flatten the top... and considering of the dents i have seen in bowling lanes you probably need to, you run a lot of chance of hitting nails as Steve says in his ad.

Typically they will have a large amount of nails, one thread I read by a woodworker that built them was as high as 30% by weight.

Having said that building a bench around one of those slabs would work out pretty nice

The bowling alley is relatively clean but will have some dents and scrapes. In the slabs that I have, all of the nails are half way through so there is around 25mm of timber to work with above and below. I've found nails about every 300mm along the length, so not too much.

You're welcome to come and have a look and I could probably help to transport a slab.

Steve

When I retired from Sydney Uni I took my bench home. ( yes there wasn’t a bench in the Patternshop of Civil Eng!)
I gave the young Fitter who replaced me a piece of bowling alley and he put on an old lab bench he’d scrounged.
Problem was it hung over the front edge about 250mm or so.
The overhang proceeded to part company rapidly. The nails simply won’t hold it together.
So whilst great stuff bowling alley needs full support underneath, when in use for bowling it has heavy angle iron supports under it.
The hardened nails will destroy a circ saw blade in no time as you are cutting the full length of the nail when crosscutting to length.
As far as dings from bowling balls I’ve never seen any, it’s not called Rock Maple for nothing.
H.

Hi Mountain Ash. In responding to your query, it's important to realize (and I'm sure you do), that wood is a dangerous product to work with and in countless critical catastrophic ways (let's call it CCC!). If I just say "gas mask", everyone reading this, should quickly gather why even untreated wood is potentially dangerous, in just this one way alone. Treated wood is another level again. If wood workers show no respect to the dangers, then someday they'll possibly wish they were dead instead - it can be that bad and probably will be.