Bench Build Timber Choices

[James C]

I'm thinking about building myself a new workbench using the nicholson design.

Various versions that I like include Christopher Schwarzs knockdown and Mike Siemsens Naked Woodworker Bench.

In both builds they use wood straight from a DIY store. I generally avoid using timber from B&Poo and the like.

However at the moment cost is a major factor due to some life circumstances and I find myself in need of cheap rough wood to do a job and not look pretty or anything.

Could I use pressure treated timber or CLS? Most merchants near me don't supply decent pine and if they do its not affordable for me.

I would appreciate any tips or recommendations from people with any experience in the matter.

 

[marcros]

I wouldn't use treated- horrible stuff to handle.

Standard 4x2 or cls will do the job nicely.

 

[PAC1]

My first bench was made from some 6" x 2" I scrounged with an MDF top
If you do not want to spend much I would recommend building the top from man made board such as MDF as long as it is well supported it will remain flat and true. The other thing is if (or in my case when) you ruin it you can just turn it over

 

[Roughcut]

I think to some extent the bench design and timber choice will depend on what type of work you will do on the bench.
If doing hand tool work using hand planes a non-racking stable design using thick weighty timber would be my choice (2"x4", 4"x4" etc.), Redwood pine is fine for this purpose and is of a reasonable cost. CLS Timber in my opinion would not offer as much weight and wouldn't be as preferable.
Although of course if you were bolting it to the floor or a wall the weight of the bench wouldn't be as critical.
I recently made a bench specifically with hand tool work in mind.
The bench was made from Redwood with a 2" x 4" work top 4" thick and the legs and frame made from 4" x 4".
I made it a similar design to a Roubo work bench so that the top and legs are coplanar, morticed and tenoned.
The bench is only 4ft long and 18" wide because I didn't want anything larger in the space, and even though one end of the bench has an overhang due to incorporating a wagon vice into the design, the bench is extremely stable and does not move when exerting force in any direction.
One of the simplest forms of work bench is two trestles with a worktop bolted or screwed to the top, this would be cheap to make and will serve it's purpose in a lot of situations. A front vice would enhance it's basic functionality.

 

[James C]

The design I'm lookingat involves laminating two 6x2's. One of these is shorter than the other to create a lap joint which mates with a Nicholson apron made from two edge jointed 6x2's.

This bench will finish up around 6' long with 12x2 aprons and a 20-22"x4" top.

I'm thinking I will wait until after Christmas for this build and make it properly. I have found a place nearby that will do untreated regularised timber. It's roughly £10 for a 3.6m length of 45mmx145mm (finished size).

Not sure if that's a good price or not. The alternative is PAR Vth Redwood which adds about 50% to the overall cost but saves me some work.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The main problems (to me) with CLS is the round edges - it's difficult to mark around, and the joints look awful.

 

[James C]

Yes I did wonder about that. I'm pretty sure that untreated regularised timber doesn't have eased edges but I'm not sure.

 

[Andy RV]

Have you got any machinery for machining up the wood if you buy rough sawn?

 

[AndyT]

I agree that ordinary softwood is fine for a bench. I chose to make a laminated top like in the Paul Sellers videos, knowing that the whole bench would get a lot of its rigidity from being bolted to the floor.
I bought the wood from a local builder's merchant where I was able to pick out the straightest bits. Rounded corners got planed off.
For me, another advantage of a relatively cheap top is that I won't mind putting screws in the top if I need to to hold something - I'd feel differently about hundreds of pounds worth of hardwood.

 

[James C]

Yeah I have access to a great 12" Wadkin Planer Thicknesser at school so that will help in spades.

 

[geordie]

check out ebay james you might be lucky and find someone close buy thats selling timber its always worth alook


Geordie

 

[RobinBHM]

If you can par yourself you may think about buying sawn fifths or unsorted. You would need to go to somebody like Brooks Bros in Maldon Essex or Lathams in Purfleet.


Local timber merchants have quite a mark up on joinery grade softwood and it is often not the flattest material. If uou have a good local timber merchant that machines its own softwood you might be able to buy some sawn fifths.

Redwood is much nicer to work with than spruce. If you decide to go for regularised studwork which is spruce, then definitely select it yourself, sometimes its like a banana, sometimes its stored outside and is so wet it feels heavier than oak.

 

[James C]

I think I will have to check out a couple of places nearby. The local saw mill only really deals in ash oak and Douglas fir.

I think there's a place in Enfield that does Redwood in the grades I would need.

Thanks all.

 

[beech1948]

The best designed lower price bench I have ever made is this one:-

http://www.picnicpark.org/keith/woodworking/workbench/BobAndDavesGoodFastAndCheapBench-ne.pdf

I like its simplicity and it has been rock solid. I like that it has great utility. I like that it is not a wood fashionistas Roubo or European bench or whatever. I like that it is a tool capable of much abuse or misuse and you can build things on it.

Make it from softwood.

Al

 

[Droogs]

Have you tried speaking to any local scafolders, to see if they have any boards they are getting rid of. i've found that they will generally sell you them for a very low price. Admittedly you have to do a bit of work to prep them for use. My best find was a dozen for £25 from a building site that was packing up.

 

[James-1986]

If you have use of a planer then just buy some 75mm sawn joinery? Travis Perkins do fair prices through a cash account (which is surprising as they are usually very expensive)