2 x 18mm laminated softwood ply Benchtop ?

[urbanarcher]

OK so I need to knock up a work bench about 120cm x 65cm ish to fit in a space i have. The bench will be used for hand work planing assembly and the sorts.
my main question is how will 2 sheets 18mm of laminated together softwood ply be for this top will it stay flat I'll edge it with something better then use some poly on it what you think could it work or do i need something heavier?

I will be wanting to mount vice/vices on it and drill dog holes and will be on a 2"x4" softwood frame.

 

[tisdai]

I wouls use a double piece of MDF and then i would either use laminate on both sides or use Tufnol 1P/13. Which can be found here.

http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/TufnolSheet/1P13/2mm/

I have bought from them for my table and they are cheaper than laminate and harder. If you are using it for a router table as well, the wood will glide accross it without any problems.

Cheers

Dave

 

[urbanarcher]

Hi Tisdai thanks for the reply What is this tufnol sheet what does it look like and how do you apply it? is it really slippery like melamine? I've never done any surface laminating and was going to use a screw and glue method to laminate the plys then edge it and sand it level.

 

[tisdai]

Yes m8 it is slippery, i have put various types of wood on it to test it before i screw it down onto a board. As far as glueing it down, i am going to screw mine down so if it does get damaged later on i can just unscrew it and place a new sheet down without any bother.

Look at the image on the right, that is the Tufnol 1P/13, it is like a sheet of glass. And it tells you a little about it as well, Compared to laminate it works out cheaper.

http://www.directplasticsonline.co.uk/Tufnol_Sheet.html

Cheers

Dave

 

[AndyT]

While I would not disagree that something like Tufnol is ideal for a router table or table saw extension, if you want a general purpose bench for hand planing etc, then a slippery surface can be a real nuisance. You'd be better off with the plywood just as it is, in my opinion.

(I have a very rough bench made from kitchen worktop, and for hand planing I put a piece of flooring chipboard over the top - it makes everything much more stable.)

 

[urbanarcher]

ok so its like this the girlfriend wanted me to put some shelves up in the storage cupboard in the hall and it was cheaper just to cut them from mdf. so i bought a sheet of 18mm and have enough left to make the bench top has anyone else any ideas on the best finish on mdf for a general purpose workbench?

 

[JoinerySolutions]

In many of the commercial workshops I work in (or have worked in) the softwood benches are invariably topped off with mdf.
They are used as replaceable tops that can have things screwed to them, be drilled for stops, get covered in glue or paint to no end, then sanded off or flipped over for a second 'life'. Plus they are generally flat to start with and remain so if the base frame is.

 

[urbanarcher]

ok so its the first solid work bench i've built i have a load of 1.5" by 2.5" planed pine would this suitable for a bench 120cmx65cm. I've been looking at frames and found a picture on-line of a bench frame. Could anyone tell me if this is a good way to go or if i could do something simpler?
See link:
http://jalbum.net/a/819130/
How would i wedge these joints in the image it looks like the wedges are at the outside edges of the tenon is this good i always thought you wedged central and cut a groove for the wedge?

 

[joiner_sim]

It's a standard bench design, sometimes they can be strong, other times they can be weak, depends on the joints and if reinforced maybe with screws? As for wedging tennons, you are right you can wedge a tennon by making a cut directly into the tennon, however you can wedge from the sides also. Either way you need to cut tapered wedge room into the end of the mortices. If it was me, my preference would be to cut into the tennon and wedge it that way, rather than how it is shown in the drawing.

 

[urbanarcher]

Thanks jointersim for the info.
Is there any other ways to strengthen them joints could i maybe use some sort of nut & bolt configuration? or would it benefit to cross drill and dowel through the tenons? any ideas would be appreciated.

Ryan

 

[JoinerySolutions]

You could draw bore the tenons (cross dowel as you say) but properly made wedged mortice & tenon joints would be suitable for this task.
The wedges effectively turn the straight tenon into a dovetail which we know is very hard to pull apart. If your making the bench you show the aprons could be fixed with carriage bolts, two to each leg, which would help prevent racking.
Below are diagrams of the two methods Simon mentioned, just to clarify what we are talking about. :wink:

Hope this is of use.
Rob.

 

[MickCheese]

If this is your first bench and, I may be wrong, but you may not be that experienced I would stick with square frames for the legs and rails, those angles on the one in your picture will make things a little more complicated.

I made mine from 4"X4" pine legs with 3"X2" stretchers and 3"X2" rails connecting the two pairs of legs. Mine has a thick pine top and weighs a ton.

My pine top is not too flat or stable so I would go with the MDF for the top.

Mick

 

[urbanarcher]

Thanks for the info on the joints i'll go with the fox wedging i think.
Your right Mick I'm quite new to the woodworking world and am just trying to get a v small workshop sorted out, its small. This bench will occupy one end of it i do have a long area i can use for cutting down stock but i cant really buy anything longer than 10'.
I guess by what you've said that i will need to stiffen the corners of this bench if i use the timbers i have for it think i'll use some mdf triangles screwed for extre strength.
Yes i realised that the sloped back legs would cause a headache, and boy did it. Had to get out the trig textbook and still think i've cut the rear legs a bit long but i can always cut them to length if i work from the top down with all the joints then just trim the legs. i think that will work :?

 

[Nick W]

It's only fox wedging if the mortice is blind, otherwise it's just a wedged through tenon. BTW the first method shown is not particularly good, as soon as the glue gives up the tenon can slide out, that is why it is properly done using the second method shown.

Sorry if I sound a bit like Mr G (EDIT: Sorry I see that should now read Jacob). Actually I'm surprised he hasn't commented already.

 

[urbanarcher]

ah thanks I'm learning. Maybe I'll have to volunteer myself for some apprentice work to get some workshop hours in or just keep picking brains here :roll:
well does anyone use some free software for calculating lengths etc on a frame like the bench I'm doing? would be nice to find a freebie that does a cutting list etc!

 

[Dibs-h]

ah thanks I'm learning. Maybe I'll have to volunteer myself for some apprentice work to get some workshop hours in or just keep picking brains here :roll:
well does anyone use some free software for calculating lengths etc on a frame like the bench I'm doing? would be nice to find a freebie that does a cutting list etc!

Rather than carriage bolts - have you thought of using bed bolts? Unless you know 100% that the bench is never going to be required to move, knock down makes life so much easier.