bench top

[flat n smooth]

I have salvaged 3 2m lengths of what i think is seppelie its about 50mm thick, would this be suitable for a workbench top? I plan to joint then to make a 600mm deep bench. They are currently 350each in depth .
i hope this makes sense.
karl

 

[blackrodd]

Sapele, is usually used for furniture as well as joinery, but not really dense or hardy enough for a workbench.
It would soon show dents and marks with use over a short time.
Beech is traditional for bench tops, as it is very strong and stringy as well as tough and weighty.
Almost any of the tougher hardwoods are preferable, oak, ash, etc
HTH Regards Rodders

 

[Richard S]

There are people here and elsewhere that have bench tops made of everything from mdf, chipboard, ply, pine / spruce, pallet wood to you get the picture. Sapele will be fine, a little dark maybe but it will make as good a bench as you can. Do it and get on with some wood work.

 

[marcros]

Consider a narrower bench- you can't reach the back of a 600mm one and so it tends to get cluttered if you are not careful. Potentially useful for assembly but you have to clear the crap off it first each time.

I went with 18" from memory and wish I had been braver and gone for 12"

 

[Phil Pascoe]

12"? really??

 

[marcros]

Maybe a personal thing, but yes. The majority if things that I have done on the bench, with the exception of a dining table have been in the front 12". If and when I make another, it will be around that width. I don't make a lot of big projects though, but if I did I would make separate provision for assembly.

 

[dzj]

You can glue all this together and have a nice 20" wide and 4" thick bench top. Or you can make an English type workbench
and use them as is with no gluing at all. Many possibilities.

 

[custard]

Sapele will be fine. Every wood has positives and negatives.

On the plus side it's more stable than beech, and a flat bench is a very good thing indeed. On the down side it's bit dark (so for example when you're sighting down the sole of your plane to adjust the blade, you'll need a sheet of paper on a sapele bench to be able to see your adjustment) and sapele's ribbon grain can be a bit awkward to plane.

Regarding width, there's nothing wrong with a 12" bench, but it really helps if there's a something at exactly the same level as the bench top a bit further back (like the rear of a tool tray for example) so that you can rest a larger workpiece level. You'll still only ever do 99% of your work on the first 12" of bench, but being able to support those wider workpieces is useful.

 

[AndyT]

Sapele will be fine. Every wood has positives and negatives.

On the plus side it's more stable than beech, and a flat bench is a very good thing indeed. On the down side it's bit dark (so for example when you're sighting down the sole of your plane to adjust the blade, you'll need a sheet of paper on a sapele bench to be able to see your adjustment) and sapele's ribbon grain can be a bit awkward to plane.

Regarding width, there's nothing wrong with a 12" bench, but it really helps if there's a something at exactly the same level as the bench top a bit further back (like the rear of a tool tray for example) so that you can rest a larger workpiece level. You'll still only ever do 99% of your work on the first 12" of bench, but being able to support those wider workpieces is useful.

Agreed 100%.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'm now making the base for mine (I've got the top of my old one, it's mahogany of some description found at sea), I think I might go for about 18" - I haven't the room for another working surface, so 12" is a bit narrow. I suppose I could get a square of ply 30" square (thereabout) with a batten on the underside to put in the vice if I needed assembly space. Then I've got to find somewhere to put that - it goes on and on. My last one was 28" deep, which was too much. If you go for the above option (4" top) you may need to counterbore the bottom for an inch or so if you intend to use holdfasts.

 

[flat n smooth]

Finally finished the top. I went with a depth of 350mm this saved joining 2 of the boardsand if im honest as this is in my office man room in the house i think 100x 350 will be what will work best ( I have more space in my garage for bigger things) i have fitted a cheap front vice i had and drilled a row of dog holes parallel to the front of the base.
I really worked up a sweat flattening the top, and altho its not perfect im happy

I found it easier to use my 4.5 quansheng on this rather than a 5.5 veritas prob due to my use/ setting up of the tool.
Now for the base..i have purchased some 70x70 par pine for the legs but am unsure how to attach them to the top

It is at present clamped to a work mate and wedged against a wall what a difference working on this alone has made to doing things. I know this may sound silly but just using it as is has made carrying out basic cuts etc much more enjoyable?
I have a few pics if anyone wants to see the progress so far.
karl

 

[MrYorke]

Consider a narrower bench- you can't reach the back of a 600mm one and so it tends to get cluttered if you are not careful. Potentially useful for assembly but you have to clear the rubbish off it first each time.

I went with 18" from memory and wish I had been braver and gone for 12"

What if he's 7 ft tall? He wouldn't have trouble reaching the back of the bench then. I'm well over 6 ft and do t have a problem with my 3ft wide bench ;-)

 

[Woodmonkey]

Consider a narrower bench- you can't reach the back of a 600mm one and so it tends to get cluttered if you are not careful. Potentially useful for assembly but you have to clear the rubbish off it first each time.

I went with 18" from memory and wish I had been braver and gone for 12"

What if he's 7 ft tall? He wouldn't have trouble reaching the back of the bench then. I'm well over 6 ft and do t have a problem with my 3ft wide bench ;-)

That's what I thought, I'm average height I can easily reach the back of mine which is about 600. I would think a 12 inch wide bench would be a bit unstable too, unless you splayed the legs

 

[MrYorke]

That's what I thought, I'm average height I can easily reach the back of mine which is about 600. I would think a 12 inch wide bench would be a bit unstable too, unless you splayed the legs

......and where would you put your biscuits and tea!

 

[custard]

Finally finished the top. I went with a depth of 350mm this saved joining 2 of the boardsand if im honest as this is in my office man room in the house i think 100x 350 will be what will work best ( I have more space in my garage for bigger things) i have fitted a cheap front vice i had and drilled a row of dog holes parallel to the front of the base.
I really worked up a sweat flattening the top, and altho its not perfect im happy

I found it easier to use my 4.5 quansheng on this rather than a 5.5 veritas prob due to my use/ setting up of the tool.
Now for the base..i have purchased some 70x70 par pine for the legs but am unsure how to attach them to the top

It is at present clamped to a work mate and wedged against a wall what a difference working on this alone has made to doing things. I know this may sound silly but just using it as is has made carrying out basic cuts etc much more enjoyable?
I have a few pics if anyone wants to see the progress so far.
karl

Well done Karl, yes we'd always like to see pics!

Regarding attaching legs to the top. You need an apron/rail that goes all around the top of the legs, preferably secured with mortice and tenon joints. You can have legs that attach directly to the top, but only with really thick, Roubo style bench tops, and cutting those joints is a lot of work and quite challenging technically. So for your top think in terms of rails between the legs. After that you would attach the top, not to the legs, but to the rails/aprons.