Infeed table material/stability of maple worktop?

[ondablade]

I have a 4m length of 40mm maple (?) worktop (the type that's glued up from solid strips) bought for a project that didn't go ahead, and am trying to decide if it'd make a decent top for infeed and outfeed tables.

It's been in the (dry) workshop for more than a year, and should be well acclimiatised. Sounds daft, but covering it in laminate might help to stabilise it.

I've seen one warp badly, albeit a cheaper IKEA version and in damp/dubious circumstances. It'd suit to get some use out of it, but right now though I'm cautious and veering towards thinking some birch ply or MDF might be a better bet.

Experience/thoughts anybody?

 

[kirkpoore1]

It should work fine. I don't think you'll have a warping issue if you fasten it to a frame instead of just attaching legs to it. Make it like a workbench.

Kirk

 

[JonnyD]

I would either keep the maple top for a paying job or sell it on ebay and use a piece of mdf for the infeed / outfeed tables.

cheers

Jon

 

[ondablade]

Thanks Jon, Kirk. I've taken your advice Jon and put it up for sale on the local small ads site. I'd no idea the stuff was so expensive until I looked, so thanks for that. I obtained the 4m x 665x40 length last year as a part of a quid pro quo deal with a friend in the kitchen business. The initial plan was to use it as the basis for a bench top, but some reading up of Chris Schwarz's bench book put me off that.