Workbench Legs - One piece or laminated

[Osvaldd]

I received some 4"x4" spruce timber which I thought would be perfect for workbench legs, but I was kinda disappointed they feel quite lightweight. Is engrain a good indication of its wimpiness? Growth rings look kinda big as compared to more dense pine.
Would it be better to laminate legs from pine boards like in the picture?
I don’t have anything else.

 

[Bodgers]

I received some 4"x4" spruce timber which I thought would be perfect for workbench legs, but I was kinda disappointed they feel quite lightweight. Is engrain a good indication of its wimpiness? Growth rings look kinda big as compared to more dense pine.
Would it be better to laminate legs from pine boards like in the picture?
I don’t have anything else.

Denser growth rings are better, but these look fairly average for construction grade SPR to me.

Probably fine, but laminating is a good option for wood movement/stability reasons anyway.

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[Freddyjersey2016]

Put a shelf under the bench and put some toolboxes on it - that's what I did with my workbench 30 years ago - it never moves (my bench has 4x4 legs made from cheap fence posts)

 

[Inspector]

Use the 4 x 4's. There is nothing you can do on a bench (hammer) that will cause them to crush or break short of parking a diesel electric locomotive on it.
Pete

 

[Osvaldd]

It’s quite pretty imo, kinda pink-ish hue, long straight grain, nightmare to plane, chiseling mortises will be tough.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Probably larch. Spruce has little durability as fence posts.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

I'd use it as it is - I salvaged a cubic metre or so of stuff exactly like that recently. It was untreated spruce, used as packing material for plastic pipes - one of them still had the timber merchant's tag on and I was able to look them up. It is fairly low density timber, but that really shouldn't matter, so is Accoya for example - they key is good design detailing. If you find it hard to plane, I strongly suggest that the problem is with the way you've set up your plane. Cheers, W2S

PS if it's been treated, and from the photos it's hard to tell (but you can usually tell by the colour/smell) I wouldn't use it on surfaces you will touch and I'd take care not to breathe the dust.

 

[Osvaldd]

@Woody2Shoes is there a way to tell if it's treated? I have a few small pieces that I know are treated, it’s green and it takes quite a bit to plane it off.

Regarding the difficulty with planing the stuff, I have the other thread going, I’ll reply there

p.s.: had to google accoya, interesting stuff.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Hi - there's no definitive way to tell whether or not it's been treated (other than by colour/smell) - as there are clear preservatives, but most of them yield a solvent smell when cutting - unless the timber is marked in some way that tells you about its origin - cheers, W2S

PS I may be being a bit fussy about not using treated timber in this way, but it's an avoidable risk IMHO - the inorganic chemicals used (in the EU at least) are less fierce than they were, but the synthetic (insecticidal/fungicidal) chemicals often used are IMHO every bit as fierce (especially if the timber originated somewhere like China) and the long-term effects on human beans are generally less well researched.

 

[Orraloon]

I would say use the 4x4s if it's dry. The legs only hold the top up and 4x4 of anything will be fine. If it is treated then don't bother sanding it. Better not breathe that stuff in. Lots of people now paint the under carriage of the bench. I used 4x4 treated pine offcuts as bench legs many years ago when arsneic and copper were still used. Had about 15 years out of that bench and kept the frame wood for future projects. Any danger is during the building so no difference risk wise if you build a bench or a fence just don't snort it in.
Laminated legs are fine too. Whatever gets the job done and suits your approach to woodwork and of course budget.
Regards
John

 

[marcros]

Using laminated may save cutting mortices if you lay the layers up with some thought.