Workbench top?

[novocaine]

4 years later (I think, but it seems like longer) and my CLS workbench is still going strong. got a few dings, some interesting stains and a few burn marks. If and when it dies I'll build another in exactly the same way. it's 4 side on, 4 flat, 4 side on and it's more than stable enough for me.

It's B&Q wood, they cost me 2 quid a stick at the time and it's about 20 sticks, that's 40 quid for a solid bench that I don't have to worry about. I selected the timber myself, it was all pretty straight, about 15% moisture content and with as few knots as I could get. I don't think you can build a bench for much cheaper than that, the pair of vices cost considerable more.

The bench by David Rees, on Flickr

 

[transatlantic]

Whats the giant overhang on the left for?

 

[Ttrees]

It wouldn't cut through it Mike.
I just pulled the hardwood edges off it and chucked it in front of the compost shed for the ride on.

I will chop a bit off it and show you for interest sake if you like.
I see a fire security door on adverts.ie maybe that's what it is?
https://www.adverts.ie/door-windows/sec ... r/18663737
Interested to know if you think this one has a chipboard, my one could be different.
I have other hollowish fire doors but there only light things, that's why I was saying its a composite.
Thanks
Tom

Tom

 

[novocaine]

Whats the giant overhang on the left for?

The mig and compressor at the time (stuff that couldn't be sat on the rails), now a 2 shelve cabinet with the belt sander and the scroll saw on. it was cut back by about 3" after the picture.

 

[MikeG.]

It wouldn't cut through it Mike.
I just pulled the hardwood edges off it and chucked it in front of the compost shed for the ride on.

I will chop a bit off it and show you for interest sake if you like.
I see a fire security door on adverts.ie maybe that's what it is?
https://www.adverts.ie/door-windows/sec ... r/18663737
Interested to know if you think this one has a chipboard, my one could be different.

Jeez Tom, give it up. You're now citing an Irish personal ad as evidence. Ireland doesn't operate to our Building Regulations for a start, and you have no idea whether the individual putting that door up for sale knows his buttocks from his elbow.

I have other hollowish fire doors but there only light things, that's why I was saying its a composite.

What makes you think they are fire doors?

 

[Ttrees]

I will have to check but I think they had a label on them.
I suppose this will never end until I get you a picture of the composite door.
Just thought mine could have been the same kind as in the link, sorry if I'm not getting the terminology correct.
I'd suppose that door all the same would suffice, and could be made into a good temporary bench for planing on
and finding out what height you want to work at, and would make a good assembly table afterwards.

Tom

 

[MikeG.]

You really aren't understanding my point at all, are you.

You cannot say that your door/s are fire doors unless it says so on them, and/or has seals around the edge. That's all. I'm wanting you to stop calling them firedoors and start calling them "solid core doors" or "composite doors". That's all. This is for the sake of accuracy, because others reading your posts might be misled into thinking that there is some special quality to a fire door which an ordinary solid core door doesn't have..........and there isn't. You cannot have understood this if you think that showing me your door/ bench would enable me to distinguish whether it was a fire door or not.

 

[Rich C]

if I made a bench again, I would use a hardwood either beech or ash,

Why hardwood out of interest?

 

[thetyreman]

if I made a bench again, I would use a hardwood either beech or ash,

Why hardwood out of interest?

the extra weight is the main reason, and also a hardwood like ash or beech is far less likely to have knots in it.

 

[Ttrees]

Fair enough Mike
I still think the composite door I have that came with labels has some sort of plaster board inside.
That's why I was calling them fire doors.
I just thought they might be a bit more stable.

I couldn't do the work I do without a dead flat bench though, not to the same standards.

Tom

 

[MikeG.]

......I still think the composite door I have that came with labels has some sort of plaster board inside........

I've never seen or heard of such a construction.

 

[Jonathan S]

Is it possible that these "fire doors" could of been door blanks?

Many years ago when I lived in the uk I had a couple of benches with door blank tops, don't know if there still manufactured but they where heavy and flat, solid hardwood core.
They there big, approximately 2100 x 1000x 44, took 2 men to lift them until the where cut to size.

Now my bench top is 25mm MDF.

Sent from my SM-J530F using Tapatalk

 

[Benchwayze]

Tom

I think the plaster board you see, is in fact just a layer of gypsum sandwiched between ply sheets. Not plaster-board, but made of the same stuff. Plasterboard is sometimes known as gypsum-board.

John

 

[shed9]

Fair enough Mike
I still think the composite door I have that came with labels has some sort of plaster board inside.
That's why I was calling them fire doors.
I just thought they might be a bit more stable.

I couldn't do the work I do without a dead flat bench though, not to the same standards.

Tom

As already initially referenced by Benchwayze, it's not uncommon to have gypsum sandwiched within a fire rated door as a mineral insulator, any good architect will be able to confirm this for you. I'm sure one will be along shortly to note this.

 

[--Tom--]

Thickness of door affects its fire rating too, pretty sure I’ve read a rough rule of thumb that normal doors are about 35mm, 30 min doors are 45mm and 60min doors are 55mm
As such a really heavy one may be due it being specced to resist fire for longer.

I was planning laminated MDF for my bench top, surfaced with some 1/2 inch solid timber. To my mind it’ll be similar to why engineered wood flooring is “better” with the stability of the mdf but being able to skim off the surface when too dinged up. With a frame underneath that should stop any sagging to my mind.

 

[Togalosh]

I got hold of 3 identical, big, solid, beech desk tops & laminated them (with the middle one at 90deg to the top & bottom) then lipped it with some mahogany snooker table "cushion" & an AWO door frame..

It is so heavy I can just about lift it & on a sturdy frame of Larch it does not budge easily.

It only cost me the price of the glue.

Freecycle has a lot of solid wood tables & desks up for grabs.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

... any good architect will be able to confirm this for you. I'm sure one will be along shortly to note this.

I expect the good architect has lost the will to live. :lol:

 

[shed9]

Going back to the random comments on this thread re: cost effective and reasonable costs.

Trevanion's comments on an 8cm thick laminated Beech worktop 150cm by 96cm at c£250 being reasonable to me smacks of exactly that - being reasonable.
I get it that not everyone has that budget but the counter argument to that isn't to devalue personal time to balance the books. The suggestion that the entire bench be built for less than half that is misleading in the context of a solid laminated thick Beech top. Yes you could wrangle together any number of options which you could persuade yourself and possibly others is a bench but there is a sliding scale of usability, longevity, maintenance, rigidity, etc that comes with that argument.

Always surprises me when the talk of 'mates rates' comes up discussing those times when people ask you to make something but expect you not to factor in your time. Everyone tends to agree that it's taking liberties when this happens and that that time has value. However when it comes to the tools of the trade it seems this commodity is moved down the list of priorities for some of the same people arguing to factor time into sold projects.

I agree that not everyone has the budget but equally not everyone has the time either. Sometimes it's simply more cost effective to put more money into the project than time.

Whether you have the budget or not, don't discount adding value to the project in monetary terms in conjunction with your time. You may conclude it's not the route but at least discuss it as an option. The old adage of 'buy cheap, buy twice' can be amplified if the skills to offset a project with time don't match the objective or expectation.

 

[Benchwayze]

I just hope I have strength enough left, to use whatever skills I do have. It's clear that I shall be calling on help from Number One Son to wrestle the top around, but once finished I think my bench will be okay, worth the cash outlay, and the investing of time; it's for me!

John (hammer)

 

[transatlantic]

I just hope I have strength enough left, to use whatever skills I do have. It's clear that I shall be calling on help from Number One Son to wrestle the top around, but once finished I think my bench will be okay, worth the cash outlay, and the investing of time; it's for me!

John (hammer)

I have a similar thing, only one layer though (so 40mm) and am super happy with it.

.... can't believe I didn't think to glue two togeather though! ... wouldn't have cost that much more either ... grrrrr