bushwacked Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 All this talk lately on a work bench has got me thinking ... I see a ton of maple benches but why? Yes it's good hard wood that's not too terribly expensive. It looks decent as well. However, going off my pricing here in Texas I was thinking of possibly changing it up some. Here is my pricing: Now going off that list I started looking at pricing and the janka hardness scale here: Pecan and sapele are harder than maple. Yes mahogany seems to be a lot softer and not the best idea ... But it's the point I am going after of different woods. Now that got me to thinking. Why do I not hear much about possibly pecan or sapele being used for work benches? Sure the sapele is .65 more than maple and the mahogany is .50 cents more than maple but the pecan is .35 cheaper than maple. Also the 12/4 cherry is only .15 higher than maple if that's not a price screw up so who knows. If it's not I could resaw that to get the 8/4 and still have possibly 1/2" left over to keep. Overall each bench would cost: Sapele - $1034 Pecan - $836 Maple - $891 Mahogany - $1001 Cherry - $924 That's based on the 220bf estimated for the guild roubo build. Is it mainly price and looks? Do most consider pecan ugly? I think for something that more than likely will be handed down a generation or 2 what's the big deal over $150-200 in wood? Yes the roubo is an expensive beast to build but I even see this on the basic work benches with mostly maple as well. Please explain to my ignorant self on this matter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I used pecan as drawer fronts and banding around my ply work bench top. I used it for my guild chest build and also for a live edge coffee table. I think it great looking wood and fun to work with and it's as hard of a wood as I've ever used. I'm headed now to get some to build a couple of tongue drums. Did I tell you I like pecan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 I used pecan as drawer fronts and banding around my ply work bench top. I used it for my guild chest build and also for a live edge coffee table. I think it great looking wood and fun to work with and it's as hard of a wood as I've ever used. I'm headed now to get some to build a couple of tongue drums. Did I tell you I like pecan Ya I kinda gathered that with your post. I just don't see too much pecan going around on this forum ... Unless I have missed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Maybe it's just me, but since I have no offspring left to hand down a bench to. I thought when I get more space to build a bench, I'm just going to use construction lumber, since I'm an old fart, I won't out live it, and every bench I've ever made gets abused all to hell. So I don't get the value of spending that kind of money on a tool that's going to be abused, unless of course, you turn it into furniture! If that's the case, why build it at all.... just build furniture. Pretty is nice, sometimes very nice, and sometimes awesome. But if you build it pretty, you have to do all sort's of stuff to protect it from being abused. From my "old" point of view, it's a tool, nothing more, nothing less! My shop is not an art gallery, I might get lucky and produce a piece of art someday, but it will come from an old beat up bench and out the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krtwood Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Usually hickory/pecan is inexpensive as 4/4 but either not available or expensive as 8/4, whereas maple is usually available and not that much more expensive in thicker stock. There are different schools of thought as far as hardness of the bench top. The harder it is the harder it's going to be to flatten with a hand plane. Is it better to get a dent in your bench or in the workpiece that you dropped on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Use whatever you want...there are no hard and fast rules. Softer benches will dent more easily and will have a little less mass. But they'll be gentler on your workpieces...if you buy that line. I did, but since I finished my bench I've dismissed the theory...at least the importance people tend to place on it. Don't drop your workpieces if you don't want them dented. Harder benches will have more mass and will take a beating better. One downside is when it comes to flattening...assuming you will flatten and you'll do it with a hand plane...super hard benches like one built of pecan will be a bear. But you could always use a router sled if that's your bag. Mixing species is fine. I wouldn't use two extremely disparate species, such as pecan and mahogany...but two or three or ten species of similar densities would be fine if that's what you want to do. The important part is that you build one that suits your needs, has great work-holding ability, stays put, and will last a lifetime. And most importantly...you actually build it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Got to be careful of pricing 4/4 -vs- 8/4 -vs- 12/4, etc... Also drying: Some species get wonky at 8/4 and up... I built mine out of 12/4 Sugar (rock) Maple top and 12/4 & 8/4 Black Cherry base. The base is aging nicely --- in another 25 years, should look great As Kiki says, use what you want, but within reasonable limits... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 How is it hard but splits easily? Just curious cause I know nothing and that seems kinda backwards from normal thinking... But this is woodworking and I'm a noobie. I'm good with hard work as long as it won't destroy my machines while working it. I would have to draw the line there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I'm gonna side with Richard on this one. I don't expect to hand my bench down to anyone. If my son chooses to pursue this craft, he can build his own bench, dangit! Good experience and all that. I'm pretty happy with my construction lumber bench, but I will admit that a slightly harder material would be nice for vices, and probably last longer when using a traditional hold-fast. But then, I can burn my bench and recreate it from scratch for about $100 bucks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 How is it hard but splits easily? Just curious cause I know nothing and that seems kinda backwards from normal thinking... But this is woodworking and I'm a noobie. I'm good with hard work as long as it won't destroy my machines while working it. I would have to draw the line there. Lignum maybe? Hard means the fiber is almost brittle. Splits easily means the fibers don't always stay stuck together. Try to stab it and you are out of luck. Try to plane with a dull blade against the grain and you will tear out big chunks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 My experience with pecan / hickory has been mostly firewood and hoe handles. I would classify it as 'tough', rather than brittle. Here in the mid-south, hickory grows quite well and knot-free wood is common. However, it is seldom used for furniture because of it's dark/light color variation, and because it is really hard on cutting tools. A collegue of mine has all hickory cabinets in his kitchen, including a butcher-block island, built from off-cuts from a millwork shop where he used to work. He says it terrible stuff to work, but be liked the look, and after 30 years there is nary a dent to be found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 How is it hard but splits easily? Just curious cause I know nothing and that seems kinda backwards from normal thinking... For most materials, there's a trade off between hardness and brittleness. Things that can bend don't snap, and visa versa. Glass is harder than leather, but glass can shatter and leather can't. If you throw a baseball at a sheet of glass it will shatter, but the same baseball won't phase a sheet of leather. But you can't sharpen leather, while glass will form a very sharp edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I've said it before and I'll say it again. Don't overthink it. Use whatever material that is readily available, at a price that YOU are willing to pay. Just build it, use it and enjoy it. If it wears out, that's freaking awesome! Build another one! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 ==>But you can't sharpen leather But what about those ‘70s Shaw-Brothers movies? You know, the hero is surrounded by twenty baddies with swords and he whips off his sharpened leather belt and decapitates them all in a single move – you mean that can’t happen in real life? Wow, I’m disappointed*… *Sorry, it's early and I haven't had my morning caffeine infusion... As a kid (and ‘working’ with my dad in his shop on weekends) our local TV channel (Channel 5 in NYC – this was pre-Fox) had several Shaw Brothers films on every Saturday afternoon -- for years -- decades? ... We would watch a bit of TV, work some wood during comercial breaks, and watch some more… I’m not sure how much actual work got done in the shop, but we sure watched a lot of bad dubbing… The good old days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I miss Kung Fu Saturdays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pwk5017 Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I used 8/4 poplar for my top, and 12/4 cherry for my base. I bought the poplar for something stupid like .25-.30 a bdft, and the cherry was badly checked. Cherry cost $1.80 a board foot. All told, the lumber for my bench was CHEAP. Poplar dents like crazy, but who cares? The cherry base looks very nice, I will admit. Having actually built a roubo bench, I think these things get way too much hype. Yes, it's an awesome piece to work on, and has made my life so much easier because of its workholding capabilities. However, it's not a museum piece of furniture, I beat on mine constantly. I say go for the best trade off in price/weight/hardness. Most guys would laugh at my poplar top, but it cost me $25 in lumber. Personally, I would want a light surface for my top. It's easier on the eyes when working. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paoloberno Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Usually the bench is built with the hardest and cheapest wood available, here in europe it is usually beech but it's fine any wood hard enough to avoid damaging the bengh during the work . Mine is made of MDF with the sides reinforced by HDF it's very heavy, hard and damn cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barron Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Splitting and hardness are two different things. Oak, ash, and pecan are hard, but easy to split. Sycamore is not as hard, but is hard to split. But that aside, use what ever wood you want and can afford, but remember it's a bench! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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