Knockdown Nicholson Workbench top wood?


bushwacked

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This looks to be the best bench type style for me at the moment since a roubo is just too much money at the moment with the new house.

It looks like they have 2 pieces laid flat across for the top... Will this be easy to keep flat or is it going to be a nightmare with the wood movement?

Also would some basic maple be a top contender for this?

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Not sure how the Schwarz designed his bench, but I made a similar looking bench based on Bob Rozieski's design, and the top is screwed down tight onto the braces underneath, and it has remained pretty flat - It wouldn't be at all hard to run a plane across it if it needed flattening, but I don't think it really does yet.

 

Just build the whole thing out of construction lumber - a couple of 2x12s for the top and apron, and the rest a bunch of 2x4s - I think I spent about as much on the screws holding my bench together as I did on the lumber. At the end of the day it's only screwed together if I need a new top, I'll just build one and screw it on - but so far four years and counting.

 

I went cheap on the hardware too using pipe-clamps for a vice - don't do this unless you really are broke. They work, but not very well. The Veritas inset tail vice has been the best upgrade I made to the bench - simple to install and works great.

post-4067-0-54833800-1433687783_thumb.jp

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