Workbench wood suggestions

[nerdbot]

Hi guys,

I'm in the planning phase of my first workbench build, and I'm trying to decide what wood to use for the top, which will then help me decide what to use for the rest of the bench.  I'm planning on building the Guild's roubo bench, and I know both BenchCrafted and Marc recommend soft maple.  But, the wood I work with most often (volume and frequency) is cherry, and occasionally maple and walnut.  I do work with exotics on nearly every project, but it's more to add accents (like trim, edge  banding, etc).  Would soft maple still be a good choice for the top?  I've looked at the Janka hardness numbers and I see that soft maple, depending on the species, is pretty close to cherry in hardness. 

Where I am, I can get 8/4 cherry for not too much more than 8/4 soft maple (per boardfoot), but that might make the bench too pretty to use.  My other thought was to do most of the top out of doug fir dimensional lumber but use nicer hardwood on the exposed pieces - front, back and endcaps for the top (the equivalent of wrapping a roll of $1 bills with a single $100 bill).  That would also free up some cash to maybe go fancier on the legs, chop, and sliding deadman.  I've been pretty impressed with the kiln dried doug fir dimensional lumber at the big box store near me.  I've bought 2x8's and milled/jointed them to practice joinery and other techniques, and months later they're still flat and square and look pretty good.

I appreciate the advice!

[estesbubba]

Several people here built theirs out of soft maple and later wished they went with hard maple. I'm currently building a Roubo and using all hard maple and no regrets. Start the project with sharp knives, blades, and bits and you won't have any problems. 

[xxdabroxx]

I'm a bad person to respond to this, mine is still in pieces.  But I used KD doug fir and put cherry on the edges for a little extra durability.  I didn't/ am not following anyone's plans though, just kinda making it up on the fly.  YMMV. 

[nerdbot]

I'm curious, for those who regret going with soft maple because it's too soft, what types of wood do you typically use in  your projects? 

My concern with hardness isn't the workability, it's that if most of my projects are cherry, and they bang around on a soft (or hard) maple top, I'm guessing the project piece is going to be the loser in that battle.  Though to be honest, I haven't dropped too many project parts ON my current benches.  I usually end up dropping project parts OFF my workbench and on to the concrete floor of my garage...

Dave, have any pictures yet?

[Mark J]

No personal experience (yet), but I did read one of Chris Schwarz's books on building workbenches.  He was less concerned about the type of wood used than that it was thick enough (3", or 4").  In fact he suggested using southern yellow pine.  That said estesbubba's observation that folks are dissapointed with soft maple are a little concerning.  

[xxdabroxx]

it is still on saw horses for now. 

From the old house where I started it. 

Legs are beefy

 

I bought a quick release vice for a end vise and the benchcrafted hardware for the leg vice.  Obviously I haven't gotten either installed yet.  I still need to finish flattening the bottom and get the leg vice leg sorted out.  I have a build thread somewhere buried in the archives. Someday I'll start on it again. 

[Immortan D]

My concern with hardness isn't the workability, it's that if most of my projects are cherry, and they bang around on a soft (or hard) maple top, I'm guessing the project piece is going to be the loser in that battle.

That's the reason I used soft pine for my small workbench.

BS I did it because I'm cheap

[xxdabroxx]

That's the reason I used soft pine for my small workbench.

BS I did it because I'm cheap

That and local availability of lumber did it for me.  Or lack thereof

Edited December 9, 2015 by xxdabroxx

[nerdbot]

Dave that top looks really good!  Did you just go with 2x4s or did you go wider?

[xxdabroxx]

I could only get KD 2x4's locally so thats what I used.  It's just over 3" thick and doesn't seem to flex at all even when I sit on it, so I figure it will be thick enough.  2x6's would be better I'm sure, but I don't know how much better.  It will all weight quite a bit when its put together. 

[weithman5]

i have seen a few beautiful bench tops made of ripped birch plywood.  i am in the process of building a milkman bench with this process

[drzaius]

I'm a bad person too, because mine still isn't finished after more than 2 years. I'm also bad because it isn't  a Roubo . The top & legs are done, just have to put it all together. My top is hard maple, 3 1/2" thick & very heavy. I used all 4/4 which milled down to 3/4 & glued it all up. It resulted in a very stable top which is still perfectly flat 2 years after making it. I got 4/4 because it was only $1.90/BF, which around here is super cheap.

[BobInAustin]

SYP for me.

[Brendon_t]

I always hear it said that "the bench should be soft enough to not damage your work pieces". 

Who the heck is throwing your projects on your bench?  After lumber goes through the second round of milling,  stop playing catch with it. You have a greater chance of dropping your project on the floor anyways based on sheer sqft of a bench to a shop floor.

Wood is run over table saws and router tables all the time.  Those are hard surfaces,  I've never heard someone say they use a fir router table top.

Quit throwing your projects people and build a hard bench top.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Brendon_t

[Al Capwn]

I am looking into building a true workbench to include a little more hand tool use instead of just an assembly surface. I've noticed that using SYP has been mentioned by both Chris Schwartz and Paul Sellers, both of whom use hand tools with a bit more regularity. Not sure if that is seeded in tradition, experience, or merely a coincidence.

Perhaps the whole "softer than the material" comes from hammer + chisel operations; just a wild guess, I will let the experts answer that one. Not sure how much bearing it has with power tools; not like you are going to ding up your work with a biscuit jointer or Domino.

 

[xxdabroxx]

I always hear it said that "the bench should be soft enough to not damage your work pieces". 

Who the heck is throwing your projects on your bench?  After lumber goes through the second round of milling,  stop playing catch with it. You have a greater chance of dropping your project on the floor anyways based on sheer sqft of a bench to a shop floor.

Wood is run over table saws and router tables all the time.  Those are hard surfaces,  I've never heard someone say they use a fir router table top.

Quit throwing your projects people and build a hard bench top.

I think that follows along the lines of a chip of wood on the bench under your workpiece while your working on it as much as anything. 

[Immortan D]

 

Perhaps the whole "softer than the material" comes from hammer + chisel operations; just a wild guess, I will let the experts answer that one. Not sure how much bearing it has with power tools; not like you are going to ding up your work with a biscuit jointer or Domino.

 

I agree. Power tool only users don't need traditional workbenches.... MFT's is what they really need.

[Beechwood Chip]

I always hear it said that "the bench should be soft enough to not damage your work pieces".

You always want your clamp and vise faces to be softer than your piece, to avoid marking.  I figured that the workbench top was similar.  The bench surface is usually spreading the force evenly over a large area, but what about using a mallet and chisel on an irregular workpiece?

[Eric.]

Forget pine and doug fir...too soft, too light.  Don't waste your time.  At the very least, if you must use it, use it for the base.  The top is what takes the beating.

Forget soft maple if you're talking about any soft maple other than red maple.  Red maple is 950 janka which is the same hardness as cherry.  That's what my Roubo is and I regret it.  Not because it doesn't work fine...because it does.  Not because it dents...because I don't care.  But only because I COULD have built it with hard maple for the same price, and my bench would have been HARDER and HEAVIER.  It was a bonehead move on my part but soft maple was all the rage when I was building mine.  I got swept up onto the bandwagon.

The argument about a hard bench denting your workpieces doesn't really have merit IMO.  I thought it made a lot of sense initially and that's why I built with soft maple.  But I've dropped bubinga on my bench and they BOTH dented.  So toss that theory out with the bathwater.

I work primarily with the species you mentioned...walnut, cherry, maple, mahogany, and some exotics.  The bench is great, I love it.  But I wish it was harder and heavier just because it could be.

Hard maple for the win.

[estesbubba]

Keep in mind someone like Chris Schwartz have the skills and time to re-flatten their tops or build a new bench at any time. For a hobby person you want to build this beast once and be done with it. 

[Eric.]

Keep in mind someone like Chris Schwartz have the skills and time to re-flatten their tops or build a new bench at any time. For a hobby person you want to build this beast once and be done with it. 

Also The Schwarz builds things like they built things two hundred years ago for purposes of nostalgia.  I see no reason to build a bench with inferior materials just because some guy with a blog gets all warm and fuzzy about the history of woodworking.

Take the lessons from the old days and use them in the context of the modern world.  We have access to quality hardwoods for fairly cheap...use them.

[xxdabroxx]

Also The Schwarz builds things like they built things two hundred years ago for purposes of nostalgia.  I see no reason to build a bench with inferior materials just because some guy with a blog gets all warm and fuzzy about the history of woodworking.

Take the lessons from the old days and use them in the context of the modern world.  We have access to quality hardwoods for fairly cheap...use them.

I have a feeling that had more access to better hardwoods then than many of us do now.  How many old growth forests are left compared to way back when?  I also vaguely remember in the the Schwarz book that they often used whole slabs of a hardwood that would completely break the bank today.

Edited December 9, 2015 by xxdabroxx

[nerdbot]

Wood is run over table saws and router tables all the time.  Those are hard surfaces,  I've never heard someone say they use a fir router table top.

Hahaha, that's a really good point.

Keep in mind someone like Chris Schwartz have the skills and time to re-flatten their tops or build a new bench at any time. For a hobby person you want to build this beast once and be done with it. 

That's also a good point.  Since I'm going with the Benchcrafted hardware, I had considered going cheap with doug fir and then maybe building another bench years down the road with nicer wood... but I'm pretty sure once I'm done with (or in the middle of) the build, I won't even want to think about rebuilding the bench.

Thanks for all the input guys, much appreciated!

[Eric.]

I have a feeling that had more access to better hardwoods then than many of us do now.  How many old growth forests are left compared to way back when?  I also vaguely remember in the the Schwarz book that they often used whole slabs of a hardwood that would completely break the bank today.

Maybe, maybe not.  Depends on region I guess.

Anyway, I'll challenge you to give me one advantage of using a softwood over a hardwood aside from cost.

[estesbubba]

Hahaha, that's a really good point.

That's also a good point.  Since I'm going with the Benchcrafted hardware, I had considered going cheap with doug fir and then maybe building another bench years down the road with nicer wood... but I'm pretty sure once I'm done with (or in the middle of) the build, I won't even want to think about rebuilding the bench.

Thanks for all the input guys, much appreciated!

I'm done with my tops and have a good start on the base now. I will tell you while it's a fun project, I never want to build this again. You are working with huge pieces, plunging router bits deeper than you will ever again, and one screw up can causes weeks of hard work to go bye-bye. Estimate how long you think it will take then multiply by four. That will give you a real-world estimate. Not that it's a hard build - it's just a lot of hard labor. 

Build it once, build it right, and most importantly, build it how you want to and don't worry about the cost.