# Hardwood workbench top choices



## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I've been mulling over various plans for building my "dream" workbench and would love to get some input from you all. I'm interested in a very sturdy, Roubo style hybrid with laminated top. A traditional choice for the top would be hard maple. Christopher Schwartz suggests SYP as an inexpensive option. It looks like I might be able to get some hickory for very reasonable cost, making that an option too. Thoughts on these or other woods for a laminated butcher-block type bench top? Thinking of picking up materials now for a Spring build.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*maybe it's just me*

I made one out of hard Maple, 2 1/2" thick, laminated from 1 1/2" pieces, used epoxy West Systems, on a huge steel shaper table at a friends shop, ran it through the 42" belt sander a bunch of times and struggled to carry it up to the shop. I finished it with gloss poly and it looks so good I'm afraid to use it....mark it up, spill on it and so forth. I know what the h*ll did you make? a table? Yep.

I work on a 10 ft x 30" particle board on a torsion box. my outfeed table for the table saws. When that surface gets messed up I'll just flip it over.

You are in a different camp. You want a "classic workbench" and that's what I've always wanted as well. I just thought I give my experience. Maybe I need to take an old chain and whack on the top a few times ....maybe pay someone...I probably couldn't watch.  bill


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## lawrence (Nov 14, 2009)

I have 5 or 6 hornbeam I plan to take this winter....gonna build a 4 x 8 x 3 if I can...and gonna build it in place..lol

should be solid enough for what I need.....got my eye on american holly too.....and it will be shared


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

woodnthings said:


> I made one out of hard Maple, 2 1/2" thick, laminated from 1 1/2" pieces, used epoxy West Systems, on a huge steel shaper table at a friends shop, ran it through the 42" belt sander a bunch of times and struggled to carry it up to the shop. I finished it with gloss poly and it looks so good I'm afraid to use it....mark it up, spill on it and so forth. I know what the h*ll did you make? a table? Yep.
> 
> I work on a 10 ft x 30" particle board on a torsion box. my outfeed table for the table saws. When that surface gets messed up I'll just flip it over.
> 
> You are in a different camp. You want a "classic workbench" and that's what I've always wanted as well. I just thought I give my experience. Maybe I need to take an old chain and whack on the top a few times ....maybe pay someone...I probably couldn't watch.  bill


Wow, you could always have dinner parties up in your shop. :laughing: I'm guessing the gloss poly put it over the top!

I've been working on any surface that doesn't have something on it. Sometimes that includes the solid door workbench in the garage. But I've got a smaller workshop in the basement that I've been keeping clear for the workbench (that exists in my imagination).


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

I have several workbenches none of which are made of hardwood so I probably don't know what I'm missing. The bench I use most often has a plywood work surface. The most important aspect of this bench is that it is heavy! It is about 8' square and has heavy storage cabinets underneath and two table saws all fastened solidly together. I have a homemade double screw vise on one corner. When I've got a work piece clamped in the vise I can get quite aggressive with it and it does not move! The total weight of this bench is about 1500-2000 lbs I estimate. You can generate a lot inertia when operating a hand plane or hand saw and it's nice not to have your bench walking around the shop while you're trying do do some work. 

So my recommendation for wood for a workbench is what ever is the heaviest although I would want a lot of lumber in it for mass so it would have to be affordable, probably maple or oak.

Bret


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## Brink (Nov 22, 2010)

My suggestion, use maple. It's heavy and resists denting.

Shopdad, you're lucky to be in an area where mills have rough cut maple at decent prices.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

I agree weight and mass makes for a good bench. If you want that traditional looking top, and you can get a good deal on Hickory, that would make for a good top. You could just cap it with 1/4" tempered Masonite to work on. That stuff is cheap, and will help protect the wood. Then when you want to show it off, just pull off the Masonite.












 







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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Hickory, my experience*

When I made the Hickory doors for the pantry and had to resaw it and plane it I found that A) it was very hard, almost brittle in certain grains. and B) it moved considerably after it was cut.
I would definately be using a splitter to avoid pinching and kickback when ripping on a table saw. Not so much when using a bandsaw but a small wedge to drop in the kerf may come in handy....


The planer made a whole different sound when it passed through and the best result against tearout were using a wide belt sander or drum sander.  bill


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

I would have said Hickory but after Bill's last post I would think about it more. 

My wife's grandfather was a furniture maker specialized in antique furniture repair and replicas. Has stuff in the Governors mansion and several of the plantations and such. Her uncle had his old workbenches, which were made of laminated Plywood pieces on edge. Plywood of the same quality would cost a fortune today but may still be less then Hard Maple. They looked really good for 50 years old, just before Katrina took them.

SYP would be way to soft. A good quality workbench to last and pass on needs to be Hardwood. His plywood idea worked it lasted and it was heavily used for the entire 50 years. If you make a workbench like that use the Hard Maple and be proud of it. Don't be afraid to use it, that's what you made it for, any wear from use just adds character to a nice workbench. Whoever you pass it on to will appreciate the workbench and any wear it has from you using it.

Just my .02


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

I made mine out of laminated 3" thick douglas fir. Mortise and tennon oak framework and drawers . Very heavy. I wanted the top softer than the wood I work with so bench dented first. Can always sand top smooth again. Danish oil on top so as to make it easy to refresh not that I probably will. At first it was too nice to use but I used it anyhow and now I do not have that problem. I agree with Lola ranch -make it heavy-if it moves around it sort of defeats it's purpose.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Thanks all for the great responses. I do intend to use this bench (though hopefully admiring how well built it is while I do :smile with vice(s) and bench dogs. A masonite top I could throw on would be useful for some tasks like assembly and not wanting to lose a small part in a dog-hole. Since it's in the basement and not around the power tools and machinery in the garage I envision using it more for hand tool operations. (Also can't gang it with my table saw.) I think my 8-year old son enjoys working on projects together almost as much as I do, and I'm definitely thinking of him and building something I hope he would be proud to own some day.

For all you wood geeks out there I gathered a bit of information on these species (I threw in beech too). All suitable choices for a workbench. There are compromises to each. (Source, Schwartz's _Workbenches - From Design & Theory to Construction & Use_)

*Stiffness - E-value* (relevant to remaining stiff over long spans)
Beech (American) - 1.72
Hard Maple - 1.83
Southern Yellow Pine - 1.93
Douglas Fir - 1.95
Hickory - 2.16

*Weight - Specific Gravity* (relevant to how heavy the bench will be)
Douglas Fir - .48
Hard Maple - .63
Beech - .64
SYP - .67
Hickory - .72

*Hardness - Janka Scale* (relevant to resisting dents and blows)
Douglas Fir - 660
Southern Yellow Pine - 690
Beech - 1300
Hard Maple - 1450
Hickory - 1820

From these numbers hickory looks good but I don't have full info on shrinkage/movement and I haven't worked with it before but keep hearing about how dang hard it is. I'm wondering is it - I'll have to change my planer blades _after_ the project hard, or I'll go through several planer blades _during_ the project hard?

I like maple too and it's more of a known quantity. It may come down to which I can get for the cost.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

I agree whole heartedly about mass being important in a workbench, and I am designing / gathering materials for a bench build next spring / summer.

I would be more concerned with damaging workpieces than workbench tops... I would actually want something that would have some give to it. FWIW, I am conditioning some 2x12 SYP from the big box store in my shop. The good thing about this drought is that left alone, my shop seems to be working very well as a kiln... I will plane, rip and joint the 2x12 so that I get 3" thick pieces out of it, probably 1.25" wide. My plan is to build a top 3" thick x 30" deep x 6' long out of SYP. 

The base will be a 2x4 foot footprint, 32 7/8" tall (to get the entire assembly just shy of 36" to act as outfeed for my BT3100), and will be based on SYP 2x4s making a frame for a frame / panel cabinet basically... I am looking for mass, and storage for yet more mass (and to help with my shop storage problems). 

At least around here, SYP is also desireable as it is inexpensive. I have too many other projects, and too little cash to pump the big bucks for maple, or hickory into a work bench... Of course YMMV depending on where you live and what your local lumber market is like... To say maple is uncommon near me is an understatement...

Mind you, if you had more time / access to a mill / kiln you might want to consider cruising craigslist for the free lumber trees that show up all the time... Again, depending on where you are, you may yield more than enough of whatever lumber you want for cheap...


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## heinsite (Oct 5, 2011)

I built the heavy oak workbench with front and end vices shown in an old issue of Shop Notes and used three layers of 3/4' MDF for the top. It was easy to build and came out extremely flat and very heavy. But if I had to build the same project again I'd substitute the MDF for custom laminated maple stock top. The issue with MDF is moisture. You just can't let any get on it or to it.

Dave


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## against_the_grain (Aug 15, 2010)

Unless I missed it. Didn't see *Ash* mentioned. A very good alternative to Maple. Very similar to Beech in hardness and Oak in appearance. 

*Chris Schwartz *used it for the top of a Holzapfel bench he built several years ago and sang its praises as a viable alternative to Maple.


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## wood shavings (Mar 20, 2009)

A large local cabinet maker gave me a deal that I couldn't pass up, get the beech off the property it's in the way. So I gave two small trailer 4' by 8' loads to our local high school some of the kids are very talented but even more broke. On one of the last trips I had mechanical troubles and when I went back for the last load there was only enough left for me to make a small work bench 40'' by 75'' When It was done it looked better than some of the stuff in my house. Now that it has a few dings in it gets used the way a bench should this doesn't mean that I abuse it I don't. It will be passed on down to one of my kids and then one of theirs

Jerry


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## khowald (Nov 8, 2012)

European Beech is what I made mine with. Don't believe I would use anything else; finished it with Watco Natural danish oil...when it needs refinishing I just wipe a new coat or two on it. I will attach a picture, used purpleheart on the front to contrast(show off) the dovetails. I always wanted to build one that was beautiful and knew that I would build it to use it. ken


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

My bench was never my concern. What I make and what I have made matters far more than the dang bench.
So 2x6 SPF, 36" x 96" , 2x4 frame and 2x6 legs and a lower shelf loaded with paint cans, etc for ballast. 
Bash-worthy. That means that I swing a 30oz lead core mallet into 25mm gouges in a 84" x 8" wood carving log and nothing moves.
Surface? Hardly worth caring about. If the day comes that I do?
Sheet of 3/8" G1S Dougfir plywood. When that gets beat up, I replace it for a beautiful pristine work top that has no allegiance to productivity at all.

Mind you, I do recognize that for fine furniture, the dimensional stability of a flat bench top is paramount ( aka the top of my freezer). The mechanical and elastic properties of maple lend themselves to such benches. My old memories as a Dendrology professor suggest 2-3" thick. Your bench will change shape every day more than you will ever cope with in your woodworking.


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

Robson Valley said:


> What I make and what I have made matters far more than the dang bench.


+1 on this.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Shop Dad said:


> From these numbers hickory looks good but I don't have full info on shrinkage/movement and I haven't worked with it before but keep hearing about how dang hard it is. I'm wondering is it - I'll have to change my planer blades _after_ the project hard, or I'll go through several planer blades _during_ the project hard?
> 
> I like maple too and it's more of a known quantity. It may come down to which I can get for the cost.


I have used hickory and hard maple and did not experience hickory dulling equipment faster than other woods.

Hickory has several sub-species, and the properties do vary.

I like the colours of hickory. Can be white through pinkish to brown in the heartwood. More open grain than maple, but that should not be a problem for the bench. I have experienced some splintering with my hickory boards, but not often, but this has not happened with my hard maple.

I think either hickory or hard maple would be good for a bench top. I would not worry about the impact of a given species on the planer blades. I would have a set of new blades on hand for whenever the blades get too dull to cut.


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

I agree that a bench needs to be sturdy and flat and although I love the Robo and European benches, my budget says NO! So I built my bench on a 2X4 frame anchored into the floor of my workshop and laid a solid core door on the frame. It served me well for 12 years and last year I covered it with bamboo flooring (about $60 per box and used half of it). It's a great surface to work on.

Of course what I did with the resurface is what makes my bench more versatile then the European benches.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/versatile-small-shop-work-bench-unique-40361/


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## ed_h (Dec 1, 2010)

I can understand and respect the opinion that it is the products that matter and not the bench, but on the other hand, what better project for a true woodworker than a classic bench?

People who come to my shop often comment more about the bench than whatever projects I have in progress. They may see it is a reflection of my approach to the work.

More pics at http://bullfire.net/Bench/WP_Bench.html


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

ed_h said:


> I can understand and respect the opinion that it is the products that matter and not the bench, but on the other hand, what better project for a true woodworker than a classic bench?
> 
> People who come to my shop often comment more about the bench than whatever projects I have in progress. They may see it is a reflection of my approach to the work.
> 
> More pics at http://bullfire.net/Bench/WP_Bench.html


 
I have to agree- different strokes for different folks- Nice thing about it is we all get to build what we want............ Besides that if I used the top of the freezer- I would be livin in the doghouse I do not have.:laughing::laughing::laughing:

PS- NICE Bench


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## Anguspapa (May 4, 2013)

Am I crazy for using #1 2x4 for the frame and 5/8 CDX for the top? I would love to have a beautiful work bench but I'm on a tight budget. Also tight for space and my wife is starting to take my man cave away! 













http://www.eaa1000.av.org/technicl/worktabl/tablefig.htm


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Anguspapa said:


> Am I crazy for using #1 2x4 for the frame and 5/8 CDX for the top? I would love to have a beautiful work bench but I'm on a tight budget. Also tight for space and my wife is starting to take my man cave away!


No, if you leave this in the pristine condition of the picture, no future issues.

On the other hand is you want to install vises, bench dogs, clamps, bang on the top, etc, then you may find 5/8in CDX to be on thinner than you may want for such uses.


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## Anguspapa (May 4, 2013)

Dave Paine said:


> No, if you leave this in the pristine condition of the picture, no future issues.
> 
> On the other hand is you want to install vises, bench dogs, clamps, bang on the top, etc, then you may find 5/8in CDX to be on thinner than you may want for such uses.


Well it will be being banged on. So the thoughts have been to double it. And I meant 3/4" CDX.


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## ed_h (Dec 1, 2010)

Anguspapa said:


> I would love to have a beautiful work bench but I'm on a tight budget. Also tight for space and my wife is starting to take my man cave away!


papa--

Believe me, I understand the pressures. I made most of the furniture in my house on a bench more humble than yours--it was an ancient, ratty sheet of plywood on two saw horses.

Don't sweat it--the products are certainly more important than the tools. But a nice bench can be a product, too.

Try to hold your ground on the man cave!


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## BernieL (Oct 28, 2011)

Anguspapa - take a giant leap into the high tech of woodworking - I'm talking T-tracks. For less then a $150, you can have all the power of those fancy benches and more. My t-track workbench has been called the "Shopsmith" of workbenches and it's ideal for small workshops. Jigs and benchtop tools can have their own plywood bases and can be secured to the t-track workbench in less then a minute. Here is a link

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/versatile-small-shop-work-bench-unique-40361/

I'm happy for those who own a nice European bench. I have dreamed of owning one since I got involved in woodworking. If I did own one, I'm sure all my workshop guests would love it. But my lack of finances led me to think outside the box and quite frankly, my bench can do everything your bench can do. I also believe my bench can do things your bench can not do. As for my workshop guests, 50% of them say I ought to patten it. But I got the basic idea from my Rockler router table... and I don't want to make money from it. I'm living a comfortable life and I've been retired since the age of 58. 

Regardless of folks liking or disliking my bench - it has served me very well (way beyond my expectations). As much as I like those European benches, if somebody tried to replace my bench with one of those, I would refuse the swap. There might be an operation or 2 my bench can not do but I haven't exposed them yet. From pre-cut operations to final final finishing, my bench serves me well. It does enhance my assembly operations plus a whole lot more!


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Anguspapa said:


> Well it will be being banged on. So the thoughts have been to double it. And I meant 3/4" CDX.


CDX is not a good choice. Lots of voids which weaken the wood.

I would use 3/4in subfloor plywood. The voids should be filled for this use.

2 layers would be strong, just like if used on the floor. You may want to make the top layer removable for future ease of replacement.


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## Tilaran (Dec 22, 2012)

Ipe. Make sure heart wood only. Hard as teak and half the price. Make sure there's no blue lights flashing where you buy the saw blades you're going to use !


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

i know it's not a hardwood, but i used douglas fir. it is heavy, stiff and strong. i do not want my bench to be harder than the wood i am working on. i'd rather have the bench get dinged than the piece i'm working on should there be a collision.

and i agree with bernie on the t-track thing. extremely useful on a bench.

for what it's worth (not much since the OP already knows the style he wants), my bench is a hybrid of a new-fangled bench and a traditional British joiner’s workbench (like the one Paul Sellers uses) with t-tracks for added versatility. it is 8' long and 30" wide.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Here is my relatively inexpensive work bench. I have built several of them. All have plywood tops. I keep saying that when the top is no longer any good, I will replace it. Well one bench lasted over 20 years of heavy use until it drifted away in Hurricane Katrina. The others are still in use and the tops havent been replaced yet. 
My work benches take heavy abuse. I use air nailers and temporarily brad nail forms and 'holding' devices in place to form bend or 'clamp' my work pieces. 
All the joinery is half lap with glue and through-bolted. It is very rigid and heavy. Nothing fancy but very functional. I have never used any kind of finsh on the tops. 
This is a double layer plywood top with tool well and the last of the plywood sheet was used as a backboard between the top and the lower shelf. It was glues and screwed on place and added much rigidity and stability. 

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/members/tony-b-5040/albums/workbench/


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## bigcouger (Jan 4, 2012)

I've had different benches over time from Hard Maple to Oak an then to Granite now I made my bench to what I like an use all the time, but I still use the other bench's also. Below is a picture of my bench an I have 2 vices on it an it also used as an out feed table.


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