Building a Woodworking Bench - Wood Suppliers?

equalsql

I'm looking into buying or building a woodworking bench.
If I do make one, I'll be looking to build it mostly using hardwoods such as Oak, Elm or Beech.

Are any of you chaps woodworkers..and if so can any on you recommend me any suppliers (pref in the West Midlands) who can provide the quality of wood I am after?

Cheers

ecc83

Nothing wrong with Oak except heavy, expensive, buggers tools PDQ.

Beech is nicer to work but why "steal" it for such a utilitarian purpose as a workbench? Leave it for the makers of quality furniture in High Wycombe.

Elm is bloody awful stuff! Hard on tools and full of shakes and knots. Its one claim to fame is that like Teak, you could stand the bench in a stream and it won't rot! Elm also does not burn well.

Nah, use pressure treated pine and Dark Oak stain.

Dave.

jd0272

^^^^^

equalsql

ecc83 said:

Nothing wrong with Oak except heavy, expensive, buggers tools PDQ.

Beech is nicer to work but why "steal" it for such a utilitarian purpose as a workbench? Leave it for the makers of quality furniture in High Wycombe.

Elm is bloody awful stuff! Hard on tools and full of shakes and knots. Its one claim to fame is that like Teak, you could stand the bench in a stream and it won't rot! Elm also does not burn well.

Nah, use pressure treated pine and Dark Oak stain.

Dave.

It will be a thing of beauty when I'm finished with it B-)

I have considered pine for the frame, but I definitely need a hardwood top.
  

ecc83

But a WORK bench?

The top will get buggered, scored, drilled. You will need to screw fixtures and stops to it.

Or is this a "non-working" workbench?

Dave.

octatonic

equalsql said:

ecc83 said:

Nothing wrong with Oak except heavy, expensive, buggers tools PDQ.

Beech is nicer to work but why "steal" it for such a utilitarian purpose as a workbench? Leave it for the makers of quality furniture in High Wycombe.

Elm is bloody awful stuff! Hard on tools and full of shakes and knots. Its one claim to fame is that like Teak, you could stand the bench in a stream and it won't rot! Elm also does not burn well.

Nah, use pressure treated pine and Dark Oak stain.

Dave.

It will be a thing of beauty when I'm finished with it B-)

I have considered pine for the frame, but I definitely need a hardwood top.
  

Why?

Is this a place to work in, or a place where people think you work.

I'd go with pine or beech myself- I mostly work on mdf boards that get clamped onto the work surface.

They are easily replaced when they get tatty.

octatonic

These aren't too bad in terms of quality.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/sjobergs-hobby-plus-1340-workbench

I'd probably go for this one myself:

http://www.axminster.co.uk/sjobergs-elite-2500-cabinetmaker-s-bench

TTony

I got a great pine one from B&Q for about £30. Years ago. But you'd probably get the timber for not more than much today. I screw a ply top to it, which is easily replaceable when it gets completely buggered.

equalsql

ecc83 said:

But a WORK bench?

The top will get buggered, scored, drilled. You will need to screw fixtures and stops to it.

Or is this a "non-working" workbench?

Dave.

  I didn't say I was going to 'work' on it... just build it 
>:D<

Phil_aka_Pip

I've got my grandad's work bench. He built it himself. It's got wood worm now but the way he built it, it would still survive a nuclear bomb. the only thing I wonder about it is, what did he build it on? presumably he didn't have a workbench, which is why he built it ...

equalsql

Phil_aka_Pip said:

I've got my grandad's work bench. He built it himself. It's got wood worm now but the way he built it, it would still survive a nuclear bomb. the only thing I wonder about it is, what did he build it on? presumably he didn't have a workbench, which is why he built it ...

What came first.. the chicken or the egg?

I quite fancy something like this: I could eat my lunch off it and plane a piece of wood at the same time!

GuitarMonkey

@jonnyburgo does a bit of joinery and will have some useful advice

jonnyburgo

Well, it may not be what you want to hear but I'd go woth Dave's answer. Mine is made from old 7x2 roof joists which I guess would be pine and it is great. As mentioned it will get wrecked, will have saw marks glue and woodstain and paint on it in no time. However if you do want to go down the hardwood route, get to a reclaimers yard and see what they have knocking around. My local one always has oak boards for a decent price. I really wouldnt buy new as they cost a bomb. If I was making a dining table then yes but not for this purpose.

I'm actually making a dining table right now from reclaimed scaffold boards. I'll put pics up soon.

GSPBASSES

Have a look at the link Rutlands sell some really good benches StewMac used to sell plans for a bench for guitar work.

      http://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+woodworking-hand-tools-work-benches-woodwork-benches-1500mm-professional-joiners-workbench-dakota+m_dk2700

octatonic

GSPBASSES said:

Have a look at the link Rutlands sell some really good benches StewMac use to sell plans for a bench for guitar work.

      http://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+woodworking-hand-tools-work-benches-woodwork-benches-1500mm-professional-joiners-workbench-dakota+m_dk2700

Sweet- they looks really good for the money.

equalsql

GSPBASSES said:

Have a look at the link Rutlands sell some really good benches StewMac use to sell plans for a bench for guitar work.

      http://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+woodworking-hand-tools-work-benches-woodwork-benches-1500mm-professional-joiners-workbench-dakota+m_dk2700

Wow... that's excellent value!
Thanks very much the for heads-up. Have a wisdom on me 

jonnyburgo

GSPBASSES said:

Have a look at the link Rutlands sell some really good benches StewMac used to sell plans for a bench for guitar work.

      http://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+woodworking-hand-tools-work-benches-woodwork-benches-1500mm-professional-joiners-workbench-dakota+m_dk2700

They look excellent, unless you can get the wood to build your own for nothing, you might as well just buy that one.

equalsql

At that price it's a no-brainer. it's got a 30mm thickness worktop which is 10mm more than anything else in that price range.. plus there's an extra 5% discount. Certainly good enough for my purposes 

ecc83

Now I think about it... My electronics work bench had a wooden top and was a total PITA.The slightest dig with a chassis corner and a slinter would form ready to stab you.

I topped it off with 1/8th inch hardboard, shiny side up. This is hardwearing, cheap and won't splinter. I would have changed it when it got really tatty had I not gone crook.

Dave.