DavidR8's shop shenanigans

[PeterT]

Looks robust. Are the screws / washers just to hold the 2 plywood laminations during glue cure?

 

[DavidR8]

Looks robust. Are the screws / washers just to hold the 2 plywood laminations during glue cure?

Yes, the screws are removed after about an hour or two.
Once the glue is spread and the second MDF layer is down, it's really hard to keep the two pieces aligned because the glue acts like like a lubricant.
I used trigger clamps to clamp two corners at one end for alignment and then screwed down the middle two rows then down the edges

 

[PeterT]

Its too late for you now & you are obviously following a specific design but I'll out a comment for future considerations. My buddy made me some work surface table tops back when I was doing work that required as flat & stiff a surface as possible. The top & bottom surface is 3/4" good grade plywood, but they are separated by vertical plywood (I'll call them) stringers from same material, about 5" tall spaced about 8-12" apart. They run the length of the surface & also box the periphery. Glued & screwed from both sides so very much self-aligning as long as the stringers are cut the same. So the end result is kind of like an 'I' beam in section, the depth yields very much stiffer surface than 2 plywoods laminated to one another. It also resists warping with different humidity or temperature.

Now mounting things like a vise is a bit different because the bolt passes through a thicker section, but its the same thing. I've also seen people open up windows in the periphery between the stringers which then makes for great storage space like bar clamps, even drawers if so inclined.
I'll snap a picture of mine if you are interested. One is a 4x8 work surface, the other is a table top with a bunch of IKEA cabinet drawer units.

 

[DavidR8]

Its too late for you now & you are obviously following a specific design but I'll out a comment for future considerations. My buddy made me some work surface table tops back when I was doing work that required as flat & stiff a surface as possible. The top & bottom surface is 3/4" good grade plywood, but they are separated by vertical plywood (I'll call them) stringers from same material, about 5" tall spaced about 8-12" apart. They run the length of the surface & also box the periphery. Glued & screwed from both sides so very much self-aligning as long as the stringers are cut the same. So the end result is kind of like an 'I' beam in section, the depth yields very much stiffer surface than 2 plywoods laminated to one another. It also resists warping with different humidity or temperature.

Now mounting things like a vise is a bit different because the bolt passes through a thicker section, but its the same thing. I've also seen people open up windows in the periphery between the stringers which then makes for great storage space like bar clamps, even drawers if so inclined.
I'll snap a picture of mine if you are interested. One is a 4x8 work surface, the other is a table top with a bunch of IKEA cabinet drawer units.

I believe that's called a torsion box. Definitely good for strong, lightweight stable surfaces.
The reason for this design is three-fold:
1) The bench is designed for hand tool woodworking so hand planing and sawing. That requires a bench with weight and solidity.
2) Cost. The materials to build a hardwood bench would likely run $3,000-$5,000
3) Easy to build

 

[trlvn]

The bench is designed for hand tool woodworking so hand planing and sawing.

Attaboy!

What height are you aiming for?

Way off topic here but have you run across the OldTools list?

OldTools Mailing List Control Panel

oldtools.swingleydev.com

I used to be subscribed years ago. A fellow I met through the list has been a buddy for about 25 years. He is now one of the Elders. (He also posts on CanadianWoodworking from time to time.) Great bunch.

Craig
(In 1993(?), the maple for my workbench--jointed, planed and cut to my list--cost me about $200. I thought that was insanely expensive at that time!)

 

[DavidR8]

Attaboy!

What height are you aiming for?

Way off topic here but have you run across the OldTools list?

OldTools Mailing List Control Panel

oldtools.swingleydev.com

I used to be subscribed years ago. A fellow I met through the list has been a buddy for about 25 years. He is now one of the Elders. (He also posts on CanadianWoodworking from time to time.) Great bunch.

Craig
(In 1993(?), the maple for my workbench--jointed, planed and cut to my list--cost me about $200. I thought that was insanely expensive at that time!)

Thanks Craig, appreciate the link.
@trlvn It should end up with a top at 34-1/2"
The material were insanely expensive... Two sheets of 5x5 3/4" Baltic Birch, one sheet of 1" MDF and a slab of 8/4 maple 10" x 30" was $495...

 

[Chicken lights]

I believe that's called a torsion box. Definitely good for strong, lightweight stable surfaces.
The reason for this design is three-fold:
1) The bench is designed for hand tool woodworking so hand planing and sawing. That requires a bench with weight and solidity.
2) Cost. The materials to build a hardwood bench would likely run $3,000-$5,000
3) Easy to build

Four hardwood 4x4’s, four feet long and one 8 foot piece, fell off a trailer by the shop door. If a fellow was hankering to build a bench, there’s enough material there for four legs and two cross pieces. Weird coincidence

 

[DavidR8]

Four hardwood 4x4’s, four feet long and one 8 foot piece, fell off a trailer by the shop door. If a fellow was hankering to build a bench, there’s enough material there for four legs and two cross pieces. Weird coincidence

That's probably $400 worth of wood...

 

[DPittman]

Its too late for you now & you are obviously following a specific design but I'll out a comment for future considerations. My buddy made me some work surface table tops back when I was doing work that required as flat & stiff a surface as possible. The top & bottom surface is 3/4" good grade plywood, but they are separated by vertical plywood (I'll call them) stringers from same material, about 5" tall spaced about 8-12" apart. They run the length of the surface & also box the periphery. Glued & screwed from both sides so very much self-aligning as long as the stringers are cut the same. So the end result is kind of like an 'I' beam in section, the depth yields very much stiffer surface than 2 plywoods laminated to one another. It also resists warping with different humidity or temperature.

Now mounting things like a vise is a bit different because the bolt passes through a thicker section, but its the same thing. I've also seen people open up windows in the periphery between the stringers which then makes for great storage space like bar clamps, even drawers if so inclined.
I'll snap a picture of mine if you are interested. One is a 4x8 work surface, the other is a table top with a bunch of IKEA cabinet drawer units.

That's sounds interesting, I'd love to see a picture.

 

[DavidR8]

That's sounds interesting, I'd love to see a picture.

While this is made with solid material it would be like this:

 

[PeterT]

That's sounds interesting, I'd love to see a picture.

Here is my smaller table top (grafted onto new bank of IKEA drawer units). And in lower left of one picture you can see corner of my 4x8 work table, same general construction. My buddy made the 4 corner posts & 2 intermediary posts from 3/4 plywood in a 6x6" box section. David is scaring me about wood prices, I guess I better itemize it in the Will haha

 

[Susquatch]

Four hardwood 4x4’s, four feet long and one 8 foot piece, fell off a trailer by the shop door. If a fellow was hankering to build a bench, there’s enough material there for four legs and two cross pieces. Weird coincidence

You are one very lucky fellow. Did he hit a speed bump..... LMAO!

 

[Susquatch]

@PeterT & @David_R8. A Woodworking bench like yours has been on my to do list for decades. Maybe someday I'll actually make one.

I love the idea of the hollow bench.

My first bench was made by laminating 2x4s together and topping them with a piece of dressed one side 3/4" plywood. My son has that bench now.

Every so often I look at various plans for building a cabinet makers bench and drool.

I'm jealous of what both of you have done.

 

[Chicken lights]

That's probably $400 worth of wood...

There’s no way, 24’ of hardwood 4x4 is $400....

Is there? You’re gonna make me price this now

 

[Chicken lights]

You are one very lucky fellow. Did he hit a speed bump..... LMAO!

I don’t ask questions

 

[Susquatch]

There’s no way, 24’ of hardwood 4x4 is $400....

Is there? You’re gonna make me price this now

Depends on what hardwood and what grade. 400 could be very cheap or very expensive.

I have Ash and Wild Black Cherry up the wazoo. Expensive to buy but free to you. But you will have to dry and mill it.

 

[DavidR8]

Depends on what hardwood and what grade. 400 could be very cheap or very expensive.

I have Ash and Wild Black Cherry up the wazoo. Expensive to buy but free to you. But you will have to dry and mill it.

If shipping weren't so expensive I'd love to have some cherry for turning!

 

[DavidR8]

Here is my smaller table top (grafted onto new bank of IKEA drawer units). And in lower left of one picture you can see corner of my 4x8 work table, same general construction. My buddy made the 4 corner posts & 2 intermediary posts from 3/4 plywood in a 6x6" box section. David is scaring me about wood prices, I guess I better itemize it in the Will haha

My hedge against inflation is a stash of Baltic Birch!

 

[DavidR8]

There’s no way, 24’ of hardwood 4x4 is $400....

Is there? You’re gonna make me price this now

There's 32 bd ft in that amount of wood. Eastern Maple for me is $14/bd ft so that's $448. Red oak is $12 so a bit cheaper

 

[Tom O]

Dads bench for the Clausing was 2x4‘s with 3/4 ply on top we added a piece of 1 1/2 thick solid desktop on top.