Workbench (woodworking) - Construction Materials

Construction Materials

Most workbenches are made from solid wood; the most expensive and desirable are made of solid hardwood. Benches may also be made from plywood and Masonite or hardboard, and bases of treated pine and even steel. There are trade offs with the choice of construction material. Solid wood has many advantages including strength, workability, appearance. A plywood or hardboard bench top has the advantage of being stable, relatively inexpensive, and in some ways it's easier to work with - particularly for a woodworker who doesn't yet have hand tools. The practical drawbacks of a plywood or composite bench top are that they don't hold their corners and edges well, and they can't be resurfaced with a plane - something that is needed from time to time.

Workbenches are fairly forgiving in the choice of wood. Maple, cherry, mahogany, or pine rarely give problems. Beech, oak, walnut, and fir make good benches. Benches are occasionally made using more exotic woods like purpleheart and teak - though the expense is high. The choice of wood is not as important as the integrity of the design - cross grain construction and inadequate joinery typically have a more destructive effect than the use of a less-than-ideal wood.

One popular and cheap source for bench top material is old bowling alley lanes. These are usually made from thick, high-quality laminated maple. Two problems present themselves with bowling alley wood: first, the waxes used on the surface for bowling frequently contain silicone and other substances that can play havoc with work pieces at finishing time - a little silicone on a project will cause trouble with many finishes, and won't manifest it until it's too late. The other problem with bowling alley wood is nails. Most pieces have loads of nails buried in them, which do not mix well with woodworking tools.

Many benches use different species of woods together. Small business woodworkers who work in a store-front sometimes use various species so that their clients can see examples of the different woods in a finished state. If this is done, it is important to use woods that are compatible with each other - particularly in the area of relative movement. Otherwise changes in temperature and humidity will stress the structure out of shape or it may even break.

The most common use for exotic woods in bench construction is for auxiliary parts such as oil cups, bench dogs, vise handles, sawing stops and the parts of wooden vises.