Walnut Workbench... what do you think?

a walnut workbench would be nice. i mean if you can get it for free why not.

I would not do that. Claro walnut can make such beautiful projects. Save it for that and make your bench out of more conventional materials. Claro is so expensive… especially if it is nice. If you want a dark bench, use a good penetrating dye or stain..

-- making sawdust....

sell a project or two from the walnut to buy some Maple or whatever – and your friends walnut will, technically, be going into the bench. – perhaps put a couple scrap pieces of it in there – a detail on the vise, legs or ends.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

You are lucky to find Clairo walnut. I would build a bench. It would have a lot of meaning behind it. And the bench would last a life time. Then you would find even more time to woodwork. Congrats & good luck.

-- Dennis Zongker

It would look fantastic, but a couple of points to think about.

How hard is the wood?
Think about using a cheaper hard wood (Birch, Beech, Maple) and keep the walnut for a higher status project.
Dark wood – it may be difficult to find small dark things on the bench (drill bits etcetera)

Whatever you decide to build the bench from, the hardware (vices) are where you will spend the money, do not skimp on these, a good set will last you a lifetime or more (unlike me with my cheap ones). By the way, I tend to use the tail vice with dogs a lot more than the side vice.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

also you have to see the wood. if its choice lumber FAS really nice no sapwood then projects might be the way to go. but if it has knots or sapwood or isnt the best lookin stuff a workbench would be a really good use for it.

Blake,
I know you mention costas a concern, but chris schwarz seems to think that southern yellow pine (often found at home centers) is a great material and cheap. Using anything more costly sounds like it might be an asthetic choice. here is a link to an article he wrote. I wish I could tell you more, but I don’t have his book yet. I’m ordering it soon though. good luck!

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/RulesforWorkbenches/

Edit:
I guess the link I provided wasn’t where I originally read about SYP. It is actually in the preview of his book (that has me convinced I need to buy it). Hopefully this link works:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Ihc9Ma0i6rQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=schwartz+workbench

I would definitely keep looking for some less distinguished wood for the bench. But as someone pointed out – it’s a bird in the hand, and if what you want is a bench, build a bench!

-- Nils Davis, Menlo Park, CA

I’d keep the claro for furniture, it’s too pretty to have hidden from view deep inside a top. I don’t think a dark bench would be a problem though, it’s a nice dilemma to have :)

-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

At 43 yrs old I am in denial about how much more light that I need to see my detail work. My personal need for a light colored bench is great. Last night I was struggling to see some lines that I made on my black walnut stock.

I think that it comes down to personal choice and needs. I would like to suggest a light colored bench is best but there is no rule against using a darker wood as the material. But when you hit the point that I am at with your vision, you may wish that you had made it out of something lighter.

I love my benches with the white laminate. They make the shop bright and it is easy to take photos of projects on them.

Really the choice is yours on this one, there is not right or wrong.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Free walnut for a bench? Awesome. Go for it.

Lots of folks advising to save it for a “better” project, but what project could be more important to a woodworker than HIS PRIMARY BENCH! You will use it in the shop every time you visit, and it will bring you joy for the rest of your life.

Or you could use the MDF that I did and have a big pile of QSWO in the corner waiting for someday… (like me)

-- Steven

My question would be, do you have room to store the walnut if you don’t use it for a bench?
walnut is great to work with, and you have to start at the bottom for a bench anyway. so build the base from it, and see how you feel working with it.
If you like it, keep going.

-- Junior -Quality is never an accident-it is the reward for the effort involved.

Pretty ambitious project for a guy who was quitting woodworking ;^)

Personally, I like walnut furniture. Todd has an excellent point about lighting.

I would save the Claro Walnut for a fine piece of furniture and use cheap light colored wood for the workbench. If you send me the Claro Walnut, I’ll send you Maple! Some of my best canes are made from feathered grained Claro Walnut. Can I come over and visit your friend?

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

Save the walnut. Its too precious to use for a workbench.

-- If you can't build it, code it. If you can't code it, build it. But always ALWAYS take a picture.

In 1973 when I was building guitars I had a cabinet maker who made yearly trips south to obtain wood get me 8 6”x6”x8’ quarter sawn pieces of black walnut. They are up in my attic. Been there ever since then. After 35 years they must be dry by now ;-). Someday I might use them. But not for a workbench. I envy people in the south. Lots of exotic woods it seems. Here we’ve got pine, oak, maple, and some beech and birch. Not much else. Lots of spruce but that’s framing lumber. I’d keep the walnut.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://web.me.com/deceiver6/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

Clairo Walnut for a bench???? It would be pretty, but could you pound on it without guilt? I’m going into mourning at the thought.

-- Working at Woodworking www.VillageLaneFurniture.com

Hi Blake,

I am thinking that you are serious and this is not another sarcasm blog :-). It that case check out David Marks’ bench on the woodwisperer’s video part 1. Although it isn’t clairo it is made of Walnut and I for one have admired that bench for years. I personally couldn’t think of a better project to use the wood for. I mean what other project could you get as much satisfaction & inspiration from then a workbench that you would use almost daily. Would I ever buy clairo walnut for the purpose of building a workbench probably not due to the economic impact it would have on my wallet, however, since you are getting this for free I wouldn’t hesitate to build it. As far as a dark wood benches go I have also seen several made of Purpleheart. I say go for it.

-- Brian, Folsom, CA http://www.brianfullerdesigns.com

I’m with Todd. since I am old enough to be his Daddy, I need more light . I’m thinking about topping my bench with a mirror. LOL Walnut for a bench??? Naw. When I was a kid we burned quite a bit for firewood. That was the first I ever tried a lathe, in the neighbor’s basement turning chunks from the wood pile. I never smell Walnut with out being reminded of it.

-- Thos. Angle

KEWL! Accent it with some “fancy” Maple for contrast and you’d have a one of a kind piece Blake!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

There are good arguments on both sides…but if the project you propose will keep you working in wood…if the wood is that reasonably priced…dry, hard enough…then I don’t know why not. No wood is sacred….untouchable. A man posts furniture here from Brazil…recycled rosewood…to make beautiful furniture…the wood came from barns. Now that wood is rare…is the Claro rare? Do you have other plans for other projects? If you have no good workbench and can’t afford to buy beech or hard maple for a workbench…yes, build it. I may be building a bench of maple and elm. Build it and don’t feel guilty. Go forward and built what you need. Somebody has walnut and doesn’t use it…somebody has lots something else. Use the wood if you see this project in your mind with that wood.

-- /\/\/\ BarryW /\/\/\ Stay so busy you don't have time to die.

I wouldn’t I built mine out of landscaping timbers and pine and I have put alot of miles on it to date.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/10446

It is holding up great. Walnut should be treated with respect
haha Good luck either way.

I’m gonna have to agree with ScottB here… I think I would not build the entire bench with it, but instead accent it with the walnut. I think that you may very well find more beauty in the walnut if it’s an accent rather than the entire project, it may give you eye candy overload. You could incorporate some of the walnut in the vices, and run a string or two down the top in the dogholes. Make the pins in the legs with it, etc. Your friends walnut will still be in the bench, and then you could use the rest for some great projects.

Good luck, let us know what you decide. (and, of course, we’re all looking forward to seeing the bench)

Steve

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †

Make the workbench. David Marks’ is walnut, and seems to have served him quite well over the years. With the craftmanship displayed in your other works, you would have an hierloom bench that someone will be fighting over when you’re gone. You say your friend is giving the walnut to you for free, because he knows you need a bench? Considering the value of all that walnut, I’d ask him if he minded, before I used it for something else.

In the end, I believe you are more than skilled enough to make a workbench worthy of the wood, and such a bench will inspire you every time you walk into your shop.

-- I may not know a lot, but at least I know that I don't know.?.?. I think. http://chathampenworks.com/

My vote is for using the walnut. Who cares how much its worth, your getting it for free. Sure you could use it for nice projects, but why is “your bench” not worthy of the title of a nice project. I cant count the times I have seen nice wood leave my shop, and wished I hadn’t let it go. Bottom line, make the bench as nice as the material. If you want to be great, surround yourself with greatness!

-- http://www.efcabineture.com/ You can be tired, or you can be broke, but you should never be tired and broke.

One of a kind KEEP it ,I would for sure

-- --<<<<<< I will not stop until I get it right. >>>>>>--

I can’t think of a more inspiring way to expand your creativity than to have a walnut bench in your studio.

Go for it!

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Glad to see ya back

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

Blake,

If you got it, flaunt it! You can always use the scrap for small projects.

-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.

A man has to do what a man has to do. scott landis has a book out “The Work Bench” and in this book there are several examples of shaker work benches and inspired Shaker work benches. When it comes to a work bench, the words form, utility, and beauty come to mind. There are different aspects to a bench and its uses meaning some parts need to be strong and some stronger. I would propose that different woods be used where needed and some of the wood that was given to you could possibly be used to build a small project where the walnut would shine through to inspire others. Quoted” That which has in itself the highest use posses the greatest beauty.” I just recently built a work bench and my wife took it to set the TV on proudly in my living room???? I am in the process of changing my shop around and it was a place out of the way and am building another.

-- Humble Wood Servant

Go for it, bubba! Garrett Wade used to offer a dark wood top for their workbenches. It was some African species but quite striking to look at. I say, if you have the wood and you have the inclination, GO FOR IT!!!

always,
J.C.

P.S. Don’t forget, we want lots of pictures.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

Blake, Walnut makes a nice bench!

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

You’ll have to decide what you want to do. But I’d look the Walnut over carefully if it’s mostly straight grain use it for your bench. But if it has a nice figure I’d save it for something else and go with Southern Yellow Pine or another wood.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

I echo the first reply by teenagewoodworker…................why not?..............its free and if you really think about it,................if you cant build a bench then what goods it to you?

I’ve never kept an aprentice who couldnt build his/her own bench and be damned if they build something for some one they dont know if they cant build the bench they work at?

do it!

-- http://www.furnituremann.ca/

I’m thinking you need to think bigger…how ‘bout a whole shop, filled with benches, cabinets, tool holders, etc. that are made with claro walnut accents? Some people get excited about a matching living room set; you’d have a matching shop! The bench top may be SYP, but the cabinet underneath, the vice handles, the inlay on the apron: all walnut! When you spring for that fancy set of 23 cherries chisels, or that grammy handsaw, you can have a claro tool mount to hold it. Those pieces with the nice grain – the doors of your new tool cabinet. The drill press table, the dovetail jig storage box, the cabinet under your table saw, etc., etc.

Some people want to see the piramids, others the Taj Majal; LumberJocks will be making a pilgramage to see your shop!

not sure if this was said already.. get the wood, and try doing some woodworking on top of it and see if the dark colour causes frustrations. Then, talk to your donor and ask if it would be ok to make a few pieces from the wood and sell them so you can make a more efficient bench.

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Jeez, I wish I had your dilemmas! You say you need a bench, and lo and behold a friend offers to give you the wood with which to do it. Sounds to me like it was meant to be! Build it! You won’t regret it, and if you ever do, take it apart and build something else! And if the dark coloration is a problem down the road, PAINT IT Electric White or Safety Yellow! (j/k!) Seriously, I think it would be an absolutely beautiful addition to your shop and you will never be sorry. A person’s bench is a very personal thing, and yours will be the envy of everyone here! Put me down for a “Build It!” vote! Have fun which ever way you decide to go! Michael C.

-- Mike in Manchester, NH---Unpleasant tasks are simply worthy challenges to improve skills.

If a walnut bench would make it difficult to see dark parts, perhaps you could have Deb come over and paint it for you.

I’d have to agree with Scott and Steve, use some small pieces to accent the tabe or the joinery. I couldn’t bring myself to use clairo walnut on a work bench, especially when I look at how beatup and glue covered mine is.
rikkor; there’s an idea, I never thought of painting walnut…........sorry Deb I couldn’t resist.

-- DocK, WV

One option you haven’t considered is to load all that walnut on a trailer and drive it up here to Alaska where I will happily trade you some birch for it and you can catch an afternoon (or a week) of salmon fishing. :)

Mart

I think that using the walnut for say your vise chop would be awesome but for a top I think that it would be too dark. To each his own though!

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

...and then you could paint it white!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

That’s funny Dennis, my father was a cabinet maker and these rich people in the SF Bay Area had him build walnut kitchen cabinets and then painted them green with gold sparkly veins in it. My dad hated those people. Blake, where I live in Calif.. a guy can buy fire wood for 100-150 and it’s all either walnut or almond etc.
and I’ve thought of using it for making a work bench and making it butcher block style…....but that Clairo walnut
seems to be more beautiful, than the english or black walnut around here….though they are very nice. What kind of seasoned firewood do they have in your area? A cord of wood could make your bench and dozens of other projects besides…........plus some nice, cozy fires ….................................................use the Clairo for something more worth while…......................................................yoda

Build it with the Claro and enjoy a quality bench!

-- ...it's rennovation time!!!

Build it. Lee Jesberger has a teak workbench that he piocked up years ago.

Make something beautiful for yourself.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Getting back to the practical needs of light wood vs. dark wood, I’d save the black walnut for something else that you didn’t need to see the surface area by using lighter colored wood. Cheap, free or not, I think the black walnut is too dark, but if the lighting isn’t an issue, then the cost is right. Personnaly, I’d keep it for a fine furniture project if it’s really nicely grained. You may even be able to trade some of it for cheaper, light color wood that would work better for you.

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

If you can get a copy of the Schwarz book, I would. In the early chapters, he talks about the qualities you need in the wood you build your bench out of. Hardness, stability, workability, on and on. He’s even got charts of various qualities that can help you figure out what is right.

From a purely monetary perspective, I think there are woods that make better workbench woods than walnut, and they generally less expensive.

You could sell some of that walnut for a better bench wood (and things like vice parts!). Then use the remainder of that walnut to accent your current bench (end caps, etc.) and build a nice walnut project for the person who gave you the wood.

Personally, I have enough trouble seeing things on my light colored bench. Don’t know if I’d let it get any darker!

I love the antique, almost shaker look.

-- Hey Mr. Jones, could i use that off-cut?

I say use it. It doesn’t matter what color your bench is, it’s the wood your working on at the time that you have to see. Besides those shiny drill bits will show up better. After 10 or 20 years of use, it would be awsum to see. What a bench, I can picture it now. :)

Blake, it’s a personal preference, I personally would go for a lighter wood look for the top – but I’d def. use the walnut for the vices, and some sandwiched lamination in the top to break the monotonous single-color-top into something unique.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Build what makes you happy. But come on…”extra Clairo walnut” I don’t think that’s possible is it? :-)