Construction Grade 2x4 Workbench Project

Very nice looking top. I like the butterflies. I need to add those to my top.(Laminated Poplar from old Skids) Very nice! What’s going in the notch? Big vise? Looking forward to seeing more.

Kelly

-- He who dies with the most tools wins!.....Just wait, I'm going to win!..ERR my wife will at least.

Man,thats my kind of of bench… strong,beautiful and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Super job!

-- So much wood, So little time

Nice job and nice price !

Looks very strong & heavy. Very eager to see the complete bench soon.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

I second woodworm, and more info on the construction method! It looks like you ripped all the boards down to 1×2’s before laminating? Did you plane/joint the boards before cutting/laminating, or did you just slap it all together and then flatten it?

Very nice top – Would love to see the rest of the bench..

Thanks for sharing !

-- ~ SgtSnafu - Central North Carolina

Great idea for a bench top. Did you let the 2×4’s dry for a while before gluing up? I know construction grade lumber is usually a little wetter than what woodworking lumber is.

Great job!

-- Dennis, http://www.maplegrovewoodworks.com/

A little money, a little work, and a Great bench!!

-- Doug, New Mexico.......the only stupid question is one that is never asked!........don't fix it, if it ain't broke!

Can’t wait to see the completed bench! Love the top design for sure!

-- Trying to follow the example of the master.

great bench.. tanks for sharing the images

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the comments, yes, I did plane the 2 by’s to size, sticker and air dried them for about 4 months in the attic of my barn before glue-up. Out of the lumber yard you could hit one with a hammer and produce a “Wet Spot”. I used CA on the loose knots and installed patches of doug fir on the big boo boo’s. The large purpleheart butterfly’s help keep all three lamination’s together, they are about 1.5” thick, installed on the top and bottom of the three lamination’s. The purpleheart spline along the ends was epoxied in to help keep everything flat and together. I have not had any trouble with the durability or dimensional stability since I have been using it. I built some legs in a similar fashion out of 4×4’s that I will post in another “project” since the pictures here are maxed out. Once I had the three lamination’s (less than 13” to fit my planer” I planed each lamination to keep “Flattening” them after putting them together to a minimum. I did have some 8 quarter maple I was going to “Band” the entire thing with but decided against it since durability has not been an issue. I probably have less than $100.00 in lumber in the entire thing. Yes, the large cutout in the end is for a nice vise that I have installed. I also installed a smaller side vise on the other end that has proved invaluable. I have not needed any dog holes yet but still may drill a few for those times they come in handy for planing something or large glue-ups. I did not finish it with anything yet but may put a few coats of satin poly on it to seal it up before winter sets in. Its heavy as all get out, I have not weighed it but I bet its close to 150 lbs, I guess compared to a solid maple top thats light but this works for me. It was fun to make and did not take long to do. Unlike a zillion dollar piece of art workbench I am not afraid to saw, drill, sand or otherwise “Use” it for its intended purpose. If I accidentally make a “hole” in it I just use my router to inlay another little doug fir butterfly or whatever other material I have laying around handy, popular, oak, even pine. It has quite a few “Patches” in it now and I think it give it a nice character. I used West systems epoxy to glue the entire thing with, if I had it to do over again I would use titebond or even Gorilla glue, its a lot cheaper. I love that epoxy but man is it messy…Invest in a box of latex surgical gloves if you play with it much, vinegar removes it very well if you catch it soon enough.

-- Jerry, "Some people are like Slinkies, They aren't good for much of anything, but they put a grin on your face when you push them down a flight of stairs"

I love your work bench! Just great! I also commented on your mallets projects!

-- Chesapeake Bob, Southern Maryland

That’s one great bench .

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Sweet bench, Jerry. I appreciate the write-up, and am going to start air-drying my own 2×4’s.

-- Jim, North Vancouver, BC

Jerry—This is a terrific looking bench top … I like the butterflies and splines. Wish I would have thought of that when I built my bench (http://lumberjocks.com/projects/18929). I used TiteBond III when I did my laminations, and it is holding up well.

-- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. -- Vincent T. Lombardi

Wow, Jerry. Great job! Thanks for sharing … and … enjoy!

-- -- Neil

Very nice top.

-- David '65

I like it as well. Creative and functional.

-- Tim from Iowa City, IA

Great bench. Would like to see the finished product.

Nice Job!

Nothing like a table full of shaving, nice design on the top. Enjoy the rest of the journey…Blkcherry

Good job…......nicely done.

-- I will just keep doing it till I get it right.

Jerry, thats a nice looking shop.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

Hi guys,

I appreciate the encouragement and kind words. Here is a link to a photo of the legs I made Click to visit Legs project . I will try to get a camera out to the shop this weekend and take some photos of the thing with the vises mounted on it.

Laminated and Keyed Douglas Fir Construction Grade Lumber (2×4” and 2×6” made into a Woodworkers Work Bench

Chrome dont get ya home…Now If that aint putting a silk hat on a pig!

-- Jerry, "Some people are like Slinkies, They aren't good for much of anything, but they put a grin on your face when you push them down a flight of stairs"

Nice bench and nice price.

-- Mike, American in Norway

Nice bench and great look. I wondered as I read this if you sealed it with anything? I thought what if he used “mirror coat” or 8 layers of polyurethane. That pine is going to dent and scratch/gouge real easy. Let us know how you seal it. Please.

-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.

Hi Bradford,

I “Sealed” it with some tung oil I had laying around. I thinned it a little with some mineral spirits and applied it with some old paint brushes and rags. It was just something I had a lot of and wanted to use it up before it went bad. I am sure anything like tung oil, linseed oil, wiping poly would serve the same purpose on the “Cheap”.

You would be surprised at how durable the top has been, I dont intentionally abuse it but I certainly dont “Baby” it. Thats the purpose of a “WorkBench”, to work on!

I have drilled through a few things and put some “holes” in it, when it starts looking rough I spend a few minutes either putting left-over epoxy in them or I will route out a little round 1/4” deep inlays and just glue a similarly grained and colored plug in the top.

I have more than once spilled paint, varnish, glue and stain on it, a couple of minutes with a block plane or scraper takes care of the spots in a couple of seconds. I dont think I will ever “Wear it out” by using it for its intended purpose. Hope you enjoyed viewing my little beater bench!

Jerry

-- Jerry, "Some people are like Slinkies, They aren't good for much of anything, but they put a grin on your face when you push them down a flight of stairs"

Hey Jerry Thats a great looking bench you built . I count 7 2×4s per section making 21 for the top , did I count right ? I hope you don’t mind if I use some of your build techniques on my bench . Whats the size of the bench ? I look forward to seeing completed pictures of the bench.

Regards
Jerry

Great bench Jerry, gave me some good ideas for the one I’m working on. I’m curious about the base – would you mind giving a few more details? Did I understand you used 4×4 for the feet and laminated 2×4 for the legs? What are the final dimensions? Anyway, would really appreciate the help!