Bench top - to cut to rnot to cut

How long is it now and how much of the ends are checked or split?
It could be used for table legs or resawed , it could be for a table top.
Is there any figure in the wood?

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I wouldn’t waste good maple on a danged old work bench.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

While most of the prized workbenches are made of maple, Thos does have a point. You could use it to make a nice table instead, such as a sofa table.

Since the wood is thick (4 inches?), I would wonder if it has dried long enough to stabilize it? I would hate to see you resaw it to make a wide top, and then have it warp or check on your some more. If you have a moisture meter, you can make a cut on the end and then check where it is at. If nothing else, you have some nice chopping block material there!

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

Maple huh?.............how about a maul to smack your fro with. I hate maple.
Ed

-- Come on in, the beer is cold and the wood is dry. www.crookedlittletree.com

I also want to know how long the piece is…

If it’s flatsawn, another idea is to resaw it in 6 equal pieces to get quartersawn stock (or close to qs)...then glue up for a top with less movement potential…still gets you your ~24” and you could probably get it to 1-3/4” thick overall.

Have a picture of this piece?

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

I was away for a few days, but back now. The board is 7’ + long and 3×12. No checking and klin dried.
Here are 3 pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowdogjoe/sets/72157601602205953/

I can get a few more slaps like this or maybe get a few 4×4s. I am not sure how to cut it for a bench top and would rather get it closer to correct on my first attempt :) I do not mind the cost of trial and error but I do not really want to waste the time it will take to learn by trial and error <laugh>. As I get older time is more valuable than the cash. (never having kids helps a lot in the $$ area <grin>

It is just a thought but what if I put two 1” + strips of walnut in the top to give it some character? Is walnut hard enough for work bench top?

Thank you all.

Moisture meter is on my wish list :)

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..

Thanks for the pics – it’s definitely flatsawn

I see your quandary…so, what are you gonna do? huh, huh…

If you can get more, and this stuff is stable and going into a stable climate, a massive 3” thick bench top would be pretty cool.

The relatively thin strips of walnut would probably be fine in there…

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

I am not sure what to do with it as far as cutting it up. Should I cut it up into smaller parts and let it sit a few weeks and then mill it and glue it up or used it as large slabs. I am new to all this, I am pretty much a rough framer by trade :) not a fine wood worker (yet) :)

But I am trying

-- "so much to learn and so little time"..