# Flatness of workbench top?



## MarkColan (Aug 11, 2010)

I bought a slab of butcher block from IKEA to be used as my new bench top. I got the wider one (37") which required trimming the width to fit, and also allowing the trim to be used for aprons in front and back.

To my dismay, I noticed after cutting it that the top is not as flat as I had hoped. It's ok on one end, but on the other, putting a straightedge front-to-back, I measure about 1/16" from the straightedge to the bench in the middle - that is, it is bowed with the edges higher than the middle. Even in the middle the bowing is noticeable.

I have not contacted IKEA, but I assume they would not be happy to accept a return for a countertop that has been cut.

In all resources I have read on workbenches, there has always been an emphasis on having a perfectly flat bench top, as anything less would telegraph errors to workpieces.

*Questions: *
is the 1/16" error I measured going to be a problem, or is it too small to worry about?
any ideas on how to correct the error (I don't have a jointer or planer)?

As an aside, I had planned to attach the top to the bench using screws only in the middle along the long ways. My thinking was that if I attached it on the sides, or attached aprons on the ends (which might flatten it somewhat), seasonal humidity changes could cause the bench top to crack.


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

If you don't have a jointer or planer, then you probably don't surface your boards by hand - one of the big reasons for having a flat surface. What do you use your bench for, and is the 1/16" dip going to interfere with that? If not, why worry about it? If so, then you can use a router and a home-made sled/rails to flatten it. Here's one to give you an idea, it's really just a matter of putting a temporary rail on each side and making a small sled to hold the router and ride on the rails:
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/flattenaworkbenchwitharouter.aspx

Edit: You said you don't have a jointer or planer. I read that as you don't have a jointer plane. But if you meant you don't have an electric jointer and power planer, then does that mean you do have handplanes? But if you had handplanes you wouldn't ask how to flatten your benchtop?


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

I remember someone else had a similar problem a couple of years ago, so you might do a search on LJ's. If the top is not too thick, you could also try to bolt it down flat, perhaps into angle iron fixed to the supports to assure flatness. You can plug any holes you make for the bolts…......and it will look decorative….........(-:

For my little shop in my Washington vacation home shop I got a cheap solid core door, and have sheathed it with plywood. I am in the process of making a couple of long narrow torsion boxes there to use on supports for larger work that requires a bigger workbench. That shop is in a garage, and a car has to be removed to do any bigger stuff.

We are having a very nice summer in Anchorage for a change, hope you are as lucky there in Maine.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Every few years I flatten my bench with a jack plane.

The reason you want a flat bench is to you can
flatten a board, flip it over and it will be flat against
the bench… then you know you flattened it 
correctly.

I don't have much trouble with the corners of
my bench anymore, but it is currently a little 
swaybacked. This doesn't usually interfere
with work on the bench, which is why I 
haven't got 'round to planing it out.


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

I'm in agreement with justjoe. What all are you going to use the workbench for?

I want mine flat enough to hold pieces stable as I am planing, cutting or chiseling. My bench is not an assembly table, so being ever so slightly out is not a big deal-it is flat enough that seasonal changes will probably cause more deviation than the top is out right now. if 1/16 is too much for your peace of mind, use a hand plane or router sled to take down the high spots. Word of caution, I would do this AFTER attaching to your base.


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## steliart (Jan 15, 2011)

Two ways to flatten that a jack plane or a router fixed on a leveling jig.
As for attaching your top, I would use fasteners that will allow movement. 2 cents from me


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## MarkColan (Aug 11, 2010)

*REPLY TO FLATTENING IDEAS*

My woodworking experience to date has been more about power tools than hand tools. Building this bench is part of getting more experience with planes in particular, and I don't have much experience there beyond a block plane. Using a plane to flatten a bench is daunting to me with my current level of skills; I would not know how to approach the problem, even which plane to use. I read the article on using a router (THANKS!) and I think I could do this.

*WHAT'S THE BENCH FOR?*

I envision using the bench for holding pieces while I'm working on them, using dogs and vice, or clamps or jigs, for both electric and hand tools. I had also expected to use it for assembly, but I do have an MDF bench that is much more flat that could be used for assembly.


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## MarkColan (Aug 11, 2010)

*MOUNTING THE BENCH TOP*

The base is a very solid steel base with a well in the middle, which now has supports in the form of a grid of plywood slats, torsion-box style. I drilled holes through the center-lengthwise piece for holding the top down from below.

*steliart* said: "As for attaching your top, I would use fasteners that will allow movement."

Can you be more specific about that? I could see drilling the holes in the base frame a bit larger than the screws that might allow some movement.

Since wood moves seasonally, I thought I should avoid attaching it at the edges, shiming instead of it is not perfectly flat onto the support. Do you agree?


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

Does this have a finish applied? If it has, does it have the same amount of finish applied top and bottom? 
What's the material, what's the thickness? Have you tried pulling it flat with cramps?


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## MarkColan (Aug 11, 2010)

It is a new bench surface that has no finish yet. I have the option to apply finish to top and bottom and probably will. It is beechwood in butcher block, 1 1/2" thick. I have NOT tried pulling it flat with clamps; I'd rather not have to do that.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

Take it back to Ikea. It's not fit for purpose. Tell them you got it for your kitchen.

Just a thought, did you have it stored for any amount of time on the flat? This may have allowed uneven loss of moisture from it.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

What renners said.


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

Mark, flattening a bench top with hand planes isn't hard, it just takes some grunt work. For me, setting up a router and sled etc etc seems like a lot more work than flattening with planes. Chris Schwarz has a few videos, and of course a book, on benches in general and flattening in particular. He explains it all in about 5 minutes, and it;s really that easy. Get a #5 jack plane, a #7 jointer plane, and a #4 smoother. Those are all you need to deal with your bench, and 95% of all planing for projects.

see this: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/workbenches/schwarz-workbenches/how-flat-should-benchtops-be

After that, you're all set to start working on your bench, and you have some experience fiddling with your planes.

But as others have said, 1/16th isn't that big a deal, but if it were me, I'd take down the high spots with planes.

Good luck!


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## Dakkar (Feb 14, 2013)

I would look into the router planing method. With the right wide bit, it looks quite doable. Watch this video on it:


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## onsecondthought (Oct 13, 2012)

I recommend you invest in a couple of hand planes and begin the true study of learning how to flatten a board. If you intend to become a woodwork, this is an excellent place to begin. As an aside, you might try mounting the top with the crown up and attaching as planned with screws in the middle…..bet a dollar on a dime it will draw down if your base is substantial enough. Personally, I would not live with a top out that much.


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## floyd1365 (May 5, 2013)

if you are more comfortable with power tools there is this also


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

Too much wasting time is what I'm hearing. Get a 4' level, put some 50-80 grit on your BELT SANDER and be done flattening your IKEA top in 15 minutes, then get going on finishing your bench ASAP. You can practice hand planing and routering later. Look forward to seeing pictures of your finished workbench!


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## MarkColan (Aug 11, 2010)

Thanks for all of your comments.

I decided to return the top to Ikea and get a refund. If this one was cupped, the next one could be, too, and Ikea is about 90 minutes from my house, plus hauling a heavy top on a car requires slow driving. It was returned within their 90 day return policy, and they accepted it even though it had been trimmed to size and had holes drilled in it.

Before I decided to return it, I considered planing it flat. As suggested above, I invested in planes, buying used Stanley #5 jack plane, #7 jointer plane, and #3 smoother at Tool Barn near Bar Harbor, ME. The total cost for the three was about $175 plus tax and they are flat and not rusty, blades not sharp of course, but in very good condition. I have mainly been a power tool user, but have decided to master the arts of planing and sharpening.

The reason I decided against trying to plain it flat is I did not want to risk a $200 top for a learning experience, and as it was only 1 1/2" thick, I did not want a bench top less than that.

Of course, I still need a bench top. There are many butcher-block tops online, and I will probably try one of them next. Opinions welcome on a good source (I am near Boston).


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## onsecondthought (Oct 13, 2012)

Mark, Good for you for purchasing hand planes. If you take the time to learn how to use them, you will grow considerably in your expertise as an overall woodworker, be heads and tails above lots of others that depend on a belt sander, and get a lot more enjoyment out of your craft. As to butcher block tops, John Boos is considered by some to be the gold standard but there are many others that can produce an equal product as to them, and probably for less money. You could also make your top from scratch which would be a hell of a lot of fun. It isn't that difficult and again you would learn a lot. I can't stress that enough. Those of us that work with wood are always learning and it is the only way to get better.


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## drbob (Jan 17, 2009)

I have recently posted a video on my site, Woodworking Tips and Tools that deals specifically with your concerns. The video demonstrates how to level the top using rails, a sled and a router. View it "here: http://woodworkingtipsandtools.com/how-to-flatten-a-workbench-with-a-router/


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## MarkColan (Aug 11, 2010)

I ordered a new bench top from Amazon, a Grizzly 72×36 x 1 3/4 solid maple butcher block. It has rounded edges, which I did not want, but knew it would be that way. I cut off two long edges, about 4 1/2 inches, to become front and rear aprons.

It was really hard to manage in my contractor's saw. A saw with a large table and a 3+ HP motor would have been much better. As a result, the cuts were not perfectly straight, and there were scorch marks.

So I used a straight edge clamped to the un-true edge, then used a 2" flush trim bit to get it to run straight. This also got rid of the scorches. I also trimmed the sides in the same way to get rid of the rounded edges. Later, when it is reconfigured, I will use a chamfering bit to remove the dangerous (sharp!) corners.

Unfortunately, this top is ALSO cupped. Placing the square across the width, the middle is not touching, and I can slip a thin piece of cardboard between bench top and square. Whereas the Ikea was like this for only half of the length, this bench top is like this for the entire length, in a more consistent manner.

I decided to fasten it to the metal frame with 1/4" screws, with 7/16" holes in the metal frame, oversized to accommodate changes in size with humidity changes. I may tighten these down to see if I can get it to flatten some, but release them to only snug later to allow for movement.

If it remains cupped in a year or two, I will either live with it, or embark on flattening it with planes. These bench tops are so heavy that I really don't want to mess with another return and try a new one, which may indeed have the same problem.


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## MarkColan (Aug 11, 2010)

Thanks, Dr Bob!


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## Burgels (Jun 10, 2013)

*Dakkar*, you beat me to it. I was going to suggest that as well


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

more than likely - any unfinished "raw" top that you'll order online, or from a place like IKEA will not remain flat as it will accommodate to the new humidity in your shop.

letting it acclimate to your shop may help relax it's cupping - but it's also possible it won't and dressing it will be required.

as an FYI - I see that you keep mentioning "cupping" - but cupping is not AS bad (though not really good either) - as a twist which is probably the worst you can have in a top. I suggest you make/get a set of winding sticks for checking for twist.

On a similar note- trying to flatten a 1 3/4" thick top with 1/4" screws might leave you very disappointed - depending on the error in the top -you may end up finding that this will be pulling the metal base off of square and leaving you with a wobbly or stressed bench (potentially it could also work, so it might be worth your risk).

if it was me, I would attend the cup/error in the top now, and not have to worry about it down the road (especially since you are planning on gluing up the aprons to the top - which if the top is cupped at the moment - these aprons will remain forever more unsquare to the top if you will "flatten" the top now with bolting it down.


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## MarkColan (Aug 11, 2010)

Thanks, Sharon. I had not thought about the twist. I'll check.

As for pulling the steel frame out of true, I don't think I tightened it enough to do that.

If I were to flatten the top using the router method (see youtube link above) that would seem to solve the problem of twist OR cup, agree?

I was *not* planning to glue the aprons on, so that I can take them off to modify them in the future. Just use some 3/8" lag screws to get them on tight. But flattening the top could include them, as well.

I agree that attending to it now is probably a good idea, because I want to mount an inset vise, and if I flatten later, the inset cavity will be incorrect.

But if the top begins to flatten itself after I have used a router to flatten it - because the bottom remains bowed - does that risk having the top become bowed later as it flattens itself?

BTW I opened and checked the flatness of the top immediately on arrival, so any cupping was there before I got it. I don't think wood changes THAT quickly.


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