# Edges of New Workbench rounded over, square or chamfered



## TimH (Sep 23, 2008)

Hi all,

I'm working on my first "real" workbench. It is made of 8/4 red oak with 5/4 pieces of walnut every so often for an accent stripe. Anyway, as far as the edges of the bech go…. is there a reason to keep the edges square? I kinda like the look of a small roundover but I didn't want cut it until I asked b/c most I've seen have a aquare edge. Thanks.


----------



## oldskoolmodder (Apr 28, 2008)

It's your bench. Our preferences are not important, to be honest. I might like a chamfered edge the next person might like a square edge, and as you already said, you like the idea of a rounded over edge. There's no reason as far as I know that a rounded edge wouldn't work.


----------



## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

FWIW I think the reason you have a square edge is for the support of whatever you are working on.
If you had a small piece and clamped it on a rounded edge it may rotate. Same with a chamfered edge.

Lee


----------



## JimmyC (Jan 31, 2009)

I agree with sawdust as far as a square edge for clamping, butI see no harm in a small chamfer or round over.

Good Luck.


----------



## tenontim (Feb 24, 2008)

The clamping comment are valid, but the work benches that I've seen, with oak tops have a tendency to splinter the edges, so the small round over may save you some grief.


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

Make your bench any way you want. From a purely aesthetic point of view. Be it anything man makes, it is sometimes round, sometimes square, sometimes a combination of the two.. But the human eye never thinks of square, and right angles as out of style. All other styles move in and out of a human's idea of what's 'in'. Then again.. it's a bench, not a painting… wait.. maybe it is!


----------



## Moai (Feb 9, 2009)

I agree with sawdust2, clamping material at the edges is crucial.
A workbench top gets a lot of dings and hits, so any sharp edge is damaged badly when hited.
I used a 1/8" round bit in my bench, leaves a nice look, protect the corners and doesn't affect any clamping.


----------

