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+-- Thread: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure (/showthread.php?tid=3058880)
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - Crooked Tail - 09-27-2007
Well, I think I've come to a decision. I'm going to rebuild it, but out of poplar instead of maple. This is a compromise between cost and, well, getting to rebuild it. The local hardwood store sells 8/4 poplar for $2.24 a bdft, which seems pretty good to me and is less than half the cost of 8/4 maple. Even though much "softer" than maple, the poplar ought to be much harder than the doug fir. Also, I ought to be able to finish it to match or very nearly match the maple, whereas I don't think I'd get there with the doug fir. So yes, it is partly an aesthetic decision.
Design changes:
- Four stretchers instead two, upper and lower. Each stretcher will be at least 4" wide. I may reuse the current poplar stretchers, which are about 5.5" wide.
- Set the legs further apart. The legs now are only 14" apart, measured from the outside of the legs. There is only 7" between them on the inside. I think setting them further apart will help with diagonal racking and stability in general. Don't ask me why I put them so close on the current base.
I'm going to be super anal about the M&Ts this time. I have to admit that I went on a sort of chopping spree on the current base. I wanted to get it done quickly, and the doug fir was so much softer, that I just sort of went nuts.
A shoulder plane sure would be nice to have for this work... and the poplar is less than half the cost of the maple... and and and...
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - OmegaRed - 09-27-2007
Crooked Tail said:
...Even though much "softer" than maple, the poplar ought to be much harder than the doug fir...
You might want to look into that. I built a trestle base for the dining room table I made for my little brother from poplar (primarily cost considerations plus it was being dyed black) but I found it to be quite soft and easy to ding. I never compared it directly to the construction lumber I had lying around but I don't think there is much difference.
One might be stronger than the other though; I've never looked it up. It might be worth looking that up and decide that way.
Also as far as finishing poplar to match maple, depending on the poplar it might be harder than you think. Some of it can have a pretty greenish cast and likely wouldn't match well. Other peices would likely match well.
Bob
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - gjohn - 09-27-2007
On the strength of poplar vs Douglas Fir, poplar seems to be weaker. Here is a site with information about various woods.
http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/strength_table.htm
Douglas fir seems to win pretty much all around. The compressive strengths may be some of the more important values as far as the joints becoming looser.
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - Crooked Tail - 09-27-2007
Interesting info, gjohn. I see "cottonwood balsam poplar" and "yellow poplar." I take it the yellow is poplar is that which is generally used in furniture?
I'm surprised that it seems to indicate that doug fir is tougher. Maybe because the doug fir I was using was green, but it sure seemed much, much softer. It's hard to describe that feel, just that it was so much easier to work. It also seemed to want to "flake" off the way oak does, but with much less force than necessary to make oak slivers or flakes come off.
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - mstens - 09-27-2007
Locally, also in hardwood hell, red maples about the same price as poplar.. just about $3/bdft for 8/4. It's just about as hard as sugar maple and is almost indistinguishable. That being said, I made my base out of alder.. which is cheaper still here.. and not nearly as stout as doug fir even.. but it's been holding up fine and still as rigid as it was when I made it.
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - Jonathan S - 09-27-2007
CT,
I share your frustration. I'm planning a bench, and trying to decide what to use for the base. I'm in Alaska, so nothing is cheap. I too am leaning toward the yellow popular @ 2.97/bf for 8/4. I can get the black cottonwood/balsam popular for 2.10/bf for 8/4 but would need to wait for it to complete a cycle in the kiln. My other option is Birch at 3.63/bf for 8/4. Hard maple is 7.67/bf for 8/4. Needless to say I'm using birch for the top!
Jonathan
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - Crooked Tail - 09-28-2007
I don't know anything about birch, but that seems like a pretty good price for 8/4. If you're making the top out of it, I surmise that it must be the next best alternative to maple?
I'm figuring about 40bdft for my base. If you used birch for your base, 40 bdft of it would set you back only about $30 more than the yellow poplar. For that fairly small difference, personally, I would use the birch for the base also, if nothing else for the aesthetic effect of having it all match. Just my $.02.
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - Jonathan S - 09-28-2007
Crooked Tail said:
I don't know anything about birch, but that seems like a pretty good price for 8/4. If you're making the top out of it, I surmise that it must be the next best alternative to maple?
CT,
I don't think its the next best alternative to maple, but it is what I can afford!! The woodworking budget is just never big enough
Jonathan
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - Crooked Tail - 10-03-2007
All right, I've finally got started on my new base. It's going to be out of 8/4 poplar. This particular board actually looks pretty nice, I think. The entire surface facing up is not green like most poplar.
Does this image look familiar? What's wrong with this picture?!
Walk in the park compared to hard maple.
I didn't even break a sweat. 
Only problem is that the frame saw is my only justification for that big bowl of double chocolate brownie fudge ice cream I ate when I got home from work... and that sawing was just too easy.
Re: CT's Most Excellent Workbench Adventure - Skip J. - 10-04-2007
Crooked Tail said:
Walk in the park compared to hard maple.
Only problem is that the frame saw is my only justification for that big bowl of double chocolate brownie fudge ice cream I ate when I got home from work... and that sawing was just too easy.
HMMNNN.... well CT, if you ever start supplying PH workbench kits, you could probably charge extra if you say all the 8/4 stock was ripped by hand...
Congrats!!!!!