Another workbench from construction 2x lumber - your advice requested

[Jeff]

Local wood options around Richmond, VA.

I'd make a little road trip to these folks and check out their offerings. Maybe a phone call or email in advance to ask about wood options/availability for the work bench build as well as future reference as a lumber source. The operation appears pretty comprehensive.

http://transitlumber.com/products.htm

 

[Rushton]

Check out a lumber supplier for yellow pine as well. My bench is built out of syp glued up butcher block style about 3" thick. I bought the syp from a lumber yard rather than trying to pick through boards at lowes or home depot...

Thanks, Steve. I'll have to do some research on lumber suppliers in my area to see what I can find. Good suggestion.

 

[Rushton]

Local wood options around Richmond, VA.

I'd make a little road trip to these folks and check out their offerings. Maybe a phone call or email in advance to ask about wood options/availability for the work bench build as well as future reference as a lumber source. The operation appears pretty comprehensive.

http://transitlumber.com/products.htm.

Thanks, Jeff. They not too far from me. I'll check them out.

{Edit to add followup:} I've taken a look at the online info I can find on Transit Lumber just east of Richmond. Interesting company, family owned since 1907. Found some pictures posted on Facebook of their 1949 era bandsaw and jointer for milling lumber. Good heavy old iron. Will plan to call them and see if I can go by to talk with them.

https://www.facebook.com/ron.curry.73/posts/10154097705399477

 

[Jeff]

The bench design is structurally very rigid without the stretchers between the legs due to that big apron, but it does allow for adding a shelf across the the length of the bench. The design is intended to allow for disassembly, thus no stretchers across the length of the bench.

I've watched several of the Paul Sellers videos from the series that the OP cited and found several things that are interesting.

The bench is intended for heavy hand plane use so it's gotta be rigid but it has no lengthwise stretchers on the legs like a trestle design and those funky aprons can't prevent lengthwise racking forever. The aprons are like stretchers and Mr. Sellers has an interesting solution that locks them in place---wedged dados! About the 8 min mark of video #8 and about 10 minutes at video #9 with the wedges and the beginning minutes of video #10.

https://paulsellers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/DSC_04131.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25mnnj0BRD0&list=PLD39949332C7FB168&index=8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyDjZWo3b3U&list=PLD39949332C7FB168&index=9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6qy6yJRvEY&list=PLD39949332C7FB168&index=10&spfreload=10

BTW, I see no quarter sawn wood specifically in these videos but the OP wants to use QS material. Ok.

 

[Rushton]

I've watched several of the Paul Sellers videos from the series that the OP cited and found several things that are interesting.

The bench is intended for heavy hand plane use so it's gotta be rigid but it has no lengthwise stretchers on the legs like a trestle design and those funky aprons can't prevent lengthwise racking forever. The aprons are like stretchers and Mr. Sellers has an interesting solution that locks them in place---wedged dados! About the 8 min mark of video #8 and about 10 minutes at video #9 with the wedges and the beginning minutes of video #10.

In various places on his blog and in his videos, Paul Sellers says he has used this bench design for 50 years in various iterations and has used the design for his woodworking schools in the U.S. and Britain for 30 years. As far as he knows, of the hundreds of benches built to this design, all are still in use. The wedged dado for the legs continually tightens the joint as the wood shrinks and expands and as forces are applied to the bench. He adopted the wedged dado to attach the H-frame of the legs specifically to be able to disassemble the bench, otherwise that joint could be glued. But I've gathered he believes the unglued wedged joint to be more reliable. The bench in his YouTube video is make of spruce construction lumber from his local home supply store in Britain, similar to Home Depot and Lowes in the U.S. When in the U.S., he's built benches from whatever 2x4 construction lumber was readily available at Lowes and Home Depot, including SYP, spruce, douglas fir.

For my purposes (cost and efficiency), I've now decided I'll just follow that same route of getting spruce 2x4s when I'm ready to build this workbench and not go through trying to rip 2x12 SYP with a skilsaw. I'm trying to hold myself to keeping it simple, inexpensive, but strong.

Thanks for all of the thoughts shared! They all help.