Fixin to build a bench

[drkg]

I'm getting ready to build my first work bench and I haven't been lucky enough to stumble onto any of those great ready-made tops like oak doors, bowling alley sections etc.

My plan, for the top, is to get 16 or 18 top-grade 12ft 2X4s lay them on end and and cut them into progressively shorter mitred sections- then through bolt them with 1/2" all thread and laminate them into a 3 1/2" thick X 28-31" deep 'L' shape with a 7ft long leg and a 5 ft long one.
Next I'll run a 1"X4" cap around the whole thing leaving a 1/4" lip around the top and fill that in with a 1/4" sheet of MDF. I want to support the whole thing with six doubled 2X4 legs and throw in a 3/4" ply shelf near the bottom.
(I'm figuring about $150-175 for materials - and to end up with an Uber-strong bench) I want something I can sling a transmission up onto and not worry about.

First question- is this a dumb idea? Overkill, underkill? Is there a better way to get a benchtop of similar strength with less sweat for less money?

Second question- I don't have access to a mitre or radial arm saw. Is this too tough of a first project for my Craftsman BT? Is this even the kind of job you tackle with a TS? There'd be A LOT of mitre cuts through 2X4s- I don't want to burn my TS motor up before I get started learning to use it.

I appreciate any and all advice/opinions.

[eweu]

I recently finished my first workbench. I used birch for the whole thing. I (so far) lack milling tools, so I opted to "cheat" for the top as well, but I ended up with a nice sturdy top that was very easy to put together.

I bought two Ikea VÄRDE countertops and laminated them together. The countertops are chamfered top and bottom, so I trimmed around the edges and then glued on 3/4" birch all the way around to edge band it.

The countertops are $80 a piece, so it's perhaps a little more money than you want to spend. But I spent zero time flattening the top. Just a little danish oil and I was done. To me, that was worth it. You can get the countertops right in the self-service furniture section of Ikea.

[cgallery]

I recently finished my first workbench. I used birch for the whole thing. I (so far) lack milling tools, so I opted to "cheat" for the top as well, but I ended up with a nice sturdy top that was very easy to put together.

I bought two Ikea VÄRDE countertops and laminated them together. The countertops are chamfered top and bottom, so I trimmed around the edges and then glued on 3/4" birch all the way around to edge band it.

The countertops are $80 a piece, so it's perhaps a little more money than you want to spend. But I spent zero time flattening the top. Just a little danish oil and I was done. To me, that was worth it. You can get the countertops right in the self-service furniture section of Ikea.

I'd like to see pictures of that. Sounds very clever.

[SARGE..g-47]

That was basically how I made my first bench in 1972 except that I just ripped the edges off of 2 X 4's on one side and drilled appropriate holes to match as stood them on edge. The holes lined up and then I inserted about 6 or 7 threaded metal rods through and nutted them on each end. When you drew the rods tight. it was like gluing except that ou could un-screw them and totally dis-assemble the top if you moved.

Built quite a number of benchs since and use various designs I have created. My current has glued maple under-neath with a birch ply insert as you mentioned. I can just sand it flat occasionally and eventually replace. May replace with an MDF insert next time as the MDF is withing .004 flat going on and cheap to replace when it gets battle weary. ha.. ha...

Douglas fir recoved from a large beam re-sawn for the bottom. Lots of deep mortises, saddle joints and lap joints. Won't budge at all. Don't need to be pretty, just needs to be sturdy as a rock! :>)

Regards...

[JR]

I'm not sure I'd worry about mitering the corner. If you just used a bunch of inter-locking butt joints, you'd have nice strong corner. It's not going to show, so the quality look of miter joints will be lost.

For the legs, I've seen some designs that use three 2x4s. The middle one is cut in pieces to allow a stretcher to be put through a "mortise" created by the pieces.

Just a couple of thoughts.
JR

[drkg]

Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure I understand your idea about the stretcher through the three 2X4s though.


Would you mind clarifying for a noob?

OST- do you mean leaving the middle one short and using the slot to hold the stretcher between the legs at the top?

[RodKirby]

============================= 1
====gggg=============gggg===== 2 (in sections)
============================= 3

g=gap

(lying on their edges)

[JR]

Well, here's a crude diagram of the idea. Build the stretchers into the "mortises" as you assemble the whole thing.

JR