I've put together a minimal workbench for hand tool woodworking, and while I started with plans for something more ambitious, I had a hard time building a bench without a bench! Right now, my workbench has a 1.5" thick hard maple top. I'm inspired by roubo style benches but I'm concerned that my current top isn't thick enough. If I decide to upgrade it, could I laminate some maple plywood underneath to increase the thickness to about 3-4"? I haven't experienced much movement with the bench, except during intense planing sessions. Any suggestions on how to approach this issue?
3 Answers
So are we talking about your bench sliding around or bending? If it's just sliding across the floor, why not add some stops or weight underneath? Honestly, 1.5" is totally fine for a hand tool bench—you just need to stabilize it a bit more.
It sounds like your main issue is getting the bench to stay put rather than needing extra thickness. Have you thought about using a hammer drill to secure a stopper board to the floor? That could help keep it from moving around.
I wouldn’t recommend using plywood for this! Plywood and solid wood behave differently with moisture changes, so the plywood won't move the same way the solid wood does. This could lead to issues down the line. You'd be better off using solid wood to match the movement of your bench top.
I'm open to other ideas! My thought was to bolt the plywood down using some threaded inserts, or maybe even build a thin torsion box. What do you think?
It's definitely sliding. The floor is smooth concrete, and I didn’t cut the legs perfectly, so one corner isn't sitting flat.