Timberstrand

[jteneyck]

Doug, maple is more stable than beech, which is what many Euro bench tops are made from.  That said, it's not as stable as some woods.  I think one problem with using big thick and wide sections of any dense hardwood is in getting the pieces to be truly flat and getting enough pressure on it during glue up to get a good glue bond.  Any combination of those issues leads to failure at the glue joint.  This is where LVL or LSL should have a large advantage as they are more porous and also easier to bend into good contact during glue up.  

John

[Lynden]

When I first read the article in ShopNotes about this bench I thought they had just bought a slab of Timberstrand and used it as the top. In fact what they did was cut the slab into strips, rotated them 90 degrees and glued them up just like you would if you were using hardwood planks. The advantage for TS seems to be that not only is it very strong but also stays almost dead flat over time. 

Since both Parallam PSL and Timberstrand LSL are made from long, small strands of lumber, I don't see any advantage to ripping, rotating and re-gluing the slab to make the top. Seems as though either one could just be laid on its side. There might be some small advantage to ripping, rotating and re-gluing if LVL is used for the top.

http://libertatis.com/LVL

[Tapper]

Since both Parallam PSL and Timberstrand LSL are made from long, small strands of lumber, I don't see any advantage to ripping, rotating and re-gluing the slab to make the top. Seems as though either one could just be laid on its side. There might be some small advantage to ripping, rotating and re-gluing if LVL is used for the top.

http://libertatis.com/LVL

I don't necessarily disagree with this method. The only inhibitor is availability. Stopped by my supplier today (the one that carries Timberstrand) and they only stock and order certain sizes. They do not carry slab sizes that would be large enough for a single table top. Hence, I'll have to order longer and narrower (width) stock, have them rough cut it to length when it arrives and then I'll need to rip it down to join enough pieces to make the top. HTH.

The real good news is the price - 2x4 material (1 1/2" x 3 1/2" runs $1.05/linear ft.
2x6 is $1.70/linear ft.

Update: One of the advantages of ripping the stock, rotating it 90 degrees and gluing it up in sections is that you can get a thicker top using this method. My local supplier only handles the 2" x 6" material in 1 1/2" thickness. Larger thicknesses he has to order a "pallet" of it, i.e. it is not cost effective to order a few sticks at a time. In the article I read in ShopNotes where they built the "Weekend Workbench" (lots of luck on that one!) the final thickness of the top was 2 1/2".  My calculations for the material for the top of an 8' long bench 24" wide would be less than $120, far less than any hardwood going.

Doug

[Lynden]

I see they use Timberstrand for material handling. Maybe you could salvage a slab or two from a local shipping company.

http://www.woodbywy.com/challenge/

[zaret]

i use timberstrand for the cores of doors.  apply hardwood edges, veneer the faces.  the doors are incredibly stable and flat - i think using timberstrand as the core of a heavy workbench is a great idea, assuming you're ok with the cost.

good luck with your project.

-- dz