Gentlemen, I had the fortune of obtaining some #2 sized 8" by8" by 24' long. I
have some sold already but have a few pics left. Located in northern Indiana
would be willing to sell or trade for it. If your wanting to make a stout bench
hot me up offline.
But for discussion purposes what kind of bench would you make from this
material?

Regards, Rick

I built the base of my bench - butt-jointed with all-thread in grooves - 
with 3 & 4in Doug Fir. And vise liners. Still have some hunks left. The 
split top was provided by LV. Very happy with the result. It's heavy and 
reasonably attractive, and was built in little time. Probably any bench 
advocated by Schwarz or Sellars would suit. My only reservation with it 
is that it can produce nasty irritating splinters, which is one reason 
to use something else for the top. Even if you were wanting a 
Continental bench with a shoulder vise, DF would provide a suitable 
base. If I had a bunch of those timbers, and the patience for it, I'd be 
tempted to cut one into 1in sections and cover 100 sq ft of concrete 
workshop floor with it - but not using a handsaw!

fwiw
Don

On 2023-05-22 3:24 p.m., Rick B wrote:
> Gentlemen, I had the fortune of obtaining some #2 sized 8" by8" by 24' long. I
have some sold already but have a few pics left. Located in northern Indiana
would be willing to sell or trade for it. If your wanting to make a stout bench
hot me up offline.
> But for discussion purposes what kind of bench would you make from this
material?
>
> Regards, Rick
>
>
> 
>
>

-- 

Chuck the king - DS

It's a Humpty Dumpty world - Ry Cooder

Rick B wrote:

> Gentlemen, I had the fortune of obtaining some #2 sized 8" by8" by 24' long.
> I have some sold already but have a few pics left. Located in northern
Indiana 
> would be willing to sell or trade for it. If your wanting to make a stout
bench hot me up offline.
> But for discussion purposes what kind of bench would you make from this
material?


and Don Schwarz wrote:

==== begin snip ====
I built the base of my bench - butt-jointed with all-thread in grooves -
with 3 & 4in Doug Fir. And vise liners. Still have some hunks left. The 
split top was provided by LV. Very happy with the result. It's heavy and 
reasonably attractive, and was built in little time. Probably any bench 
advocated by Schwarz or Sellars would suit. My only reservation with it 
is that it can produce nasty irritating splinters, which is one reason 
to use something else for the top.
==== end snip ====

I would have used Douglas Fir for my workbench in a heartbeat if I hadn't had
ready access to Bigleaf Maple. The 8x8's should be fine, especially if they were
salvaged from an old building (which would likely mean that it was old growth).
Just watch out for fresh-cut timbers with widely-spaced growth rings and the
pith in the center. You sometimes find 4x4's at the Borg that way.

With Doug Fir you want tight growth rings, quarter-sawn if possible. 

I'd be tempted to build a Roubo-type bench with the stuff Rick is offering.
Besides Schwarz's books, check out The Workbench Book by Scott Landis. Paul
Sellers' videos are all about laminated tops and legs, and with 8x8's you
wouldn't need to laminate smaller stock to get suitably thick timbers.

Chuck Taylor
north of Seattle, in the heart of Douglas Fir country

chuck, back in the mid-Oughts i picked up some floor joists from a san
francisco warehouse built in the 1880s that was torn down and the joists
salvaged.  very cheaply (i can't recall what i paid, but it was way beyond
worth renting a flatbed trailer, the neighbor and his truck, paying for gas
and food up to san francisco and back on a saturday).  all old growth doug
fir, mostly quartersawn.  i've given two roubo-workbenches-worth away to
bay area galoots (one now sadly relocated), and have a 16' 4x18 that is
waiting to become a benchtop.  plus a huge amount of the rest...

it's hard as hell to work, the latewood grain will detach and curl up if
you don't use a scraper from the second cut, and you must predrill it with
sharp drill bits...but once done it's stable, and beautiful.  our
mantlepiece is made from a 5' 4x6 piece and we love it.  shellac rubbed out
with a paper bag.

best,
bill
felton, ca





On Mon, May 22, 2023 at 8:40 PM Chuck Taylor via groups.io  wrote: