Workbench top - Black locust?
John Rauch
A colleague of mine suggested using black locust for a workbench top.
Until his suggestion, I never considered using it. I was going to use
hard maple.
Does black locust have good characteristics for a bench top (e.g.,
stable, hard, etc)? I assume there may be several species of black
locust. If so, which one(s) would work well as a bench top? Any
feedback would be helpful. Thanks!
Bruce Taylor
John Rauch wrote:
>
> A colleague of mine suggested using black locust for a workbench top.
> Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks!
I've turned a lot of black locust and honey locust and have learned
the following:
1. They are both beautiful woods.
2. They are medium hard when green.
3. They are hard as brick when dried.
4. They are very unstable and move with changes in heat and humidity.
Personally, I would stay away from both unless you can assemble enough
mass (glued and bolted) to keep them from moving.
It sure would be a beautiful benchtop, though...
- Bruce Taylor
John Paquay
In article <332D96...@westatpo.westat.com>,
RAU...@westatpo.westat.com says...
>
>A colleague of mine suggested using black locust for a workbench top.
>hard maple.
>
>Does black locust have good characteristics for a bench top (e.g.,
>stable, hard, etc)? I assume there may be several species of black
Black locust should make an excellent bench top. It's extremely
hard (harder than hickory or sugar maple), stiff, and quite stable. There
are a few different species of locust, but I'm only familiar with black locust,
which is also called yellow locust and grows in the southern U.S., and
honey locust, which grows pretty much all over the eastern half of the U.S.
The two are very similar woods, with prominent grain similar to oak or ash.
Neither are especially easy to come by, though they're not expensive
woods -- the trees contain a lot of reaction wood, lots of low branches,
and double trunks are very common, so it's not an ideal lumbering wood.
It's rather unusual to find good, straight-grained pieces that are long
or wide. But if you were to glue up the top from smaller pieces in
gym floor fashion, you'd almost certainly end up with a stable and very
durable bench top.
--
John Paquay
j...@physics.purdue.edu, j...@belex.mdn.com
http://www.physics.purdue.edu/~jep/cshop.html
----------------------------------------------------
Without my wings you know I'd surely die...
--Kansas, Icarus (Wings of Steel)
----------------------------------------------------
Zeus1228
thats a sin! using such a beautiful wood for a workbench!!!
John Hofstad-Parkhill
> thats a sin! using such a beautiful wood for a workbench!!!
>
I don't know about that, I've seen some workbenches that in and of
themselves are beautiful works.
I've heard that black locust is however an ornery wood.
SFFLYER
Considering that I've spent far more time looking at my bench (Tage Frid
design - FWW) than anything else I've made, I should have used something
spectacular (but easy to plane/flatten) for the top back in 1979 when I
built it!
Scott Post
> Zeus1228 wrote:
>
> thats a sin! using such a beautiful wood for a workbench!!!
>
Not at all. A workbench is not only a tool, but a testament to the
craftsman. A good workbench will outlast us and our children. I can't
see any reason not to use nice wood in something that will be cherished
for generations.
--
Scott Post sp...@netusa1.net
http://www.netusa1.net/~spost
djf...@xpipeline.com
Black Locust will make a very good 'bench.
Consider that the wood was prized for the 'trunnels' used in wooden
shipbuilding for it's toughnes and durability. I have had occasion to
use it and found it acceptable to work and finish.
"Common Sense is so..Uncommon"FLW
Remove X to reply
cd...@erols.com
In article <1997040411...@posthost.netusa1.net>,
Black locust is a weed tree here in Maryland. Use to your heart's
content.
Nice lumber, sturdy, hard, rot-resistant. Used to support coalmine
ceilings. Lots of color, almost like an oil slick sheen. Rock hard. You
almost need an angle grinder with 36 grit rocks to shape it. Stinks to
high heaven while being cut.
But I wonder if maybe a softwood benchtop wouldn't have advantages. Grit
and crumbs you missed with your handbroom would dig more into the
benchtop instead of the $12.00/bf table top you've laid down for finish
sanding.
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cd...@erols.com
In article <01bc40a1$08b4a4e0$c89e09ce@horizons>,
"John Hofstad-Parkhill" <jhpar...@sihope.com> wrote:
>
> > thats a sin! using such a beautiful wood for a workbench!!!
> >
>
> themselves are beautiful works.
>
> I've heard that black locust is however an ornery wood.
Nothing's too ornery if you use a little rendrock on it.