I’m taking an ash tree down on my property next week and I’m gonna build a work bench with it. I want it to be a hefty boy, so I’m going the roubo route.
Question is, since I can ask the mill for specific cuts, is there any reason I shouldn’t just get one monstrous 6" slab from the middle of the trunk and use it?
Are you planning to air dry it? I believe the rule of thumb is 1 year per inch of thickness so you may have to wait a few extra years to get down to a reasonable moisture level unless you have access to a kiln or can build a solar kiln.
Other than that, I’m guessing it’ll be tough feeding it through a jointer or planer, so you’re probably better off using hand tools to flatten and true it. Chris Schwartz made a Roubo that way using 2 slabs of cherry.
Sounds like it’ll be a great bench in the end though. Best of luck
Well the tree is about 75-80% dead already, so i don’t really know what state the wood is gonna be in when it comes down.
I plan on largely using hand tools, I don’t have the space or money for power tools. Plus there’s a unique feeling of satisfaction knowing I can make things with a saw, set of chisels, and a couple hand planes
I was also going to mention checking out Chris Schwartz work on workbenches.
In the book The Anarchist Workbench he mentions making a bench out of solid slabs and the issues you might face. The book is available on his website as a PDF here. Mainly about getting a full slab that is solid enough throughout for the bench top. He specifically mentions soft spots and sponginess issues. But in his case it was a matter of how long the wood was left outside. Might not be much of a concern for you, depending on how dead the tree is I suppose.
In the article that is linked in the video that karpintero referenced he also mentions some of the difficulties of working full slabs with hand tools. Which is something to keep in mind. Definitely not going to be a one weekend project regardless of if it’s the full slab or not.
Might be worth seeing if there were a local shop that would square it up for you.
I think it really just comes down to how comfortable you are with taking on a large project like that.
Personally I was all excited to make a bench and then once I got to looking into it the more I realized if I started it I would probably never finish it so I never started it.
But it would be cool to see updates on what ever project you make. Good luck!
I’m really not gonna know if this is anything but a pipe dream until the tree removal company cuts into it. For all I know it’s rotted all to hell and is worthless
But if it isn’t, what an opportunity. To take a tree from my backyard and turn it into a hopefully gorgeous workbench. That’s a dream come true
Old tree or emerald ash borer?
Borer
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- I don’t know the moisture content, it’s already mostly dead, just standing.
- it’s ten feet from my house, logs will be stacked and milled in the driveway after the crane takes them out of the backyard
- fair point about the pith, that was kind of what I was getting at with the question, so thanks
- of course you’re right, for the same reason plywood is so dimensionally stable. BUT, theres a few other factors I’m considering
First, cool factor. I just kinda like the idea of just a few massive hunks of wood stuck together into a table. Appeals to the caveman brain
Second, actually practical, laminating the top basically quadruples the surface area id have to get square and true, and since I’m likely doing this all by hand, that’s like two months of work right there, I’ve got a one year-old bumbling around here
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All very reasonable points, and while I’m aware it’s very unlikely I can just dive into work, I kinda wanna anyway. Say it’s like 30% and I make the table, so i have to plane it periodically to reflatten? I don’t see that as a big deal
On the other hand, if it is genuinely green, a 24"×6"×96" slab would be like 500lbs, which is a little over what I think i can safely maneuver by myself.
Don’t forget that tree trunks are not perfect cylinders. They are narrower at the top.
Of course, this is all very hypothetical. I’m prepared for all the wood to be useless junk, just planning for ideal circumstances
i thought this was going to be a “loss” meme.
