Building a New Assembly Table

[DWyatt]

Finally making some progress on the new shop. The next line of business is building a new assembly table. I've always worked in my Dad's shop and I dread working around the assembly table. It's very small and a little too high for my liking.

Started with some 6/4 beach that I cut and dried a few years ago. It is rough, very rough. Used the circular saw to cut a straight edge on the boards then cut them into 2 1/2" strips. Face joint, plane, edge joint, then glue up into a butcher block style top. The goal is to have a 2 inch finished thickness. Here's some pictures from the progress so far, I just finished the second of 3 glue ups. Each section of the top will be 20" wide x 10' long, giving me a 5' x 10' table. The base will all be made of steel to keep everything flat. Once all of the pieces for the top are glued up, I'll run them through the planer then I have a lot of holes to fill with epoxy.

Strips cut and ready for milling


 

Successful glue up #2


 

Section #1 of the top. It's by for the roughest as far as knots in the wood.


 

[DWyatt]

For anyone has considered purchasing one of these glue bottle rollers and wondered if they're a gimmick. Please do yourself a favor and buy one. It no doubt was the reason I was able to glue up 16 boards without running out of open time with the glue. It was my first time using it and I feel dumb for avoiding the $8 expense for so long. 



 

[doc henderson]

I have a glue bot and a roller, I think I can swing the 8 bucks and give one a try based on your thoughts.  would not use it for everything, but great for bulk projects.  looks great.

[DWyatt]

Doc, I thought the same thing. $8 is worth a try. Probably not good for the majority of things I do, but I am going through just over a 16oz bottle of titebond for each of these three glue ups so open time is a real concern. This thing makes spreading glue so fast for laminating these boards. I think it was on sale at rockler and it comes with an 8oz  bottle, but the threads match the titebond bottles.

[doc henderson]

thanks.  I looked on the jungle shopping network (amazon) and they looked cheap and the roller did not have the groves, just smooth.  the groves make sure you leave enough glue on.  I like Rockler, but not cause they are cheap.  and the cheap ones are 13 bucks.  

[trimguy]

I used a cheap one when I did my bench top. I liked it when it worked, the glue bottle neck would crack and ooze out ( it was a 3 pack).  I have since bought the Rockler one one because I'm sure it's better quality and it fits the tite bond bottles. I haven't tried it yet.

[doc henderson]

got to the shop and found one I forgot I have.  a gift from my neighbor, but a smooth roller and a flimsy bottle. >:(

[Larry]

I suppose I've made more than 50 tops using the same method.  Reloading benches, dining tables, workbenches, fish cleaning stations, and more.  Great way to use up low grade.

This bench is one of my better ideas.  I found used file cabinets at bargain prices during the last recession.  I left a hole on the other side for a chair.  I've used it most every day for the past nine years and it shows it.  Time for a re-finish.



I've been using a cheap brayer (rubber roller) I got at maybe Hobby Lobby years ago to spread glue.  Works good nuff I'll not change.  Used it this morning for a natural edge table glue up.

[doc henderson]

some angle iron to cradle that all and some casters and you will have a heavy (depending on what is in the cabinets) rolling workbench/desk.   8)

[DWyatt]

Larry, I love the file cabinets under the work surface. I'm planning to use 6 ea square tube legs then c channel on edge for the perimeter and 2" square tube about 6" up from the floor. Planning to have c channel laid flat on the bottom of the wood top to keep things flat and held together. Probably not going to glue the three individual pieces together because it will be too heavy to move in the future. I'll eventually fill in with drawers/cabinets in between the legs. 

[DWyatt]

2 glue ups done, third one in the clamps. 55 ounces of glue used!



 



 

[tacks Y]

Nice job with the beech.

Do most of you that built benches put poly on them? Making one now for my wood shop with hard maple. I am thinking it would work nice wiping glue off and such, not worried about the looks.

[Larry]

I've always used Waterlox High Gloss for the finish on assembly workbenches.  When I do a glue up I just let the glue drip out and dry.  After its dry I take a 1" chisel and pop off all the drips.  They come off super easy....probably took 15 seconds to clean up the drips from this glue up.  I think any good poly will work well on a bench.


 

[DWyatt]

Finally had a minute to make some more progress. Last night I got the 3 pieces all planned down to a consistent thickness. I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised with how purdy this is going to be. I did not have my hope set to high with seeing how rough the tops were after glue up. Started digging out the loose knots and bark then sanding this evening. Progress is unfortunately slow, but progress none the less.

[DWyatt]

For some reason I'm getting an error when I try to add pictures, saying I don't have permission. I'll try from my computer in the morning. Leaving you hang until then

[thecfarm]

problem posting pictures

[DWyatt]

Chisels, a pick, wire wheel on the drill, and 80 grit sandpaper. I'm making progress. Seal coat of epoxy to take care of some of the soft areas scheduled for this weekend then filling knot holes 8)



 





 

 

[DWyatt]

Finished up sanding the last piece this evening and got everything seal coated on the top with epoxy. I used total boat penetrating epoxy for the seal coat. A few spots are a little spalted so I'm hoping they'll stiffen up. Pouring knot holes tomorrow and Sunday with total boat high performance epoxy. Real impressed with how this stuff looks.



 



 

[samandothers]

Your experience with the two different epoxies may be something to share on Doc's Epoxy thread.  Some insight on how well the penetrating epoxy worked on your punky wood and how they interact when over coating with a different version of the Total boat.

The top does look great!

[DWyatt]

@samandothers this is an experiment for me so I think I should wait until I make sure it doesn't all blow up :D

Had my first filling for the knot holes. Total boat high performance epoxy for this task. The one section of the top had A LOT of knot holes. Excited to see the results once I scrape it down! 



 

[DDW_OR]

also reclaimed bowling alley lanes

[beenthere]

For my workbench top, and also for a built-in entertainment center, I was able to buy a truck flooring product that was manufactured in 12" by 40' lengths of glued-up 7/8" oak strips.

Have a 12" cut-off piece remaining shown here. Boys had a school project and drilled out some holes for wood dowels that I cut off to use it as a "cutting" board.


 

And a shot of the cluttered-up workbench in the shop.


 

[DWyatt]

Made a little more progress last night. Just sanding, my least favorite part of projects. Then filled the little holes with epoxy that emerged as I sanded. Planning to have them cut to size and finished before building the base next weekend.





 



 

 

[DWyatt]

Another late night if sanding. Everything is sanded to 120 which is as far as I'm going. Just have to cut to length and kerf the joint so everything fits together nice then it's time for finish  8) The part I'm really struggling with is that I normally make furniture and I have to keep reminding myself that this is just a work bench. The woodworker in me wants to spend 10 hours chasing pin holes in the epoxy. Dad reminds me that I'm over the top and just need to get it done.



 

[Walnut Beast]

It will be worth it 👍