Need help with building a workbench top with glued 4x4s

If you want the butcher block look, you will have to have the 1.5" edge on top. I won't repeat removing the rounded edges, as that has been suggested a few times already.

I will say that wider boards, like 2x6, or 2x8 usually are more select than 2x4's. If you orient the wide face for the top, you don't need too many. If you buy 10' lengths you'll get two per length.

IMO, whichever way you orient the lumber, i.e., on edge or flat, and try to do a glue up with all thread, it won't work like using clamps and cauls. I know because I've tried to do it that way. By the time you drill all the holes, get the glue applied, get the rod in, washers, and nuts, and start to tighten them up, your glue will start to kick. You may not have enough time to line everything up, as the nuts on the thread don't turn that fast.






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blue sky said:

So unless someone tells me something better, this is my plan: I'll use 2x10s and rip them in half and rip the rolled edges. Then do a quick sanding of the board faces so they butt up clean, I'll make a jig to line up 3 dowel holes on each piece and I'll chamfer the 1/2" dowels too. Doing a dry run will help me to see how things will line up. If everything checks out, I'll glue, clamp, and let sit for week. Then I'll clean up the ends on the table saw, then run a sander over it (I don't have a planer or joiner). Finished with a urethane to protect it going forward. It'll be a lot of work, but I looked online for butcher block tops and they go for at least $250 for this size. No way I'm paying that much!

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For a glue up, IMO, the dowels are unnecessary, just glue and clamps and cauls. For a workbench top, you might want to rethink the finish. A film finish will get damaged, and it's a PITA to refinish. So, the question is...do you want a conversation piece, or a work top?

You could throw on a sheet of 1/4" tempered Masonite. It's cheap, hard, and will protect the top. Replace when needed.






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Great job so far. It's gonna be heavy.:yes:






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