Official Luthiers Forum!

These are the most affordable selections mill direct in my area. I happen to have enough cedar on hand to build half another house, with a fair bit of fir in the mix as well.

When I watch YouTube videos of people making dramatic tablesaw outfeed tables they always use either hard maple or Home Depot ‘construction lumber’ doubled up and planed square for legs and stringers.

I want to make a dramatic outfeed table just like the folks on YouTube.

Is there a reason to not use materials on hand?

I worry about cedar being saggy…

Fir, it's stronger, denser, stiffer and harder.
My $0.02.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Construction lumber is frequently stamped as SPF, which means it could be spruce, pine, or fir. So, if you have easy access to lots of fir, you should be in good shape to build bench parts with it.

I don’t know enough about the different types of cedar to comment on whether it is a good choice.

Cedar in 4x4 dimensions is pretty solid. I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I’ve used it for deck posts and deck railings.

Either one. Like Bob back in my carpenter days we made plenty of decks and porches from cedar. Plenty of fir used for framing. I did a remodel in N California once and the house was framed with redwood.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Didn’t they once build railway bridges with cedar and redwood? Use what you have on hand, and laminate two or more planks together to make it stronger if you need to. And it will smell great - always a bonus.

My brother built a workbench out of fir many years ago (20+) and it's held up fine.

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

I'm not sure what you are planning to put on this dramatic outfeed table that would be enough strain to make cedar legs a bad option. The dimensions of the legs will be the bigger concern when it comes to strength. Thin, narrow cedar legs might be iffy but then, so would think Maple legs. Utility pols seem to hold up fairly well, deck posts too. I think your table will be fine. . .

_________________
Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I’m not sure either, lol, so I want to plan for the best. I guess I’m also asking about dimensional stability with RH swings. The bench I have in mind will not be in the RH control area, but I want it to be built flat and stay flat permanently as a flat reference surface.

For structure, appropriately dimensioned cedar or fir will do fine. When I’m building a jig or a surface that I absolutely do not want vary dimensionally, I laminate several layers of 3/4” birch ply and then cut and machine to final dimensions. It’s relatively expensive, but it works well.

That’s the plan. I have some solid core doors that will be the basis of the bench top, layered with either a Formica add on or pre finished plywood. I guess the question is, is there any reason not to use what I already have piles of or can get cheaply locally, cedar being what I got, fir being what I can get…

I can’t think of a good excuse to buy more wood unless it will make you feel better using it if it costs more.

Personally, I am realizing that I won’t be doing this forever and I need to use existing stock. It’s hard to bypass the temptation to buy more wood, but I’m trying hard.

I just don’t want to build a big complex infrastructure piece to find out I shot myself in the foot using inappropriate materials. Guitars I know, everything else…not so much.

Yep

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Use the cedar. I'd be more concerned that the door tops would stay flat.



Sent from my moto g stylus (2021) using Tapatalk

Also something I’m trying to suss…

My first bench had a fir base. I inherited it—it was aged when I got it, and perfectly stable 20 years later. The only thing to watch out for is that fir can splinter easily if you catch the edge the right way. Just make sure you round the edges over well and don’t have any little fibers wanting to lift up.

The top of my current bench is actually tight, vertical grain fir. It’s unconventional, but beautiful. VG fir is one of my favorite timbers. I can’t get enough of the stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You’re not helping my use what you got, lol…

If you are concerned about the working surface staying flat through humidity changes, how about building a torsion box for the working surface?

Not too hard to make I expect…