Help flatten my bench top …. please!!!
One of the luckiest parts of the initial tool acquisition of my woodworking was my bench. The Habitat for Humanity Store had used work tables for sale – they were (are) hard maple tops 6 feet long, three feet wide, and 2 1/2 inch thick for only $100 . Hard maple. With a little help from some bed bolts and an additional stretcher they are rock solid. Two vises added on and I was up and running. I bought two so that my wife could have one also. One problem – they are not flat. Not a problem if I could use a hand plane, but to complicate the matter, it has staples on it – just the legs of the staples, not the crosspiece that would allow me to pull the staple out. So with tiny little bit of metal in my bench, its like a mine field for my jointer (or any other hand plane). SO – How do I flatten my bench (staples and all) without recourse to my jointer (hand plane or mechanical)? Suggestions?
Replies
GarageBand,
The first thought that came to mind, was to attach runners along each edge checking with winding sticks to make sure they are accurately positioned. These runners would support a router mounted on rails. Fitting the router with a carbide end mill (like machinist use), and running it at a lower speed than normally used for woodworking, would allow you to easily cut through the staples and flatten the bench top. The resulting surface is going to be rough, so you'd have to carefully belt sand it smooth. Due to the danger from sparks while routing/ sanding, I'd do this outside, without any dust collection.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
I use a wire cutter that I sharpened on the grinder to form a pointy nose. I use it for pulling out nails - maybe something like that can work for you.
SA
If you're talking many
If you're talking many staples I'd lean towards making a separate/removable overlay of plywood or mdf. Add aprons that extend above the top and drop in a top that can be replaced when it gets beat up.
pete
I second Rob's suggestion. I
I second Rob's suggestion. I did this to flatten my maple benchtop. The carbide will cut the staples - I'd just live with that and figure it as part of the cost of the table. One carbide router bit. I would not necessarily use a Machinist's endmill though. A regular 1" carbide bit for woodworking would do the job. On a half-inch shaft of course.
Brent
Garage:
You might want to approach a local cabinet shop with a 3-axis cnc router. In today's economy, they might be glad to charge you machine time to flatten your tops.
They would use the same toolpaths that are used to flatten the spoil boards.
Good luck
Hastings
I guess the bottom side's got
I guess the bottom side's got staples too. Any chance they are in a uniform pattern where bench dog holes might be drilled? If the bench will get a lot of heavy wear and need resurfacing again sooner than later, I'd go through the trouble of getting rid the the staples right now so that it is handplane friendly. Either pull them or drill them out and plug the holes. Or you could just use a nail set and sink them below the surface. I like that idea the best. It won't look much like the benches you see in showrooms, but you'll have a nice old-looking bench that should work for you. Good score.
I would really make a concerted effort to remove the staples, either with a sharp-nosed pair of diagonals or needle-nose pliers. Failing that, I'd do as Chris suggests - tap them well below the surface with a nail set or a small drive-pin punch. If the little holes bother you, you can always fill them. Otherwise, you'll be face with the staples scratching everything you put on the bench.
The top will eventually have to be surfaced again; you should defiantly remove the staples. After that the top can easily be flattened with a #7 or #8 hand plane and a set of winding sticks.
Lots of choices everyone put out there - despite wanting a quicker way of getting this job done, the fact that I will have to resurface it again later is the main inspiration to go ahead and pull/drill each one out and flatten it with my jointer plane.
Thanks to you and everyone else for the help.
garage,
do you have access to a wide belt sanding service? there's one in my neighborhood that charges a 30 dollar minimum. i can't imagine they'd be averse to sanding staples if using modern abrasives. maybe worth buying them the belt.
eef
Drill out the staples, plug the holes, then flatten. Or live with it the way it is... are you sure it's not flat enough?
I don't know where you can get one, but there are hollow drill bits that are specifically made for drilling out broken screws, nails, even staples. I'd simply use a twist machinist drill right next to the staple leg. The hole won't be pretty. It's a bench.
I think these are the hollow bits you speak of. They got mixed reviews.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2354&filter=screw%20extractor
I bought a old workbench top that had been used extensively at a school. The 2" beech top was covered with a sheet of masonite, nailed down with dozens of pins. Many of the pins could not be removed because they were rusted and broke of easily. I routed around each one about 1/4" deep so that I could grab the remainder an pull it out. Finally I flattened the workbench using a router/sledge arrangement guide by two long rails that I mounted on either side of the workbench aligned with a water level. After that it look as new.
Hey Everyone,
I think the main thing is how many staples ...a few? rout them out and inlay a patch of matching or contrasting wood staying within the joints of the laminations. In theory you could rout out the entire strip and laminate an new 1/4" on top. Or if not to concerned with anything else then the edge on your #7 set them and fill them. As far as "flat enough" your bench top should be as close to perfectly flat as possible.
Good luck
Jpat
If the staples are just on top, turn it over . If both sides have a lot of staples, I would probable not have given $100 for it. However, having done so, how about the possibility of using it as a base for bench top machines and find another solution for your work bench.
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