Softwood Workbench VS Hardwood Workbench
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
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One of the most helpful videos on workbenches, it's definitely answered the questions in my head regarding which timber to use! I especially like the fact you've made the video after using both of them a while. Great work
Your comments on hickory ring a bell. We studied the characteristics of various domestic wood species very exhaustively at Eastern Kentucky University. Hickory takes a lot of abuse, hence its use in baseball bats and handles., it does transmit a lot of that force back instead of absorbing it. One of our professors had made a gun stock out of hickory for a 50 caliber black powder long rifle.
No one would fire it more than once. Walnut on the on the other hand absorbs shock well. Mark Kelter's comments below are dead on point.
When I worked a lumber jack the hickory handles on axes and hammers would wear you out. Great for shovels, but for axes I liked oak.
As a n engineer, physics geek, and occasional acoustics buff, you are dead on with your assumptions about the different "frequency response" of different types of wood. For the most part, any material's frequency response approximates simple band-pass filter. If the material and configuration are the same, (SWP and Hickory are both wood), but one is more dense, it will be more stiff, will transmit a higher frequency band of vibrations, will have a higher spring constant, would be more brittle... you get the idea, obviously. So it follows logically that the very low 'frequency' (interpolated from the pressure curve over the duration of the hammer's contact with the chisel) thud would be returned to your wrist/elbow, but not the higher frequency harmonics that would vibrate your wrist\elbow and cause that shitty nerve pain.
In fact, I'd be really interested if you used a hickory mallet on a SWP bench and got the best experience ever, as the hickory would be great at transferring your energy to the chisel, but the bench would absorb more of the energy, so it wouldn't get returned to your wrist/elbow.
PS, i love your videos, your personality, your artistic style, your communication style, and your shop. You are a great inspiration, and thank you for your hard work.
Wouldn't the dampening of energy mean you have to work harder to get the same result compared a harder surface. Like hammering a nail in a board on carpet compared to concrete (exaggerated but...)
@@adamtoth7474
I think the extra effort would be insignificant.
Roy Underhill (PBS Wood wright shop) said that hickory died out in Europe in an ice age, leaving them oak and ash for axe handles. Hickory handles in the US allowed us to make larger axe heads.
I have 10-yr old hickory floors. SYP would be cool, but it twists like crazy.
@@hjeffwallace Like it's cousin pecan it is a difficult wood that has a mind of it's own. It twists and warps of it's own accord. I am surprised that Jay found enough good clear reasonably behaved stock.
For a tabletop, I might expect that a sandwich of hardwood and softwood might have less of a vibration problem
because of the combination of frequencies of vibration might serve to cancel each other out, or at least have a
dampening effect.
Hickory is very bouncy indeed. That and the fact that it is rather durable is why it's used for drumsticks commonly.
I realize this is a few years old, but thanks for some good information for my upcoming workbench
I agree 100% to the existence of the tool well.
Soft bench w/ hard chop... Got it. Thanks for the recommendation from someone with a great deal more experience than I.
8:05 it's a clutter catcher? as in, people who are unorganized find it too convenient to toss things in there and not keep it organized. It would be a pretty convenient place to drive out some holes to stick chisels in also
You rock man love all the videos
Maybe cork board matt for impact absorption when using chisels?
Thanks for this video I've been debating this.
Soft pine or fir are the preferred wood for japanese woodworking bench tops . They in fact mention really like Douglas fir if they can get it,
I wonder if a hickory bench with pine legs would give you the best of both? The legs would absorb some of the excess energy, but the table would transfer more energy to the piece you are working on.
How much did the Hickory bench cost? I price it to be more than 2000 dollars just for the lumber
Thanks for the comparison.. I'm making a bench soon and was debating soft over hard.. Thinking soft because of the price but now I see the benefits.. Thanks.
Jay, total rookie question:
Would it be blasphemous to use a good hardwood top and route dovetail grooves to use a Micro Jig system along with the bench dogs?
Thanks
Love that hickory bench!!!
Some great ideas, Jay. And a very thoughtful review. I relate to many of your observations, especially the tool well.
Jay, FYI: Your hickory workbench vise seems stronger and faster because the threads on the vise are stronger and coarser than the threads on the southern yellow pine workbench !!! You are closing the the vise about 2X faster and the type of thread has much more power and leverage !!! The hardwood probably does have more rigidity, but is probably negligible compared to the other two factors !!!
I just got done building a pine 2x4 bench and am scared to make a mark or a stain on it because it took so long and hard work to make.
Not too neurotic. I should just drill a hole in it and be done with it.
lol I love that solution. I'm a little neurotic as well... was freaking out about street parking a leased car until someone final put a tiny scratch in my rear bumper. after I got over that I was fine!
The more scratches it gets the more you will love your workbench, it will age and any knick will give it character.
@@manmadediy6972 my best advice is to spill some used auto oil on it, makes it dirty and used looking so u won't feel bad scuffing it up, and u help seal the wood
Yeah, drill a single small hole in the exact center. That way, the hole will serve the purpose of marking the dead center of your workspace and getting you over the "Brand New Car" carefulness you are experiencing. ...I just saw that your post was from 10 months ago so I am sure you've adjusted by now. When the bench starts looking too shitty, just belt sand yourself a brand new surface.
@@nickkk420 no offense, but that is terrible advice unless you happen to like the smell and lingering mess of used motor oil.
I did not notice an easy way of cleaning the tool well out . Maybe a sloped inset piece on one end so it can be brushed out . A removable wedge in other words .
Thanks. Would be nice if you print the names of the dogs, vise screws, etc so we can look them up.
this is really useful info, Jay, thanks very much!
I'm in the middle (well, closer to the start) of building my bench, and unf. all I can get here is Canadian SPF construction lumber. it's pretty soft, so I'm concerned with how my top is going to hold up.
I may actually change my plans a little bit, based on what you said about the hickory chop-I can probably get some cherry or something without having to sell a kidney, and if I laminate two or three pieces in with the SPF and make a really extra thick chop, it probably won't flex so much.
hardwood is crazy expensive, here, unf.
Ya, whether quality tools or hardwoods, Americans pay a lot lower price than we do... Not to mention better selection and more dealers and retailers available... They are very lucky...
@@patrickinottawa27 especially on the prairies! At least hardwoods grow in Ontario, but for everyone west of there it has to come a long way on a truck. I'm down with using SPF, when I get around to building a bench. With the cost saving and the availability of it, and with good construction methods it should be fine and last a long time.
I see I'm not the only Canadian Prairie guy on her jealous of the prices others pay. No way could I build a bench out of anything other than SPF.
Yes! Softwood has much more give and just feels better! You are also less worried about marring your workpiece. It just doesn't look as "professional" I suppose. For me it's always a no brainer finding some old house salvage studs for a nice bench. New soft wood is actually much softer, so that has advantages. But older spruce/Douglas fir from 50s bungalow always make amazing tops.
got a plan for those work penches sir
When are you going to get your planer review video out I'm excited to see the difference of the helical blade
Thank you, you’ve saved me over £200. I think wood is much more expensive here in the UK than North America.
Don't know if it is more expensive (it is expensive absolutely) but I find it difficult to source hardwood without having to mail order from specialist suppliers. I made my bench from builders yard redwood 4x2 and it cost me somewhere just over £100 for a 4" thick Roubot style bench so pretty cheap really. If you haven't already done it, got for it, softwood benches are great (I bought Schwarz's book on benches btw well worth buying).
"Clutter Catcher", that's how I feel about it. I'm building my first Roubo Style Work Bench right now and I plan to add the tool well and add the spacer like you have for holding chisels and such upright as I work .
14:30 question - why not just re drill the dog holes, if it’s too tight it should fix it
As usual, your videos are awesome and a combination of simplicity and clarity nonetheless full of technical advice and real value.
And I mean it.
My only regret: our culture (French) and yours are different and since you Americans more often build houses using wood when we Frenchies systematically use concrete, we don't have all these suppliers at every street corner and variety of wood thus making building a workbench so expensive and also inaccessible here in France.
In the meantime, please keep up the good job. Maybe some time I'll come join my family in Pennsylvania so you and I have a chance to meet and have a beer, who knows ? :)
I have left over Brazilian Cherry flooring (Jatoba) that I've been thinking of using for a work bench top. Now maybe not.
mpetersen6 check out Nick Offerman and his hand carved wooden cards. I bet that Cherry would make great cards.
Thanks for the video. I think the main reason you feel that pine bench absorbs vibration is that it's simply thicker. It really matter. But you can compare more fairly by chopping on the leg or near it (it very common to chop on the place where the leg is attached because there are less power loss due to vibration).
Just curious and for anyone out there that cares to give it a go...what would a 'retail' price be for this (Hickory) workbench be? Take out that it's a "one of a kind" or a "Jay Bates" build. If you could go to Woodcraft or Northern Tool, etc. and buy it.
Great info for this "yet to build my workbench" person. LOL So one point you didn't go over, how is the flatness of the benches? Has any warping or deformation formed in the softwood bench? Does the softwood bench gather up gouges and marks too easily? i.e., if you are planning out or drawing something, do you use the hardwood bench because it has stayed smaller and if you need to work with something truly flat, the same? On the leg vise, if you used hardwood for the "chop?" would you need to also put a hardwood "face plate?" on the bench for it to squeeze the object against? Do you leave an impression in the benchside of the softwood workbench? Thanks again!
Dude! Great vid. Love the review & tool slot + leg vice idea. I think a lexan/plexi skirt hinged lid over the tool slot would be a super cool addition.
great video thanks. im about to build my first work bench and am trying to decide on several.of the features you go over here.
Do you like the vertical slot in your tool tray?
But the hickory looks much better than pine. Great info!
Another great video I always look forward to your stuff. Were did you get the hole fast can you give me a link
Am I really the first to see that you get to play "whack a mole" on your pine bench? That, in itself, must make it a winner!
Jay, would you ever add a tool well, second row of dog holes and a hardwood chop to your SYP bench and ditch the Hickory one or are you planning to keep both?
Nick Thiemer keeping both.
Hey jay, what model of vice did you get
That’s part of the reason I dislike hickory drumsticks. They just don’t feel good when you hit cymbals.
Jay here are some tips.
1. You can stand the brass head of the wonder dog on end for clamping thicker materials.
2. Lee Valley also carry brass "pups". These are shorter, by roughly half, than their bench dogs.
3. With round holes, it is common to file or re-bore after the first year. By that time, most of the extreme moving tends to have stopped. Since all wooden tops move over time, that movement also happens within the dog holes. Not only increasing and shrinking in diameter, but also in skewing out of straight. That is why traditionally the dogs where made slightly undersized and then sprung (a spring added). This allowed the hole to move and the dog to maintain a similar tightness of fit.
4. Paste Wax - the wood workers best friend and secrete weapon. Apply a THIN coat of this on your dogs and they will move more easily without becoming sloppy. It will allow your drill bits to cut smoother, cleaner and with less heat. It helps reduce surface rusting, and helps material glide over working surfaces. A one pound can typically lasts 1-3 years depending upon how busy the shop is. I leave my rag inside the can so it is always at hand and in an airtight container when not in use. Drilling, planing, or sawing it is the first and last thing that touches my tools, and has made them a joy to use.
Thank you Michael!
I started using paste wax in the manner you described and got excellent results. ^5
Skippy Lippy , glad the advice helped. I learned that trick from my Grandfather over 4o years ago, and still surprised by how few know or teach it.
Regarding the wonder dogs, it looks like there are holes in the brass head that could be used to screw on a piece of wood to act as a pad for thicker material clamping. Hard to tell from the video, but are those through holes?
@@slyrhyno - Yes the wonder dogs & wonder pups both have through holes to screw any shape or size of wood (like concave pieces of wood to clamp radiuses) that would increase the effectiveness of the clamping ability. They are excellent clamps/dogs.
I need to start doing the paste wax thing, the place I have been as a shop is a bit damp so everything rusts quickly.
POW MIA ,I'm not the only one that cares
The resins in Southern Yellow Pine will continue to harden and in about 10 years it will be hard as a rock. I know that in house trusses made of it, after 10 to 15 years you cannot hardly drive a nail into it.
Yeah it was used a lot for trim work in older houses in my area. You can't even put a nail in the stuff without predrilling. Always bothered me when people want to replace it. I usually say something like, "It takes most wood twenty years to look that good..." In the end I guess I didnt mind the supply of old southern yellow pine.
Hickory is one of the strongest, hardest and most-dense hardwoods. Hickory is used for applications that require sheer strength and high shock resistance, so no wonder it gives that feeling in your chisel hand after a long session. I wonder how Oak or Maple compares, I bet it's far better.
Maple is my fav wood. I have always wanted a solid hard maple bench top for a very long time. I wonder how it would compare to pine.
the rag box on the shelf behind you looks like Cinderella
Hey Jay I'm bout to build a new work bench for hand tool woodwork, I noticed ur don't have any casters on those work benches, I got some 3 " casters all with foot breaks, do u recommend leaving em off ?THANX FOR UR VIDEOS !!!!!
OK... this is really freaking me out. I just discovered your channel today by a shoutout from 731 woodworks and so I saw some earlier videos. Dude they way you look then and now is night and day...like 2 different people. Whats going on? Aside from that 731 woodworks mentioned that you had plans for a chair set and I wanted to do the same thing but I couldn't find them. Can someone help? By the way... I absolutely love your work. I'm subscribing right now. Thanks for all that you teach. I am a proud student of TH-cam University :D
Yes 5 year old vid share .......in SA wood is not really valued some ball and claw furniture is sought after but wood working tools are extremely expensive and modern woodworking pieces are few and far between price wise ........wood has no value.......solid wood makes no difference to the ikea flat pack self assembly price saving hand tools are a good trade but more historical quality and history to the buyer
Jay that vibration "feeling" in your hands is some swelling in the carpal-tunnel of your wrist. tissues swell and compress the nerves in the carpal-tunnel causing that odd vibration feeling in your thumbs and pointer fingers and half-way thorough the middle finger (if I recall correctly). if you cause those tissues to swell to often you can get tingling in those digits lose dexterity and grip. then you will need surgery to fix.
soak wrists in cold water to reduce swelling as soon as you notice that feeling helps, but not always.
It looks like the thread per inch are finer on the pine vise. That will give you more pull causing more flex than a coarser thread would. A little.
What is the diameter of the holdfast in relation to the holes in the bench. I have a small saw bench that I am having issues getting the holdfast to hold.
Are you sure it isn’t a lack of thickness? A holdfast requires a thicker top because it works by binding in the hole.
@@BlackSwan912 The bench is about 2.5" thick.
I’ll pass up other channels covering the same topics to watch yours. Always straight forward explanations. Always well done.
Might help to cut squares from one of those gym rubber tiles and place them under the legs to absorb some of the vibrations..
My bench was built from laminated 2x4s, 2x6 stretchers, and 4x6 beams for legs, all Douglas Fir. About a 660 on the Janka scale. Southern Yellow Pine and Doug Fir are plenty hard and tough enough for a bench.
Thanks so much. Not may woodworkers have an opportunity to compare the same design side by side. I've been using hand-made dowel dogs with bullet catches for years ("until I could afford the nice ones"- never needed to upgrade). I have a Veritas Wonder Dog too and love it. If you attach a small block of softwood to it's face, it won't mar the edge of your board. Wonder Dog does interfere with planing thin stock. Wooden dowel dogs will never mar the face of your plane if you accidentally strike one.
no end vise? i agree that it is a secondary vise, but with your dog hole pattern, for longer stock, it looks like you need an end vise.
Jay, your comment on the pine absorbing the chiseling force better than the hickory is interesting, and makes sense.
I'd never considered that, but that's a big factor in hand tool work.
I think you've sold me on using big box S/P/F. Thanks man!
Alan R what he is saying is completely explainable by physics.
Or by Roy: www.pbs.org/video/the-woodwrights-shop-hurray-for-hickory/
Alan R ...agreed. like playing basketball on a wood floor versus concrete. Your knees, like your hands, are less worn from the hard surfaces. Great that you pointed out that fact. Keep up the good work.
SYP (southern yellow pine) will be different than SPF (spruce, pine, fir). The rationale may still hold when comparing to hardwoods such as hickory, but just consider that SYP is denser and stronger than most of the "Whitewood" (SPF) you'll find at home centers.
What's going on
What are the dimensions of your workbench top? Is it the same for hickory vs syp?
I’ve seen some benches with the tool well in the center. What are your thoughts on this?
a vibrating....lawn equipment tool..
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Well, you convinced me to build my next bench our of yellow pine or fir. I've been curious about user's real world experience with pine.
could you please provide a link to the tools you have mentioned in the video.
Ok i just have to let you and all your viewers know. The correct word for that reverberation that you are talking about is "Stagganize". My brother when he was like 5 years old just made up the word when he hit a pole with a metal bat. He is 45 years old now and we still use the word when talking about the feeling you described. So feel free to use it. When ever you feel that feeling you where "Stagganized"....lol
Not sure what the advantage, other than its more elegant, to a laminated top versus just purchasing a hardwood 2'x 6 ' x1 1/2" countertop from Home Depot ($160 Hevea, $250 Acacia). If more thickness is wanted for some reason, a few layers of 3/4" MDF beneath the wood surface could be added. Most of US don't own a $600 hobbyist Dewalt planer and the cost of having the 2x6's planed would make the butcher block competitive with no leveling needed. Any reason not to go this route?
Those pre-made laminate tops often de-laminate. The quality of the slab you purchase is a roll of the dice. If it stays together long term it's a decent option. Adding MDF beneath wouldn't be the wisest decision. Wood expands and contracts seasonally. If you glue it to an engineered panel like MDF it will undoubtedly crack or break somewhere as the MDF will prevent movement. Something's gotta give.
@@JayBates2 Good points. Maybe I used the wrong terminology. The tops I was referring to are not laminate but butcher block. Is there anyway to build your design without owning a thickness planer? Since I don't have workbench now, hand planing not really be the way to go.
This kind of motivated me to want to get back to work on my bench. At first I was really not wanting to go with pine, but for the price, and the ease of work it is absolutely worth it and it really doesn't look bad either. I really didn't think of the shock absorbing factor with using a softwood. I'm really glad now that I didn't dish out lots of money for a hardwood alternative. Great video Jay!
It's simple, how deep are your pockets and secondly what type of bench did the great cabinet makers use when they built furniture for palaces and stately homes? Probably not hardwood, why waste good expensive timber on a work bench. Would be nice but not necessary.
I'm thinking to build the bench out of pine as well for the reasons you stated. But... I had 2 major modifications in mind. I think, i would like to have ability to attach the top layer. Like some 22mm plywood or something (still thinking is that a good idea). And the second one is that I want to use workbench from booth sides. Like... to put in the middle of small workshop. And to make it easy movable. Because, sometimes its easier to work from the left side, and sometimes from the right side. Also thinking to make it wider, like 1m or so. Ah... and also, i want it to be compatible with some portable sander, drill table, bend saw, planer, router etc. So that i can attach them to the sides or the end when i need extra surface. Because i have really small compact place to make my hobby workshop ATM. I need a lot of flexibility.
Jay, when I see your reviews such as this I check it out ASAP , Why? because you're detailed in comparisons and although not scientific ( to quote you, LOL) you use comparitive data that adds credence to what you say. When I get the time I think I might invest some time in building a southern yellow pine bench. FYI, I use to prefer fir due to hardness, but I have used fir plywood and found it splinters as it ages. Thanks again.
Very awesome video, lots of information.. And the shop towel box in the background looks like a Disney princess on my phone
Shaun Kennedy hahaha it totally does. Frozen songs just invaded my brain :|
Yup, the whole video I just heard let it go and wanna build a snow man
Ha! Just noticed that! That’s great!
Haha I can't unsee that now
Thank you so much for this. I recently built your WorkHorse and am quite happy with it, but looking to do version 2 with traditional workholding and a slightly lower top to make planing easier for me, and seeing this helped me decide what materials to use :)
This is a great wood working book, “Bαzοmο Tdy Plαn” (Google it). I am a graduate of a one-year carpentry course from a local tech college. Of all the books I have read during my study about carpentry, I think this is the best book I have read so far. It explains everything regarding woodworking and complements it with helpful photos. .
Wonder what the current cost would be.
Jay you say you would put a tool tray on any work bench what are your thoughts of putting a tray in the middle of the work bench?
I'd rather build the bench and add the tool well later. In the middle sounds like it's in the way. On the back edge is out of the way while still convenient.
I like a softwood workbench top, but I can tell you that I've never had one that didn't move a lot (all at least 3" thick, and face-laminated). All of mine have been southern yellow pine. So, be forewarned. A few have been in fully air-conditioned and heated shops, others in garage and shed shops with no a/c and only sporadic heating when the shop was in use. No matter, they still moved, often enough not to be at all reliable as a reference flat surface. If you go this route, I strongly recommend a low plywood assembly/set-up table that you can trust to level legs, etc. -- three or four layers of decent 3/4" plywood for the top, with a top layer of tempered hardboard.
Great video. My problem is that my workbench is used for everything from sanding, routing, hand planing and chiseling but also pouring resin and rebuilding motorcycle engines. The top is totally abused. I’ve always wanted to build a nice hardwood workbench but would be afraid to use it.
Thanks for the info Jay! 👍👊
Never did wood work, am wondering why do you set the wood in that vertical instead of horizontal position. doesn't that just spends more wood?
I’m in the PNW (Tacoma area), and I found “white wood.” It seems to be a general term for a variety of truly soft lumber…really cheap. Do you think that would make an OK workbench? Thanks!
I'm kinda new to wood working... well 7th-9th grade wood shop veteran. LOL. i am planning a workbench for my garage. I wonder if I should do a cheap and dirty build then go back and build a real solid one.
Would it make sense to build the pine but use a hardwood for the sections you drill for dogs to prevent the "wallowing" you might get from pine? Great vid. thanks
That is exactly what I’m considering on building. SYP for most of the bench, and red oak on 2-3 edge boards on each side, and oak tool well. Put the dog holes in the oak, pine will be absorbing impacts. Haven’t settled on leg vice plan. I was considering a hardwood leg, with a rebate on the top clamping surface where I can place a sacrificial softwood. If anyone has done something similar, I’d like to hear some feedback. The compressibility of pine in the vice seems like a good idea to get a good hold without running the risk of denting your work.
Video production question as opposed to woodworking question - how'd you record the audio on this? Is that the lavalier mic on the brim of your hat?
Yes. Lav mic clipped to the brim of my hat. Wire runs through the back of the hat and the transmitter is in my back pocket.
Awesome! The sound is so different from a normal lav mic. Placing it up on the brim cuts out that breathy sound. Thanks for letting me know! I'm not a huge creator, but I'm going to have to remember this technique.
Hi Jay. Love your channels and everything about how you teach and inspire. Just started my you tube channel and would love if you followed and gave me advice on woodworking and you tube Thanks and God bless. VatoNews714
WRT the hardwood resonance/kickback, I'd suggest adding a sheet of a bituminous damping material (Dynamat, or similar) to the underside of the worktop. A single sheet that fits between the dog holes & legs would probably make the bench much more pleasant to work on for extended periods. Another idea to try would be to put a thin layer of cork or linoleum under the feet - a single cork/lino flooring tile would provide enough for all four. Either/both would add dampening of the resonance that causes the "springy" feeling.
Just a thought (& probably too late a thought considering the age of the vid)...
Hey used a theater grid and that Oak wow that hurt that was like swinging on metal also the difference between what you want to do with for your next bench and what I would do is I would go ahead and use Beach on the two strips where I was going to put my dogs but the remainder would be Douglas fir accepting a course for the leg vise
Well I can see by all the comments you hit the nail on the head with this video. I have been thinking and wanting to build a work bench. I have a top that was given to me that is over 70 years old have a tree (really). I just moved to TX and need to build a new base for it. The main reason for wanting a new bench is dog holes and vises. The old one only has one vise and while it does work it not my favorite. I to have purchased some hold-fast from Gramercy Tools they are great. Living in TX I have been trying to figure out what Pine is used in HD or Lowes, Lowes seems to have whitepine not sure if this is the same as yellow pine. I would love to find a site that explains the different species of pine and how they differ. I also enjoyed the advice of some of the folks who suggested paste wax, I have found that it works great on so many things and protects my tools as well. Thank you for your service as well. I spent 10 years in the USN. As I am nearing retirement I am hoping to be able to continue my woodworking in the my later years. It is a joy to be able to continue to learn new trades. Times have changed again and young people are once again being afforded the opportunity to learn a trade and the need to fill the jobs has once again open up. There are times when I wish those chances were around when I was young, I was told go to school and get an education. While it is important to have an education, it also important to be able to do what you enjoy, learning should not always be forced on us. You should want to learn as you will put more of an effort into what you learn. Sorry waffling again. Thanks Jay..
I've worked on oak, hickory, and maple workbenches. They all have the problem of feeling like you've been holding a chainsaw all day in your chisel hand and wrist.
The property you describe is what Blacksmiths call rebound. The softer, more flexible material absorbs more energy from the strike so it has less rebound. You may find you get more work done faster with chisels on the hard bench but you can see, there is a price since you don't have long tongs to hold your work like a blacksmith.
Jay, you might try some vibration isolating material under the legs of the Hickory workbench. i use to use it to isolate and absorb pump vibration from the building structure. If your shop floor is concrete it should dampen some of the energy when you are working at the table. The black rubber waffle material used for this purpose is rather inexpensive. Not sure where you can get it in your area, but anybody that does commercial air conditioning work can get some or tell you where to get it. Thanks for the tips on building a good workbench--much appreciated.
How long is the bench and thick is it.
Now I get 20 2x4's for $110 lol
This was really helpful. Thank you. I don’t have a tool well, but I will be putting one on my bench - for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Thanks again.
I might explore the idea of using multiple species on the work surface after seeing this video. In an effort to get the best of both woods..
So if you make the comparison to anvil, your hardwood is the same as a good forged steel and the softwood would be compared to the cast iron.
Many good tool handles are made from hickory (axes, mauls, hammers) basically any tool that you swing. The reason is that the hickory will flex a little and absorb the impact from the tool (large impact that is). As for extended chiseling, the hardness of the hickory works against you in that it doesn't absorb enough of the tiny impacts from a chisel and mallet.
Do live in Southeast Mich? If so, where do you get your Southern Yellow Pine? Thanks
Jay, the reason I love your videos so much is that you are such a great teacher. even your reviews cover every angle.
I think I love them both!!!!!!!
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