Beech Bench top

[se7enthdevil]

Cheers for the advice,

I can't find a lip and spur bit to buy locally that will be long enough, but i have got a few shorter ones and a flat head long 12mm wood drill (about 10") would the flat head be a option to use?

I was thinking start the hole on a pillar drill to get it accurate and then finish the rest off with a long auger bit which i have one that would be long enough to go straight through one board and make a mark on the next one for a reference point.

Hopefully the long auger bit would have a good enough guide to follow down the shorter holes to keep it from flexing/deviating too much.

 

I think i may be overthinking this a bit too much....

 

this is the best approach as i already suggested in my first post on this thread. self feeding auger bits munch through green timber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

i would not use worktop connectors as they are too weedy for this job.

 

also i would be inclined to go for thicker rod as M10 on 4" slabs won't be that strong in the end.

 

i'd go for M20 if that were my bench.

[Woodworks]

I've gone with the option of 12mm A2 Stainless rod, M10 seemed a bit too flexible and i think the m12 was the better option in the end.

 

Sounds good. I used M10 but it's not as heavy a bench as yours and used regular bar not stainless which has weaker threads. To keep it neat I would cut large holes on the edge so the nuts can be recessed, allow for socket size if doing this.

 

Good luck

[jamesd]

Managed to get most of the holes drilled this evening, will finish them off tomorrow and then put the two boards together.

I'm still incline to glue the joint as well though just for extra strength etc, what are peoples thoughts on using glue as well as the bar? I guess it can't hurt to use some?

[se7enthdevil]

what's the point of gluing it marte? it will pull itself apart as it warps.

 

you could use glue to fill the gaps in a couple of years but if you do it now it's a waste glue in my opinion.

 

 

the frame i made for the skittles is only held together with the threaded rod as it gives me the option of replacing the seperate parts just by undoing it with no need to knock glue joints apart.

[agg221]

I wouldn't glue it - mostly for the reasons Steve has given. Timber framed construction uses no glue and holds up indefinitely through design - what you are constructing is on a similar structural level. If just bolted then, if you do get a bit of a gap opening over the next couple of years, you can unbolt it, true up the edges and bolt it back together again. If you ever need to move it you can take the bits apart and load them easily. Basically, I don't think glue is necessary for this and it could be a definite disadvantage in some scenarios.

 

Alec

[Woodworks]

As Steve said I can't see the point if the wood is still wet as it's going to warp plus most glues don't bond so well to wet wood. If you do want to use glue I would recommend a PU glue as these cope much better with moisture present in the wood as water is the catalyst to make them set. I would bolt it up without glue now leave it to dry then if you feel like it needs it take it apart, square up the faces and then glue back together.