Reply To: Oak wood slabs 3” thick 12” wide 7’ long
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Did these folks you heard from look at your slabs?
What reasons did they give that your slabs would warp? If they are already warped, what evidence is there they willy warp more?
Every bench building book tells you the wood should be 6% or whatever. Evidence is that that isn’t probably necessary.
Below is a bench made from sopping wet oak (red, I think) by Chris Schwarz around 2015. Last I heard it is still one of the benches used in his storefront shop where he and others teach. Chris claims his moisture meter topped out at 60%, which seems like an awful lot, but whatever.
There was a serious body of internet chatter generated by this bench which you can see by searching
chris schwarz green wood workbench
Included is this summary article from I think 2017, where the picture comes from
My own experience with I bench I built from wood taken from a barn with indeterminate drying pedigree was that I had to flatten it twice in the first two yearS until it settled down. In the last 40 yearsI have dressed the top with scrapers every 10 years or so.
Flat is important for a bench top, but there is more that one way to get there. Depends on your tolerance for risk, I guess.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by Larry Geib.