Crazy bench material?
#11
Saw this in the local Craig’s list today. 6”x8”x6’ ‘guard rails’ at $5 apiece. I have an inquiry in as to what type of wood they are but my initial though is at less than $.21 per board foot it could maybe be used in a roubo. The legs would be pretty easy and there is enough meat to flatten the top boards to 5” pretty easily. The issues would be extending the length if you wanted a bench longer than 6’ and getting the top boards with perpendicular sides to the flat faces for a glue up. Am I crazy?

http://madison.craigslist.org/mat/5189492823.html

The way I am looking at this, the boards for a 32”x6’x5” with four 3’ (or less as the 3’ +5” would give you a 41” high bench-too high) legs would only set one back thirty bucks and be pretty stout.

Pedro
I miss nested quotes..........
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#12
In my area, they are made from PT pine.
YMMV.
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#13
Herb,

If they are pressure treated pine, I assume from their age that they are probably arsenic treated? That would be ugly to work with, but assuming you could work with it safely, how deep does the pressure treatment usually penetrate? Even if I had to remove an inch in each face, there would be a lot of lumber available. I know pine isn’t ideal, but with the mass of a roubo, would it preclude being a ‘good’ bench?

Thanks

Pedro
I miss nested quotes..........
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#14
You could always seal the wood with oil based polyurethane if you're worried about arsenic. 3 coats should do it pretty well.

I don't see that it being pine (if that's what it is) being a problem for a workbench, especially if it's that thick.
Sure, it's softer than rock maple, but the price is right if you ask me.
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#15
Gee, I don't know if I would want to work with this stuff, as from the pictures it looks like PT wood, and its likely the "high test" treatment. Milling it to size might be hazardous to you, and then you really don't know what you are left with. Looks like lots of holes in it too. It's priced like that for a reason. OTOH, looks like something good for a retaining wall.
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#16
Herb G said:


You could always seal the wood with oil based polyurethane if you're worried about arsenic. 3 coats should do it pretty well.




I think the bigger concern with arsenic is milling the lumber. Even if you're wearing a dust mask, and have halfway decent dust collection, you're still contaminating your work area with whatever residual dust remains. I'd pass on the deal.
Still Learning,

Allan Hill
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#17
Most look like they are pressure treated but some look dark and could have creosote in them. Pressure treatment should penetrate all of the way through, I've cut 4 x 6 PT timbers and all penetrated all the way through. Creosote is really bad stuff it would not work for a bench and is unsafe to use indoors or with skin contact. They look like they were set in the ground and you would have to clean them up before you tried to saw them. Dirt and gravel is really hard on blades.
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#18
I have specified miles of PT wood fencing, framing, decking, sole plates. And pretty anal about the MDS.

Depending on your brainwaves, do you want to be hugging poison, licking poison, smacking into poison, and breathing poison? Then, we talk about what that stuff does to any non-stainless steel.... Bolt a vise into the wood and see how long it takes for the screws rot out.... Not a big deal--it will take a while, but still.

The stuff was designed for one very good purpose. A bench is not it.

If you want a bargain, look for glu-lam beams at a second hand (recycle) store. I got everything (wood) for a massive bench at the price of one-gallon of Tightbond.
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#19
My take on this arsenic issue,

Some twenty years ago I spent two and half years building nothing other than custom decks. quit counting after 87 and done them another year after that. Handling the lumber straight out of the vat every working day. If it was as toxic as the claim they would have been throwing dirt in my dead a** face along time ago.

What I have noticed is that those decks and some even older are still standing. The newer ones since the "New & Improved" are rotting in eight to ten years. FWIW the price didn't change for the lesser quality. Do the math.

Regards, Lamar
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#20
Pedro

If you want an 8 foot bench all you have to do is stager the wood. Start one at regular length and the next one at 3 feet then put a 6 footer in line with it.

I know I would love to have about 15 of them for sure. I am thinking there would have to be some great wood in the bunch of them. I would also make a table and the rest to make bowls, vases or whatever from them.

Ask them if you can plane off some of the wood to see what is underneath it.

Arlin
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