24" x 84" Laminated Maple Bench Top, 98 Lbs.

Comments about 24" x 84" Laminated Maple Bench Top, 98 Lbs. :

I like the way the joints are staggered and that every other laminate is a quarter-sawn solid piece.

Comments about 24" x 84" Laminated Maple Bench Top, 98 Lbs. :

All in all, it is a very nice product for the price. It wasn't packaged well enough to avoid damage during shipping though. It has plastic corner guards that protected the corners, but It had two dents about one inch in length on two sides. I used mine for a workbench in my garage, so it didn't bother me, but if I was planning to use this as a countertop in the house, I would have returned it.

Comments about 24" x 84" Laminated Maple Bench Top, 98 Lbs. :

Though I did not catch this on sale, Woodcraft was very nice about allowing the discount after I bought it with the 30 day garantee. The slightly rounded edges on front and back helped keep the packaging box in good shape, and were not much problem for me. my glued on hardwood skirts next to the slight curve now provide a built-in pencil catch. I attached my previously bought jorgensen smaller vise for front vise, drilled 3/4 holes, bought a pair of pinnacle bench dogs, and a veritas wonder dog, which for the time being is adequate as a poor-man's tail vise. One comment I saw was about the thickness being a negative. I attached a sheet of 3/4 (minus 1/32 inch)plywood to the bottom, giving my top a thickness of 2 1/2 inches, but used 1/2 inch oak under the part where I attached the vise, since it required a max thickness of 2 1/4 inches. Be sure to make pilot holes for screws using the hardwood rule, and if no bees wax lube is available, vegetable oil works very nicely.

Comments about 24" x 84" Laminated Maple Bench Top, 98 Lbs. :

I'm finishing the first (24 x 84)bench now and can't wait to use my first non pine 2x4 bench. I would have prefered non radiused edges but I can understand that I'm probably in the minority.

Comments about 24" x 84" Laminated Maple Bench Top, 98 Lbs. :

A few joints were not perfectly tight. Edge strips ran the full length. Had considered using it for kitchen counter top, but will use half to make a moving island instead. There is better looking product out there with longer interior strips and fewer dark wood sections, but at a MUCH higher price. This would make a beautiful workbench top; I'll use the other half for a 24X42" shop table. I wish I'd had a couple of these before I built my other benches, except I'd be sad if working on a project marred the top. Solid, flat, good value, highly recommended, especially when on sale.

Comments about 24" x 84" Laminated Maple Bench Top, 98 Lbs. :

Made the difference between 'striking' and 'ho-hum'.

Comments about 24" x 84" Laminated Maple Bench Top, 98 Lbs. :

Maybe the long edges should not be rounded over so that surround maple boards could be attached flush. The ends are not rounded over. Just a thought. Nice finish. Nice packing job. I am drilling three-quarter-inch holes for holdfasts and hope that tapping L-shaped stops in will not split the rather thin top.

Comments about 24" x 84" Laminated Maple Bench Top, 98 Lbs. :

My plan with this was to use for a larger bench. Overall, quality and finish are sound, but if I could, I'd make it a little thicker. If you're thinking about skipping the trouble of a large glue up and top flattening excercise, this will help. If you need to attach a side skirt or make it thicker to install a vise, you'll have to remove the finish in that area and do a little flattening on the bottom. If you are just making a cutting table or counter top, this will do nicely.