Choosing the wood species

Workbenches are traditionally made out of beech or oak, two common species which are hard and solid. They are also the primary species I use. Outside of that it is obviously possible to choose other species, therefore I made up a short resume of a few species which can be used.

Do note that out of principle I only work with indigenous wood from a family business, and when possible from local woods. My oak however always comes from France because it is impossible to find a comparable quality in local woods.

The pictures below were taken by myself from samples from my supply, these samples can be seen here in person as well.

The different species are judged on the base of hardness, price and stability.

 

  • hardness: the harder the better it absorbs shocks without marking, it also wears slower.
  • price: the higher, the more expensive. The price of the solid wood doesn’t play a gigantic role in a workbench but still oak costs about 4x more than poplar by example.
  • stability: the higher the better, it’s the measure in which the wood will retain it’s shape and size during fluctuations in temperature and relative air humidity.

Oak

Oak is mostly chosen for esthetical reasons, but it remains a good choice because of it’s hardness and stability. The main disadvantage is the price and big pores.

  • hardness4/5
  • price 4/5
  • stability 5/5

 

 

 

Beech

Beech is techically the ideal species for a workbench, hard and smooth with no pores. The price is interesting but the appearance can be bland, it’s also moderately stable.

  • hardness 5/5
  • price 3/5
  • stability 3/5

 

 

Poplar

Poplar is a very soft species which is totally unusable for work tops, but it’s cheap and structurally very solid, therefore it’s a great economical choice for all parts that aren’t subjected to wear and tear. Visually very neutral which makes it blend very well with a wide range of other species.

  • hardness 1/5
  • price 1/5
  • stability 4/5

 

Red pine

In terms of price and hardness comparable to poplar, but less stable. Can be preferred to poplar for visual reasons.

  • hardness 2/5
  • price 1/5
  • stability 3/5

 

 

Ash

Even though not related to oak, it shares the same characteristics and visual appearance. Ash is lighter in colour, a good choice but not always easy to source.

  • hardness 4/5
  • price 3/5
  • stability 5/5

 

 

 

 

Maple

A visually very interesting species, smooth and pale with deep reflections. But the hardness and stability are average. Not available in the shape of veneered plywood, therefore only usable for projects with 100% solid wood.

  • hardness 3/5
  • price 3/5
  • stability 2/5

 

 

Pear

A very nice but rare species, reserved for high end projects. Not available in the shape of veneered plywood, therefore only usable for projects with 100% solid wood.

  • hardness3/5
  • price 5/5
  • stability 3/5

 

 

 

Prune/cherry

A very nice but rare species, reserved for high end projects. Not available in the shape of veneered plywood, therefore only usable for projects with 100% solid wood. Cherry has a stronger red colour than prune.

  • hardness 3/5
  • price 5/5
  • stability 3/5

 

 

Walnut

A very nice but rare and expensive species, reserved for high end projects. Hard to find in the shape of veneered plywood, therefore mostly reserved for 100% solid wood projects.

  • hardness 5/5
  • price 5/5
  • stability 4/5