Adding thickness to a butcher block for a workbench

[FrenchysFroth]

I've been following along with Marks workbench build and decided to go ahead with a long anticipated upgrade to my bench.

I have a 24 inch by 72 inch red oak butcher block that I use for a bench. I have a makeshift vice on it now but want to replace it with a veritas twin screw end vice and a side vice and put in 3/4" dog holes.

I have the vice hardware and the material to buildups oak tressel legs.

Here's the problem, the butcher block is 1 3/4" thick and I have read that bench hold fast need 3 to 4 inches to hold properly. I was thinking of flattening the bottom and laminating 4 pieces of 6/4" by 6"oak to the bottom. This would build up the thickness of the bench top to just over 3".

Question, if I use similar oak will I have problems with wood movement?

[kaiser]

That is a good question. If you stagger the glue line from the top laminant and the bottom pieces you are going laminate on, you have a good chance of neutralizing the wood from moving at different rates. Myself, I do not trust a horizontal glue line that will be subjected to that much punishment. You also are laminating wood that has had a chance to dry out far more than the wood you would laminating to it. It is worth a shot, or just use the butcher block that you have for a finishing or assembly table and laminate a new top.

[FrenchysFroth]

Thanks Kaiser, offsetting the glue lines makes a lot of sense.

I was actually thinking of using the butcher block for an assembly table and starting from scratch. Thing is, I'm on a very tight shop budget. I already dumped a chunk of change in hardware & material to what I have. I was hoping I can finish up with a couple hundred bucks in the red oak. If I have to go back to square 1 it would be about 3 times that, and a assembly table to add into the pot.

Although I'm still considering it I keep telling myself to be resourceful.

Would love to hear any other suggestions out there.

[Barron]

Actually, as I understand it, its that holdfasts start to have issues holding on material much over 3" thick. In Marc's interview with Christopher Schwarz on the Roubo build (4" top) , Schwarz suggested drilling and 1" hole from the bottom up an inch or so, then going with 3/4" on through the top. The holdfast now thinks its in a thinner bench. My current bench isn't much thicker than yours, and I have good luck with them holding. Have you tried one out yet? If they work in what you have it could save time and money.