Thickness is crucial in terms of a heavy-duty woodworking benchtop. Even if you prioritize design and quality, you cannot downplay the significance of the tabletop’s thickness as it endures a lot of working loads.
According to experts, the standard woodworking bench top thickness should be between 2½" or 64 mm to 4" or 100 mm (arguably 5"). If the benchtop is too thick, it will be difficult to use accessories and move around. However, the ideal measurement may vary depending on materials, budget, and workload.
As you shouldn’t be choosing the benchtop randomly or without knowing your overall purpose, this article will make an effort to provide you with a clear idea regarding how to choose a suitable and sturdy benchtop taking all the required criteria into account. Let’s head on!
Suggested thickness for a woodworking bench
How thick should a woodworking benchtop be? Well, there is no single ideal measurement for it.
A professional carpenter’s work cannot be successfully done with mild hammering, or gently operating panel saws. So, they need a flat and stiff surface to perform the heavy job successfully. Otherwise, any shaky or fragile benchtop would be of no use.
A benchtop with an adequate thickness brings massive work satisfaction to a woodworker. It solves a significant issue: it provides strength to the working surface.
The thicker, the stronger — a universal fact for woodworking benches.
Carpenters who use woodworking benchtops with a 1" thickness have many bitter experiences. The same complaint seems to exist in the case of a large number of users using a 2" thick benchtop.
In particular, those who use accessories like larger bench dogs or thicker face vises need to have a greater thickness than that.
If a benchtop meets these below-mentioned requirements, it could be considered an ideal one.
➔ Provides strength and stability.
➔ Allows you to hold accessories firmly.
➔ Have deeper dog holes where you can smoothly secure bench dogs.
According to experts, based on all the working principles and user experience, the benchtop’s thickness should be between 2.5" or 63.5mm to 5" or 127mm. A thickness higher than that may cause holdfasts not to work properly.
Why Is Thickness Important When Choosing A Woodworking Benchtop?
Many woodworkers do not realize the importance until the benchtops bend and warp after a short time of usage. A part that withstands the most working loads and tolerates abuses and heavy pressure shouldn’t be taken for granted in any way.
Thickness is, in fact, the most important factor that should be considered when choosing a benchtop. Why is that? Well, a benchtop with the correct thickness would provide the following:
- Sturdiness during work time so that it won’t move or shake when chiselling, planing, nailing, or chopping on the vice, mortises, or tenons.
- Withstand a heavy beating and won’t bend, dent, or leave any dabbing marks.
- Clamps the working components tight.
- Perfectly holds the bench dogs and the holdfasts.
- Allows for an even distribution of strength.
- Planing the surface of the benchtop wouldn’t significantly reduce the thickness.
- Lasts for years.
The Materials Of The Woodwork Benchtop Affect The Thickness
Both softwood and hardwood-made benchtops are quite popular among woodworkers, depending on the working style.
As for recommendations, softwood-made benchtops have a lower tolerance than hardwood-made tops. So, as for general consideration, the thickness of the softwood-made tops should be thick enough to withstand the heavy workload.
There are also synthetic and metal wood tops available. In many ways, however, experts believe that wooden benchtops still outperform other materials. Let’s look at the benefits and drawbacks of the various materials used to construct woodworking benchtops.
Softwood-Made Benchtops
When it comes to softwood, the most commonly dealt with woods are Pine, Cedar, Spruce, Fir, and Larch. These wood types are widely used for DIY projects, and with solid-build joinery and stacking of multiple wooden pieces, these woods can build solid woodworking benchtops too.
Pros
- Soft, smooth texture, and lightweight.
- Quite affordable and cost-efficient.
- The sources of softwoods are abundant and well-available.
Cons
- Poor fire resistance.
- Less dense and have comparatively less strength.
- Most of the softwoods are not durable as other hardwoods, except Pine.
Hardwood-made Benchtops
Hardwood-made Benchtops are mostly preferred wooden types. They are quite well known for their durability and heavy strength features and are widely used for cladding, fencing, construction work, and outdoor decking. Ash, Butternut, Hard Maple, Iroko, and Mahogany hardwood types are commonly used.
Pros
- Higher density and strength.
- Perfect choice for a wide range of tasks.
- Available in a variety of grains and textures.
- Durable and can be used for a long time.
Cons
- Less availability compared to other types of wood.
- Costs are higher and are not as affordable as softwoods.
- For the sturdiness and denser characteristics, it’s not quite convenient to work with.
Metal Benchtops
Metal benchtops can be made of iron, stainless steel, or mixed metal components. They are sturdy, versatile, long-lasting, and can withstand heavy jobs.
Pros
- lightweight, portable, and adjustable.
- Can withstand heavy stress.
- Long-lasting, and fewer chances of bending and warping.
Cons
- Not easy to build. It requires a manufacturing procedure.
- Risk of electrocution.
- Pretty much noise to work with.
- Not customizable as wood-made benchtops.
- Are less affordable and costs high.
Hybrid Material Benchtops
MDF and plywood are common hybrid wood types, particularly in the construction of woodworking benchtops. They are popular because of their affordability and their ability to serve multiple jobs.
One of the benefits of MDF wood is that it has enough heft to support a solid-surface benchtop. A 2" thick top would suffice to provide the necessary sturdiness.
MDF is also perfectly flat, evenly textured, and reasonably priced. However, they absorb moisture fast, thus becoming spongy, and are not easily customizable.
Benchtop Material Comparison Chart
Frequently Asked Questions
Are plywoods good for a workbench top?
Plywood is a hybrid wood that is widely used for a wide range of tasks. Even as a woodworking bench material, they are pretty popular, too. If plywood is used properly as workbench materials, maintaining correct joining and layering of woods, they can perform pretty well. Plywoods are quite budget-friendly too.
What wood is best for the workbench top?
The woodworking bench made of hardwoods such as butternut, ash, hard maple, and mahogany is considered the best. However, a softwood type like pinewood is widely used since it performs well as benchtops and is reasonable compared to other hardwood materials.
What is a good height for a woodworking bench?
The ideal height for a woodworking bench depends on the height of the user. The height of the bench should be constructed according to the comfort of the woodworker. For instance, if the height is 72", it’s better to make the height anywhere between 35" to 36".
Final Takeaways
A couple of factors from both mechanical and consumer perspectives should be taken into consideration before setting up a woodworking benchtop’s thickness. Different materials differ in quality and features, and not every woodworker accomplishes the same set of tasks. Of course, the affordability cannot be kept aside too. We hope, with the help of our article, you now have a clearer idea of what thickness you want your workbench to be!
[This article contains amazon affiliate links. Any purchase made will give a commission to the content creator]
