# Trueing a workbench top



## George II (Nov 8, 2007)

Help!!! I built a workbench and used 2x6 pine for the top...Ole dip-wad didn't pay attention to the grain direction when he glued the edges, you know what happened......I know one can use a 15 inch plane but I don't want to buy one.. Now I have built the skis and am thinking how to use them with the router to level it? And what bit to use? I thought of using a base mounted to the router about 5 inches wide and 15 inches long to act like a bench plane. Is this feasible or are my meds out of control? Thanks for the look see.

Best Regards,
George Cole
" Regulae Stultis Sunt "


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## gts (Dec 29, 2009)

you should be able to screw a piece of angle iron to each long side of the bench. then you can build a sled for the router to ride the rails and take off a small bite with each pass. lower the bit each pass until you have a level bench top. 

I built a small set up for planing wood this way since I don't have a planer. I'd post a link to a picture of it, but don't have enough posts to be able to do that yet!


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## gts (Dec 29, 2009)

I should have added, I made my sled from angle iron. it needs to be wide enough that when you have the router all the way to one side of the bench, the sled is still riding the rail on the far side. Since I can't post links yet let me know if you want me to email or PM it to you.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Good idea that! be sure to make the angle irons level with each other and use a sacrificial board between the iron and the surface to be leveled so that you can reach the edge and not contact the iron with the bit. I'd rig stops on the underside of the "sled" base.


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## Cassandra (Mar 15, 2006)

gts said:


> you should be able to screw a piece of angle iron to each long side of the bench. then you can build a sled for the router to ride the rails and take off a small bite with each pass. lower the bit each pass until you have a level bench top.
> 
> I built a small set up for planing wood this way since I don't have a planer. I'd post a link to a picture of it, but don't have enough posts to be able to do that yet!


Hi Greg:

Welcome to the forum and many thanks for the idea! 

Cassandra


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## George II (Nov 8, 2007)

Greg,

Thanks so very much for the suggestion. I would very much like to see how you did it.
PM or email me, which ever is best for you..I'm in no hurry...my shop is not heated..
gcole55 at bellsouth dot net

Best Regards,
George Cole
"Regulae Stultis Sunt"


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## curiousgeorge (Nov 6, 2006)

If all else fails try using the old fashioned method... a hand plane. I built a small work bench out of 2x6 pine also and that is how I leveled mine.


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## gts (Dec 29, 2009)

George, email sent. I can't take complete credit for the idea. I actually was posting pictures of my guitar build in a guitar forum and one of the guys saw my thickness planing jig and said it reminded him of a way of leveling the top of a beat up work bench.

As I told George in the email, the bit I used was a 1.25" mortising bit. That might be a tad small for an entire work bench surface though.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

I built my original bench out of 2X6, nailed them in and never worried about truing the top up. After 22+ yrs. It's been pounded on with mallets, stabbed with chisles, cut into with jigsaws and circs, drilled you name it. The humps in the top where they occur never bothered me.


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## Frank Lee (Nov 29, 2008)

Gene----Sounds great good plan, sounds like somthing I am planning. Frank Lee---Kingman AZ. Good Luck Post when you can.


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## Noob (Apr 18, 2009)

I don't remember where I got this, but attached is a way to make it if you don't have any angle iron. 

A flat bottomed bit would work, but I assume a dish cutter bit would blend each path a bit better because of the round edges and larger diameter.


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## the_nite_owl (Oct 19, 2009)

Ghidrah said:


> I built my original bench out of 2X6, nailed them in and never worried about truing the top up. After 22+ yrs. It's been pounded on with mallets, stabbed with chisles, cut into with jigsaws and circs, drilled you name it. The humps in the top where they occur never bothered me.


This if fine for a common use work bench but if you want to use it for doing any fine work or glue ups you really want a nice flat surface.
Of course you can build a torsion box to put on top of the bench for that kind of work. It really depends on what space you have, how you use the bench, etc.

My work bench is warped all to heck and back. I may be getting rid of it and building the Ulltimate Tool Stand by Christopher Merrill. It would fit my space and use a lot better.


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## George II (Nov 8, 2007)

curiousgeorge said:


> If all else fails try using the old fashioned method... a hand plane. I built a small work bench out of 2x6 pine also and that is how I leveled mine.



Thanks "other George" but am trying to avoid buying a plane which won't be used very much...never mastered it in wood shop..

"G"


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## George II (Nov 8, 2007)

Noob said:


> I don't remember where I got this, but attached is a way to make it if you don't have any angle iron.
> 
> A flat bottomed bit would work, but I assume a dish cutter bit would blend each path a bit better because of the round edges and larger diameter.


Paulo, Thanks that looks great..also easy to build..

"G"


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