Bowling Alley Bench Tops??

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

So I am looking into making a portable work table for my garage.

It will have 4x6 legs (salvaged from a prior project) and retractable casters, a lower shelf and a solid top. 4' Piece of counter top from Lowe's would run me $119 + tax. The 4' piece of alley would run me $100. (yes its over an hour away)

With lumber prices the way they are I was thinking of utilizing a piece of salvaged Bowling Alley for the top.

Curious if anyone has ever ripped one down width wise, as I don't want the table to be 42" wide.

Response to my question about construction from the guy selling the piece.
"Other than being nailed together, there are metal angle iron pieces every 5-6' on the back side of the lanes holding them together from when they were built. On a 4' piece, they may or may not have an angle iron depending on where they fall. "

 

[Renegade1LI]

Did you buy the maple section or the pine section? If you get the maple section it's worth it I wouldn't buy the pine sections. From the price it sound like pine.

 

[tinmanwpk]

And you will need an angle or some type of metal to hold it together whether or not some angle is on this piece or not.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

Thanks, I am not familiar with their construction.
It indeed was a pine section.

I think I will just use a maple counter top for the bench or laminate two pieces of 3/4 plywood.

 

[Mike Folks]

I'd go to the Grizzly website, T21250 is 30" X 72" by 1 1/2" butcher block style bench top.

 

[Kev442]

On a budget you can usually scare up an old executive desk for $25-50. The tops are pretty heavy duty and can be ripped to the width you want easily. The drawers can probably be repurposed as a free bonus too.
I have one I've been considering doing that with, but the top is almost too heavy duty at 125 lbs or so. I guess they used at lot more glue in MDF 50 years ago!

 

[mcmlvif100]

With lumber prices the way they are I was thinking of utilizing a piece of salvaged Bowling Alley for the top.

Curious if anyone has ever ripped one down width wise, as I don't want the table to be 42" wide.

"Other than being nailed together, there are metal angle iron pieces every 5-6' on the back side of the lanes holding them together from when they were built. On a 4' piece, they may or may not have an angle iron depending on where they fall."

I ripped two large (11 ft. plus) sections lengthwise. I ended up with 4 sections each one approximately 22 inches wide by 11 feet long.

I used an old Craftsman circular saw with a carbide blade. Hit a few nails but it worked. I removed the reference "angle iron" supports first. In my case, they weren't angle iron but rather a T shaped metal piece that has slots alternating side to side and there are wood screws holding this piece to the bottom of the wood. My guess it that the slots are to allow some movement with changing humidity.

I cut the T shaped metal pieces in half and reinstalled them after ripping the wood. The metal is really hard so I used a chop saw.

Am really happy with the finished bench tops. Attaching a couple of pictures for reference. The workbench with the Craftsman cabinets "floats" on the top of them, located by plywood pieces that I cut to tightly fit the cabinet. I wrapped the bowling alley with pine 1" x 3" screwed every foot. The top and the cabinets are "clamped" to the wall with a turnbuckle that is mounted at a 45 degree angle so that it pulls down and back towards an eyebolt screwed to the wall. It's in the open space at the middle where I left enough room for a stool. Once the turnbuckle is tightened down, the bench is rock solid.

The small table with the toolbox on it is from one section that I cut into 3 pieces to make some "industrial" tables for my son's apartment. Got an end table, a coffee table and a sofa / console table out of the 11 ft. Used black iron pipe for the legs. Still a work-in-process in the picture. The finished tables are wrapped with pine 1" x 3" and the legs are painted satin black.

Sorry for the long post. Hope that it helps.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

Very NICE!!!!

I will likely do something like that in my shop when it is built.
Won't have room in the recently build garage.

For this project I am likely going to do a simple butcher block top.

I think I will find a Maple section to make the Island in the kitchen we are in the future going to remodel.

I ripped two large (11 ft. plus) sections lengthwise. I ended up with 4 sections each one approximately 22 inches wide by 11 feet long.

I used an old Craftsman circular saw with a carbide blade. Hit a few nails but it worked. I removed the reference "angle iron" supports first. In my case, they weren't angle iron but rather a T shaped metal piece that has slots alternating side to side and there are wood screws holding this piece to the bottom of the wood. My guess it that the slots are to allow some movement with changing humidity.

I cut the T shaped metal pieces in half and reinstalled them after ripping the wood. The metal is really hard so I used a chop saw.

Am really happy with the finished bench tops. Attaching a couple of pictures for reference. The workbench with the Craftsman cabinets "floats" on the top of them, located by plywood pieces that I cut to tightly fit the cabinet. I wrapped the bowling alley with pine 1" x 3" screwed every foot. The top and the cabinets are "clamped" to the wall with a turnbuckle that is mounted at a 45 degree angle so that it pulls down and back towards an eyebolt screwed to the wall. It's in the open space at the middle where I left enough room for a stool. Once the turnbuckle is tightened down, the bench is rock solid.

The small table with the toolbox on it is from one section that I cut into 3 pieces to make some "industrial" tables for my son's apartment. Got an end table, a coffee table and a sofa / console table out of the 11 ft. Used black iron pipe for the legs. Still a work-in-process in the picture. The finished tables are wrapped with pine 1" x 3" and the legs are painted satin black.

Sorry for the long post. Hope that it helps.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

I'd go to the Grizzly website, T21250 is 30" X 72" by 1 1/2" butcher block style bench top.

W/ Shipping that unit would be almost $60 more than the Maple top from Lowes. Which I think would be more than sufficient for the intended purpose.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CenterPoin...lock-Rubberwood-Kitchen-Countertop/5000212339

 

[bob15]

Ripped one for my brother's reloading bench. He bought a 12' length which was ripped with a Skil-77, using up 3 circular saw blades due to nails. Also used a aluminum straight edge to make the cut straight.

 

[WordMan]

For the record, the pine sections are old growth and quite hard.

 

[Bretny]

For the record, the pine sections are old growth and quite hard.

This is for sure true. I removed some heart pine flooring that was well beyond saving in my 1930s house and it cut about like modern red oak.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

Built my mobile bench this evening.

Temporary top of 2 layers of 1/2” plywood.

25”x48” totally out of left over lumber from my garage build.
Butcher block top to be added in the future.

Added a set of retractable casters - stoked to use it for soldering some plumbing manifolds for my Pex plumbing project.

 

[pma1123]

Heres a 1pc 20' maple lane section used for a homemade shuffleboard table build.
As another poster mentioned, plan to use multiple blades as nails are an issue.
This was done slow and steady with a circ saw and clamped angle iron guide. The cut edge was dressed with a belt sander afterwards to smooth out any steps/rough/burned areas.

 

[19Vert64]

Split mine down to about 26 inches


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[handmadeMI]

I am so happy to see this post. A few weeks ago I scored a 6.5 ft section of maple and two 5 ft sections of pine from an alley that was going out of business. Total cost was $0.
From moving them around, I can tell that they are not terribly well fastened together. What kind of prep did you do to the bottom of the sections to keep the boards nice and tight together?

 

[SteveInSC]

Curious...has anyone ever pulled the rows of boards apart just enough to get a little glue in, then clamp it back together? I'm picking up a 12ft section of maple Friday morning. Planning to use this as a workbench top. Since it's not terribly sturdy, I wonder if this would improve it.

 

[bradpac]

I picked up a section of the newer laminate bowling alley lane. No where near as pretty as the real wood stuff, but it has plenty of life left in it for a good bench and it was only $20 for a 12ft long piece. One of these days I'll get it cut down and actually build my desk.

 

[vwpieces]

recently saw bowling alley for $25/ft around here.
Couple years ago I found some tractor trailer flooring for sale. I bought 12X 10ft lengths for $20ea.
It was all new, unused but seconds I assume. Still good hardwood butcher block type for cheap.
Something to look into if you might have a trailer builder reasonably local.

This was going to be a portable table/workbench for the car shop. But it turned out too nice for that. Its now a work table for electronics and soldering in the basement.

 

[KEH]

VWpieces bench is gorgeous! I predict an increase in the price of surplus trailer flooring as woodworkers jump on that.

KEH

 

[vwpieces]

VWpieces bench is gorgeous! I predict an increase in the price of surplus trailer flooring as woodworkers jump on that.

KEH

Thanks KEH
Bench finished, in use