Kreg Work Bench Plans...What kind of wood did you use?

[Steven Goldberg]

I just bought the K3 Master Kit and want to make the work bench. I don't have one so it seems like a good idea. I just wanted to see what kind of wood (2x4's) everyone used. I'm pretty new so it seems like there are several options out there. Unfortunately the workers at lowe's and home depot aren't much help. Thanks for the responses.

[Don Clark]

Most of the home improvement stores carry about 3 different types of dimensional lumber...structural stuff, outdoor/decking materials, and the good stuff.

Structural stuff - designed to build things out of that most likely wont be seen. Primary consideration here is strength, and appearance doesn't matter. Most common way you will see this for 2x4s is the rack that says 'stud' right on it. This is a good option for you if you don't care what the legs look like, since they generally are fairly cheap... less than $4 a board for a 2 x 4 x 96".

Outdoor/decking - this is all your stuff designed to withstand the elements, ie Yellawood, Weathershield, pressure treated, etc. Only needed if you are going to put your bench outside in the rain or something. I would definitely NOT use it for anything that would be a contact surface for my project materials since I suspect that the processes used to treat the wood might interfere with finishing.

The good stuff - This is your higher graded lumber and the better the grade the better it looks, and the higher the price. Often called 'appearance lumber' the grading process focuses more on appearance instead of structural strength. You can often spot these simply by looking at it, as their appearance is clearly better.

I found this link Softwood Lumber Grading that may shed some light on what you are looking at.