Workbench top advice: should I laminate the top, or use solid wood?
Hello everyone!
I'm a beginner-ish, early intermediate woodworker/luthier. I am using hand tools quite often, and I plan to use them much more in the future. I currently have a melamine foldable table that I use as a workbench of sorts, and it's quite evident that it won't do as a workbench. When I try to use a handplane it rocks back and forth like crazy!
So, my next big project is a workbench, which is exciting! I came across Paul Seller's tutorial on how to make a workbench. He uses leftover pieces of wood, I believe, and he makes a laminated top out of long strips of wood. I don't have enough wood to do that, so I'll have to buy some. Now, I have the opportunity of buying slaps of wood from a local lumberyard, and they can joint and plane the slab for me, which would save a lot of work. However, is there a compelling reason to make a laminated top, or can I use a solid wood slab for the top?
P.S: I hate MDF, especially in a humid climate such as where I live. Plus, it dents quite easily. So does soft wood, but that's easier to work and flatten. I can compromise and use plywood, but I would prefer to avoid it.