Building a workbench

[opusnight]

Am building a workbench, and wondering about the surface. Specifically, what to coat/stain/seal/finish the worktop in that won't be a problem reacting to potential spilled BP chemicals we all use (cleaning solvents, etc.). Any problems, suggestions?

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

Built the bench with plywood, covered that with particle board, covered that with counter top laminate (formica), after a bit more than 15 years it has held up well.

 

[Dane]

I'd think a spar varnish should seal against anything we use for cleaning. Not sure what solvents you'd use for BP cleanup, I use water to clean and CLP to lube and prevent rust.
That said, any finish can be damaged with the right chemical, so we still need to use some caution.
Mine has a maple top on it about 4" thick, and while I'm sure it's sealed somehow, it certainly doesn't show any build up of finish. And YES, there are numerous stains all over it. Gives it character.

 

[Archer 756]

thumbsup: Go to Harbor Freight and look wood bench with draws and wood worker vise which was on sale $129.00 at :surrender:

 

[Scota4570]

My free standing bench takes a piece of HDF as a removable-replaceable top insert. This engineered wood product is similar to MDF is but much denser. Think of pegboard without the holes. The bench is made like free standing base cabinets and sized to use a whole 4x8 sheet.

 

[BigBoreBLR]

I got the harbor freight bench. It's oooookay. Cross brace the legs and be easy on the drawers.

Im not worried about getting it dirty. Adds character. I'll never get a TV show from what I do in my shop.....

 

[eggwelder]

if you`ve built the bench already, I`d use the formica/laminate material. the replaceable HDF surface is an excellent idea if you can find the HDF. one guy I know makes his replaceable surface on his workbench from cheap laminate flooring. lighter the colour the better to see your parts, etc.
if you want to stay with wood, get maple. 2 1/4 thick. varnish or varathane the top. when you want to replace it, you`ve got a nicely seasoned gunstock slab....

 

[ZUG]

I've built a FEW work benches in my time and my first one was a copy of my dad's bench which he built on a 4" X 4" frame topped with 2" X 6" layed length wise then a 3/4" plywood top and on top of that he screwed 1/4" Masonite on the plywood. When the Masonite got trashed he would unscrew it and put a new layer on. The last auxiliary work bench I built was out of a 1" X 4" pine frame with two pices of 3/4" partical board layered. I did not cover it with anything else and I try not to spill chemicals on it but it can be covered with some sort of "resistant" top material if you want.

 

[jerrywh]

My bench is 13 years old now and I just left the top plain. It is looking pretty bad now. I think I would cover it with laminate or tin. My engraving bench is covered with laminate but it doesn't get the beating the work bench does.

 

[Ames]

I used a piece of 3/4 ply with a wooden edge of 1X2 on top of my drafting table. Saves space by doing both jobs at one bench. No finish on it at all. And you don't cry if you mar the surface. It's replaceable and protects the drafting surface.

 

[Col. Batguano]

what ever won't be too slick for your tools, or dull them if they bounce against it. I personally wouldn't worry about what finish it has.

The more important aspects of it are that it is solid and stable, and at a good comfortable working height for working on pieces in both the standing and sitting positions, as well as being well lit and comfortable temperatures.

 

[opusnight]

All great suggestions, thanks! Sounds like a laminate top is my route - now I can sick the wife on finding some discarded countertops... or, time to bring the truck to the dump and hunt for bargains! Thanks fellas.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

lighter the colour the better to see your parts, etc.

Also very helpful to have a consistent color versus something with a pattern or random wood grain.


And as a side note to my post above, I built the benches to the wall with 2x4 frame and 4x4 posts then covered with plywood etc.

 

[fleener]

between my shop, basement work bench and work bench in my pole barn I have around 60 feet of bench.

All of this bench is two sheets of 3/4" MDF board topped with a 1/4" sheet of tempered hardboard, so it is 1.75" thick. Plenty strong. If the top ever gets ruined for some reason, no problem. Unscrew it and put a new 1/4" sheet on it.

I do then put a coat or two of sealer on the tempered hard board.

Works great for me.

Fleener

 

[kansas_volunteer]

The Harbor Freight benches once caught my eye, but they are really pretty light duty things. Also they're fairly low, about four inches too low for me. I like to be able to stand at a bench and let the palms of my hands just lay easily on the top. With a bench this high I don't have to stoop over to work, which saves a lot of back pain. Most kitchen counter tops are close to being the correct work height for me. So, build the bench to save your back.

My bench is 30x72, because that made the best use of the HDF I got. For me, a minimum sized bench is 20x60. I can stand at the center and reach everything on it without stretching or bending over. It's a very efficient size. The HDF top on my bench is 3 inches, or four layers thick.

The legs under my bench are steel from a place called Global Industrial, if I'm remembering the name right. There are knock outs in the legs to wire electrical outlets in. I have, but haven't installed, a set of rollers from Rockler that bolt to the bench legs. They elevate a bench about half an inch so it can be rolled around and lowered again when your ready for action. I really need to get these put on.

I like Masonite for a bench surface. I glue it on, using a router trick that let's me make a bunch of circular little regularly spaced islands in the area to be covered, and then apply dabs of glue to the islands, after which the Masonite is laid on and any excess glue flows into the moats around the islands. It will be easy to pop any badly worn Masonite off and replace it if it ever comes to it. It may sound like a lot of work but it isn't once you get organized. I've built two heavy duty benches putting Masonite work surfaces on this way and so far there's been no need to replace either top but I know it will be easy to do when the time comes. Just slip a chisel under the Masonite and pop it off.

Running thin lines of glue every few inches under a Masonite top will work as well I'm sure.

If you come to attach a Masonite wear surface to a bench with screws, use brass screws to save the edges of you tools.

The work surface can be waxed to repel paint, stain and such.

I've put Wilton woodworkers vises on the two heavy benches I've built, the one I have now and another built years ago. I made wooden cheeks to prevent work from being marred by the steel vise jaws. I'm using poplar now, and some others softwood on the bench I built years back. Some will tell you to use maple to line the vise jaws, but I feel softwood cheeks are less likely to put marks on a project.

 

[rijerolmon]

I'm gathering materials to resurface my wood benchtop with the smooth white tempered Masonite used for tub surrounds. Makes seeing small screws etc. show up better and is easy to clean up. I should install a power actuator with a timer to tilt the bench top every 30 days. Perhaps after I had to pick everything off the floor a couple of times I would remember to keep it cleaned off.

 

[Eric Krewson]

When I built my workbench I wanted it HEAVY, taking the bark and sapwood off osage staves with a draw knife will walk a normal workbench across the floor.

I used a lot of heavy material and 2X10s for the top. It sure looked niece sanded smooth, stained and finished with Spar Urethane. This look lasted about a week until I tipped a bottle of leather dye over on its top.

I had visions of keeping my work bench top pristine but soon had it pretty beat up as it is general purpose, not just for gun and bow building.

Looking at my bench top now I see almost a work of art in the cuts, stains, shallow drill holes and such. When I get too old to work in my shop I may cut out a section of my bench top and have it framed as contemporary art. The history of my work is reflected in its surface.

 

[Vaino]

Pictured below is my workbench which isn't large but is very effective. I think a good attribute of a bench used in building MLers is that it be stable....my bench is anchored to the concrete floor and also to the wall and the top is constructed of southern yellow pine 2X8s w/ a covering that resists most acids, fluxes and whatever. The covering is normally used on floors and has been satisfactory for close to 40 yrs.

As can be seen, there are no drawers because I work visually and drawers hide tools.

 

[Tinker2]

Am building a workbench, and wondering about the surface. Specifically, what to coat/stain/seal/finish the worktop in that won't be a problem reacting to potential spilled BP chemicals we all use (cleaning solvents, etc.). Any problems, suggestions?

This is what I use on my last bench. The ones I use are a light tan and cost about $2.00 a foot.
I get it by the foot at my local hardware store. Protects the bench and what I am working on. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Multy-H...60-ft-Roll-Rug-Runner-MT1000275EAUS/202972624

Easy and cheap to replace if I need to. If I am going to make a mess I cover the top with plastic.




William Alexander

 

[opusnight]

What is the covering you use?