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Favorite Workbench Surface, and Why?

OGRipper

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
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NORCAL is the hizzle
Beside bacon and root beer, although either or both would be awesome.

I've got a new bench with a 3/4 plywood top in my home shop. I could just finish it with some kind of durable finish, or cover it with masonite or something else. Thoughts?
 
toodles

toodles

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Aug 24, 2004
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Totally depends what kind of work you're going to do on it. If its likely to be used for welding, then stainless is the go, especially for small fiddly jobs when you don't want to try and clamp the earth lead on them. For component work, particularly electrical stuff, white laminate is great - try to run a slight raised edge for small screws and stuff to stop them skidding off.

I've mainly used stainless steel for workbenches I've made up. Its easiest to clean spills and mess off, although if you're hammering directly onto the bench it will get dented and damaged unless its more then 6mm thick. That option gets heavy and expensive though.

Plain plywood tops are decent enough for most rough work, although if you're careless they're easy to drill into, burn or dent and damage. Plus side is they can be replaced every few years for cheap and if they get too dirty/marked/whatever a light sanding will bring them back to new.
 
maxyedor

maxyedor

<b>TOOL PRO</b>
Oct 20, 2005
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Mine is 1/4" steel, a bit heavy, but I don't travel with my work-bench so weight hasn't become an issue. Spilling oil on it makes it better, you can write all over it with a Sharpie and just wipe it off with accetone later, you can wail on it with a hammer all day and not dent it, and it's cheaper than maple.

If you want something a little nicer, go .070" 304 Stainless, #2 brushed finish. You can beat on it harder than maple without denting it, and it looks pretty, downside is cost.
 
Pesqueeb

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
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A guy I work with has his tool box topped with a clear lacquered portion of bowling alley lane. It's fvcking awesome. Personally, I'm rocking a section of SS that I coated in "wing walk", essentially black lacquer paint mixed with sand to provide grip.
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
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Ottawa, Canada
what do you guys do for the base? I knew nothing about workbenches when I built mine, and it's crap. if I don't move h, I think I'd like to build something proper and solid. I made it out of 2x4 and a layer of G1S 3/4" ply-wood. But the ply-wood is all sagging (from the weight of my espresso machine) and I feel I need proper base, as well as work surface.

I was watching one of those PBS carpentry shows with my f-i-l one time, and the guy was making the mother of all work benches. All solid maple, mortise and tenon joints, and the work surface was maple 2x4s glued together, with an incorporated wooden vice. It was bad ass, but I guessed the wood for that project had to be more than ten grand. And doing mortise and tenon joints was more work than I'm willing to put in for a workbench... I figured there has to be a middle ground for something solid, with storage space (for blue bins) and a real solid base...
 
-BB-

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
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toodles said:
Totally depends what kind of work you're going to do on it.

Plain plywood tops are decent enough for most rough work, although if you're careless they're easy to drill into, burn or dent and damage. Plus side is they can be replaced every few years for cheap and if they get too dirty/marked/whatever a light sanding will bring them back to new.
Click to expand...
Ditto on just using some Ply... I use the cabinet grade 3/4in. It is fairly durable and you can replace it every few years if you want. I've had mine for 4 years now though and never felt the need to replace. If it sags on you, then you just need another 2x4 (on end) running the length of it. If you are worried about stains etc, just slap some poly on it first.
 
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AngryMetalsmith

AngryMetalsmith

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Jun 4, 2006
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If you have a builders salvage supply place in your area, you can pick up a formica counter top dirt cheap. Much cheaper than Lowes or Home depot. I got a five foot section for about $20. At that price I can afford to dish out some abuse on it.

 
ButtersNZ

ButtersNZ

Monkey
Jun 6, 2013
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Mine is plywood with a lightly-colored towel covering it. Things don't go rolling off the table and it's easy to see o-rings and screws and such.

 
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OGRipper

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,652
1,127
NORCAL is the hizzle
Thanks everyone. This is just for my home shop, mostly for working on bikes and some basic house stuff. So, used frequently but not a lot of hard use or abuse. I'll probably just finish the plywood with a few coats of some kind of tough poly for now and see how it goes.

Slyfink, I did a pretty basic build with 2X4's, box sections, etc. It's bolted to the walls and floor so it's super solid. I consider

Next question: Any got a good source for some rad upper cabinets?
 
chicodude

chicodude

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Mar 28, 2004
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maxyedor said:
Mine is 1/4" steel, a bit heavy, but I don't travel with my work-bench so weight hasn't become an issue. Spilling oil on it makes it better, you can write all over it with a Sharpie and just wipe it off with accetone later, you can wail on it with a hammer all day and not dent it, and it's cheaper than maple.

.
Click to expand...
This.
 
HardtailHack

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
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Grass, I always feel pretty good about myself when I find that tiny part I dropped in to the lawn, if you had it on a workbench you'd feel good all the time and it absorbs spills.
 
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