I tore out the workbench that was in the garage when we bought the house (too high, too short) and am building a 3' x 10' bench, and it's almost done, except for the top.
I need to choose a top. I'm thinking of two 36" x 80" solid core doors cut to 36" x 60" each. These are a big expensive at $65 each, but I think plywood is too thin, and AB plywood isn't that much less than the doors.
Any other ideas?
My work bench is 1/2 inch CDX. What do you expect to repair? Are you an air craft mechanic, or what? Mine with 1/2 inch plywood has been plenty fine.
Please put in several power sockets, they come in handy.
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I need to choose a top. I'm thinking of two 36" x 80" solid core doors cut to 36" x 60" each. These are a big expensive at $65 each, but I think plywood is too thin, and AB plywood isn't that much less than the doors.
Any other ideas?
To me, 3' is too deep for a bench- crap just gets lost in the back.
But you might use it for something other than what I do- so that would determine the depth, the heft and the surface.
As I think about it I have 5 benches between the garage and basement.
In general, I like 2 layers of 3/4 plywood glued together. One end of one bench has a chunk of countertop that I bought cheap. Another is steel. Another is fireboard.
I have a 30" door that I throw on two sawhorses if I need the space.
Jim
A bunch of 2 x 4s glued together, with the new glues the wood will split before it comes apart
I have a solid core door in my computer room for a work bench and it works well but if this is someplace where you are doing heavy duty work you might want to skin the top with another surface like tempered masonite so you can replace it if it gets too beat up.
I like the maple butcher block tops. A few hundred dollars, but nice to look at, stay flat, and seem to last forever. They're heavy enough that they'll sit on a sturdy frame (preferably fully welded 2" square steel tubing) without bolts.
The workbench that came with my house was made from full sized 2 x 4's and 2 x 8's. The top itself is 2 x 8's laid flat and are pretty rough.
I covered the top with 1/4" tempered hardboard to produce a very smooth surface. I don't mind drilling through it, spilling paint or cutting oil on it or hammering nails into it because when it gets really messed up, I take it off and replace it with another sheet of tempered hardboard for fresh new surface. I'd estimate I've done that
5 or 6 times in about 20 years.I nailed 1/4" thick back band molding around the edges of the workbench for a smoother edge and to hold the hardboard in place without and nails or glue.
Another thing to consider is your electrical layout. My workbench top extends about 4 inches beyond the horizontal 2 x 4 that supports the front edge. I ran 4 duplex receptacles, evenly spaced, along the 2 x 4 so that my cords are never in my way on top of the workbench. That keeps the area behind the workbench (a wall in my case) free from cords and nothing I put on the workbench blocks any receptacles.
My shop is pretty small, but I also have multiple receptacles on the 2 side walls so I can plug tools into wherever will give me the most working room free from cords.
Make the under part of the top with scrap wood then put a layer of laminate (hard plastic/synthitic works well) 'wood' flowing on the top. We have one area of the shop that we reguild generators and pumps. Beats the hell out of the laminate but keeps on ticking.
Since you don't need much left overs or borken boxes are cheap.
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Heavy quality floorboards. At least an inch thick.
I got a pretty good sized chunk of second hand pure white Corian. It is not enough to cover the whole workbench but it does make a nice work surface for working with small parts like carburetors
That's a perfect example of why there is no one answer to the workbench top question. I want a top that I'm not afraid to abuse (thus the 1/4" replaceable hardboard) while other's might want a perfectly smooth and pristine surface for working with small intricate parts.
It all depends on what the workbench will be used for.
I went to the local Buildiing supply and asked about small pieces of returned or unused countertops. 3 Pieces (not matching in colors) and I had a 12' long bench. Steel legs I already had, so used those for solidity and stability. It sits atop a 3/4" ply base. Strong, no bounce, stable, deep enough I routed out a space and dropped a steel bar into it for heavy pounding on steel. 14 years old and counting. What I tore out had a 3/4 plywood with linoleum on it. Worked OK, but got dinged up easily. Countertops are really hard to ding up and they look as good as the day they were new except they're painted gloss white (vision assistance).
I use three layers of =BE=94 plywood.=20 I started out with two=20 but when I bolted the vise on I realized I needed another layer.
I always lag screw my vises at the corner of the benches, which are made of 2x4's. Whether I've used 1/2" plank or 3/4" plywood for the top, at least 2 screws go into the 2x4's. You can bolt and washer anyway, so that vise won't come loose.
Planking and plywood are smooth. I coat my benches with cheap white latex paint. Like 'em white for the light reflection. I don't beat on them, and they stay smooth. If you're nicking them up past what you want, use hardboard as gfretwell said.
Seriously, check McMaster's pricing on Maple butcher block. 72" x 30" x
1.75" thick is only $233, with or without a radius at the front edge.If you're committed to 10', you're up around 5 bills and still worth every penny. Compared to cobbling sheets of plywood together and trying to make it smooth and flat, that's not a lot more money for a much better solution. I've got about six of them at the shop.
Solid core doors work well. YOu should be able to ask for damaged doors
- they usually go for about $10. You might consider edge banding the top and adding a masonite cap that can be replaced when necessary.
Much depends on what you are planning to do on the bench, as others above have said. When I build mine, I wanted plastic laminate, however, a sheet was sooooo expensive that I quickly abandoned that. I finally used laminate flooring. I picked a pattern that was smooth and inexpensive.
It works pretty well, is cleanable and durable .... maybe not to hammer on, but, for the stuff I do, it's good. It is glued down to an OSB surface and edged with a rounded over piece of oak. For hammering, I have vice and an old stage weight that serves well.
Ikea is a good source for butcher block tops. I like their beech tops.
My work benches are 2 layers of 1/2 inch plywood. Unfinished surfaces were just varnished. Been a long time and I don't remember what it cost but don't think it was expensive.
Should you cover the butcher-block table top with 1/2" plywood to protect it from nails, tool-slippage, spilled varnish, and the like?
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