Countertop ideas for a workbench?

[krw]

I suppose you cover hardwood floors with carpeting to keep them nice, too. Vinyl furniture covers?

I wouldn't be above throwing a sheet of hardboard on top, though. ;-)

[gregz]

I put hardboard for top layer on wood bench. The bench, about 38 inches wide, made with rough cut ,4X4's and 2X6 , must weigh 200 pounds. That came with house. Must have been built in house. I have to cut it down so I can fit through future doorways. Garage metal bench with two layers of chipboard. Lightly painted with varnish.

Greg

[gfretwell]

Sounds like a heluva deal at $25. A piece of masonite would cover the doorknob hole but I would put it in the back anyway.

[Robert Macy]

from experience:

1. make surface light colored and place diffuse lighting in a non- reflective position.
2. make surface robust, oil resistant, won't dent or scratch with over

40 awkward pounds set on it, and yet smooth for finding small parts

1. support, support, support in a manner that still allows you to get your knees under the top - anywhere. [you have no idea how irritating slight flexing can be.]
2. make kitchen counter height, but slightly higher to adjust to yourself. Too high and uncomfortable angle to work, too low and you're bent over all day [get roll around bar stools that quit moving when you apply sitting pressure and allow you to 'lean' against [slightly sitting on them] for support. That way, you can walk off, get whatever, come back, [roll around so you can move chair to different position - your hands may be holding something and you need to move that chair] and continue working with little effort. You have NO idea how tiring getting up and down from a work station can get.
3. be prepared to accept damage to your beautiful work bench. It will happen.Like the first dent in a new car.

[Robert Macy]

Use a couple of those long 'industrial' type power strips [3-4 ft] with an outlet every 6 inches, or so. AND DON'T mount down, mount them on their sides, place them horizontally, else loose items fall right into the sockets! To make them easily accessible I mounted some underneath the top along the front. MISTAKE! plugs like to fall out of that position, plus the cords are loops to catch your feet in. Mount on a vertical surface along the back about two to four inches up from the top's surface [clearance for your fingers], where you can plug cords straight in as you look at the power strips.

[Vic Smith]

All good advice, but most too late for SMS who has the bench already. Personally, I don't see any benefit in "smooth" or "hard" Never have trouble seeing anything small on beat up and "dirty" (stained) soft wood workbench surfaces. I like that character. Dents keep small parts from rolling off. Just hang a foxtail and dustpan on a nail stuck in the side of the bench, and use them.

[Smitty Two]

Wouldn't a nail sticking out of the bench be a safety hazard? I mean, unless it's a safety nail that automatically retracts when nothing is hanging on it.

[gfretwell]

You put the hanger on the leg, under the bench

[Vic Smith]

Yeah, you want top overhang, but we're past the design part. Somebody just covered knee space. Most of my hanging nails are in the front top rails. Used to keep pipe wrenches on them until I went pegboard. And hammers between 2 nails, which was always a bad idea, because they can fall on your foot too easily.