Now I need to finish a bench. I would be grateful for suggestions.

: I just built a nice strong bench with MDF for my metalworking vice and have no : Poly or any other durable finishes around. : I do have oil based and wash up in water fence and deck stains and I'm wondering : if these will work to protect the MDF from the odd splash of water. : I would love to get this done today so I can mount my vice and get to hobbying : without the costly and time consuming 3 hour trip to town. : I have Briwax as well if that will help.

: I decided to use the oil I use in my compressor in my airtools. I hope I made : the right choice.:)

Probbaly not the best -- oil compressor oil remains liquid, so I would imagine the MDF would suck it up and leave the surface unprotected. best would be a curing oil, or oil-varnish blend.

-- Andy Barss

Sorry for the misunderstanding Andy, I didn't use the compressor oil on the bench, I used it in my air tools. I couldn't find the oil for my air tools. Now I have nothing around to finish my bench except exterior deck stains. When I moved I left a lot of little stuff behind and now being an hour away from town I'm trying to get my shop set up before the snow flies without having to make the almost 3 hour rounder to town.

I decided to use some exterior deck stain base that never had color added. Bought by accident and never returned. When it dries I'll Briwax it. Or should I leave it as is? 3/4 MDF is pricey and I'd hate for it to swell up if it get's wet.

Sun, Oct 16, 2005, 9:38am (EDT-3) snipped-for-privacy@no.address.here (Jim) clarly mumbles: I just built a nice strong bench with MDF for my metalworking vice and have no Poly or any other durable finishes around. I do have oil based and wash up in water fence and deck stains and I'm wondering if these will work to protect the MDF from the odd splash of water.

Ah, it's posts like this that just keepsucking me back into this group. Maybe it's just me, but if it's only an "occasional" splash of water, I'd just wipe them up, and not sweat it. But, I'd probably opt for the oil baed stain, if that's all I had. Then, if I was really worried, I'd wax it too. Or, you could just get some paint later, and paint it with your vice on - or even, gasp, take your vice off later, paint the bench, and put your vice back.

Me, I have a metalworking vise. I've got some minor vices, but water doesn't bother any of them.

JOAT Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

I'm not bolting this heavy sucker down until I get my tin for underneath.

I plan to cover the half under my vice with sheet metal, when I get some, it will be my welding corner in my small shop. I make a lot of stuff out of concrete (planters, bricks etc) as well, on an arborite bench right next to this one so it will get wet from wet bowls and splashes. I have paint but no oil paint. I expect the oil base deck stain to do better.

I still have tools and stuff out in the yard and expect snow any day now so I'm trying to avoid any trips to town and use up what I have laying around to get these jobs done..

I prefer my whiskey, when I have any around, with ice.:) That's another trip to town.

Thanks for the tips.

Sun, Oct 16, 2005, 2:41pm (EDT-3) snipped-for-privacy@no.address.here (Jim) doth state I have paint but no oil paint. I expect the oil base deck stain to do better.

They paint house with latex paint, so if you've got exterior latex, I'd expect it to work.

JOAT Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.