Re-surfacing Work Bench

[Deems36]

O mighty ones, please guide me.

I have a workbench where the top is 40mm thick and finished with veneer.

The veneer is shot and could do with a new lick of something.

I have some white laminex lying around that would probally do the trick however I am curious about 'tempered masonite' mentioned in another thread.

Does the tempered masonite have obvious advantages over the laminex, what thickness does it come in and is it fixed by glueing?

Cheers

[Cliff Rogers]

......Does the tempered masonite have obvious advantages over the laminex, .....


It looks a bit more blokey that laminex... it a work bench, not a kitchen bench. :D

If it is fair dinkum laminex & you have enough for the job, it should made a good hard work surface. It will be a bit slippery & look a bit girly but I can't think of any other reason not to use it.

BTW. Glue is the go.

[Bodgy]

One thing I don't get when people put a new veneer on their benche, is...... how do you re-cut the dog holes?

OK, if you can dril/chisel from below - no problem, but surely some will fall above the vise screw/leads etc. Are youse all good enough to actually accurately measure and plot the location of these non-thru holes??

The dog holes have very low tolerances, so if you can do it, and get it right I'm walking amonst Saints!

[Deems36]

Bodgy,

To answer your question in this case anayway- the board was already veneered and there are no holes in it.

[zenwood]

I went to check out tempered masonite last weekend at bunnies: there was a sign saying "tempered masonite available by special order". I don't believe this stuff actually exists. ;)

[Clinton1]

Zenwood - I too went to check out tempered masonite at my local Bunnings on the weekend. The sales guy had no idea what tempered masonite was. However a few phone calls later and - Laminex Industries make and sell it and the Melbourne sales office told me they deliver with any order over $100.
cheers,
Clinton

[Sturdee]

The dog holes have very low tolerances, so if you can do it, and get it right I'm walking amonst Saints!

Bodgy, if they are round holes insert dowels into the dog holes with a small nail in the centre like oversized dowell points and lay your new board over them to mark the centre of the holes to drill.

If they are square insert small blocks the size of the doghole, paint the top of them and lay your board over them so that when you lift it up the paint will show the dog holes needed.

Rather simple really.


Peter.

[Bodgy]

Sturdee


Mate, you come thru every time!

[echnidna]

If you only want half sized sheet of tempered masonite get masonite underlay.
Its tempered and comes in 900 x 1200 sheets 6mm thick

[Auld Bassoon]

One thing I don't get when people put a new veneer on their benche, is...... how do you re-cut the dog holes?

OK, if you can dril/chisel from below - no problem, but surely some will fall above the vise screw/leads etc. Are youse all good enough to actually accurately measure and plot the location of these non-thru holes??

The dog holes have very low tolerances, so if you can do it, and get it right I'm walking amonst Saints!

I reckon there's an easy way to do this: before you cut the veneer, lay out on the bench a sheet of thickish paper, putting it place with some spray adhesive, and then find the dog holes with a finger. For each hole, just trace where it is. Before removing the paper, draw end/face lines just on the bench edges.

Remove paper, place veneer (still oversize, but marked as accurately as possible to the actual bench size) onto some more spray adhesive, and overlay with the paper. Push a bradawl (or such) through the geometric centre of each marked dog hole to put a centre mark on the veneer.

The rest should be pretty obvious.

Cheers!

[Deems36]

If you only want half sized sheet of tempered masonite get masonite underlay.
Its tempered and comes in 900 x 1200 sheets 6mm thick

Thanks Echnidna,

I have just returned from Bunning and noticed the masonite underlay at the size you mention. At first glance it looked darn solid for what it is, which got me thinking how much stronger can the tempered type be.

I don't think a join across the top would be the go so I may do a little running around tomorrow and see if I can track down a full sheet.

How would you suggest it be applied over the veneer?

[Waldo]

G'day,

Just pull the veneer off and use the timber below as your work bench. It's 40mm thick and it's a work bench after all.

[journeyman Mick]

Veneer? On a work bench? :confused: I wouldn't even have a veneered dining table, let alone a work bench. Like Waldo said, remove the veneer and use what's underneath - it's a workbench after all. If you do stick masonite on and need to put in dog holes here's another way of cutting them:
Measure the position of the holes and draw a mud map.
Glue on masonite top.
Drill a pilot hole through the masonite in the centre of each dog hole.
Use a flush trimming ball bearing router bit enlarge the holes.
Use a chisel to square up corners if you have square dogs.

Mick

[Deems36]

Veneer it is- it was free :D at the time.

Sure ripping the veneer off would be the cheapest solution but what i need is an alternate top.

I seem to have a knack of trashing tops (timber type) way to quickly. (dont ask me to be more gentle :eek:

Hence my post for a different surface that will endure my clumsines..

[soundman]

how strong is temperd masonite? :D
I had some cieling tile reinforcement plates made for a firm I was working for A number of years ago. It was standard 4mm (i think). I tried breaking the leftover hole (about 180mm) By varuious means. Including putting all my weight on it over the edge ov a bench.
This stuff is hard & quite strong. Makes a nice floor too.
You might fing sign board easier to get. It isn't as hard or dense is full tempered but is isn't bad.
cheers

[Bodgy]

Looks like there are a few ways of positioning the dog holes in the new veneer.

Basoon, the paper template sounds good.

Mick, my potential problem is not cutting the holes, its marking their location on the new veneer. I have around 6 'blind' dog holes due to under bench obstructions.

Bottom line is I should not have been a lazy tightarse and used existing Oregan 125x50 for the bench top. If I'd gone and bought/bludged some hardwood I'd be with all the anti-veneer pursists too.

[Gavin04]

I use may workbench for most auto stuff. I've found corrugated cardboard a good worktop. Pick it up at the paper recycling section at the tip and it's free. Washing machine boxes are great. It makes a smooth work surface that's impact absorbing, so it doesn't damage any parts or surfaces. When it gets too messed up it going back to the recycling place.

As for dog holes: Just slap some paint on the edges of the workbench and around the dog holes. Carefully place the new top on top of the bench, press and remove. Should have the workbench, with dogholes nicely templated on the under side of the new top. Join the dots where appropriate and cut to fit.

[zenwood]

Basoon, the paper template sounds good.A 'story stick' might also be useful. Very accurate if used with a knife, and might be less cumbersome than a large sheet of paper.