Advice on best wood to use for a project?

[jonwil]

I currently have an IKEA kitchen table
https://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/S89246372/
at 125cm x 75cm

I build for a model train display (LEGO bricks) and the standard table size for the club is about 150cm x 100cm. I was thinking of getting a piece of wood (or multiple pieces of wood joined together) that I can put on top of the existing IKEA table placed so its centered on the IKEA table and hanging over the edge (if my math is right, it would extend about 12.5cm over the edge of the IKEA table top in all 4 directions which seems like it wouldn't be too much of a problem).

The idea is to have a surface big enough to lay out a full table's worth of LEGO on top (not planning to fix the new piece of wood to the existing table, to fix anything to the new piece of wood or to transport the new piece of wood anywhere, I just want something to test out my plans before I stick it all into boxes and take it to shows)

Can anyone suggest what kind of wood I should use for such a project? Not fussed about the color or type of the wood, just looking for something that isn't super expensive but would be strong enough that the bits extending over the existing table wont bow.

It was suggested to me by a friend that I attach some small fixtures to the underside of the new plank that would create a hole the exact size of the existing table so it will be more stable and wont slide around (which I think is a good idea), not sure what wood to buy for that either.

I dont know all that much about woodworking or different types of wood (the closest I have come to DIY is building a storage chest/blanket box by following some plans from Bunnings) so I am hoping someone on here who knows more about wood can advise the right sort to buy for this project.

[elanjacobs]

If it's just a work surface and doesn't need to look pretty, get a sheet of 18mm MDF and cut it to whatever size you want.

[shanesmith80]

Like Elan said mdf would work. So would ply or melamine. All available from Bunnings. A couple of cleats on the bottom to stop it sliding off. Done.

[auscab]

If I was going for a manufactured board for this I’d buy some standard Radiata pine veneered chipboard . I just hate MDF . It’s heavy . It makes for very heavy brittle cabinets . It sags more than chipboard , so will ply, though that won’t be a problem if it’s only overhanging 125 mm . It’s crap to work with and that also isn’t a problem for what your doing . One thing I like about MDF is that in thinner thicknesses it has secondary uses as templates for routing jigs and templates for marking out legs and columns of tables . Chipboard and ply are not as good at that .
Rob

[tonzeyd]

If the bench is on display I'd definitely be securing it to the table, people love to lean/sit on tables. would hate to see a nice lego display go flying. Cleats is your best bet if you plan on taking it off regularly.

In terms of material you use, since its essentially going on a table top any material you use will work, as the piece will be supported all round sagging won't be an issue.

If it were me I'd consider using something other than wood, eg perspex with threaded inserts in the table to secure the perspex in place. Yes it'll probably cost more than a sheet of MDF, but will definitely outlast and won't detract from your lego display.

[elanjacobs]

If it were me I'd consider using something other than wood, eg perspex with threaded inserts in the table to secure the perspex in place. Yes it'll probably cost more than a sheet of MDF, but will definitely outlast and won't detract from your lego display.

I'm not sure if you've ever looked at a price list for sheet plastics, but the one I'm looking at says a sheet of clear acrylic (Perspex) 2440x1220x10mm is $550 +GST and that list is 2 years old. The table in the original post is $80, I think you see where I'm going with this :2tsup:

[jonwil]

This isn't being used for a display (the club has tables for that), its only for myself to have at home to set things up and check that they work before things go into boxes, get taken to the display and then assembled on top of a club table at the event.
Since its just me (or the occasional family member who might come over) and it isn't accessible to the public/random people it doesn't need to be fancy or even particularly study/resistant to being leaned on.

Visited Bunnings today and (as seems to be usual with my trips to the big green shed as of late) I am more confused now than I was before. Still don't know if I want 3mil MDF, 6mil MDF, plywood, melamine, poarticleboard or something else. All I know is that I want the cheapest option that won't sag/collapse/fail and that is suitable for what I plan to do with it.

I dont even know if I should go to Bunnings, some other hardware store (e.g. the big orange Mitre 10 Mega in my area) or a timber yard of some sort.

[tonzeyd]

I'm not sure if you've ever looked at a price list for sheet plastics, but the one I'm looking at says a sheet of clear acrylic (Perspex) 2440x1220x10mm is $550 +GST and that list is 2 years old. The table in the original post is $80, I think you see where I'm going with this :2tsup:

pfft worth it i say, one can't put a price tag on someones passion! on a more serious note if the OP wants something on a budget, any board will work. So just pick whatever suits your budget, However for durability i'd get something atleast 12mm thick, your local bunnings store should be able to cut it down to size too

[ian]

any board thinner than 6mm is probably too flexible
I'd be looking at 9 or 12 mm MDF

[Robson Valley]

Company coming and I needed a much bigger dining room table.
1. Put a table cloth on the existing table.
2. Cut up a sheet and rounded the corners for a rectangular shape of 15mm plywood (Ugly grade)
3. Nice patterned Italian table cloth of olives and lemons on top of that.

So successful that I have never found reason to go back the original small table.
The Plywood topping is rigid for all practical purposes.
At least 10 years ago.

[jonwil]

Looks like I will probably go with plywood for this project.

[DaveVman]

You can get a melamine desk top from Office Works all egdebanded, etc and cheaper than buying a sheet of the stuff from Bunnings.
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/c/furniture/desks-tables/mix-match-desks/table-tops

It would be perfect.

Although I'd add some cleats so it can't slide around.

[Fumbler]

Try a sheet of 17 or 20mm Form ply, available at bunnings and Mister Ply or someone like that, not sure if Moster Ply actually exists anymore though but super strong and nothing sticks to it. I bought a sheet a few years back, $64 for a 2400x1200 sheet (probably a bit more now) and put them in the old mans shed as bench tops. I got the brown coated stuff not the black.

[jonwil]

None of the tables under that Officeworks link are large enough so that doesn't help.
And I dont think I need to go for something that expensive (20mil plywood) when a sheet of something thinner, less pretty looking and cheaper will work for my needs.

[DaveVman]

None of the tables under that Officeworks link are large enough so that doesn't help.
And I dont think I need to go for something that expensive (20mil plywood) when a sheet of something thinner, less pretty looking and cheaper will work for my needs.

As you say.
However a sheet of melamine or of form ply will have a nice flat, perfectly smooth surface ready made. Which I would have thought would be important when setting up models.

[clear out]

I’m a bit out of date with what’s available nowadaze but there used to be a lighter variety of muck (MDF)
on sale here in Oz.
Some 12mm of that would be ideal if it still exists.
H.

[jonwil]

Ended up with a sheet of 2400mmx1200mmx9mm plywood from Bunnings cut to size with their awesome looking big cutting saw (far easier than trying to cut it myself with a hand-me-down handheld circular saw and get straight cuts etc). And the LEGO baseplates fit perfectly over the top (any small knot holes/imperfections dont matter since the baseplates are big enough to cover those holes without stuff being off-level and the baseplates cover the entire board so the fact it looks ugly doesn't matter either)

Used some 16mmx18mm pine blocks to provide supports underneath (creating a rough frame about the same size as the existing table so that the board wouldn't slide off the table if its bumped) and secured them in place with PVA wood glue that sat drying overnight. The result is currently sitting on my table covered in LEGO and working perfectly.

Bonus is I have some off cuts left from the pine that I can do something else with in the future :)