What workbench top timber

[echnidna]

All of my workbenches have been Kauri, baltic or radiata pine.
What timber do other people use for their bench tops and why?

[Gumby]

dare I say, do a search ? ;)

[Bodgy]

Doing it all over again, I'd use 1" compressed fibro - like bathroom floors - with a veneer, say 10mm, funny masonite glued over the top. No dog holes, just recessed sail track. Definitely no tool well either. Surrounded by a framing of wood (any species - cause, the front at least, gets trashed in 3 months)

[bitingmidge]

Both the oregon and the BlueGum (?) tops were selected because they were free.

Cheers,

P:D

[gazaly]

MDF.

Easy to draw on for mesurements, plans etc, very flat if supported properly, but most of all, cheaply replaced if damaged.

[Wild Dingo]

2 1/2in Tuart for the first one (8ftL x 28inW x 30in H)... gotta take that of shortly and run the boards through the jointer then will probably have to cut another peice to fill in what now appears to be a 4in gap that will need filling yes yes I built it while the Tuart was green :rolleyes: ...Im just finishing a pair of Jarrah ones 1 1/2in planks on the top (12ft L x 16in W x 30in H) while I have already cut the parts for another with a 1in formply top with the skirt of Jarrah around its edges (this will be 10ft L x 4ft W x 26in H) ...the one for the lathe is 2in Pinus Crapiarsis (actuall a solid 2in crapiarsis sideboard thing her highness cant fit in the new house so I inherited it ;) )

The Tuart is my main workbench the Jarrah ones will be for scarfing lengths of ply for boatbuilding the large one will be a building one for cabinets and such... Im also planning a few REALLY long ones down either side of the humpyhoochy but Im in no hurry for them so they can wait... these will also have 1in formply tops... AND at some stage of the game I really must make some timber storage shelving for the shed!!! Oh and get her highnesses sewing tables done... oh and finish renoing the bathroom (note here Its bloody breezy in there!! timber floors are out and theres just a nice 2in thick peice of waterproof chipboard on the floor so you can shower... ooh good fun! :o and now today she says I gotta replace all the bloody doors!! thats asside from the friggin levee bank Ive gotta find a front endloader to move the clean fill to make etc etc etc etc etc (note to self IF she does not stop building on this bloody list of hers Im leaving home!)

Shed arrives FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!! :cool: Damned concretes not down yet :mad: AND I gotta buggar of back to work for 2 flamin weeks!! :( So everythings on hold for awhile :rolleyes:

HEY!! I am leavin home!! whhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaahoooo!! ahem no I shall miss them all... especially the jointer and table saw oh and the router and lathe... oh the wood too of course... yeah yeah the nippers an missus too :rolleyes:

Cheers!!:cool:

[Ecc]

I used tallowwood 200 by 50 mm with a 32mm MDF substrate. The MDF was not perfectly flat however which was my hope. Still had to plane the top flat.

[dazzler]

I have three sheets of 18mm mdf with the bottom two screwed and glued down to the frame and the top replaceable.

Tops a bit soft but I reckon if I replace it every 6 months with a new one at $45 I can use the good side of the old one for jigs and such.

cheers

dazzler

[Just George]

I use an old table, it has steel legs and a laminated top. This top gives a FLAT surface and is easy to keep clean(PVA is easy to remove with a chisel).

Woody

[Just George]

dare I say, do a search ? ;)

Maybe he doesn't know how to do a search, he hasn't been around for very long after all - not many posts. Doing a search is boring afterall.

Woody