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  1. #1
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    Default WorkBench Top - materials to use

    Guys

    I have finally made the base of my workbench and it is nice and heavy. I now want the top nice and heavy however I do not want to use solid wood. Too expensive for what I want to achieve at this time in my life.

    I was thinking of using say 4 x 18mm sheets of MDF then a sacrificial top of sorts.

    Thoughts? I would rather probably use ply but it is so pricey.

    Will be interested in your opinions.

    Cheers

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  3. #2
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    My option:

    A solid core door ($90ish from Blahnnings) as a base with a sheet of (ultimately sacrificial) 18mm ply or MDF works really well for me. Edge it with something, seal it all off with your finish of choice (I use 1:1:1 BLO:Turps:Varish) and you'll have a bang up, sturdy as guts, easy to clean and stable bench top that the top layer of which can be easily replaced in 20 years when you've beaten the snot out of it

    http://i.imgur.com/TwErkaR.jpg
    Every time you make a typo, the errorists win.

  4. #3
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    Default

    Depending on what sort of work you want to do, 17mm formply is another option. At the cheap end, $40 buys you 3.6 meters of 900 wide yellow tongue!

    I'm just a little adverse to MDF due to its nasty habit of swelling if it gets wet.

  5. #4
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    I think your best option for a cost effective bench top is the yellow tungue flooring.(green toungue is water resistant) A lot more workable than mdf and if it is good enough for a floor is strong enough for a bench top. My lathe bench has only 2 layers and is plenty strong enough. 3 layers would be fine for a workbench top but if you want 4 then better still. Regular wood glue and chipboard screws from underneath hold the sheets togerher while glue sets. I removed the screws when glue dried. I used leftover poly flooring finish as it is tough and provides a good seal in case of spills.
    Regards
    John

  6. #5
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    I'm with Red Shirt Guy - a solid-core door with a sheet of 19mm plywood on top. It's a good thickness for mounting a bench vice, too.

    I did that, with a good solid frame of hardwood 4 x 4s, (4 x 2s laminated into 4 x 4s).
    A nice heavy bench with a solid top that doesn't 'spring'. I finished off with a grid of 3/4" holes for dogs, holdfasts etc, then a couple of coats of poly. Still like new so far, after 2 years of daily use.

    If you get a damaged door, it's pretty cheap. I got one with a ding on one side and patched it. (This pic was taken before the 3/4" holes were added.)

    Solid-core door workbench.jpg
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

  7. #6
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    Default

    Thanks heaps for all of the replies.

    I went to the BGS and bought a solid core door.

    I then went to buy a sheet of 19mm ply when the guy said hey check this out.

    Was a cover sheet to a pack of mdf, 32mmX2400mmx1200mm.

    I asked how much, his boss said $5.

    So you do not have to guess what I did.

    Question: Would that mixture of BLO, Varnish and Turps work on MDF?

    Or would you still cover in Ply?

    Also do you glue the tops together or just screw?

    Cheers

  8. #7
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    Nice score I hope it all works out well for you.

    Question: Would that mixture of BLO, Varnish and Turps work on MDF?
    Yep. Well, it did on mine anyway and it's stood up quite well to abuse and glue spills. MDF sucks up the finish quite a bit and it seemed to take a good while (over a week) to dry and harden properly, but I've been very happy with it. And you can always key sand and recoat an otherwise intact top if it starts to look too ugly after a while.

    I'd also go back and agree with (whoever it was) that said MDF can swell and ply is a better option. While I've been very happy with my MDF top, I'll admit that it has moved a little due to the truly insane temperature extremes my shedtainer goes through - from frost on the interior walls in winter to being unable to touch them due to heat in summer.

    Also do you glue the tops together or just screw?
    I screwed the sacrificial top to the door thinking that if/when I ever replaced it, I could just put the screws in a different spot. That's assuming of course that you're not replacing the top every second week and turning the door below into swiss cheese

    If you had dog holes, you may have to re-drill them from the underside (when replacing the top), but that shouldn't be too difficult for us clever shed folk
    Every time you make a typo, the errorists win.

  9. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arry View Post
    Also do you glue the tops together or just screw?
    Cheers
    I screwed mine on too, so it could be replaced in future as needed.

    When replacement time comes, to re-align the holes on a new piece of ply, I figured I'd remove all the screws and the old ply, then loosely replace the screws with their heads removed, align the new plywood and press down.
    Easy to drill accurately then, from the rear, where the screws left their mark.
    (The headless old screws could be fitted and removed with a small pair of vice-grips.)

    Dog holes as Red Shirt Guy suggested, from underneath after the new top is fitted.
    ... Steve

    -- Monkey see, monkey do --

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