Wood or metal work benches

[79Puller]

Getting near the end of finishing the garage and started thinking about work benches. I got alot of good ideas from this site but was wondering if wood or metal is best. I am going to have two benchs both 14 - 16 ft, One will be a strictly work bench ( drill press , grinder, vise etc ) the other will be for cleaner general projects. Also is it better to make one long bench or make several smaller ones. Thanks again.

 

[GarageWarrior]

I have 2 heavy duty steel office desks re-purposed as workbenches. They are sturdy, have storage drawers and can hold a lot of weigh - I had my 10000 lb lathe sitting on one of them. They height is not ideal - need to be raised about 10" by welding leg extensions. Upside is that you can find them for cheap.

 

[ffjosh]

Wood for general work

Metal for metal work/fabricatin

 

[TheShrine]

Use what you got.
Build what you can.
Buy what you can afford.

 

[ggoss]

Use what you got.
Build what you can.
Buy what you can afford.

What are you, a member of Garage Journalists Anonymous? Lol. But seriously, this is the truth.

 

[CRH]

Metal. Meeeeetal. METAL! I like metal tables!

 

[upndown]

Ive always liked the sound and feel of banging on a solid wood work bench..

 

[ltusler]

Watch for existing office remodels and look in the dumpsters for solid core doors.

 

[zkling]

I like 3. Wood for soft and somewhat clean projects (won't hard most items, but will soak up oil and chips). Metal for dirty, oily projects (easy to wipe 100% clean, chips and grit will not imbed, oil will not soak in) . Laminate for super clean, final assembly (soft and able to wipe clean within reason).

It's going to boil down to the type of work you specifically do.

Use what you got.
Build what you can.
Buy what you can afford.

Dang, I like that. Might have to quote you on that

 

[stage20]

I've ot a wood and a metaal. Depends on what I am doing but I use both

 

[Steevo]

Wood or metal.

Ford or Chevy.

Pepsi or Coke.

Personal choice.

Oh, and Steel is the right choice for my shop, but if it was a wood shop, it would be wood or laminate.

 

[SLYDIT]

i just came accross a panel called "Tri Board" which is a very dense outer layer of HDF with a particle inner. The surface is very hard and will not fluff up like mdf when damp. also if you gouge it out for any reason you can flip it over and have a fresh surface again.

 

[TheShrine]

Dang, I like that. Might have to quote you on that

Consider it yours!

 

[great white tj]

I use wood and metal..I have one wood bench with rubber on top of 3/4" plywood, the other bench is a old counter top. And the two metal ones.

 

[elsensei]

One of each. I just sold one made of a rock maple prep table top that I flipped over onto a welded steel base. With casters. It was sweet.

 

[jeepinjz]

I also have both depends on what I'm working car stuff metal general stuff I use the wood

 

[duke182]

No pics but I have both

 

[xjfish]

I prefer metal for what I usually do, have wood ones!

 

[Carguy99]

All three.. I would suggest a carpeted part . I use this to work on stuff I want to protect or it has small parts. Its nice to drop a small screw or part and I don't have to chase it under the bench.
Additionally I would suggest a low (knee) medium (waist) and high(elbow) bench top.
my low bench has wheels and is slightly shorter than my ranger tailgate. helps me unload stuff. it also works great to stand on if Im working in a truck or SUV.

 

[nolimits76]

I've built a few different benches over the years. My favorite was the last one I built. My old company did a hospital remodel and there was a mishap on the door order. We ended up with a boat load of 36" wide x 10' tall solid core doors in a beautiful maple finish that couldn't be used. I got to bring a few home for free!

If I run across anything similar again, I will jump all over them. Lately I've toyed with the idea of using a cheap solid core door and wrapping in stainless. I haven't had anything that nice before, so not sure if I would like it or not but I like the look.

I'm not a fan of the thin metal benches. I like having a solid thick surface to work on. Just my personal preference.

 

[Jack Olsen]

I'm unusual. But I would say you definitely want both. I believe in fitting as many work surfaces as you can in a shop -- and you want different surfaces for different work (if you can manage it). I've got one plywood bench, three butcher block benches, five steel benches and one that's steel-and-tile-topped (well, sort of) -- all in a small two-car garage. I use them all.

 

[ScurvyPete]

If it were me and I could only have one bench, I'd go with a good, heavy wood top like butcher's block or a solid-core door. I hate beating on **** on a metal bench, the sound annoys the piss out of me and I can't stand every little thing on the surface bouncing around.
Personally, I'd want to seal it up with something, but I wouldn't be worried about it absorbing oil, getting gouged, or whatever else. I think that gives it a little bit of character as it ages.