I'm currently renovating my garage and planning to add a countertop table. I've tried looking into which material would be great in https://www.caesarstone.ca/blog/types-of-kitchen-countertops-design-ideas/ and some of the articles available on the net but I can't seem to find a great material that is stain and scratch proof. Doing a lot of projects with the table so it needs to be quite durable. What materials do you guys have for your work table?
What material do you use for your countertops?
- Thread starter ShaunieG
- Start date
I know I'm not answering your question, but you can always have a sacrificial panel (MDF, Plywood etc) to lay on top for those jobs that are abusive to the finish
My tops are plywood and painted. I figured I could touch up the paint if scratched up. I could replace the plywood if bad enough or cover it with a thin sheet of steel if I wanted to.
billconner
Well-known member
Lumber Liquidators has reasonably priced butcher block which will stain and mar, but works great.
niget2002
Well-known member
I use plywood for the counter tops. Then I put a trim on it that has a 1/8" lip up. I slide a sheet of fiberboard into this lip for the top of the counter. I don't glue it down. It curls a little the first time there's a big humidity swing, but once it settles back down it's stable.
Then I don't worry about scratches or stains. When the counter top starts to look real bad, I use a scraper to lift it up and I replace it with a new one.
It has a nice smooth surface that things slide on. You can coat it with furniture wax for a bit more protection.
Only downside is that chemicals will soak into it if left to long.
The counter at the last house was 6 years old before I needed to replace it. I only replaced that one because we were selling the house and I wanted it to look great.
I have considered a stainless steel work top on one of my benches for doing really greasy jobs.
Then I don't worry about scratches or stains. When the counter top starts to look real bad, I use a scraper to lift it up and I replace it with a new one.
It has a nice smooth surface that things slide on. You can coat it with furniture wax for a bit more protection.
Only downside is that chemicals will soak into it if left to long.
The counter at the last house was 6 years old before I needed to replace it. I only replaced that one because we were selling the house and I wanted it to look great.
I have considered a stainless steel work top on one of my benches for doing really greasy jobs.
JoeMcGov
Well-known member
2 X 10's. Built in the summer of 1994 and still rocking to this very day.
acer66
Well-known member
I have 20' of benchtop each side of the shop, built from 2x8s and covered with 1/8" steel wrapped around with 2 x 90 degree breaks at front edge and a 6" "backsplash" against the wall. Has served me well for the 38 years it has been in use. When I need a different surface, I have an old cast iron type setting table that I use for layout and centerpunching and for weld/fab setup a 48 x 96" table on wheels, but that one I screwed up on. It is 1/4" with some welded stiffeners and that is simply too thin (welds distort it from flat).
CraigStu
Well-known member
If you are not going for stainless steel, I really like the hardboad sacrificial idea from niget2002. This stuff gets called several names but think of pegboard w/o the holes. You have to look at HD and Lowes and any other stores you have because they don't all have all varieties in size and thickness. IE HD calls it tempered hardboard and has it in 2x4 and 4x8 sheets in 1/8 or 3/16 and the 3/16 is just $26. So use it til it's ugly and then replace it. You could enhance it's liquid resistance by spraying it w/ your favoite clear.
sjvicker
Well-known member
Cheap laminate flooring is what I’ve been using the past 10 years. Holds up fairly well and is liquid resistant
I just use particle board painted to seal it. I have a couple of cutting boards that I protect the top with when hammering, drilling etc. The best protective measure is the huge pile of **** covering the workbench so as of now I am only assuming the countertop is still there.
Last edited:
BillK
Well-known member
Hoe big will the table be ? Do you want a backsplash on it ? I have one bench at my business that I use when assembling engines and lots of miscellaneous tasks. It has a white Formica top and is 20 years old and still in very nice condition. I don't use it for beating on things or anything totally disgustingly dirty. I like the white because it reflects light and makes it easy to see things. Also the Formica is real easy to clean.
e36jon
Well-known member
I used to run a bicycle shop and the owner used that textured ABS material you can buy at the big box store. Not a fan, but it was at least impervious. That was undercut by the texture making it impossible to really clean. It also scratched easily. In that setting I would have loved stainless.
At work we had a variety of tables: In our machine-shop we had three steel-topped 'welding tables' (I never saw them used for welding anything in 7 years!) and they were awesome. I don't know what the finish was but there was never any rust and no schmutz when you used them.
In our finishing studio they had a bench covered with translucent 0.125" PP sheet. You could work with tapes/adhesives/finishes and everything would pop off afterwards. Cleaning with alcohol worked great. Not super cheap but tough and replaceable. This was over a butcher-block 'lab bench'.
If you want to use kitchen grade stuff I would aim at Corian just because it's so easy to work with. All your carbide router/saw bits work fine... Solid Surface has overstock/seconds/trim sheets of Corian. I've used them for a bunch of small projects and they've been great. Your local counter guys may also be a resource if they are sitting on sheets thy don't need.
At work we had a variety of tables: In our machine-shop we had three steel-topped 'welding tables' (I never saw them used for welding anything in 7 years!) and they were awesome. I don't know what the finish was but there was never any rust and no schmutz when you used them.
In our finishing studio they had a bench covered with translucent 0.125" PP sheet. You could work with tapes/adhesives/finishes and everything would pop off afterwards. Cleaning with alcohol worked great. Not super cheap but tough and replaceable. This was over a butcher-block 'lab bench'.
If you want to use kitchen grade stuff I would aim at Corian just because it's so easy to work with. All your carbide router/saw bits work fine... Solid Surface has overstock/seconds/trim sheets of Corian. I've used them for a bunch of small projects and they've been great. Your local counter guys may also be a resource if they are sitting on sheets thy don't need.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Formica/laminate
nadogail
Well-known member
Are we talking about a kitchen or a working Bench Top?
Mrs nadogail has quartz countertops in her kitchen, they work fine and I am confident they will last a very long time.
My heavy bench was made by Hallowell (sp?) and I rescued it from being sent to the Dumpster in ‘76. That bench has been with me in 4 homes in three cities. The top is made from a wood based composition material that is 2” thick. It was recoated with an epoxy mixture about 20 years ago and looks new.
My pretty bench was a Father’s Day gift about the same time. It has a top that looks like a Bowling Alley. I keep it covered with two layers of Red Resin paper.
When I weld on my bench, I lay down some fiber cement backer board.
If I were to build a new work bench, I would seek out an old heavy solid core door and cut it to size. The last one I had my hands on came from a bank when they remodeled a branch office, 25 years ago.
Some guys like Blanchard Ground Steel, but that can be pricey.
Mrs nadogail has quartz countertops in her kitchen, they work fine and I am confident they will last a very long time.
My heavy bench was made by Hallowell (sp?) and I rescued it from being sent to the Dumpster in ‘76. That bench has been with me in 4 homes in three cities. The top is made from a wood based composition material that is 2” thick. It was recoated with an epoxy mixture about 20 years ago and looks new.
My pretty bench was a Father’s Day gift about the same time. It has a top that looks like a Bowling Alley. I keep it covered with two layers of Red Resin paper.
When I weld on my bench, I lay down some fiber cement backer board.
If I were to build a new work bench, I would seek out an old heavy solid core door and cut it to size. The last one I had my hands on came from a bank when they remodeled a branch office, 25 years ago.
Some guys like Blanchard Ground Steel, but that can be pricey.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The first line says garage...
CraigStu
Well-known member
Ya, but then his link was all about kitchen counter materials. I was wondering the same as nadogail.
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
I have a couple old high school wood working benches, 3" maple butcher block On top of solid maple cabinets. For my new shop I have a steel road plate 5' x 10' x 3/4" that I plan on making into an island work station, just have to come up with a layout. A few other benches I made out of 5/8" euro form ply, the stuff is tuff & has a nice plastic like finish, I think it's 15 ply, also great for jigs & shop grade cabinetry.
engineer2
Well-known member
8 foot section of laminate countertop. It's about $72. Should last a good 10-15 years.
Sounds like what I do but I call the material Temperd hardboard (like the clipboard material). I figure its cheap and uniform, easy to dust off, stuff glides across. I do throw a few small nails around the perimeter to keep it down.
niget2002
Well-known member
Yeah. I'm pretty sure that's the same stuff.
TheShrine
Well-known member
Built (3/4" plywood) counter top Cedar Batten "tray" for MDF, cut to size, to fit in. Then cut, bent metal sheeting (metal sheets have 3 screws each.) to cover the most abused areas. Easy change out if I make too many mistakes. The MDF floats it is not nailed or screwed down. The stainless tray is where I do the "dirty" work.
So far so good.
So far so good.
Attachments
Nutria
Well-known member
Old butcher block and solid core door with a maple apron. I throw down cardboard sheets and old road signs for working surfaces sometimes/some places.
The Frisco Kid
Well-known member
I really like two layers of 3/4" birch plywood with a sacrificial layer on top. I have used hardboard in the past, and I am thinking about going with MDF on the current bench and applying thinned wipe on poly. It is supposed to soak into the MDF and add strength and water resistance (who knows if it actually works...)
I would love to try a layer of HDPE or similar.
I would love to try a layer of HDPE or similar.
NakeDiesel
Well-known member
My welding table is 3/8" plate steel. My 20' long workbench is 2 layers of plywood painted black. It's held up well over the last 7 years rebuilding transmissions on it and many other projects over the years.
LeonardY
Well-known member
I made a top from plywood and glued a sheet of steel to it. Then a coated it with paste wax.
Maple counter for another and some IKEA butcher block counter for another.
Maple counter for another and some IKEA butcher block counter for another.
jar944
Well-known member
Melamine. Replace when worn.
Dagny
Well-known member
White oak 2x12s