Adding a Metal Top to a Wood Workbench

[DesertG]

Hi Guys, I want to add steel to the top of this bench so I can beat on auto parts while fixing cars. Any of you guys do this. Thinking just get some steel to put over the existing wood?

 

[PugetDude]

Have a sheet metal shop bend up a piece of 12 gauge that you can just drop over the wooden top.

 

[JordonMusser]

I used participle board (hard) with stainless sheet metal. Thicker steel based on how bad you want to beat on it.

 

[DesertG]

I am still thinking. Should I just get a flat piece of steel or should I have someone bend it so it fits over the front.

 

[Jim greengo]

I am still thinking. Should I just get a flat piece of steel or should I have someone bend it so it fits over the front.

I'd have it flat,then bolt a piece of angle iron across the front in case you really want to pound on something hard.
Be careful if you weld anything on top of there,incase the wood gets hot.

 

[Maxcustody]

Have it bent over the front and have them do a bend in the rear so nothing can roll off. The workbench I built, I had my metal guy do this exact same thing. Turned out great and I love it!

 

[DesertG]

that looks great! What type of steel and what thickness did you use. Do you intent to bang on stuff with a hammer.

 

[Maxcustody]

that looks great! What type of steel and what thickness did you use. Do you intent to bang on stuff with a hammer.

It is 1/8" steel. This is the only workbench in my shop so I will do all work on it

Aluminum was double/triple the price.

 

[Snip's]

Metal cladding on workbench tops...

Built this custom adjustable clamping setup that uses our 14' x 5' welding table.
The purpose was to apply quite a bit of pressure when we were glueing up and making metal clad countertops.
We kept the countertops clamped for 24 hours for the polyurethane glue to set up properly.
This method was successful in preventing the metal and wood core from delaminating.

This one happens to be stainless steel, but we also did HR steel and copper. Metal thickness varied from 18 gauge up to 11 gauge....
We also abraded the metal surface to help the glue bond...

 

[Zeke]

The advantage of a bent (folded) top is straightness. A drop in front and a rise in back would be ideal. Otherwise a sheet cut to sit on top and be removed for cleaning (even grinding to a new surface) makes sense. I have the latter.