Bench top...thick enough?

[TipsyMcStagger]

I need to finish building the bench I started building way too long ago. I glued and pocket-screwed three 2"x8"x10's and a 2"x10"x10' together to make a 10' long by 30" wide bench top. It's typical SYP framing lumber, so minus what I sanded to make the top smooth, it's about 1 1/2" thick.

I'm going to put a 2"x4" frame under the top but I want to leave a 3" overhang along the front edge and at least 6" on each end...maybe a bit more on the ends.

I'm debating whether 1 1/2" is thick enough or if I should laminate it with a layer of 3/4" ply underneath, for a total top thickness of about 2 1/4". My main concern is whether 1 1/2" is strong enough to handle a heavy vice and/or grinder bolted in the corners, where the top is overhanging the 2"x4" frame.

Thoughts?

Tipsy

 

[Richard D]

Thicker is always stronger.

 

[Chevy-SS]

My bench is 20' feet long and 24" deep. Thickness is two 5/8" sheets of plywood, for 1.25" thickness total. I have very large vise mounted on one corner and I have been using this setup for 25 years with no problems at all.

Of course, it all depends on how much abuse you are planning to subject the vise to. If you're gonna be using sledge hammers, then maybe go the extra thickness. Otherwise, you are sounding damn good to me.

Good luck..................

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

My bench is 20' feet long and 24" deep. Thickness is two 5/8" sheets of plywood, for 1.25" thickness total. I have very large vise mounted on one corner and I have been using this setup for 25 years with no problems at all.

Of course, it all depends on how much abuse you are planning to subject the vise to. If you're gonna be using sledge hammers, then maybe go the extra thickness. Otherwise, you are sounding damn good to me.

Good luck..................

Good to know.

Thanks.

Tipsy

 

[NUTTSGT]

1 1/2" is probably thick enough but, I'd rather have a continuous flat bench top like a sheet of plywood.

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

1 1/2" is probably thick enough but, I'd rather have a continuous flat bench top like a sheet of plywood.

It is a continuous flat bench top. That's why I built it. I wanted a 10' long top without the seam that would be created piecing together plywood. After joining all the boards, I sanded the top. Close your eyes and run your fingers over it and you'd never know it's not a single piece of wood.

Tipsy

 

[NUTTSGT]

It is a continuous flat bench top. That's why I built it. I wanted a 10' long top without the seam that would be created piecing together plywood. After joining all the boards, I sanded the top. Close your eyes and run your fingers over it and you'd never know it's not a single piece of wood.

Tipsy

What happens when you try to write on a piece of paper ? Will the pencil lead find the edge of the boards? That was the biggest issue I had with my old bench top.

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

What happens when you try to write on a piece of paper ? Will the pencil lead find the edge of the boards? That was the biggest issue I had with my old bench top.

I haven't tried but I'd think not. And I'm going to coat it with urethane, which will create an even smoother surface.

Tipsy

 

[melliott28]

My bench top is framing lumber also: 2 - SYP 2x12's, 9ft long and 1 1/2 inch thick. I don't do any heavy pounding directly on the work surface, but I have a 6 inch craftsman vise bolted to it and I have beat on stuff in the vise with no ill effects. I think it is more than strong enough for a decent sized vise.

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

My bench top is framing lumber also: 2 - SYP 2x12's, 9ft long and 1 1/2 inch thick. I don't do any heavy pounding directly on the work surface, but I have a 6 inch craftsman vise bolted to it and I have beat on stuff in the vise with no ill effects. I think it is more than strong enough for a decent sized vise.

Just the type of feedback I was after.

Thanks.

Tipsy

 

[melliott28]

By the way, polyurethane does make it very smooth. When I finished mine, it felt almost too nice to do any work on it. Here is a pic of the top when I first put it on my workbenches:

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

By the way, polyurethane does make it very smooth. When I finished mine, it felt almost too nice to do any work on it. Here is a pic of the top when I first put it on my workbenches:

Very nice. Do you have any other pics? Is that vise at the far end on an overhang? Or is there structure (leg?) beneath it?

Tipsy

 

[MichaelWest]

For what it is worth, your construction, 2x8 dimensional lumber as a top, is exactly how an old book I have suggests you build a woodworking bench top. The only caveat is that top had a skirt around it to thicken it for clamping and mounting the vise so you could support the piece down that face. I have used just one sheet of particle board faced with hardboard that survived a lot, had a smaller mechanics vise bolted to it and all 2x4 legs and frame. As said, it all depends on what you want to support, what you plan to do and how much force you plan to put to it.

 

[captaindiode]

I would not attach it to a sheet of plywood. The solid wood will expand and contract differently than the plywood.

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

For what it is worth, your construction, 2x8 dimensional lumber as a top, is exactly how an old book I have suggests you build a woodworking bench top. The only caveat is that top had a skirt around it to thicken it for clamping and mounting the vise so you could support the piece down that face.

Funny, I was just thinking I might simply laminate (add extra plywood) to the areas that overhang the underlying frame. Might be a good compromise.

Tipsy

 

[melliott28]

Very nice. Do you have any other pics? Is that vise at the far end on an overhang? Or is there structure (leg?) beneath it?

Tipsy

Here is a recent pic. The vise mounting bolts are about an inch from the edge. I like it relatively close to the edge so that I am able to clamp taller things vertically if necessary and also far enough out so if I clamp something horizontally, it clears the front of my toolbox.

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

Here is a recent pic. The vise mounting bolts are about an inch from the edge.

Thanks very much.

Tipsy

 

[MichaelWest]

Funny, I was just thinking I might simply laminate (add extra plywood) to the areas that overhang the underlying frame. Might be a good compromise.

Tipsy

You have a choice, do you want the front apron flush for working, i.e. planning, or have a lip for clamping?

If the apron is not too tall but thicker you may have a good compromise. Most aprons seem flush on a woodworking bench since the vise(s) will do most all your clamping, and with a hand screw vise in the mounted vise you have a lot of flexibility to hold things, but on a general purpose bench (or one used for mechanics work), I prefer an overhang for using all sorts of clamps, a thing I see most welding tables feature too.

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

You have a choice, do you want the front apron flush for working, i.e. planning, or have a lip for clamping?

If the apron is not too tall but thicker you may have a good compromise. Most aprons seem flush on a woodworking bench since the vise(s) will do most all your clamping, and with a hand screw vise in the mounted vise you have a lot of flexibility to hold things, but on a general purpose bench (or one used for mechanics work), I prefer an overhang for using all sorts of clamps, a thing I see most welding tables feature too.

It's not for woodworking. I want the lip for clamping. It's mostly for working on car parts and other general projects. I plan to leave the front apron recessed three or four inches.

I'll probably make the overhang on the ends six to 10 inches.

Tipsy

 

[Pat Brady]

I cover my workbenches with Masonite over 2 thicknesses of 3/4 OSB.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

By the way, polyurethane does make it very smooth. When I finished mine, it felt almost too nice to do any work on it. Here is a pic of the top when I first put it on my workbenches:

That is really nice. I assume you ran the edges through a jointer as there are no visible seams/gaps? The thread owner's setup was rough boards with gaps in my mind where I would add the 3/4 ply or MDF to the top for a smooth surface.

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

That is really nice. I assume you ran the edges through a jointer as there are no visible seams/gaps? The thread owner's setup was rough boards with gaps in my mind where I would add the 3/4 ply or MDF to the top for a smooth surface.

I bought a planer at Harbor Freight to square-up the boards prior to joining them. It worked well enough but now matter how much I adjusted the blades, I couldn't get it to cut exactly 90 degrees to the board. In the end, it was close enough.

Tipsy

 

[justanengineer]

IMHO the thicker the better, especially on a wood bench as they will get dinged up over a few years and you will want meat to plane/sand/refinish. My benchtop is made of 4x4s drilled and connected by threaded rod every 12"(?). JMHO as well, but once you get over 6-8' length youre just wasting space and making a nice place to collect ****. My garage is only a small two car, so I try not to waste space needlessly, I can put another tall cabinet where the extra few feet of bench are, but have enough room to comfortably work on an engine/trans/whatever.

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

My garage is only a small two car, so I try not to waste space needlessly, I can put another tall cabinet where the extra few feet of bench are, but have enough room to comfortably work on an engine/trans/whatever.

My garage is a small two car as well. In fact, even with nothing against the back wall, my Silverado Extended Cab (not the full four door) is too long to fit inside. It's essentially 20' x 20' of floor space.

I had planned to run a shelf underneath the full length of the bench but decided it would be better to keep it open for low storage. I have a T-56 transmission that will fit nicely underneath the bench while it awaits placement in its new home.

Got some work done on the bend today.

Tipsy

 

[Steevo]

It sounds like you have built a very strong and high quality bench top.
Now all you need is to cap it with a 12ga steel surface.

 

[melliott28]

That is really nice. I assume you ran the edges through a jointer as there are no visible seams/gaps? The thread owner's setup was rough boards with gaps in my mind where I would add the 3/4 ply or MDF to the top for a smooth surface.

I also used a cheap ($25) HF planer to square the edges before gluing. Then I used a wood chisel and sander to smooth the joint. The joint isn't perfect, but it's a workbench so it doesn't have to be.

 

[Wooden Hot Rodder Garage]

Just add a face board and blend it in so that it looks Real Fat. I ripped this one out a few weeks later and mad a bench on wheels that I can push out onto the driveway and soak up the So Cal Sun. Wow Dude !

 

[TipsyMcStagger]

It's pretty much done. Sorry for the crappy pic but I was in a hurry. It's 10' long and the front edge (3") and the ends (8") have an extra layer of 3/4" plywood. It's stained and the top has three coats of urethane.

The entire thing is pocket screwed and glued with either Titebond or PL Premium (mostly PL). The bench itself is rock solid but there is a little "give" due to the rubber feet on the leveling casters.

The center drawer was leftover from my kitchen renovation. It was removed from a brand new base cabinet to make room for an under-counter microwave. The face of the drawer is just a piece of oak plywood scrap.

Tipsy