Covering a shop work table: what material best

[Tonykarter]

Hey all. For thirty years I have had a work bench in my shop made from a solid oak door. Big thick one, HEAVY, one of two, a double door previously, entrance to a psych unit at a hospital...doors AND frame taken out by a massive guy on meth. As my wife ran the maintenance tool room at the hospital I was fortunate enough to get it out of the scrap pile there.

Recently the top has started to degrade and if I am to make it last I must cover it. I'm thinking some kind of rubber matting, but I want to do it right the first time. What would you cover it with? Thanks in advance.

 

[cvairwerks]

What do you use it for primarily? Different uses might require different protections.

 

[Tonykarter]

Use it as my primary work surface, very little oil or grease, no tear-down, mostly clean reassembly...automotive, yard equipment, electrical. However, I would like it to be resistant to oil and grease, easy clean-up, probably not a metal like stainless due to the area and cost. Thinking something resilient, rubber or equivalent with high durometer, tactile/non-skid.

 

[Fly320s]

The top is degrading? How?

If it is really a solid door, can't you just plane it/sand it down and refinish it?

 

[Richard Cranium]

pictures we need pictures

 

[DIC]

I would use masonite hardboard. Easy to replace when it wears out

 

[penright]

I too have a wood bench top. It was given to me by a mentor and has great sentimental value. It is a thick heavy piece of wood. Right now it is all in storage till I can unpack in the new shop. I can't give you any pictures yet. Maybe later today I might get out there and mess around.

What I did is not cover it, but went down to a store that sold used restaurant equipment. I bought about three large cookie sheets. Not one that fits in your home stove, the big one that bakers use. If you can dig through you can find some that are pretty clean. If not since you are not using them to cook with, you can get aggressive with cleaning fluids and brushes. They are cheap that way.
The lip is only about 1/2", it protects the top from impact and fluids. When I am working on a car side or underneath, I will throw one down for parts and tools. Say working on brakes, when I finish one side, just carry it to the other. Also when finished, I carry back to the tool box, all in one trip. Keeps tools while working in one spot.

The third one I keep in the house for when I am cleaning guns. I can sit on the couch and not worry about the carpet.

 

[brownbagg]

i inch steel plate

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

The top is degrading? How?

If it is really a solid door, can't you just plane it/sand it down and refinish it?

^^^^This^^^^

If it's really "solid oak" and you don't use it for tear down, oil, etc I'd take a belt sander to it with 36 grit. Clean all the old **** off to clean wood. Oak is beautiful. Then I'd oil it or finish it with a water based polyurethane. It's fast to put on multiple coats and will be easily removed or roughed up to be redone in a few years.

 

[rburke65]

That would be my fix....without actually seeing the bench top. Take a belt sander to it...knock it down, and then a less aggressive sanding. Then choose a finish.

 

[Aquamoose]

I rounded my double glued 1-1/2" hardboard wood top with a router and covered the top with industrial fiber reinforced 1/8" thick rubber, wrapping around the front lip with the edge pinched under between the top & supports. It's very durable, oil resistant, cleans up easily, wipes off easily, it grips the more you press down on it yet let's you slide light things around.


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[barks]

Remove top from frame. Flip over. Reattach. Get on for another couple decades.

 

[Dr Stan]

I used fiberglass paneling, like the kind used in industrial/commercial restrooms, on mine. Highly resistant to oils, chemicals, etc. The textured surface makes it much easier to pick up small parts, little bitty flat washers, etc.

 

[MarkG]

I would use masonite hardboard. Easy to replace when it wears out

This is what I do after soaking both sides with as much Watco as it will absorb. This toughens it up a lot and adds a bit of water resistance too.

I also add solid wood edging around the table sticking up by the thickness of the Masonite to 'lock' it in place. A hole drilled in the sub-top lets yo easily poke the Masonite up when and if you need to flip it over to get to a new fresh surface.

 

[Git]

Instead of Masonite/Hardboard I would consider just installing a 'replaceable' top in either 1/2" or 3/4" MDO

MDO = Medium Density Overlay. (Plywood with a resin impregnated overlay that is bonded with heat and pressure. Originally developed for concrete work and outdoor signs)

I use it all the time when making something that is going to end up painted. 3/4" MDO (4x8) from the lumberyard is around $60 a sheet

 

[Tonykarter]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Remove top from frame. Flip over. Reattach. Get on for another couple decades.

Duh...sometimes the obvious escapes me. Turn it over. Genius!

 

[MarkG]

Instead of Masonite/Hardboard I would consider just installing a 'replaceable' top in either 1/2" or 3/4" MDO

MDO = Medium Density Overlay. (Plywood with a resin impregnated overlay that is bonded with heat and pressure. Originally developed for concrete work and outdoor signs)

I use it all the time when making something that is going to end up painted. 3/4" MDO (4x8) from the lumberyard is around $60 a sheet

I use MDO all the time since I'm a signpainter and signs are what MDO is made for, but Masonite is far better as a table surface since it's the same all the way through and has the benefit I've already mentioned of being 'renewable' (oil finish like Watco, soaks into it and hardens, making it much more durable than plywood) If you nick or scrape MDO, you're into the plain old splintery plywood below. A Masonite top treated with the finish I've described is virtually bomb-proof. I've had it on my main work bench for 30 years or so and it's still like new as far as the surface smoothness and integrity goes.

I use a couple layers of 3/4" ply for the 'sub-top' and top it off with the Masonite, then edge-band with 3/4" Oak or Maple on my work bench. Work table is just 3/4 particle board with 1/4 'treated' Masonite.

 

[1949 caddyman]

1/4" tempered masonite. I have it on mine, put a few coats of polyurethane on it. Easy to clean up.

 

[rockettgpw]

Masonite- cheap,easy,use,damage,replace

 

[Jazz1]

I laid 1/8" steel plate to cover 12'x3' work bench.Steel was leftover from project. My top was 1" plywood. Paid $60 at scrapyard for the steel. You could go as light as 14ga for topping a work bench.

 

[Davefr]

1/4" tempered masonite. I have it on mine, put a few coats of polyurethane on it. Easy to clean up.

^^Agree, it's petty tough.

However for the final surface I'd cover it with 18" X 18" smooth PVC garage floor tiles.

They're tough, fairly inexpensive, easy to clean, easy to replace, slip resistant and look great.

 

[Super Mech]

This is what I do after soaking both sides with as much Watco as it will absorb. This toughens it up a lot and adds a bit of water resistance too.

I also add solid wood edging around the table sticking up by the thickness of the Masonite to 'lock' it in place. A hole drilled in the sub-top lets yo easily poke the Masonite up when and if you need to flip it over to get to a new fresh surface.

Which Watco product do you use? I would like to use this on my bench top.

 

[MarkG]

Watco Danish oil finish. I like it because you can always add more---it doesn't form a 'skin' or film that will chip off. This is something I picked up researching workbench building ideas. I just use the 'natural' color (clear). It will darken the Masonite a lot, but if I was real concerned with how it looks, I wouldn't be using Masonite to start with! It's purely functional! On normal wood, it makes it look very nice, of course.

 

[Jackfre]

I just skinned the top of a bench made out of 2x8's that came my way with a piece of maple 3/4" plywood. I wrapped the edges with some 2x oak. I do have a piece of 1/4" tempered hardboard that I can lay over it. I put some hardwood strips on the edge so it stays in place. Good so far.

 

[tinysparky]

different needs have different finishes. for what you are doing....3/4" horse mats.....4'×6' is $40. i would then put a 1" thick 18"x18" slab of steel for times i need hammer things

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[driftpin]

I have a 2' x 8' workbench frame. I used a piece of 4' x 8' exterior grade plywood, ripped lengthwise, glued & screwed together. Then I bought a piece of 3/16" sheet steel, and had the source supplier cut it to size, w/an overhang front & sides to allow an edging in 3/16" x 1-1/2" steel. Very durable, wax it periodically, and you don't need to worry about denting the surface. I drilled countersunk holes in the steel top, to bolt with 1/4" flat-head machine screws, the steel top & the 1-1/2" plywood underlay to the steel frame. I used countersunk flathead wood screws for fastening the edging steel to the plywood underlay. Easy to maintain, easy to clean, and very durable for almost any use you care to put it to.

Something similar to the baker's sheets, I use muffin tins for small parts on disassembly, and masking tape labels if there are a lot of screws. I also re-purposed my old iPhone for use in the shop as a digital camera for disassembly sequencing details. I also have some sheet cake tins that have plastic snap-on tops to keep parts together, when working on something, and having to leave it for work later.

 

[maxpower_hd]

I just use cardboard on mine and replace it every so often when I happen across a large piece. But I may move to the masonite on the next iteration.

 

[cabranch47]

I put some left over laminate flooring on mine. Hard, smooth surface, and easy to clean up or replace if needed.

 

[afbrian13]

I'm going to agree on the masonite. I had 2 workbenches with 2in wood doors for the tops. I just cut 1/4 in masonite to the same size and laid it on top. I never even had to fasten it down due to the size, but it never moved. I got oil on it and hammered stuff on it without issues. Figured it was cheap enough to replace when it got to trashed.
You could make it real nice and flush trim it with a router, then wrap the edges with 1/2 wood and stain the trim.

 

[AP2TUDE]

I also have to voice my love of masonite. It's cheap, easy to replace, nice and smooth, and you can cut into it without damaging a knife.

I used basic 1/4" pieces, secured them down with small finish nails, and covered the edges with small trim stock to keep it all in place. It looked super professional, was cheap, and easy to replace the two times I wanted to refresh the surface.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I'm in the process of building a new multipurpose work table, and I'll probably be going with two 3/4" sheets of BC plywood and replace the top sheet as needed. It won't be a fancy bench, and I plan on hanging a roll of rosin paper on the end to pull up for painting or other messy work.

 

[ASRoff]

my plan in the not so distant future is to build a new bench from steel square tubing.... drop some plywood in it... stick a bunch of car emblems on to the plywood and then cover it with this.....

http://www.bestbartopepoxy.com/epox...xy resin&utm_content=Epoxy Resin - Countertop

 

[PT Doc]

Any more info on the Watco product? I used Watco teak oil for our outdoor teak furniture and was quite happy with it.

 

[taumac]

Any more info on the Watco product? I used Watco teak oil for our outdoor teak furniture and was quite happy with it.

I interested also because I used temper hardboard on my bench tops.

 

[csp]

Any more info on the Watco product? I used Watco teak oil for our outdoor teak furniture and was quite happy with it.

I interested also because I used temper hardboard on my bench tops.

As mentioned in post #23, Watco Danish oil

 

[taumac]

As mentioned in post #23, Watco Danish oil

Thank you.