Formica counter for garage bench?

[goodysgotacuda]

I have a garage bench that I built to work things over on. 1.5" of plywood on top, 2x4 frame, it'll have my vice on it and will serve for heavy-duty use.

I would like to add another bench on a different wall and was considering picking up one of the 10' Formica counter tops at Lowe's/Home Depot. For more dirty work or work that needs to be clean; carb rebuild, working with small pieces, etc.

• How chemical resistant is Formica? Acetone, Brake Parts Cleaner, Grease, Oil, Gasoline, etc

Anyone running one of these tops? Any pictures of your work?

Thanks

 

[k1rodeoboater]

I have a garage bench that I built to work things over on. 1.5" of plywood on top, 2x4 frame, it'll have my vice on it and will serve for heavy-duty use.

I would like to add another bench on a different wall and was considering picking up one of the 10' Formica counter tops at Lowe's/Home Depot. For more dirty work or work that needs to be clean; carb rebuild, working with small pieces, etc.

• How chemical resistant is Formica? Acetone, Brake Parts Cleaner, Grease, Oil, Gasoline, etc

Anyone running one of these tops? Any pictures of your work?

Thanks

I have one on a gunsmithing/reloading bench at my folks place. Works great, never had any issues with oils/grease, cleanup sure is a snap. I keep the nastier stuff away from it since it's in their basement. I'm pretty sure i had acetone or furniture stripper spill on it once refinishing a gun stock, didn't do any damage but I cleaned it up pretty quickly.

I'd dig up a pic but photobucket is blocked on my network.

 

[Zrexxer]

• How chemical resistant is Formica? Acetone, Brake Parts Cleaner, Grease, Oil, Gasoline, etc

Extremely. I laid tens of thousands of square feet of Formica and Wilsonart when I worked in a cabinet shop, and we used lacquer thinner and acetone by the five gallon barrel to clean up contact cement smears and drips. The stuff is impervious to just about any organic solvents.


The only caution for use as a bench is that it's brittle; if you drop an engine block or a transmission onto it, it's going to crack it. But for a "clean" work area like you describe, it's ideal. I used a six foot length of exactly what you're talking about for a gun cleaning/reloading bench for 15 years, and it looked as new the day I moved out of that house as it did when I installed it.

 

[mikegt4]

I have a smaller bench with a Formica top for those "clean" jobs. It works well but don't throw a cylinder block, heads or some other heavy/sharp edged object on it unless you put down some protection first as the Formica will gouge or chip. No hot stuff either, it will melt the adhesive and cause a bubble. My bench has cleaned up with the usual "Acetone, Brake Parts Cleaner, Grease, Oil, Gasoline" without any problem.

 

[southalabama]

Dad's garage has a Formica too. It's 40 years old and has held up well.

Periodically he scrapes it down with a razor to get glue up and then wipes it with acetone to get the white color back.

If he is doing something really tough he throws down cardboard.

Just make sure the bench is solid and doesn't flex. His has plywood doubled up under it.

 

[rburke65]

I have three in my shop. Buy them at a surplus shop in town with small undetected blend on them.

 

[famous187]

i built a 10' formica bench that i picked up from menards. i used 3 of the bottom cabinets for the base. i use it to reload ammo and work on guns and for that it has worked perfect. i would just be careful about dropping something heavy on it, like said above, it will crack. i braced the area under my reloader with a piece of 1/2" osb.

 

[Beemer533]

I had a few sections I got from a garage sale, brand new (I believe they were from HD) that I turned into a couple of benchs. I have had them for about 3 years and they have held up very well. They still look great.

One of them sees a lot of CLP and other stuff from gun projects with no issues..

I don't do any welding or really heavy stuff on them but for general use they are great.

 

[plow]

My wife loves Formica counter tops. I'm sure you will to.

 

[goodysgotacuda]

Thanks for the input all, I will check out local surplus stores for a decent chunk of it.