Freebie workbench top

[OccupantRJ]

Scored a workbench top from work Thursday. There was an old wood desk in one of the work areas that had gotten shoved out of the way to make room for other things. One side of the leg area joint had come apart, so upper management asked me to get rid of it. Took it to my shop area and started taking it apart when the light bulb came on. The top was 1-1/2" thick of what appears to be solid maple, 32 inches by 60 inches. The rest of the desk got trashed, but the top came home with me. It has rounded over edges, and has been stained a mahogany color. The top has some oil soaked into it from many years of being in a machining environment, but by flipping it over and cutting to the proper size, it will make a most excellent FREE workbench top.

 

[ken w.]

Nice.I happened across a section of bowling ally from an ally closing down a few years ago.Awesome work bench tops.

 

[Journaler]

That is very nice. I would have been tempted to keep the original side (stains and all) facing up. Gives it some character/history.

 

[bdkruger1]

^^^^ I agree. If it were me, I would leave the patina showing.

 

[Kevin54]

To hell with patina. I'd take that to a woodworking place and have them run it through one of their large sanders if they have one and get it back to the original wood. I wouldn't have a workbench made out of it, but I'd have a table made out of it. You can't get wood that size nowadays. Something that width came from old growth trees. A rarity today.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I get all that patina at work that I can handle. Last thing I want is to have to look at it in my home shop.......The top will have to be cut down for my uses, as I have 3 possible applications for it, and all are smaller than the top. I have 2 bank teller cabinets on wheels that I am considering attaching them together, removing the wheels, then cutting and attaching the top, to create a work surface. As if I need more benches in there, as is.

 

[OccupantRJ]

The last bench I built, I used Corian...
Link below.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50798

 

[Kevin54]

Whatever the hell he said, it's reported

 

[OccupantRJ]

Whatever the hell he said, it's reported

Must have pissed him off about cutting that top, huh?

 

[Lippyp]

I have a couple of old desktops that the previous owner left behind saved for my workbench tops, ****** heavy old things although they are not solid wood.

 

[matty d]

So much you can do with that top...keep it like it is, re-finish or cut it for smaller projects. Did you see my thread? I got a bamboo top for $40 at Sears to make small tops for my rolling tool carts:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=161965

I didnt have a table saw, so I bought a 60 tooth blade to cut it; results almost were perfect. Thanks to advice from GJ members!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Free is good. Making free into something you can use, even better. Keep us posted on the future of the top.