Oil or varnish for workshop top?

[SLYDIT]

Thinking about protecting the hardboard top of my workbench...should i go for something like a teak oil or just good old varnish? any good coatings anyone can suggest??

 

[drmarkr]

Polyurethane, for durability?? 6-8 coats....would take a while, but it'd be tough.

 

[Gotcha640]

How aggressive do you expect to be on it? I did two coats of poly on my plywood top, to make clean up a little easier and to seal in the splinters, but I replaced the top sheet after 9 months. Two engine swaps are hard on a wooden table.

 

[Showkey]

If it was hard wood like maple, oak or mahogany oil finish would be a great choice as can be durable and touched easliy at will.
Hardboard or plywood......poly finish would be the best choice.

Consider a portion of the top to have a sheet metal top overlay.

 

[Shootingblanks]

I just finished redoing a work bench a few weeks ago and asked similar question. I used 3/4" birch plywood for top.

I was contemplating linseed oil but picked up some polyurethane instead. Just have to wait to the weather temperature is ideal for me to apply it.

By then I might even find a sheet metal top overlay.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

>5 coats of polyurethane. It's tough and looks good. In addition, keep a 1/4" sheet of masonite on top of it for really messy jobs or when cutting gaskets.

 

[yeldogt]

You don't need it too thick .. or want. A couple coats of polly works well -- the first one gets sucked in. It will chip off if too thick

 

[ddawg16]

I would do a good oil stain (I'm a fan of Watco)....let it dry for a week....then follow up with an oil based clear coat.....3-4 coats. That will give you your toughest surface.....and it will be repairable if it gets damaged.

 

[ChrisPace]

My vote would be polyurethane as well it sure works good on hardwood floors


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[Duker]

I would do a good oil stain (I'm a fan of Watco)....let it dry for a week....then follow up with an oil based clear coat.....3-4 coats. That will give you your toughest surface.....and it will be repairable if it gets damaged.

I vote with Ddawg in the oil finish due to ease to use, durability and quick repair for ongoing maintenance. I would suggest an alternative to Watco ( which is Tung Oil with Japan Drier) to Waterlox which is basically the same as Watco but has some phenolic resins which make it more durable and impervious to other chemicals.

Comes in a wipe on (thinned version) like Watco or a brush on gloss or semi gloss.

 

[Cyberbear]

If you go the poly route I'd recommend at least two coats. The first coat acts as a sealer and prevents the second from being absorbed too much. If the top is going to have heavy usage, put on an extra third coat. Brushing is OK but a small roller is best for even distribution. Use a good grade name brand poly, it will last longer than the thin cheaper stuff.

 

[Angelfire]

Oil. Much easier to repair/recover than poly. All finishes will fail at some point, the question is how long do you want to spend prepping to re-finish. I'm a fan of waterlox myself in the oil space although technically I believe they call it a wiping varnish. Very easy to reapply when needed.

 

[Jackfre]

If you want it pretty the varnish is a good choice. If you are going to beat on it, then I would go oil. Varnish is a film. Yes it is tough, but it will lift if the substrate is damaged and then it flakes.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

Can you put the poly over a stain? My MDF top is not that old but has a few oil stains. If I matched the stains, I could seal it with poly but wasn't sure about compatibility?

 

[yeldogt]

You top looks like particle board -- almost anything will be better then nothing. If you want to satin it ... stain it. I use oil based polly on stuff like this -- what little remains because of VOC's. Oil polly will darken the PB a bit -- when it gets messed up you can sand a bit and re-coat.

I use waterlox and other similar finishes all the time -- These finishes are not as durable for a work top.

Whenever you stain/ finish -- read the labels and make sure compatible.

 

[Duker]

Can you put the poly over a stain? My MDF top is not that old but has a few oil stains. If I matched the stains, I could seal it with poly but wasn't sure about compatibility?

You could use some Shellac to seal the oil stains then apply poly.