Steel top for workbench

[Maxcustody]

I have a 10ga bare steel worktop covering my lumber top workbench built from Menard's workbench frames. It's been bare since I got it from a customer's fab shop back in 2005. Can't say I've noticed any rust, but I have rubbed it down a few times with 3M scuff pads and WD40.

Thank you. WD40 seems to be the most used cleaner.

 

[Maxcustody]

my shop, home shop. I got 3/4 plate on my workbench, its 3ft by 6 ft

3/4 plate, wow heavy duty.

 

[Maxcustody]

I believe that @ZRX61 one time mentioned that Gibbs oil is the best bare metal protector. I plan on trying it myself but haven’t ordered the cans yet.

Thanks for this, I will check it out.

 

[Maxcustody]

I made a hydraulic lift/workbench out of diamond plate. I have a piece of .125" cold-rolled steel to place on the lift table. You can see the cold-rolled piece in the first picture. The second picture is of the lift table without the cover.
I have been using the piece of .125" for 20 years and it has not rusted yet.

Looks great. With all the great responses, bare metal is hands down the best choice

 

[Maxcustody]

My short side work benches are 2x6 overlaid with 1/8 sheet. Layout 4x8 and welding 3x6 are all bare steel. No rust for the first 35 years but then I had a vapour barrier failure and roof leak. THAT rusted the one area under the drips, but just a quick scuff with scotchbrite and all is good. No special treatment to prevent corossion, but they are all probably a bit oily.

Thanks!

 

[zmotorsports]

Personally, I would not use paint. In my last shop of 25+ years I had stainless steel benchtops and loved them. I did some trading for them otherwise I don't know if I would have spent the money for stainless but they looked nice the entire time I had my shop and held up extremely well.

In my current shop I wanted to do the same but couldn't justify the added expense for stainless steel and ended up going 10-gauge hot rolled steel. I kept telling myself that I would remove the hot rolled mill scale but to be honest, the mill scale is so hard that it actually aids in protecting the benchtops very well.

I have only been in this shop just over 5 years now but I have had a LOT of parts and components on these benches and I have not been kind to them. They've taken it in stride.

My work benches are 30" deep with a 6" turn-up at the back and a 2" turn-down at the front.




As much as it pains me even paint supplies have been laid out on my work benches. I just put a layer of masking paper down first to give an attempt at keeping paint off of it. So far that has worked as no paint marks are visible thus far.






My fabrication table is about 20 years old and I still have not removed the mill scale from it either. The fabrication table is showing signs of the mill scale wearing off in several places though but it gets abused a LOT.




After each jobs as I'm putting tools away, I hit the benches with a rag sprayed with brake cleaner so it slowly takes the coating off but 2-3 times a year I will reapply the Sheila Shine and it brings the sheen back for some time.

 

[rpcraft]

Personally I am not a big fan of steel worktops. I usually like a nice thick butcher block type or doubled up cabinet grade plywood. I do have a welding table I will smash something on occasionally but I usually have a piece of 3/8 plate I will put on the wood surfaces if I need something harder than the wood work surface. For me it's more about noise than anything. Also in my experience wood has less rebound when I am hammering on something compared to a metal surface.

 

[Maxcustody]

Personally, I would not use paint. In my last shop of 25+ years I had stainless steel benchtops and loved them. I did some trading for them otherwise I don't know if I would have spent the money for stainless but they looked nice the entire time I had my shop and held up extremely well.

In my current shop I wanted to do the same but couldn't justify the added expense for stainless steel and ended up going 10-gauge hot rolled steel. I kept telling myself that I would remove the hot rolled mill scale but to be honest, the mill scale is so hard that it actually aids in protecting the benchtops very well.

I have only been in this shop just over 5 years now but I have had a LOT of parts and components on these benches and I have not been kind to them. They've taken it in stride.

My work benches are 30" deep with a 6" turn-up at the back and a 2" turn-down at the front.




As much as it pains me even paint supplies have been laid out on my work benches. I just put a layer of masking paper down first to give an attempt at keeping paint off of it. So far that has worked as no paint marks are visible thus far.






My fabrication table is about 20 years old and I still have not removed the mill scale from it either. The fabrication table is showing signs of the mill scale wearing off in several places though but it gets abused a LOT.




After each jobs as I'm putting tools away, I hit the benches with a rag sprayed with brake cleaner so it slowly takes the coating off but 2-3 times a year I will reapply the Sheila Shine and it brings the sheen back for some time.

Thanks you. Your benches look great! I love your shop! I have definitely decided no paint and will leave them bare metal

 

[Maxcustody]

Personally I am not a big fan of steel worktops. I usually like a nice thick butcher block type or doubled up cabinet grade plywood. I do have a welding table I will smash something on occasionally but I usually have a piece of 3/8 plate I will put on the wood surfaces if I need something harder than the wood work surface. For me it's more about noise than anything. Also in my experience wood has less rebound when I am hammering on something compared to a metal surface.

Thanks. I do have a wood bench in the other garage and understand your reasoning. I thought I will try metal in the new shop for something different. I will see how it works out.

 

[banjopete]

I did something very similar to Alliance above, couldn't be happier. Mine isn't as stout but is 16ga bent up over some mdf. I was a little worried it wouldn't be strong but it's been awesome. I just wipe it with some oil or wax or anti rust from time to time. It's hardly shown any hint of rusting at all.

 

[Maxcustody]

I did something very similar to Alliance above, couldn't be happier. Mine isn't as stout but is 16ga bent up over some mdf. I was a little worried it wouldn't be strong but it's been awesome. I just wipe it with some oil or wax or anti rust from time to time. It's hardly shown any hint of rusting at all.

Thanks this is very similar to what mine will be

 

[andyvh1959]

Similar to my bench top, 3-1/2" lip up at the back with a 1-1/2" flange back over the back wood frame of the bench top. 1-9/16" inside front leg to fit over a 1-1/2" lumber top with a 1" flange back to wrap it, about 8' long. Glad I did it.

 

[Maxcustody]

Similar to my bench top, 3-1/2" lip up at the back with a 1-1/2" flange back over the back wood frame of the bench top. 1-9/16" inside front leg to fit over a 1-1/2" lumber top with a 1" flange back to wrap it, about 8' long. Glad I did it.

Thanks. I am having 2” bend on the face and a 2” bend up the back and 8 ‘ long

 

[brownbagg]

3/4 plate, wow heavy duty.

free

 

[mogandave]

I would ask him to do this...

 

[banjopete]

Thanks this is very similar to what mine will be

Fun, I was happily surprised at the relatively low cost of the idea. When I did it (2/3? years ago) I paid $220CAD all in from a shop almost literally around the corner from me. I called around and sent sketches to a bunch of shops in town and had wildly different prices from 2-4x the price. It's about 10' x 30" with 2 breaks in it. This idea is my new benchtop standard now after working with it, and previously using hard board and plywood benchtops.

 

[Maxcustody]

Fun, I was happily surprised at the relatively low cost of the idea. When I did it (2/3? years ago) I paid $220CAD all in from a shop almost literally around the corner from me. I called around and sent sketches to a bunch of shops in town and had wildly different prices from 2-4x the price. It's about 10' x 30" with 2 breaks in it. This idea is my new benchtop standard now after working with it, and previously using hard board and plywood benchtops.

More expensive nowadays. This is going to cost around $415 for the metal with the bends I want and drilled with countersunk holes.
28”x96”

 

[mogandave]

More expensive nowadays. This is going to cost around $415 for the metal with the bends I want and drilled with countersunk holes.
28”x96”

Why drill it? I would not.

Did you look at my suggestion above for the breaks?

 

[LryFx1]

After reading through all the different ideas presented in this thread, I might have built mine with some of them incorporated into it. But of course, GJ was not around back then. Overall, I have found mine very versatile as is, but the one thing I would change is the front edge overhang. We only made it 2" from the framework, and 3" or even 4" would have been nicer for clamping stuff to it.

 

[Maxcustody]

Why drill it? I would not.

Did you look at my suggestion above for the breaks?

Yes I did, thanks. But he is already working on it with the measurements we discussed.

 

[Maxcustody]

After reading through all the different ideas presented in this thread, I might have built mine with some of them incorporated into it. But of course, GJ was not around back then. Overall, I have found mine very versatile as is, but the one thing I would change is the front edge overhang. We only made it 2" from the framework, and 3" or even 4" would have been nicer for clamping stuff to it.

I agree after so many great responses, I probably would have had the back a little higher. I think with mine 2” on the face will be fine.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I wouldn't drill the work surface, just do the front face. That should be enough to hold it in place over a plywood top.

I'll back up the WD-40 too. Did my welding table and table saw top. The latter got rubbed in till a sheet of white paper was clean if rubbed across it.

 

[Maxcustody]

I wouldn't drill the work surface, just do the front face. That should be enough to hold it in place over a plywood top.

I'll back up the WD-40 too. Did my welding table and table saw top. The latter got rubbed in till a sheet of white paper was clean if rubbed across it.

Thanks, he is placing holes to anchor it on the face. WD40 seems to be the go to

 

[LryFx1]

I probably did not express myself clearly with the last post. When I said I would make it more than 2", I was not meaning the front edge vertical bend depth. My top extends only 2" out from the front of the 2 X 6 frame, and when I want to clamp something flat down to the top, that little bit of overhang is sometimes not deep enough to get the clamps in a good position to exert enough force on a large piece. It's not an issue very often, but if were to ever build another one, I'd probably make the overhang 4" or so.

 

[Maxcustody]

I probably did not express myself clearly with the last post. When I said I would make it more than 2", I was not meaning the front edge vertical bend depth. My top extends only 2" out from the front of the 2 X 6 frame, and when I want to clamp something flat down to the top, that little bit of overhang is sometimes not deep enough to get the clamps in a good position to exert enough force on a large piece. It's not an issue very often, but if were to ever build another one, I'd probably make the overhang 4" or so.

Got it, now I understand. I did not think of that.

 

[Bill T]

Vote for carbon steel top. If you planning on any welding do not go to stainless steel (ss). Many years ago, I had a repurposed food service table (stainless). The reflections welding were blinding on that table. Changed out top quickly to CS.

 

[Maxcustody]

Vote for carbon steel top. If you planning on any welding do not go to stainless steel (ss). Many years ago, I had a repurposed food service table (stainless). The reflections welding were blinding on that table. Changed out top quickly to CS.

Already in the works………I went with steel. When I talked to him Saturday he was working on it.

 

[Maxcustody]

Picked up the bench top today.

 

[Garcky]

Nice looking top. I think you'll like it a lot!

 

[Maxcustody]

Nice looking top. I think you'll like it a lot!

Thank you