Wood choice for worktop

[tochnia]

Which wood would you recommend for worktop?
I'm looking for generally most strong/heavy one.
It will be covered with stainless steel sheet on top, but I don't want to put soft wood below steel sheet.
Beauty of wood or its colour are not very important.

Snap On is making their ones from Maple so should be good choice, but is there better one?

I find offers for following ready made ones sold per meter:

OAK 40mm STAVE 40mm
OAK SMALL STAVE - 40mm
PRIME BEECH - 40mm
RUSTIC BEECH - 40mm
EUROPEAN WALNUT - 40mm
WALNUT SMALL STAVE 40mm
IROKO 40mm STAVES 40mm
MAPLE 40mm STAVES - 40mm

And two on expensive side:
FULL STAVE OAK - 38mm
FULL STAVE AMERICAN WALNUT - 38mm

 

[couch67]

if its being covered, I'd go with 2 plys of 3/4" plywood or MDF.

 

[matt_i]

Not sure about Euro Walnut but the American Walnut is very soft.

I think I would construction adhesive a piece of hardboard to some regular 3/4" plywood.

Imo not worth it to waste the expensive hardwood under the stainless cover.

Not sure if these materials are available in the UK.

 

[mray312]

I'm with - if you're covering it MDF. Stack and glue two 3/4" slabs and you have your 1-1/2" (38mm).

 

[Slowboat]

Iroko, Oak or Maple are all super tough.

 

[AZ Pete]

if you choose Oak, get "White Oak", "Red Oak is "ring porous" and is prone to rot of it gets wet.

Personally, I would go with maple....bowling alleys and butcher blocks world wide cannot be all wrong.

 

[The Cobbler]

for a top that's being covered, MDF is the way to go . even tho I hate the stuff!

 

[tochnia]

Isn't MDF more sustainable to liquid damage?
As steel sheet on top of it will have number of holes to be held to wood surface and cupboard below it.

 

[mray312]

MDF is susceptible to swelling after coming into contact with water. If that is a concern just seal the top with thinned polyurethane (wiping varnish) and you're good to go. Ryan, GJ administrator, just did this with his "MFT Workbench Build" - FF to the 3:00 minute mark - to see his experience:

My poly sealed MDF workbench top is uncovered, about 15 years old and it has held up to all kinds of liquids and pounding. Over the years when the top has shown wear I just take out my random orbit sander, give it a good sanding and re-seal. It doesn't look as pretty as maple but it's durable, flat and cheap. If you go with MDF... wear a respirator when cutting and routing.

 

[Justind97]

Isn't MDF more sustainable to liquid damage?
As steel sheet on top of it will have number of holes to be held to wood surface and cupboard below it.

How big is your bench? How heavy will the top be?

Reason I ask, a decently heavy top doesn't necessarily need to be attached. I believe mine is about 260lbs, 11 feet long. It has never moved.

However, my other bench which is a stainless top I have secured to the frame. I would suggest having a lip that goes over the frame and attach it that way. This will keep fluids from getting in.
If you're really concerned about fluids, use plywood.

 

[tochnia]

Bench length is 3 meters or around 10 feet long.
I plan to put heavy vise on one of its ends so will need to bolt down worktop for stability.
Lip in front pointing down and in back pointing up is also in my plans for steel top.

 

[Jackfre]

Whatever is available locally and cheaply. Everyone likes beech and that idea comes primarily from the European beech benches. Why beech? Because it is available in their forests. Given that you are covering it, I would use a couple good quality sheets of plywood. The vice is going to be supported by the leg and frame. This begs the question, what is going to hold the top up? I built this last year and have found it is my day to day bench. No vice. They are on other tops.

 

[exmaxima1]

for a top that's being covered, MDF is the way to go . even tho I hate the stuff!

+1
One of the primary purposes of a bench is a flat reference surface. MDF is very flat and stable, and water is not an issue with a SS skin. Look at all the high end router tables and you will see MDF With laminate surfaces.

 

[38Chevy454]

I think I would construction adhesive a piece of hardboard to some regular 3/4" plywood.

That's what I used, except over a 2x6 base since I was spanning 4 ft between supports under the 2x base. I thought 3/4 plywood may be just a bit bouncy, although it is probably plenty strong.

 

[Jagmandave]

This is exactly what I did. I screwed down the MDF to the bench framework (a 4X8 sheet of 3/4" MDF cut down the middle to get 2 - 2' X 8' long pieces, stacked on top of each other but not glued together) and just slid the SS top over it. I have a front break with a return lip and a 6" high back splash with the corners welded. It hasn't moved a lick since I put it there a few years ago.

Mind you I don't use a 3lb hammer on it, it is a work surface but if I need to pound something really hard it will be on my metal bench that's made for it - with a 1/4" steel plate on the surface. I use mine more for assembly - engines and transmissions - where I need a spotlessly clean work surface.

 

[JAYoung]

For cheap, tough, resistance to liquids and easy to replace, you can't beat laminate flooring.
And you get to pick your color.

 

[SteveCh]

For cheap, tough, resistance to liquids and easy to replace, you can't beat laminate flooring.
And you get to pick your color.

He's covering it with stainless. Can't see how color matters.

 

[HenryAZ]

In the millwork shop where I worked for 25 years, we made our 4' x 8' bench tops out of 2x6 softwood (inexpensive stuff), T&G'd and screwed to the base (screwed only, no glue, so the T&G could move). Then rough sanded off any high spots and covered with 1/4" tempered hardboard tacked down with brads. Those benches took some serious abuse, and only occasionally did we replace just the hardboard. So I wouldn't be too concerned about using softwood under a steel top. Just make the under structure good and solid.

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, used Solid Core doors make excellent bench tops and I have received some because I was willing to haul them away.