Work bench top

[Woodsdesign]

Guys, What have you used for a top for your garage workbench?
Mine is very worn and I would like to put a top on it.
Everything I've found is too thick and expensive.
It is 20" W x 147" long.

Thanks,
Larry

 

[Suburbancharlie]

You can often get a local HVAC shop to bend or roll tins custom dimensions.
I'd found a commercial kitchen stainless steel slab that was a tad longer than the width of my garage door to wall space, and made a bench to fit there, then cut it down with a 4" grinder.
There's a ton of different thicknesses, depending upon the intended use of said space.

 

[Nutria]

You might keep an eye out for restaurant closings/auctions. I've found maple butcher block tops from prep tables and seating areas, including some pieces that were long and narrow, as per your application.

 

[racer1735]

I took aluminum flashing like is used in roofing. Its width was perfect for the width of my workbench top, with 1/2 overlap for the front. I cut it to length with 1/2 overlap on the ends, cut notches in the corners for it to be folded over the edges, then used short sheet metal screws to fasten it to the top. It's been going strong for 20 years now. Pretty good for a $5 investment!

 

[JAYoung]

I went to ReStore, got a box of leftover laminate flooring, floated it on the bench top with aluminum angle to hold it in place.
It's turned out to be tough and moisture resistant. And cheap.

 

[budget76]

This weekend I used some leftover engineered hardwood flooring on top of the plywood top I had as my benchtop in the garage. Aside from puddles of fluids it should hold up pretty good for homeowner uses.

lots of guys just double up some 3/4" ply. that's what my bench was, but it needed a sanding and I am trying to find uses for a couple hundred square feet of extra flooring (especially the flawed stuff that is no good for 'real' uses)

 

[Krang]

This is on top of a fabricated metal frame, but, 3/4 birch ply attached to the metal frame + 3/4 MDF glued / screwed to the 3/4 birch. Through my research the MDF makes the surface very absorbent to beating on. Over the MDF I had some large 4x10' stainless steel sheet that I'm going to eventually cover the MDF with.

For your purpose, find an old solid core door or two, I bet that would work perfectly.

 

[oldwino]

x2 on the MDF over plywood. My bench is nearly 10 years old with a lot of hard use and beatings. Other than a few oil stains it looks like new

 

[86scotty]

I did 3/4 Advantech flooring with 1/4 masonite over it. Masonite is hard and cheap. It's working out great about 5 years in. Plans are to just replace the masonite if I ever need to.

 

[Sumboodie]

What is the use of the bench?

Mine, I have a 3/4" thick steel plate. It's about 3x8ft. Then I have a 6x10 table that 1.25" plate.

They work great for welding as well as a million other uses. I've tack welded stuff right the the top to hold in place.

Wood is hard to weld to.

I've used wood in the past but it never held up very long. Also it's a fire hazard.

Now in a woodworking shop or for light duty garage work, it'd be plenty fine.

 

[Stuart in MN]

1/4" tempered hardboard / Masonite is durable and inexpensive. It stands up pretty well to grease and oil, but if you want a little more protection you can put a couple coats of varnish or paint on it.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Found some old school wood shop benches, 2 3/4" maple & topped with rubber exercise mat, easy to clean & stuff doesn't slide.

 

[torqueman2002]

I have a used conveyor belt. Oil, solvent, and paint proof. Very durable and affordable, although I don't recall the cost.

It can be cut with a new utility knife blade or two. I secured it with drywall screws and cup style finishing washers.

 

[didit]

I prefer a solid welded sheet steel top at least 1/4" thick with sacrificial plywood on top of that. Takes a lot of abuse and can be rejuvenated quickly enough. Been using the same bench for 45 years.

 

[Big A]

2 layers of 3/4" ply, with 14 gauge steel over that. Metal Supermarket cut and bent the steel to my dimensions so I have a 2" lip on the front and an 8" backsplash. It's good to have a steel surface to weld on, I just attach the ground to the bench. Also good to be able to weld stuff to the table for work holding, grind it off when I'm done. The switch on-off magnets you can get at HF are mighty handy on a steel workbench too.

 

[nadogail]

I have a double layer of Red Resin Paper on my bench. When it gets crummy looking I change it.

I buy the paper where I buy my paint, Painters use it to protect carpet.

 

[Daubs]

I scavenged left over 2x4's and 2x6's from around the shop, used those as my base. Then topped with 1/2" plywood. Same method used in last garage...lasted me 15 years.

I figure if it gets worn, beat up, I can replace easily.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Here's a couple pics, got the mat at HD, great for wood working.

 

[Sumboodie]

I have a used conveyor belt. Oil, solvent, and paint proof. Very durable and affordable, although I don't recall the cost.

It can be cut with a new utility knife blade or two. I secured it with drywall screws and cup style finishing washers.

My Dad was a millwright at an OSB mill and would get 8ft wide belts. Made a great mat to put under a car to work or a "floor" instead of dirt in a garage, barn, shed, etc.
Not sure a knife would cut it. We used a circular saw.

 

[spudley]

Wood is hard to weld to.

Just need to crank up the heat a little.

I'm in a workbench project (woodworking) right now and making a 2 1/2" thick red oak top.

Gluing 30 1" x 2 1/2" x 80" boards together. Little over kill but I don't want the bench moving around.

 

[DeeKay]

I have 3/4" plywood with 1/8" mild steel bolted to the top with flat head allens. It's held up great for the last ten years getting the snot beat out of it, I was worried about rust at first, but it hasn't been an issue. I don't remember the exact cost but it was less than $50 for a 2'x5' sheet, I just waited for the local steel place to have a cut off that was close to what I needed that was like 10 years ago though.

 

[HPRifleman]

I used an old solid wood door from a high school that was remodeling.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Since the OP has a screen name of Woodsdesign I assume he's a woodworker, so metal is not the right solution. It also appears he wants to put a thin new layer over a worn surface, and not replace the entire top.

 

[kbs2244]

I have a sacrificial top
1/4-inch sheet of white finished hardboard
sold a bathroom paneling
(you can sometimes get a corner damaged sheet for a huge discount)
the white makes it easy to find dropped thing and stands up to anything but acetone
when it gets too bad it is easy to replace

 

[Snowbound]

For a wood shop, nothing beats doubled up 3/4" MDF for cost and durability (except moisture!). You can also have it coated with Line-X bedliner, etc. for a very tough, durable finish. Harder to clean dust off though. I'd stay away from a metal surface, as it is too easy to knick your sharp edge tools.

 

[Forgottonia]

I used 3/4 inch plywood finished with a couple coats of polyurethane. Sure, I know it'll get dents and scratches. But so what. It's a workbench not a church pew.

 

[misterfixit]

I just made a work surface top to go on top of some metal cabinets I had, as well as a separate top for an old high school science table I'm using as a bench. For the cabinet top, I used 2 layers of 3/4 MDF, then a sacrificial 3/16" hardboard top and 1x2 pine for a edge band. On the Science table, I used 2 layers of 3/4 white plywood and the same 3/16 hardboard top and pine band.

 

[Sawdust_]

I have a used conveyor belt. Oil, solvent, and paint proof. Very durable and affordable, although I don't recall the cost.

It can be cut with a new utility knife blade or two. I secured it with drywall screws and cup style finishing washers.

Find and old treadmill (I see them on garbage collection day all the time) and cut off the rubber belt. It makes for a good non slip surface for worktops drawers shelves et.

 

[eastbaysubaru]

I used 2 layers of 3/4" plywood with a 3/16" masonite (tempered hardboard) top. Wiped on a ton of layers of poly on top of the hardboard after install. I have a feeling it will hold up for a loooooong time. Nice thing is that I can replace the masonite really easily if it gets trashed down the road.

-Brian

 

[Josh the IH guy]

I used a solid core door, that I got for free. And some 2x4s I had laying around...

 

[Walkers]

I used 3/4 inch plywood finished with a couple coats of polyurethane. Sure, I know it'll get dents and scratches. But so what. It's a workbench not a church pew.

Might be cheaper to use metal, like maybe a sheet of sterling silver, rather than a sheet of 3/4 ply.

 

[Rickster]

I have two work areas both covered in 3/4 plywood. One is painted with several coats of black the other has a thick yoga mat on it.

 

[goldtang]

Used a piece of 10 mm (3/8) aluminium plate on mine

 

[930dreamer]

When I was selling a ton of HDPE pieces, I cut a 3" thick piece for one of my Snap On boxes.

 

[Bryan Burns]

Depends on your budget. Maple flooring > oak plywood > Masonite. Each one has served me well.

 

[Craig Balzer]

I made two benches, both are 6 feet wide, using recycled bowling alley segments. The lanes are 1.5" thick; a bowling alley is 42" wide so the benches are that deep.

 

[619DioFan]

My work bench frames are made from 2''x2'' sq tube . they are 42'' tall and 18'' deep ( I don't like deep benches ) one is 6 foot long the other 4 foot. the tops are a pair of 2x10s so there is a 1 inch overhang in front for clamping to. I abuse them daily and it shows. but it is a work bench . if tops get too bad they are easy to replace.

 

[i4ni]

Commercial Solid core doors make great work bench tops and there pretty easy to score. You'll want to keep an eye out for commercial remodel projects starting up and Immediately start asking if the're gonna have any Solid core doors you could have for your work bench top or if they know where you could find that type of thing. It never hurts to ask and sometimes you can score other things like cabinets or other goodies. Be sure to ask right away because wrecking starts pretty much day one. 1/4" Masonite makes a good sacrificial top to go over the door. I've got a couple of LVL cutoffs I keep around if I have any heavy duty beating to do.