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Workbench Top Material???

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dmevis

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Jan 29, 2011
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4
Location
San Diego, CA U.S.A.
What do you recommend for workbench top material? I do some of everything on the bench (except welding). Assembly, parts overhaul and cleaning. Sawing. Wrenching. Painting. Soldering. Drilling. Beating with hammers. Etc. The one thing i do that is horrible is cutting materials on my workbench using razor knives. i am moving and need new workbenches.

My current workbench(s) top, purchased 30 years ago, is about 2 inches thick. The center is wood and the top and bottom surfaces are a phenolic resin that contains wood particles, about 1/4” thick on each side. Have a large Wilton vise mounted on it. They have held up incredibly well. But i can’t find these tops anymore.

Not too concerned about cost. Don’t want disposable particle board tops. What material do you suggest?
 
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LeeG

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Nov 29, 2012
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Location
Phoenix, AZ
I am going through the same process. I am leaning toward a thick laminated wood to similar to what I did on this bench.
 
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gjuser23

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Mar 6, 2023
Messages
34
I glued (3) 3/4" sheets of MDF together, then added a hardwood face/lip around the edge that sticks up about 1/8". In that little pocket I drop a sheet of Tempered Hardboard/HDF that just sits on top. It never moves, but is easy (and cheap) to pull out and replace. It holds up really well to most any kind of abuse (I haven't changed mine in about 8 years). If you plan to get it wet often, you might consider a mat or an alternate solution, as it doesn't do well getting soaked through.

A close up of the HDF behind the front face board.
bench-top-closeup.png

A side plan view showing the underlying 2x4 structure with the (3) MDF sheets on top under the HDF.
plan-side-view.png
(This is not free standing. That bottom 2x4 running lengthwise under all of the top pieces is screwed into the wall, and then the top structure rests on top of it.)
 
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bluedog225

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Jan 31, 2012
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3,240
Location
Texas
Advantech is stout and heavy. Comes in various thickness. Up to 1 1/8“ but maybe higher. Cover with something as a wear layer.
 
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Shiftless

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Mar 9, 2014
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East Bay SFO
Other members have praised the benefits of laminate flooring material for a workbench top.

My main workbench is topped with a second hand IKEA butcher block countertop. It’s over an inch thick so if I really wanted to, I could spend some time with a belt sander and clean it up. But I likely won’t.
 
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seber

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May 31, 2016
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Location
Deep East Tx.
The best I've had was maple butcher block. But if I were making one today, I would top it with bamboo flooring. It is extremely hard and waterproof. You can underlay it with felt roofing material to protect the support structure and dampen noise when beating on it.
 
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OccupantRJ

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May 15, 2009
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10,907
Location
Eastern North Carolina
I had 1/4” polypropylene sheet screwed with countersunk screws for tops and edge trim in my previous shop and liked it. The entire top was basically cutting board. An economical alternative might be 5mm LVP flooring from a discount outlet for around $1.89 per sq ft. I was able to get the poly as 17x96“ sheets as leftovers from work after making cutting boards for the steel rule die cutting machine.
 
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William Payne

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Wanganui, New Zealand
I wish I could remember the name of it but there is a really nice hard glossy engineered plastic (laminate of some kind) that makes a really good bench top covering. You can slide around heavy stuff on it without tearing anything up. So you don't have the issue of metal sliding on metal and things digging into wood.
 
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Shiftless

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East Bay SFO
A scrap of used conveyor belt material would be an incredibly tough topper for a non-welding workbench. Some varieties use the same rubber as car tire tread. I’ve heard about guys who put down mats of that stuff on their nice garage floors and drive their snowmobiles onto it for indoor parking. That must be pretty tough stuff. 😎
 
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lolaetype

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Dec 11, 2019
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2,060
Location
North Western Arkansas
RoninB4 said:
-A discarded kitchen counter top works well when working with greasy/oily things. Wipes off easily, unlike MDF or wood that absorbs. A used section should be free. Use the search function, this subject has been covered multiple times.
Click to expand...
I've got three different types of work surfaces in my garage.

A 54" laminate section that came out of the the master bath when we had quartz installed. It isn't used for work though, it's where the minifridge and other stuff sits. A 72" section of laminate countertop sits on repurposed kitchen cabinets in the other garage.

Years ago I bought two different Craftsman steel workbenches. One came with an MDF top covered with a steel sheet the other with an MDF top. Those now sit back to back with access on three sides and are topped with MDF that I brushed clear urethane on until they stopped absorbing it. This makes a 48"54" work surface that has proven to be quite durable. It doesn't stain, resists scratches and will not absorb liquids. It wipes clean with a rag and mineral spirits. I keep a 24"X24" piece of Masonite handy to use as a cutting surface when I cut things with an exacto or other cutter.

The 24"X54" metal top off of the Craftsman workbench went on a bench I built out of 2X4s and plywood. That's where I disassemble messy stuff and do hammering.

1757775348375.jpeg

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1757775289878.jpeg
 
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Ditchdigger

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Jan 22, 2010
Messages
297
Location
Eugene, Oregon
gjuser23 said:
I glued (3) 3/4" sheets of MDF together, then added a hardwood face/lip around the edge that sticks up about 1/8". In that little pocket I drop a sheet of Tempered Hardboard/HDF that just sits on top. It never moves, but is easy (and cheap) to pull out and replace. It holds up really well to most any kind of abuse (I haven't changed mine in about 8 years). If you plan to get it wet often, you might consider a mat or an alternate solution, as it doesn't do well getting soaked through.

A close up of the HDF behind the front face board.
bench-top-closeup.png
Click to expand...

I do a similar thing but my work surface is laminate flooring instead of hardboard. It looks nice, holds up a bit longer, is just as easily replaced and there are always sealed boxes of it at any ReStore location
 
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OccupantRJ

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May 15, 2009
Messages
10,907
Location
Eastern North Carolina
Shiftless said:
A scrap of used conveyor belt material would be an incredibly tough topper for a non-welding workbench. Some varieties use the same rubber as car tire tread. I’ve heard about guys who put down mats of that stuff on their nice garage floors and drive their snowmobiles onto it for indoor parking. That must be pretty tough stuff. 😎
Click to expand...
I had a section on my roll around box at work held down by the vise bolted onto the corner. It is in my home shop now beside the metal lathe and has been in use for around 30 years now. It was an awesome top surface for industrial activities..
 
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Redneckvtek

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Nov 23, 2012
Messages
32
Location
Raleigh, NC
I like butcher blocks. I just finished this one today, so it’s still shiny and clean, but it won’t stay that way for long.

You can usually find decent sized slabs online from the big box stores, or from a woodcraft if your lucky to have one local like me.

I use Arm-R-seal on it and it holds up decent to automotive chemical use.
 

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RoninB4

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Jul 22, 2020
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Under My House
lolaetype said:
I've got three different types of work surfaces in my garage.
Click to expand...
-They all look good. I've got several work benches with different tops too for the same reasons.

-OT detour here. Half of my family settled the NW Arkansas ares in the early 1800's, one of the family cemeteries pre-dates Chaffee and is on the base. I still go through there now and then, the area around Fayetteville sure has changed since the late 60's.

-Apologies to the OP for the detour.
 
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kngelv

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May 25, 2011
Messages
2,214
Location
Detroit, MI
gjuser23 said:
I glued (3) 3/4" sheets of MDF together, then added a hardwood face/lip around the edge that sticks up about 1/8". In that little pocket I drop a sheet of Tempered Hardboard/HDF that just sits on top. It never moves, but is easy (and cheap) to pull out and replace. It holds up really well to most any kind of abuse (I haven't changed mine in about 8 years). If you plan to get it wet often, you might consider a mat or an alternate solution, as it doesn't do well getting soaked through.

A close up of the HDF behind the front face board.
bench-top-closeup.png

A side plan view showing the underlying 2x4 structure with the (3) MDF sheets on top under the HDF.
plan-side-view.png
(This is not free standing. That bottom 2x4 running lengthwise under all of the top pieces is screwed into the wall, and then the top structure rests on top of it.)
Click to expand...
My bench is very similar except I have plywood instead of MDF underneath the tempered hardboard.

James
 
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LWB

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Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
1,214
Location
ON, Canada
William Payne said:
I wish I could remember the name of it but there is a really nice hard glossy engineered plastic (laminate of some kind) that makes a really good bench top covering. You can slide around heavy stuff on it without tearing anything up. So you don't have the issue of metal sliding on metal and things digging into wood.
Click to expand...

UHMW?
 
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merkyworks

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2016
Messages
587
Location
Texas
I prefer a SS top workbench.
I’m terrible at putting something down when working and all other material eventually look like **** after awhile. With SS I can easily clean it or buff out scratches with a scotch-brite pad.
 
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Shiftless

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Mar 9, 2014
Messages
14,453
Location
East Bay SFO
tarmy said:
I use 3/4 Radiata plywood. Replace as needed. Won’t mare things, can be sanded, can screw stuff down to work on it, easy to keep in good shape.IMG_3809.jpegIMG_0607.jpeg
Click to expand...
Nice set up you have there.
It looks like a Craftsman 5191 vise you have there. Those are amazing vises but quite rare on the old vise market. Is there a story about how you got it?
 
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N8sToolz

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 27, 2022
Messages
97
I do mostly mechanical repair. My bench is a sheet of 1/4" steel. This bench is heavy duty. I've put complete powertrains on it when I lower them out of the cars. Can weld brackets to it to keep things from moving. Give it a touch up with a sanding disk and good as new.

I keep a couple sheets of plywood around I can lay on top if I need a softer surface.
 
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lardy1

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Joined
Mar 17, 2019
Messages
3,387
Location
Michigan
I plane then square the edges of 2X4's (or whatever 2X material I have on hand) and glue them up. I semi-flatten them with a plane to make a pretty durable top. My first ones I used biscuit joints but now I just glue and clamp.
 
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