Workbench

[Infrequent Shooter]

New project. I got this at a garage sale. Probably US surplus. It has real nice rich green paint. It had a masonite top that was glued on. It was ready to come off. It had a good bit of old glue on the bench top. I wanted to get the big remnants off and leave the finish as original as possible. Googone did almost nothing. I got out some adhesive remover which was a mistake. It was so strong it started to remove some of the original green paint. I managed to stop more chemical reaction from the adhesive remover.

After the next step the work top will probably never be seen again in my lifetime. But I really want to save it in as original condition as possible.

The old glue got pretty tacky. I am going to put a wood top or some type of manmade board on the top. Add in some locking casters. It will be in my garage. It is a heavy SOB. We had to use some 2x4s to slide it out of the back of the pickup. It is 28.5x72.

What input do you guys have for worktop material? I am going to add some pegboard. Pls add pictures of your workbench top and any things you would do over. It wont be a reloading bench, just a nice garage workbench. Cheers

 

[LVLAaron]

Those heavy steel plates you find in the middle of the road. My city leaves them everywhere! If you can move them they're great for all kinds of things.

Kidding, kind of.

 

[Infrequent Shooter]

Those heavy steel plates you find in the middle of the road. My city leaves them everywhere! If you can move them they're great for all kinds of things.

Kidding, kind of.

Yeah, heavy stuff is hard to come by, and harder to move!

 

[Krogen]

What kind of work do you plan to do on the bench? If you're doing heavy duty stuff, you want a metal surface. For gun work and handloading, I like white Formica. You can buy 3/4" or 5/8" particleboard clad in white Formica. White reflects light and I get a better view of the victim, er... item I'm working on. It's simple to keep cleaned up and it's easier to track down small parts on the loose. Hyperactive parts seem to blend into dark benchtop corners, never to be seen again.

 

[Infrequent Shooter]

Formica/particle board is a good idea,,, I haven't remotely considered that, but it makes a lot of sense. I have read good things about baltic birch plywood w masonite on top. I can lose stuff on a 95% clean kitchen surface. I won't be doing heavy duty stuff or welding. For starters just garage use, but may use it for gun cleaning or reloading anytime. I could move it inside.

 

[hoz53]

Formica/particle board is a good idea,,, I haven't remotely considered that, but it makes a lot of sense. I have read good things about baltic birch plywood w masonite on top. I can lose stuff on a 95% clean kitchen surface. I won't be doing heavy duty stuff or welding. For starters just garage use, but may use it for gun cleaning or reloading anytime. I could move it inside.

i just use plywood on my workbenches. i havent had to replace any yet but if a guy needs to its cheap and easy— lol

 

[muleystalker]

Formica/particle board is a good idea,,, I haven't remotely considered that, but it makes a lot of sense. I have read good things about baltic birch plywood w masonite on top. I can lose stuff on a 95% clean kitchen surface. I won't be doing heavy duty stuff or welding. For starters just garage use, but may use it for gun cleaning or reloading anytime. I could move it inside.

Check your local Home Depot or Lowes and look in the damaged bin for solid core doors, they work great. They are heavy, dense and the right thickness for a good bench. Also you can look for damaged formica countertops, even undamaged aren't priced bad and you can add more particle board underneath if you want it heavier.

 

[Walt Krafft]

That is a pretty common industrial work bench. I wouldnt worry about the paint. Paint it what ever color you want. Baltic birch plywood makes a nice top for light duty use.

 

[DaveTooley]

butcher block would look great

 

[K9TXS]

U-Line

I bought 2 maple table tops from U-Line. They're 2" thick and very sturdy.

 

[itchyTF]

+1 on solid core doors. I also covered them with masonite.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I bought butcher block from Lowes.
Both had slight forklift damage and I got both of them for less than the price of one.
1.5" thick.
I gave them 3 coats of tung oil.

 

[BoydAllen]

If you live in an area that has a place that sells recycled building materials, a commercial solid core door, 1 3/4" thick, if you get really lucky you may find one that is lumber core, absolutely the best. If you want, you can rip a 1x to stick up a quarter inch along the front and ends and drop in double tempered masonite, with one or two finish nails to stabilize it. You can rip off the hinge edge and if you put the lockset edge at the back the masonite will bridge it just fine. When the top gets ugly, flip it. Screw a 2x4 flush with the back edge, on the underside and screw it to the studs in the wall.

 

[Judd]

I was going with butcher block on my loading benches I had made. The guy who did the frames suggested melamine sheets because it was white and things would be easier to see. I don’t hate it, he was right…but I still wish I had gone with butcher block.

 

[John Forrest]

I have a bench alot like that. Old door with a sheet of 1/4 inch plate on half of it. Big vice bolted on one end.
My wood side is all beat up. I wish I would of put a replaceable chunk of MDF on that end.

 

[PLP]

I use the Seville Classics UltraHD maple butcher block benches with heigh adjustable... on some of them and fixed on a few others. On a couple I turn the top around to where the overhang is in back and the front edge is directly over the legs. I then put a 72" x 6" x 1/2" thick cold rolled steel flat bar on the front edge for doing any series hammering and mount the vise and presses to it. Works great... only drawback is that Seville Classics has more than doubled their prices since last year.

Link: Seville Classics UltraHD