Hi all.
I plan to build my first decent (i.e. heavy, flat-topped, with good vices) workbench in the near future. For the bench top I am torn between using a couple layers of 3/4″ MDF or purchasing a premade laminated maple top.
I can’t find any discussion anywhere of the relative merits of these materials as bench tops, though.
All I can think of are:
(1) MDF is far less expensive and at least as heavy.
(2) Maple can be more easily planed flat when necessary (hopefully an infrequent operation, though).
(3) Maple looks better.
I don’t know, though, whether MDF will stay as flat as (or flatter than) maple.
This bench will be in my unfinished basement, which experiences more temperature and humidity variation than the inside of a house.
I look forward to any and all opinions on the subject.
Replies
With the abuse a workbench needs to, and will take, I don't see MDF lasting more than a few days. Don't mistake heavy with heavy duty.
Santa Barbara,CA
(2) Maple can be more easily planed flat when necessary (hopefully an infrequent operation, though).
The MDF doesn't need planing!
It will get trashed though over time (longer than I expected unless you are a real bench abuser). Mine's got a (replaceable) 1/4" tempered hardboard top. I was worried about the strength of the bench dog holes, but they seem to be just fine.
I worked in a cabinet shop for three years, we had doubled up MDF for our bench tops.
The tops were there for probably 5 years before I came, counting the 3 that I was there that makes 8 years and they were still in good shape. We did sand them once in that time and apply a couple coats of shellac, helped keep the glue from sticking.
Doug
MDF may last 4 to 5 years for wardrobe, after that it swells and the paint peels off.
For a workbench, looking at the appearance, you may want to change your table-top before you finish your 1st project.
Masrol
My last three benches (Canada, England, Australia) have been two layers of 3/4" ply topped by hardboard, all with a hardwood edge (1x2 birch). The first one was still in good shape after 12 years. Haven't lived with the others that long.
One of my first bench tops was tempered hardboard. For me, a real disaster.The change in humidity in my basement resulted in wild swings in dimension.It would buckle up in the summer, look OK in winter. Always "a little loose" feeling between the hardboard and the ply wood.
Currently I have two bench tops:
Surprisingly, a piece of formica glued to not-so-very-nice plywood has lasted about 10 years of hard use. Great to clean up glue spills with a razor blade. I edged the front with 1/2" by 2" hard maple.
The other is a top of "particle boad". It has been dimensionally stable. At first it was a little soft, but 2 coats of poly really tightened it up.
Good luck.
Jerry
I have double MDF in my shop and faced it with black walnut - just some scrap I had lying around. I screwed the MDF in place. If I were to re-new the top, I would just take out the screws and turn the top piece over. I could do the same with the second piece at a later date when even more wear occurs - kinda like having a renewable resource. Have you seen the new colored MDF - pretty cool looking, but pricey. Good luck to you.
Terry
I have my 'SHOW' bench which I hardly ever use.. AND my working benches.. The workers use sheets of 3/4 inch MDF. One has two sheets and the other 3 sheets as I recall.. The top one just lays there.
Top one is easy to replace/turn over if you have to.. I hardly ever needed to unless I made a HUGE blunder... (I have)..
Maple or other hardwood is 'nice' BUT cost a 'bit'...
If you want 'looks' go for the hardwood of choice.. If you want a 'work' bench.... use the MDF .. Hell, even face glued 2X4's will do! My opinion only.
By the way.. My 'SHOW' bench top is Purpleheart.. They use that for truck beds! HARD BUT you can still mess it up!
My best guess is that if you want to use bench dogs, MDF isn't your material of choice. Has anyone used dogs and holdfasts with MDF?
I have an MDF bench and a hardwood bench. No dogs in the MDF, but it takes plenty abuse without problems.
My best guess is that if you want to use bench dogs, MDF isn't your material of choice. I'd tend to agree.. I'm a metal worker so I have put in metal tubes that 'down' a bit so a plane blade will not hit them. Hell, I'd think some copper pipe would work OK! I made mine from solid Monel rods I had from SO LONG ago I forgot where they came from! I think Monel a 'bit' expensive though..EDIT: If ya' wonderin'
Monel
Monel is an alloy in which nickel is the major element. It contains from 64% to 68% nickel, about 30% copper, and small percentages of iron, manganese, and cobalt. Monel is harder and stronger than either nickel or copper and has high ductility. It resembles stainless steel in appearance and has many of its qualities. The strength, combined with a high resistance to corrosion, make Monel an acceptable substitute for steel in systems where corrosion resistance is the primary concern. Nuts, bolts, screws, and various fittings are made of Monel. This alloy can be worked cold and can be forged and welded. If worked in the temperature range between 1200°F and 1600°F, it becomes “hot short” or brittle.Edited 5/12/2006 1:32 pm by WillGeorge Edit 2 “hot short”
Still not sure what that 'exactly' means! LOL.. Who cares
Edited 5/12/2006 1:35 pm by WillGeorge
"Monel is an alloy in which nickel is the major element. It contains from 64% to 68% nickel . . . "
Hey, isn't that the stuff that makes Superman all week in the knees?
;-)
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
Hey, isn't that the stuff that makes Superman all week in the knees?
No, you're thinking of Lois Lane. :)My goal is for my work to outlast me. Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
LOL,, Hell, I'd would have 'speeled' it 'weak' NOT week in the kneesLOL again.. Ain't Englihs Great! We still understood!EDIT: sombody posted Ipe.. Dang that stuff is OK if ya like splinters! Sort of like my Purpleheart.. Just a different color/Colour?
Edited 5/13/2006 12:30 pm by WillGeorge
Knarf's suggestion about hardboard is good - I've read several threads professing it works well.
Another idea I read about that seemed worth considering was topping an MDF top with wood flooring - I believe he used laminated flooring. Which seemed like it might work even better than hardboard as a fairly durable and replacable top. But part of the attraction of this option (to me) was 2 boxes of laminated cherry flooring that I got at Lumber Liquidators for 20 cents a square foot (damaged boxes with about 10% of the pieces damaged).
A third idea is to use Ipe 3/4" decking - it's REALLY hard (it's also called ironwood) and it's about $4 a square foot. I just did a front porch, and I love the stuff.
Ipe may be called 'ironwood' now but the first one to be called that was hornbeam.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I built a bench, Euro style, using 100% engineered wood products (except for trim) to see what could be done with the stuff, as I did not want to spend the money on maple, beech or some other costly wood. Used Laminated vaneer lumber as the core for the bench top, topped with 3/4" MDF, and a final layer of 1/8" hardboard. The hardboard was to be a "sacrifice" layer to be replaced. Trimmed it with 1/2" birch I had on hand. End result is heavy, solid, and stable. As for dog holes in plain MDF, I expect they will wear as the core of MDF is softer than the surfaces, less resin. The bench with the LVL core has dog holes and they have worked fine for 5 years now. The top has developed a slight crown that I need to resolve. I believe this was caused by not putting an equal layer on the bottom and ended up with the crown due to unequal moisture absorbtion. The LVL was dead flat +/- .003 when the MDF was applied.
Have build two others, and they stayed flat. They were just two layers of 3/4" MDF glued and screwed together with some hardwood trim. To avoid nicks to them, when I am doing something where the top may get cut, I lay on a piece of 1/8" hardboard as a cutting surface.
I see this type of question a lot in here and wonder if I'm doing it all wrong. If I were to make a benchtop out of expensive hardwood, I would be too paranoid to actually use it because my benches take some serious abuse from time to time - lol.
My bench/outfeed table is made from 2x4 and 2x6 doug fir with 4x4 legs. The 2x4 and 2x6 make a torsion box and the top is ACX plywood screwed to the torsion box. I've had for about five years and every year (or so), I scrape the crud off of the top and put on another coat of polyuethane. Someday, I suppose I'll have to replace the plywood top but it's holding up fine so far.
I've made some neat hardwood boxes (walnut, rosewood, maple, etc) for my dado set, chisels, and a sandpaper storage box but they don't get used as often (or as hard) as my bench.
I would vote for the MDF - it won't hurt your wallet as much when you have to replace it - lol.
I made a Cabin Cruiser? 20/220 foot.. In-Board flat head V8 inline engine (1949 Merc?) ...Long ago, from straight grained doug.. fir ..A wonderful wood to work with.. But it was long ago.. Very tight rings.. Not sure it is available now. NO steam bending, I used wet newspaper and a winch to bend it.. Really... WORKED...Still floats but no mine anymore.. I sold it for less than the cost of the wood to make it.. Ya all ever been there?20/220 foot? Geee did I typers that? 22 foot
Edited 5/13/2006 12:40 pm by WillGeorge
You can still get VG Doug fir but it's spendy. Last time I checked, it was an arm, leg, ear and tail - lol.
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