Hello
After 20+ years of wanting to get into woodworking, I am taking the leap.
I am planning out a workbench that I can make with very limited and basic tools.
Drill, Circular Saw, Screw Driver, Clamps, Hammer and Bandages 😉
After reading many articles I am leaning towards a version of the plywood bench article. I am looking at using 2 layers of MDF for the top.
My questions are:
Can the MDF hold up to a front vise being bolted to it. My thought was counter sinking the top and running the bolts all the way through the top.
Can MDF hold up to holdfasts and dogs?
If any of the answers are no, what do you recommend as alternatives to the top material OR holding devices?
Thank you,
David
Replies
I think there are a whole host of problems associated with using mdf as a work bench including what happens if you spill your coffee on it, it's lack of stiffness, strength, etc.
My advice is, if you are just starting, skip the science projects, follow whatever instructions you have and move forward to doing what you want to do. And don't spend too much time constructing your first bench. If MDF is your only option, move forward investing as little time, money, and consternation as possible. If it's a matter of a few bucks, spend the cash and stay in the box. Without loads of experience, a few engineering degrees, and bucket of cash, departing from the typical is a recipe for frustration. Just my 2 cents. Oh, and I'm on bench number 5.
Adam
Thank you Adam. With 5 benches under your belt Ill take this as good advise.Thanks, David
ka,
welcome.
having a flat surface to work on is a good thing. sturdiness is important also, wobbliness is not good. make it the correct height, if you are tall, make it taller than standard ht. maybe include some storage space. what one comes to want in a bench is best explained by leading a woodworking life and then letting the needs arise. i'm on my third bench.
eef
Thank you eef. I know mistakes will be made, thats how we learn. In time I am sure I will wonder "My lord... what was I thinking?" as I build my 3rd bench.Thanks, David
I built the same plywood bench you're looking at, for the same reasons--simple, few tools required, and fast. I topped it with a recycled solid core door (well, sawdust core anyways!) I found for $20.
MDF won't be perfect, neither is a solid core door (especially regarding holes for bench dogs, which can and will get dented and enlarged). My two cents are to go for it. Inexpensive top = no guilt when you pepper it with benchdog holes. By the time you've peppered it into swiss cheese, you can easily replace the top. IMHO, the key is to get a bench so that you can start on other projects.
Keep your vice overhang to the bare minimum though--vices are heavy and MDF sags easily. If it's worth the bother to you, you might want to consider the solid core door option or a double layer of hardwood plywood (not the pretty stuff, "shop grade" will do). These will be less likely to swell if (when?) water gets spilled.
Avoid buying any of the ply from the big box stores if you can, it often has many voids that will look ugly on the exposed sides. Start making friends with lumber suppliers.
Good luck and happy woodworking!
Pete
Thank you Pete. I appreciate the encouragement! Will a couple layers of glued and screwed plywood splinter at the hole edges from dogs or holdfasts?Thanks, David
They might, but I wouldn't expect it to be a problem. Disputantum's experience with 3 layers of MDF is encouraging... His is supported at 4 points and the "plywood bench" calls for support along most of the long sides of the benchtop.
My workbench top is three layers of 3/4" MDF, rimmed with 1x, and supported at four points. I have front and tail vises mounted on it using countersunk bolts. I've had no problems with it. The dog holes have held up fine. I don't use holdfasts, so I can't answer that question. The layers are glued and screwed. The 1x rim is a little problem because it expands and contracts while the MDF doesn't, sometimes it's not perfectly flush with the surface. I don't know how well two layers would work.
- Learn from yesterday, work today, and enjoy success tomorrow -
http://www.atelierdubricoleur.spaces.live.com
Look up videos on the Rob Cosman workbench. I just built one and it uses a 3 inch thick MDF top. After drilling the holes for the bench dogs and hold fasts, put a small radius on the top edge with a router or by hand and soak the inside of the drilled holes with thin cyanoacrylate glue.
The thicker the top, the more resistant to wobbling out the hole by holdfasts.
I've got an assembly and outfeed tables made of MDF. I double coat them with a 1:1:1 mixture of BLO, Naphta, and Polyurethane.
He built his bench back in 2009.
Maybe KaDa will post an update on the type of bench he built and how it is holding up.
FWIW, I built this workbench https://www.finewoodworking.com/2007/08/17/rock-solid-plywood-bench about 8 years ago. I doubled up the top, so from bottom to top it's 3/4 AC Ply, two sheets of 3/4 MDF, and a 1/4 inch hardboard topper. I don't use hold fasts. I can report that after 8 years, the bench is still rock solid.
@ KaDa - Another choice might be using the method Paul Sellers uses on his workbench. Very low cost and minimal tools.
https://paulsellers.com/paul-sellers-workbench-plans/#workbench-videos
He is a minimalist woodworker who keeps folk's budgets in mind. No harm in looking.
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