I’m thinking about upgrading my workbench top. I currently have plywood and a sheet of 1/4″ hardboard for top. I have the Veritas twin screw vise at the end of bench. The has served me well for a number of years but it’s not the flattest bench around. What do you recommend for a new top?
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
Hi PatC,
Mine consists of a double 3/4" layered plywood workbench, 30" x 60" all made from 4 sheets of 3/4" plywood.
For the benchtop, it has a 2 1/8" thick solid core door. I then attached a 6" apron to three sides, the right end also has the Veritas TS mounted, and their large front vise on the left end of the front apron. Strange place for a front vise, right???????? Must be something in a name!
The top is attached with 6 3" deckmates and the lower plywood workbench is lagged to the wall studs. Simple, straightforward and built like a tank. Does NOT MOVE, even with heavy hand plane use.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 5/17/2007 11:10 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
I'm gettin' weary of you guys and your "solid core doors" -- I've looked, and looked, and looked! There are only 2 salvage places near me, zip, nada, bupkus on "solid core doors." Even went way over to Boeing Surplus. Zip, nada, bupkus. I think you're making it up! ;-)
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 5/17/2007 11:24 am by forestgirl
Na na, na na na!Just for that I'm going to pick up two more this weekend! And they're both Maple with 12" diameter smiley faces right in the center of each one!! $25 each! Even have predrilled holes for passing power cords up through.Rub it in, rub it in......Seriously though, these are 36" wide and 91" long. They were entrance doors for an old school gym that was torn down several years ago. Hint, hint. A friend of mine was the janitor there and he bought them but couldn't figure out a use for them. Imagine that!Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Jamie, a solid-core door is basically just a big piece of lumber core plywood.
Narrow softwood rippings veneered on both sides, the narrow rippings are oriented to make the expansion take place through the thickness of the door, not the width.
FG, i got most of mine by haunting HomeDesperate, and Lowers, near the house, and just looking for chipped and dinged ones. They don't always have them, but one or two per month would show up.
Thanks for the tip, Jigs, I'll check each time I'm there. While there's nothing "near" my house on the island, there are two, count 'em two, HD's within 15 miles. I think the put the second one in (new Mal Wart development) to keep Lowe's from getting any of their Kitsap Peninsula business.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I don't know if the ones near you sell the culls and cutoffs, but if they do, keep an eye out for offcut sheet goods you can use for templates. The ones in Vegas would sell the offcuts, from sheets of white vinyl surfaced 1/4-in MDF, that were left after the yuppies had things cut to size and left the rest of the sheet.
It is one of my favorite materials to make templates from. Nice white surface you can draw on, and easy to cut and sand to shape.
FGIn a previous house, I had a workbench made from a solid core door. A buddy worked for a contractor company that was remodeling a hospital, and for some reason they felt it necessary to replace the operating room doors. He snagged one for me, and we cut it down to size. It had a thick laminate on each side and weighed a ton! As I recall it was 2" thick. I still miss that bench--I'd love to have it for an assembly table now. Tom"Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"
Jamie, I am sure you can find one, and when you do , get a fire resistant one. These are very much heavier than ordinary solid core - should generate some envy amongst the general populace (;)Philip Marcou
I have a spare fireproof door. Too bad that Jamie and I don't live closer. I always thought that they were filled with a concrete like product to make them fireproof. This is probably not fact but if so would this adversely affect it's strength?
I think it was the safe doors of Al Capones time that were filled with concrete.Nowadays they contain fancy space age steels to repulse shaped charges etc. The flame retardant door to the best of my knowledge is filled with some sort of high density wood based material.
But a concrete based bench top would be mighty strong even without steel rod re-enforcing (;)Philip Marcou
Edited 5/20/2007 1:50 am by philip
I had afire proof or resistant door going into my attached garage and it had what looked like dry wall material inside it, very heavy. Chris
forestgirl,
I didn't mean to be flippant with you. Guess I'm just lucky to be where I am and seem to have a ready supply of these doors.
The suckers are heavy and so far have proven to be stable. The temperature swings in my woodshop ar something to behold.
I'd be more than happy to send you one but I think the shipping costs would be prohibitive. Another possibility is salvaged bowling lane, but the problem with these is that most have steel rods embedded in them and cutting to size is problematic.
I emailed some friends out your way to see if they might know of a source.
Will keep you posted.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
"but the problem with these is that most have steel rods embedded in them and cutting to size is problematic." ROFL!!! I didn't know that! The only bowling alley on the island became a super-gym awhile back, floors and all. Kinda fun, not that it makes my 20-min stint on the treadmill fly by, but kinda fun.
Thanks for networking a little for me, that's great! I didn't think you were being flippant....forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG, I don't know why you want a solid core door, bench top perhaps?? If not, then check this out. I just made a torsion box style sled for my 16" planer so I can face joint wide boards. I couldn't believe how rigid and stable, yet LIGHT WEIGHT the sled turned out. It is 3/4" plywood top and bottom plate with 1/2 Baltic Birch grid inside. Glued and power nailed, it came out flat as a billiard table. My work bench top is laminated 3" thick maple I built last year, but when I build my assembly table, you can bet the bank I'll be making that with torsion box design. After all, if this design technique can hold a fully loaded 747 in the air, it can sure hold whatever I'm building...Jeff
Yep, for a workbench top. Has to be heavy. I suppose a torsion box loaded with sand would work? LOL. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
perhaps one could build a torsion box for a bench and fill the inside with something dense... concrete, plaster... If the inner structure were made with 2" thick boards, then
bench dog holes could be drilled through those boards (since these holes would need to go through solid wood)Perhaps some of you with more experience could think about the potential (or lack there-of) in this idea. The goals for a good top being
1. flat
2. solid/dense
3. cheap (but effective)
4. durable_____I also like the idea of doing two layers of 3/4" MDF with one layer of baltic birch ply on top. This could be done for less than $100 for a 4x8... which could be cut a bit smaller if needed. Menards now has 4x8 baltic birch instead of the traditional 60" squares.
_____on a different note: has anyone out there made a hickory top?
I know beech and maple are popular choices... but hickory is
heavy and not overly expensive... is there any reason why it would
be a bad choice.Vincent
I like the idea of a torsion box top but also concerned about dog holes. I also was thinking about a solid core door top with either a formica top or 1/4" masonite.
Forget the dog holes, and use threaded inserts. They are far more versatile.
Jigs,Do you know who carries the threaded inserts you are speaking of?Jeff
I use either 1/4-20, 5/16-18, or 3/8-16 inserts. Generally for use on a bench, I use the long 1/4-20 with a flange, and insert them from the bottom to lessen the possiblility of pull out. When you insert them in a bench, they need to have a hole all the way through so any sawdust, etc. that falls in the hole, can fall out the bottom. If you space them out at 6 to 8-inches, and put in a couple of rows, you can use them for hold downs, stop blocks, mount points for your benchtop tools, and jigs, etc.
LeeValley, McFeely's, Woodcraft, and just about any of the other woodworking suppliers have them on their websites. And, they are frequently available with the knock down fittings at Lowers and HomeDesperate, and most good old fashioned hardware stores will usually have them.
Bowling alley lanes do not have steel rods imbedded in them.They are made from 2 1/2" t&g maple or yellow pine. The first 27'-0" is maple, the rest of the lane is yellow pine. The last piece under the pinsetter is also maple.The lane from the foul line to the pinsetter # 1 pin is 60'-0"They are nailed together in an upright position with 8d screw nails on 4" centers,then 8d rosin coated box nails in between the screw nails. You can cut the lane to size , use a Dewalt 7 1/4" 24 tooth demolition blade.
mike
Why can't one be purchased a lumber co. I have a solid core door going from my garage to basement.
I am sure a solid core fire resistant door could be purchased from the lumber company but it probably wouldn't be free.
I got 10 of them 12 years ago from the hospital where I worked. One nursing unit was being totally redone and a lot of chairs, desks. fire resistant (solid core) doors were being sold. I used them all by making suspended shelves in my garage above the hood of the cars, workbench tops, covering the attic joist with a narrow strips of doors etc. Recently I saw classified ads for used filing cabinets, desks and other office supplies. Apparently the owner of the shop bids in the big city for those items when an office complex is being remodeled. Among the items (from a Gov. Office in Washington, D.C.) there were several solid core doors 36"x 84" . The filing cabinets were stamped all over "NOT TO BE USED FOR CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS".
Jamie, search and you will find. Good Luck!!
Johjn Cabot
Thanks, John. You've reminded me that my favorite auctioneer does a school surplus auction once a year (I think that's all he can take of that type of auction). I'll keep my eyes open for the next one.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG,I was like you, never even seen a solid core door.... until today. I stumbled across a business here in Lexington called "Salvage Building Materials". They had a stack of the suckers almost chest high. Big, heavy, brand new, flat as a pancake and unfinished. $25 each. I bought two, may go back for more.Keep looking, they are out there.Jeff
Patcap
I used used three sheets of 3/4 MDF. The first layer is set in a grove all the way around the oak frame. The next two just rest on top. I glued the top two together and screwed it to the bottom layer from the underside. Yes it is VERY heavy but dead flat and has a very hard surface, much harder than plywood. If it gets damaged I just unscrew it and turn it over. Cheap and rock solid.
This is not my idea but I don't remember where it pattened it from, sorry. The attached picture was not intended to show off the bench (hench the clutter) but it does give you an idea.
Best of luck!
I like that, that's a good looking bench.
Fine looking bench there- the heavier the better. Is it knock down? I feel that is a very useful attribute to a bench design, because apart from the obvious, the bolt,dowel and stub tenon for location gives a rigid joint.Philip Marcou
Thanks Philip
Yes it can be disembled. I used bed frame connections, the kind that are mortised into the posts and have a hook or wedge attachment, on the lower shelf connetion to the legs. With the thick ends of the horizontal shell support (1 1/2" X 6), the joint is quite ridge. The bench top just rests on the 4X4 legs in small brackets to keep the legs vertical. Lift the top off (two people required), take the lower shelf out and knock the horizontal supports up and the legs are free. Otherwise, get a fork lift.
The toughest part for me was getting the end vice right. Worked out... but took alot of fussy work. And putting the machine rollers under the bench was a mistake and I have removed it. You have to have the toe kick.
Best of luck, Ric
Pat,
My WorkMate portable workbench works fine, and it's portable, and the vice is built-in. :-)
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mine is solid maple, quarter sawn, about 3 inches thick. Works great.
I made my benchtop out of 16 sticks of 2X4 constuction lumber (hem-fir) gluded up such that the bench is 3-1/2" thick. That gave me the excuse to buy a Lie- Nielsen #7 jointer plane to flatten the top.
A couple hour's planing and checking with winding sticks along it's length and Voila!
Not as pretty as 3" thick maple, but a whole lot cheaper. About once a year or so, I give it a light planing to remove the inevitable stains.
Chris
My workbench top is even simpler, I bought 2 DF 2X6's and 2 2X8's, planed off the edges to get rid of the rounded part & edge glued them together. I've been using it for nearly 20 years. The top has been planed smooth several times and is getting kind of thin and feeble. The bench is about to get retired to the "Car end" of the shop and a new woodworking bench built.
If you look up the New-Fangled Workbench by John White, that's what I'm building right now. It's my first real workbench and I am making it out of Douglas Fir, as suggested in the article. My only issue with this wood is that it splinters very easily. I'm hoping that won't be an issue once it's finished.
I'm planning to build that one too. Just stumbled upon a thread with suggestions for design modifications. If you haven't seen it yourself, click here. The 6th and 7th posts are especially interesting.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Mine is untraditional but works for me. 3 sheets of 3/4 inch mdf (4x8) on a solid frame built from doubled 2x4.s. I know it is bigger than generally recommended but that is way I like it. As somebody wrote earlier, if the mdf gets damaged, just turn it over. I also cover mine in large brown construction paper (stapled to keep it flat). After each job I replace the paper and voila: clean top. PMM
I got a piece of 1/2" thick phenolic board and attached it to the 2x4 frame. It is rock solid, flat and has a white surface. The melamine surface prevents any glue or stain from adhereing to the surface. Just run a putty knife across the surface and the glue pops off. The white surface makes a giant scratch pad. It is easy to move things around since the surface is slick. If you need to do any planing, just put down one of those rubber mats and you are ready to go. Just another option for you to consider.
I have a solid-core door - I guess it's particleboard in the center - 48" wide, 80" tall. Heavy as a $%^&... Got two (unused) from a friend, cut one down to 36" wide, and am putting maple skirting on it. My question is what kind of screws should I use to screw the skirt boards into the core? Is there a special type for particle board? I need it to be solid, especially to mount my Veritas twin-screw vise to.
I have a second door, same thing, free to anyone who wants it. Located in southern NH. Bring muscles.
Can you drill 3/4" holes in solid core doors for bench dogs? I heard that solid core doors have metal rods going through them.
I hope so! I've cut up a few of these same doors for various bench tops and there is no steel in them as far as I know. Whether bench dog holes will hold up I'm not so sure about, but I figure it's worth a shot. It's free, heavy and dead flat. I'm wondering about the screws though, and their holding power.
Pat & gspman,
I have cut down 3 of them and have not hit any steel of any kind. If you have any doubts, a metal detector might ease your mind.
As for round dogholes, I'm looking to find metal sleeves that can be inserted into the holes for reinforcement. Am thinking of 7/8" copper that will allow 3/4" dogs to slip into. As to the tops, as someone previously mentioned, the LV dog heads are pre set @ 3°.
I have 6" aprons installed on mine and have had no problems. I fastened them with 3" decorative screws, pilot holes drilled only thru the apron so as to provide maximum purchase to the door. A cleat installed under top of the door and screwed from the back side into the apron works quite well. Just had to leave a cutout for the front vise.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 5/31/2007 7:57 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob, so your saying that if you drill 3/4" dog holes without sleeves they will not hold up?
Pat,
Not exactly. I think it would depend on the core material.
If the core is made of a pressboard type material then yes I would expect the dogholes would eventually distort. The sleeves would help to reinforce them.
Given the above core material I would think that some form of reinforcement would be in order. The doors that I have are a solid lumbercore interior with 3/16" veneer on each side so I don't anticipate a problem with these. Also, my top is mounted on top of a double thickness of 3/4" plywood so I will drill the dogholes through all layers.
I'm not worried about distortion in that scenario.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Hey Everyone,
Here's a pic of a cutoff from a solid-core door that I'm using. I cut this off to remove the hole for the doorknob. As you will see, the center is made up of solid pieces of wood and laminated on the outside with 3/16" birch.
I just picked up three more that are laminated with 3/16" maple.
No steel inside.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
That looks like it will handle dog holes.
Pat,
Absolutely it will. I would still reinforce doors with particleboard in the centers although I haven't run into one yet.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
My first workbench was edge glued fir, built in place. As far as I know the current owner of the house finds it to be holding up well after 20 years of usage.
I realize that I risk ridicule, however I will venture that I have the 'prettiest' bench top in the crowd.
Over the years and a series of moves I have cobbled together various benches - ending up with 3 layers of 3/4" ply - not pretty or practical. 20 years ago a friend gave me a sheet of laminate (Rosewood - that's why I claimed the 'pretty-prize). I applied the laminate with contact cement and installed a hard maple edge. After years of hard use, the top is still firm and smooth. I have 'beat out plenty of hand-cut dovetails in Oak. Easy to clean up glue spills with a razor blade.
Unconventional - but it works.
Frosty
Frosty,
I don't nelieve you! <G>, just kidding of course. How 'bout a pic? Sounds like it is very nice.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob - I'm kind of blown away by the technology that lets me go to the shop, take a picture and send it off to you. Amazing - I wonder if A. G. Bell ever dreamed of this? Here are the pics: The bench top is 20+ years old and well used. I don't do large glue-ups on this bench but I do drip from glue bottles and, of course, I wipe glue from my fingers under the edge of the top. A little like gum under movie theater seats?The bench extends another 8' past the RAS, so I can do cutoffs of 16' pieces. When I chop dovetails, I put a sacrifice board under the pin or tail board. The third photo shows the neat hold-down I bought from David Calvo. I've seen it in a catalog somewhere.FrostyP.S. Thanks to you, I had to brush the fine patina of dust from the Rosewood.
Frosty,Yeah, isn't it great! And to think that the first digital camera was invented just a scant 16 years ago, the first commercially available one was just 13 years ago!I remember a wall poster that I saw just 5 years into my computer career back in '72. No, 1972 not 1872!It said: Eschew obfiscation: If the automotive industry had progressed at the same rate as the computer industry, we'd all be driving around in Rolls Royces for $2.75 each.Regards,Bob @ Kidderville AcresA Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 6/8/2007 12:08 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Is there a reason no one puts a piece of formica on their workbenchs, there must be a reason? It seems to me that it would be duable and easy to wipe off glue.
Pat,
In my case I only use my bench for hand tool operations; gluing is done on the assembly table. I have occasionally used the vises for holding objects for finishing such as gunstocks mounted on a dowell.
Also, I like wood as it is forgiving to the sharp irons. I'm not sure how they might react to formica, i.e. the occasional dropped tool. I would tend to think that I'd be replacing it quite often as it's very brittle.
Perhaps another reason is that I like the look of wood; my perception of all the other benches I've seen. Then again it could simply be a personal preference.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 6/7/2007 11:21 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
PatI used the formica "cover" because it was free and because my old plywood tops had gotten pretty beatup. The top veneer layer of ply is not very thick. It was going to be a short term fix until I moved and could get a better shop - but it is in good shape after 20 years, so I'll keep it. (I do admit that a nice beech European bench would look pretty but I don't really know if it would be better.For a look at the bench top see post # 36080.55Frosty
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled