How to protect my outfeed table top

[Nick Mastropietro]

I just finished an outfeed table using 3/4 MDO for the top. I would like some advise on products that could be used to protect the surface as I do some amount of project assembly on it. I am concerned about gluing operations. I would like to keep the surface in as good condition as possible.

[Paul Girouard]

Plastic Laminate AKA High pressure Laminate, P. Lam., Formica.

[Nick Mastropietro]

Hey Paul
I did considerd that however this material has a moisture resistant resin impregnated paper surface, I was hoping for some topical application. I don't know if wax or urathane or ????? I am hoping for as many different options and reasons to use them as possible. Thanks for your response.

[Brian Kent]

Mine has danish oil and wax. I can get stray drips scraped off pretty easily.

I'll watch other answers because I have no idea if this is what the best answer might be. It's what Frank Klausz uses on his work bench, but he also has a blanket he puts over the top during glue-ups.

Brian

[Jamie Buxton]

Titebond and its cousins don't stick to varnish.

[Bill Huber]

On all of my MDF jigs and tables and the like I just use up those 1/4 cans of poly then I wax them with paste wax and that has worked very well for me. Nothing fancy at all but it works and if I get some glue on them it comes right off.

[glenn bradley]

I don't know that the characteristics of MDO (although it does paint well) would lend itself to my protocol. I tend to stick to BLO and wax for the bench but get pretty free-form on the outfeeds. Like Bill, my outfeed gets whatever clear finish I happen to be working with at the time; BLO, shellac, varnish, etc. however I don't wax it . . . that might interfere with the next rag, damp with 'whatever', that I am looking to rub on it ;-)

[Bill Arnold]

I applied two coats of Sealcoat, then two coats of Johnson's Wax to my tablesaw outfeed and side support tables and it has held up well. Glue drops don't stand a chance!

[Ken Shoemaker]

Nick,
I was trying to save the top of my new Grizzly workbench top. I was wandering thru the "Orange BORG" and noticed this stuff that they put in the bottom of showers prior to putting down tile. It's pretty thick rubber, 5 feet wide and on a large roll. I used to put it on the table (it lies nice and flat) and do my glue-ups. Any slop is just flaked off when dry.

It has worked so well I leave it on all the time. My three year old top is like the day I got it.

Good luck! Ken

[Paul Ryan]

I use poly. It is harder than just about anything and takes the abuse that I dish out. I use my out feed table as an assembly table, bench, sanding table, and more. Glue doesn't stick to it and it holds up. Put a couple of coats of wax on it and it will be real slick as well.

[Matt Meiser]

Since its MDO and already has some amount of plastic (resin) in the coating, I'd just wax it.

[Myk Rian]

Just wax it. That's all I do to my router tables.