sealing wood work table help!!

[Jessica Shomberg]

Hey everyone! Need some advice on what to do with multiple wood work tables. This is at my job and the table tops are starting to fray and chip on the tops and sides. We were looking at different options, such as putting some sort of plexiglass over the tops or possibly a cheaper route. The top is just a slab of plywood. I don't know too much about sealers or epoxy, but we were looking at wanting some sort of a topper on the tables. Any suggestions??

[Matt Kestenbaum]

Perhaps a little more specific information would help. What kind of "work" happens on these tables -- we (at least I) don't know whether you work in a cabinet shop or an art studio, plant nursery or nursery school. Also some more info as to what is degrading the tops or what you need to protect them from would be of help.…are they getting wet? Abraded by rough materials? Do they have any finish on them now? The surface veneers on Plywood are pretty thin.

One thought is whether is makes sense to put new tops on and this time seal them. Sounds like you are seeking a film finish. Determining which (shellac, polyurethane, acrylic, lacquer) will likely depend on how you use them and what you expose them to.

[Matt Kestenbaum]

One more thought…if you decide to swap tops…you could always go the phenolic faced route. And framing or wrapping the edges with sold wood is helpful too.

[Stew Hagerty]

Hey everyone! Need some advice on what to do with multiple wood work tables. This is at my job and the table tops are starting to fray and chip on the tops and sides. We were looking at different options, such as putting some sort of plexiglass over the tops or possibly a cheaper route. The top is just a slab of plywood. I don't know too much about sealers or epoxy, but we were looking at wanting some sort of a topper on the tables. Any suggestions??

First - What types of things do you do on the top? Is it a finishing table, assembly table, workbench, or a combination? I feel the use dictates the finish.

However, in general, whenever I make a plywood top that is going to see a lot of use, I like to start out with good quality plywood such as Baltic Birch. However, that may not be available where you live, or be cost prohibitive for your application. I also like to band it with a solid wood edging. The edging helps to save the reduce the fraying you mentioned, and you can use hardwood or softwood.

[Stew Hagerty]

One more thought…if you decide to swap tops…you could always go the phenolic faced route. And framing or wrapping the edges with sold wood is helpful too.

I was typing my response while Matt was posting this.

One of my favorite top materials is Melamine. It is a relatively smooth, hard surface that resists almost everything.

[Jessica Shomberg]

I work in logistics...so a lot of packing. They don't get wet or anything, they are probably pretty old as well. I have been there for 2 years and pretty sure they have been there A LOT longer. If you are there packing all day, it will end up putting holes in your shirt because of the wear on it.

[Michael Kellough]

A quick and clean and inexpensive way to protect yourself from the splintery old plywood is to cover the table with "tile board" from HD. It may be called something else in some places but it is 1/8" tempered Masonite (aka hardboard) that is covered on one side with white melamine. It costs around $12 per sheet and you can simply adhere it to the old table with double stick tape. If the old table surface is very rough you might need double stick foam tape.

Another benefit of the "tile board" is that the edges are round from the production mold so you won't get splinters or snag your clothes.

[Larry Browning]

A quick and clean and inexpensive way to protect yourself from the splintery old plywood is to cover the table with "tile board" from HD. It may be called something else in some places but it is 1/8" tempered Masonite (aka hardboard) that is covered on one side with white melamine. It costs around $12 per sheet and you can simply adhere it to the old table with double stick tape. If the old table surface is very rough you might need double stick foam tape.

Another benefit of the "tile board" is that the edges are round from the production mold so you won't get splinters or snag your clothes.
I would also add that you should wrap the edges with 1x2 stripping to cover the plywood edge. I would add to masonite top first making sure it was flush with the plywood edge then add the new edge. It is also a good idea to allow for replacement of the masonite top.
One more thing, I would consider replacing the plywood too, but still use the same edged plywood/replaceable Masonite combo.

[Prashun Patel]

If you have access to a router, then one option is to just bullnose the edges. In fact, someone can even do this with a hand plane; even a 45 degree (ish) chamfer will be fine.
Then seal the tables with polyurethane. Sand it a couple times in between with 320 grit sandpaper. You will end up with a smooth, sealed, rounded edge that won't catch and lift as you touch it.

I also like Larry's suggestion of edging the tables. However, unless routed flush, those seams can be a crud-collectors. Topping with a polyurethane will also greatly improve your ability to sweep and clean up.

[Bill McDermott]

Jessica, I built a 16' temporary work table out of construction plywood. I slathered water based polyurethane on top. When cured, it got some Johnson's Paste Wax. Then I built a kayak on it. You can imagine the mess of epoxy. The surface turned out to be so durable, I kept a big piece of the table. The water based poly is great because you can put it on a large surface right where it stands and not worry about the fumes. It dries fast. It's available in the Ace around the corner. Screwing on some 1 x 3 strips as edging will also serve you well. You can complete this entire process after work tonight. The more complicated "Next Generation Work Table" solutions above are better, longer term solutions.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I built a cutting table for my wife for her sewing room out of a sheet of Melamine, edged with Oak banding, and reinforced underneath with plywood strips. It currently sits on sawhorses, but eventually will sit on drawer pedestals to support it. Melamine is coated in plastic laminate and is impervious to most substances, unless it gets wet on the edge and the particle board swells.

Doc