Good house keeping for bench tops

[lou sansone]

good evening wood workers
I wonder how many of you all have some system for keeping your work bench tops clean when doing messy jobs like finishing or glue ups. I wanted to share what I have found to work. I use 50 lb kraft paper to cover the bench. it works out to be about 6 cents per foot or about 36 cents to cover the bench when I am making a mess with glue, dye or some finish. You can reuse it a few times and then throw it away. The kraft paper is also useful for full size drawings of projects that I am working on. What other methods do folks here use or just nothing at all?

lou

[Jim Becker]

Lou, I'm glad you bring this up. I've been considering installation of an identical setup for my own bench...and since I don't have a tail/end vice on mine, will likely mount the paper trolley on the underside of that end of the bench for convenience. (I don't have a free wall ANYWHERE for this)

[Syd Lorandeau]

Hi Lou,
I am still into the newspaper cover but that sure looks better as every now and then a piece of paper comes off the top with you.
In the third pic is a jig that looks like its for frames? I have one from my Dads stuff, what do you use it for and how? Thanks,
Syd

[Andy Hoyt]

Lou - I've always wanted a set up like that, but I'm not organized enough to pull it off.

So I just use a $3 shower curtain - when I remember to do so that is. Dried glue just flakes off it. When done I just roll it up and shove it into an available corner.

Click here to see how often I remember (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=24614).

[Richard Wolf]

Lou, every time I see a picture of your shop, I wonder where are you doing your woodworking?
Way to neat.

Richard

[Roger Everett]

I take the easy way out. My TS rec. table is 4X8 with a close match to Delta blue mica. I do any messy glue-ups on it and can just pop of and drip w/ a putty knife.
Roger

[Jim Dunn]

Richard look's to me as if he waxes the floor:D. Course if I had a show piece of a shop like that I'd wax the floors, walls, ceiling:rolleyes:.

Lou, I too use painters paper on my down draft/glue up table. I don't have it mounted under the table but plan to. Beautiful looking shop/living room;).

Happy New Year

[Matt Meiser]

[QUOTE=Jim Beckerand since I don't have a tail/end vice on mine, will likely mount the paper trolley on the underside of that end of the bench for convenience. [/QUOTE]

I did exactly that on my assembly table. I made a holder from some scraps of baltic birch and a piece of EMT conduit. To tear it off, I just grab my 4' aluminum ruler and tear against that, though I've been thinking about attaching a strip of aluminum to the end of the bench for that. Lowes sells "builders paper" in the paint department that I use. It is much nicer to work on that than having to clean the bench all the time.

[Gil Mitchell]

I keep a roll of red rosin paper in the shop, it's pretty tough stuff and cheap

[Gary Herrmann]

I've got a similar setup. I bought a roll of butcher paper or something like it at Costco over a year ago - it will probably last 3-5 more years at least. It does help with messes.

[Alan Turner]

I have some free sheets of white plastic to which nothing sticks. So, out they come when needed, when I remember.

[Steve Clardy]

I just use cardboard. I get a lot of boxes that my laminate comes in.
Just cut them up and store till needed.

[Chris Gregory]

I haven't done it yet but Jerry Work gave me the same idea using Butchers paper, the internet is a beautiful thing, I decided to start putting a shop together again about two or three months ago and the help tips and advice that you gents put out have saved me an incredible amount of both money and time.

[James Ayars]

I use cardboard. We get boxes at the gym every month and I bring a couple home to use. I also use them to lay on when I'm under one of our vehicles changing the oil etc. Once they're dirtier than the ground, I throw them away and get a new one.
James

[Mark Singer]

I have basically 2 work areas....the large bench and I never do glue ups or finishing there...only bench work...The other area is a 4x8 outfeed , glue-up , finishing table and I save large pieces of carboard and lay them out before glue ups...If I need the bench soon after...I climb on top and lower the glue up assembly and clamps to the floor...It is usually quite heavy...then I can walk it out of the way and keep working while it drys..Once in a while I take a scraper or sander and go over the surface.

[Bob Noles]

A nice piece of tempered hardboard is stored behind my workbench and gets pulled out for those messy jobs. I put a few coats of poly on it about a year ago and glue pops right off with a putty knife when it builds up. Store it right back when the job is finished and keeps the bench itself looking good.

[George Summers]

I use freezer paper from the grocery store. One side is slick and nothing sticks to it and the other side can be written on with pencil or pen for making big drawings.

George

[Tom Hamilton]

My WalMart picnic table cloth, plastic on top, fabric on bottom protects from glue, ScarySharp lubricant, assorted paints and other staining liquids.

$2.69 each, floral, leaf, or geometric pattern.:D

All the best in 06, Tom

[Bob Noles]

For those of you using the plastic table cloths, you may want to check out the Dollar Tree chain, if you have them in your area. They sell these for $1 each in assorted sizes. I use them for drop cloths all the time.

[Dan Larson]

Great tip, Lou. I've gotten in the habit of using heavy butcher paper to protect my benchtop during glue-ups. Usually the paper gets glued to whatever I'm glueing up but the glue will not penetrate through the paper and onto the bench. The paper then is easily scraped or sanded off of the piece. I would like to point out that although this works well with PVA glue, not the case for polyurethane glue. Butcher paper is easily penetrated by polyurethane glue. A couple of days ago I learned this lesson the hard way. I did a really nice job laminating a butcher block countertop that I was glueing up onto my benchtop! :eek: Wow, did I ever feel stupid!!! Fortunately the bench was covered in cheapo MDF and I was able to pry most the MDF off of my new butcherblock. A little extra sanding of the butcherblock and cutting a new MDF benchtop and I'll be back in business. Live and learn, I suppose...

Dan