Work Bench

[Phillip Thorne]

So I scored a nice stainless steel table from working, one of the few advantages to working at a grocery store...was wondering what you guys think about the top...it's a heavy table, maybe 75lbs and I'd like to have a wooden top. Should I just cover the stainless with a couple sheets of ply or totally remove the steel top and build a solid wood top in it's place?

Thanks in advance for all the help as this is the first real peice to be added to my "shop". Wife wont let me buy anything until I stop smoking, which I'm working on now! (all this has started b/c we are now 10 wks pregnant, just heard the heartbeat today, and I want to build our baby the best crib I can!!)

~Philliphttp://lh3.google.com/image/ptthorne/RZ2YMiZXHDI/AAAAAAAAAro/hCGPFWgH8YI/DSC03138.JPG

[Randal Stevenson]

Do you do any automotive work?

If so, then I would replace it with a wood top, and get some old cabinets (or build a wood frame), and set it on top for the greasy stuff in the garage.

[Phillip Thorne]

I do a little automotive work...nothing that requires any more work surface than the driveway provides...but that is a good idea...hhhmmm so much to think about

[Steven DeMars]

Why not sell it to someone who really NEEDS a stainless steel table . . ie . . restaurant, caterer . .

Then take the money & buy materials to make a really nice woodworking bench . . .

That wat you get a woodworking bench for free & gain the experience of building one.

[Roger Bell]

For a woodworking bench, it is important to have weight and a fairly thick and very flat wooden top. I consider 200# as the minimum with 300# even better, especially if you do much hand work. So I don't believe you will be well served by a light weight table.

Your table might be really nice as a secondary bench, for oily stuff, for finishing, for glue-ups, etc., if you have the space. I have a formica topped unit as my secondary bench, saving the WW bench from depradation. I recommend building yourself a primary WW bench to suit the work you do or hope to do.

[Phillip Thorne]

I'm not truely sure how indepth with wood working I am going to go. As the crib will be my first "pretty" project. I like the idea of building my own, but the funds I would put into that might be better spent gathering equipment and materials for crib project. So I might cover this table with mdf and plan on building "my" workbench will be my second project. I have a good bit of space in our basement, assuming I don't take over too much of my wifes laundry space I'll be good!!

[Rich Engelhardt]

Should I just cover the stainless with a couple sheets of ply or totally remove the steel top and build a solid wood top in it's place?

Hello Phillip,
Personally I'd make up some sort of clamp on plywood or MDF top and leave the stainless top intact for finishing.
Nothing beats SS for a clean working surface.
Formica is pretty good, except that it can chip & has an annoying tendancy to build a static charge and attract dust.

Most over the counter finishes won't stick to SS, especially the type used for foodstuffs.
That heavy SS top is really a luxury few people can afford.

[John Schreiber]

First, good luck on stopping smoking. For your health and that of your wife and baby to be, it's one of the best things you can do.

Second, you can make a very adequate bench which will be good for woodworking by putting a layer or two of something on top of it.

You will want at least one sturdy vice, so I would suggest having at least one of those layers be a thick piece of plywood so that you can mount the vice off the side of the steel able, then perhaps MDF on top of the plywood to add flatness and weight. I don't think a vice would mount well to MDF cantilevered off of the table, but I'm curious about what others think.

I'd try to add the woodworking layer to the table without drilling through the top of the stainless table. If you sell the table later, that would increase its resale value and if you do get into more woodworking, a stainless steel table would be a great addition for finishing, machine work, sharpening etc.

[Charles McKinley]

Hi Phillip,

Here is my suggestion:

Use a double thickness of MDFto make a top. Choose the end you want the vise on and extend it out the distance your vise hardware extends under the top. Put a skirt around the top to hold the mdf top in place and to attach the legs under the vise. You will need them. DAMHIKT

If this is not heavy enough make the skirt wide enough to run screws though it into wall studs. If you attach it to the wall you could get away with a leg on the outside corner wherer the vise is. Another thought would be to make the skirt 1/8 proud of the top and put in a sheet of hard board for a renewable top.

keep the cost as low as possible.

[Phillip Thorne]

anyone have a good leads on used vises? or where to find them? I've checked at the big box stores to no avail, i'd like to get a little touchy feely before purchasing but if there is a good source you know of PLEASE let me know...i'm heading out tonight to get the MDF and some wood for the skirt...hhmmm..soo much to think about...THANKS AGAIN GUYS!!!