Workbench tips

[Herb Blair]

Just a note about workbenches. Several years ago I built a workbench with a
1/4" plywood "removable" skin to protect the MDF sandwich below. This all worked pretty good, except that I would have to scrape and sand the top after gluing up a project. Over the years I went through several sheets of 1/4" plywood for this purpose. Recently I built and new, larger bench and used a sheet of 1/8" tempered hardboard as the skin (just like Norm). This time I got smart. I bought a roll of 18" butcher paper from Sam's Club and I cover the bench top with strips of this, secured with masking tape. Now glue-up and finish are much easier, as I just tear off the old paper and through it away and lay down a new top. When I need to use the dog holes, I just punch through the paper. I've since noticed that some folks use brown kraft paper that's heavier than the butcher paper that I have, but the lighter stuff seems to do the job.
The picture attached is the bench without the paper cover. It's built out of fir 4x4's, pine 2 x6 and 2x4, three sheets of 3/4" MDF (This is one heavy top), and a sheet of 1/8" tempered hardboard. The edging is 3/4" popular. It ain't real pretty like some of the benches I've seen, but it works for me.

[Angelo Schembari]

Originally posted by hblair
It ain't real pretty like some of the benches I've seen, but it works for me.

Looks good Herb. I'm working on a similar one myself. How did you attach the vise? I'm worried about the screws pulling through the MDF.

[Diane Maluso]

Not that I think it's a bad idea or anything but I have to confess that the first thing I thought of after reading about the paper-covered bench was my grandmother's approach to her furniture. Those plastic covers were on for something like 30 years!

[Herb Blair]

The vise is attached with Lag screws. Pre-drilled. I had a simular vise in the old bench (Which is along the wall of the shop now) that I did the same way. Built it 20 years ago, with no problems with is loosening up or anything.

I guess I'm like Diane's grandmother. I built the bench to use, not to show off.
But scraping glue off of the top is not one of the fun things that I like to do.

[William Parks]

Would you mind elaborating a little on how you sandwich the 3 layers of MDF. Glue only, glue and screws..... The last MDF sandwich I tried to make (2 layers) I had trouble keeping the two pieces from slipping against each other (I used Titebond II).

Thanks.

[Garrett Lambert]

I don't care whether Norm used and recommends it or not, I really don't like hardboard on a bench top. Too dark and far too slippery.

Cheers, Garrett

[Mike Cunningham]

Very nice bench! I do the same, using hardboard as the "skin". But I see that as Diane's grandma's plastic covers rather than the paper. In the past, I've just replaced the hardboard, though I have to say I like your tip......that'd be a lot less glue scraping and less hardboard replacing. As for Norm, I recall old episodes where he has brown paper on his traditional bench, protecting it during glue ups.

[Glenn Clabo]

Originally posted by Diane Maluso
Not that I think it's a bad idea or anything but I have to confess that the first thing I thought of after reading about the paper-covered bench was my grandmother's approach to her furniture. Those plastic covers were on for something like 30 years!

Diane,
That, for some reason, just cracked me up! My whole Italian family had plastic on all the furniture and even left the plastic on the light shades. All I can remember was sticking to the couch in the summer.

[Herb Blair]

I used glue and screws to laminate the MDF sandwich together.

Herb

[Mike Cunningham]

Hey Glenn, just like the Barone's!! Mrs. Barone removed her's the other day and Raymond and Robert stuck to the sofa!

[Bartee Lamar]

How did you attach the wrapper boards ( those around the edge ) ?

[Dick Shryock]

Originally posted by DeBill
Would you mind elaborating a little on how you sandwich the 3 layers of MDF. Glue only, glue and screws..... The last MDF sandwich I tried to make (2 layers) I had trouble keeping the two pieces from slipping against each other (I used Titebond II).

Thanks.

DeBill, I know that you didn't ask me but I just finished a similar bench. Used three layers of MDF Glued with Titebond and screwed about every 12" all over. Seemed to work out just fine.

I didn't make a replaceable top seemed like it was un necessary and added a lot of potential problems eg not laying flat etc.

You can see my bench here as well point at http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=312
if you want to take a look.

I do plan to use rolled paper to protect the top when I'm gluing up. I used BLO and wax as a finish on the MDF.

[Dick Shryock]

Originally posted by Bartee
How did you attach the wrapper boards ( those around the edge ) ?

I used a spline on my bench to attach the hardwood wrapper.

[William Parks]

Dick,

Thanks for the info on gluing the mdf layers. I will jump over and take a look at your new bench.

William


Used three layers of MDF Glued with Titebond and screwed about every 12" all over. Seemed to work out just fine.