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Thread: Work bench finish

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    Lancaster, PA
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    Work bench finish

    I’m building work benches along the back wall of my shop. I plan on using BLO as a finish, should I top coat them with wax as well?

  2. #2
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    Depends on what the benches will be used for. A woodworking bench shouldn't be slick because you want stock to stay put when working it.

  3. #3
    Most benches that get used get beat to h#ll pretty quick. I wouldn't bother keeping it too pretty. Lineseed oil is probably fine. I'm not a fan of it because it stinks and takes a long time to dry, but others like it. A light coat of shellac would probably work as well, as would whatever leftover finish you want to get rid of. I still haven't gotten around to putting finish on my Scandi bench. I really need to do that one of these years.

  4. #4
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    In the shop, I only use the BLO for surfaces like this as it's easily renewable. The wax doesn't add much benefit and makes recoating more difficult.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
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    I use varnish on mine. The varnish film rejects glue a little better than BLO. It does get beat up -- the thing is a work bench -- so it gets another coat every few years.

  6. #6
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    So is Poly not recommended? I've been using water based General Finishes poly.

    About once a year, I sand it and give it a fresh coat.

  7. #7
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    I just do a BLO/turpentine mix. It soaks in/dries faster.. I'm lazy, and impatient. The bench top's been finished this way for over a decade.. I should probably plane it down and refinish it someday.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  8. #8
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    My woodworking bench got sanded to 80 grit & then 1 coat of Danish oil, or maybe Tung oil, whatever it was that I had on hand. That leaves a nice grippy surface & glue come off easily. That was a couple of years ago & it's due for another refresh, which will take all of about 1/2 hour.

  9. #9
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    Sep 2008
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    Thanks everyone, I’ll skip the wax.

  10. #10

    A More Complex Finish....

    Blood, sweat, and tears. In that order.

    My bench has been in daily use since 1980, and has produced over $10M in work over the years. It is by far the most valued tool in the shop.

    I give it loving care in between beatings: At the end of a day, usually every 2 weeks or so. First, a good clean scrape with the Red Devil scraper to remove the high spots - glue, mostly. Next a coat of Danish oil, let it soak in for 1/2hour or so, then wipe it off. The next morning a coat of Johnson Paste wax, liberally applied. Then a clean cotton rag and the Festool with no paper for a buffing.

    A bench should show both the wear and the respect.
    I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.
    - Kurt Vonnegut

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by ChrisA Edwards View Post
    So is Poly not recommended? I've been using water based General Finishes poly.

    About once a year, I sand it and give it a fresh coat.
    You can use whatever you want on a bench surface...oil, oil/wax, leftover varnish, waterborne whatever...it doesn't really matter. "Nothing" is a valid surface treatment, too!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    You can use whatever you want on a bench surface...oil, oil/wax, leftover varnish, waterborne whatever...it doesn't really matter. "Nothing" is a valid surface treatment, too!
    I finished my laminated maple workbench with Tennessee air.

    JKJ

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    I finished my laminated maple workbench with Tennessee air.

    JKJ
    So your bench has a Tennessee accent?
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by David Sochar View Post

    A bench should show both the wear and the respect.
    You got to wonder about those people who have perfect looking benches. No street cred

    Some of the pictures of Klausz and Frid (and probably most other instructors) show a bench that is nice and pretty and pristine, especially those "build a bench articles", but if you look at the benches they actually use in their "how to" videos/articles, they look as beat up, chiseled into, and glue & finish slopped as my bench.

    Actually raw wood isn't a bad finish for a work bench. It is what I have had on my current bench since I made it.

    The assembly bench has a Formica top. I clean that with a beater scraper and a specific beater chisel.

  15. #15
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    Yea, the finish I put on my shop furniture is the same (same 50/50 mix too) as on my hammer handles. It's really just serviceable, nothing more.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

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