Best material for workbenches?

[Amihai]

Hello,
I'm looking to replace my current tables in the shop with custom, made to size workbenches in order to maximise my workspace. Something similar to the picture I've attached.

What will be the best material to build the workbenches from? Something which will be sturdy and also spill proof for the occasional accident.

I think solid wood will be very expensive. Laminate maybe? MDF? What's your recommendation?

 

[Jans husband]

I built my own bench to fit in a space in 2015 and it's still as sturdy as ever
Timber frame with mdf for the lower shelf with cut out corners to fit onto the frame and screwed into place
You can turn the top over or remove and replace the top easily and cheaply when necessary
I found plans on the internet
I have separate drawers but they could be easily incorporated in your bench to fit the dimensions

Best wishes for your project
You will get a lot of pleasure by making it yourself
Mike

 

[carlmorrell]

I have made several workbenches out of 2x4s and lag bolts. Super strong with a triangulated bracing. More stable than I would expect. I consider the top to be something that is a consumable. Design to be easy to replace. My first iteration was using cheap plywood, which 30 years ago was pretty good. Then I switched to melamine. I really liked that, but when I replaced again with melamine 3 or 4 years ago, the stuff the big box stores sell is not as good as it used to be. I think next time, I will get a good butcherblock top only because I have never had one. Maybe I would take better care of it.

 

[derekdd]

I built mine from a bunch of left over wood the previous owner of our house had laying around the in garage. Used treated 4x4s for the legs, regular 2x4s for the rails, and a sheet of 3/4" plywood for the top. Polyurethaned the heck out of the top, and off I went.

While not a thing of beauty, it is heavy (doesn't move with the lathe or other bench top tools) and functional.

Good luck!

 

[RGABEL]

For the bench top I use laminate. I can usually find broken pieces that are still large enough at a substantial discount. Easy to apply and offers an easy clean-up surface. If I spill glue or epoxy I let it dry and then take it off with a chisel.

 

[Woodchipper]

For laminate tops, check with a cabinet or countertop shop. They have sink cutouts that wind up in the dumpster. Some found their way into my shop. Made a top: lathe stand from an old HF lathe, table top for DP and BS, chop saw on old BBQ grill stand, rolling platform for Shop Vac, table top for Kreg router table. Larger ones could be damaged tops that can be cut down for your needs. Best is that they are free. Countertops might have a price on them. My workbench has an MDF piece.

 

[jttheclockman]

Good old 2x4s and it is the top that you put a better material on. I used an old solid oak door I got for free off a job site. Plywood for shelves. Now when I built my shop many many years ago I built the cabinets from a wood called Sande. It is in the mahagony family. Years ago Home Depot use to sell it. Inside is just plain plywoods.

 

[bugradx2]

My bench is made from bolted up 2x6, 2x4 and MDF layers from a Woodsmith plan. I added some rows of 2x4 to one side to make it easier to put a vice and tail vise on it. I was not sure about the MDF when I started but it has been fantastic. I have a bunch of coats of minwax poly on it. It's held up really well although pretty much due for a refresh on the poly. this is an ancient photo of the shop, it looks different now that I have cabinets and other stuff in it. Table has stayed in that spot though.

I would not use MDF as fronts for drawers but that's probably just a personal thing on my part.

 

[duncsuss]

Mine is standard 3/4" plywood top, edged with poplar strips that I think are 3/8" x 2" (might be smaller). The poplar stands 1/4" proud of the plywood, and a sheet of Masonite slips into the recess. I drilled a few 1" diameter holes through the plywood first, makes it easy to pop out the Masonite from beneath if I mess up the top to the point it needs to be replaced.

 

[Mortalis]

Hello,
I'm looking to replace my current tables in the shop with custom, made to size workbenches in order to maximise my workspace. Something similar to the picture I've attached.

What will be the best material to build the workbenches from? Something which will be sturdy and also spill proof for the occasional accident.

I think solid wood will be very expensive. Laminate maybe? MDF? What's your recommendation?

Your attached picture shows all that is needed for sturdy long lasting cabinet/benches. Just design for ability to replace the top once it gets cut, slashed and splattered.
I've gone to the big box stores and bought damaged cabinets, repaired what was broken and then topped with whatever 3/4 material was available. Ready made with little and sometimes no repair if the damage was only superficial.

 

[Drewby108]

My father found that a local apartment complex was replacing all their solid core doors (over 100 of them), so he asked to save them the dump fees and made upper and lower cabinets, two workbenches, plus some stuff for a friend's shop. I think he got 40 or 50 doors, used most, then gave the last 10 away. The main workbench got the old laminated breakfast island top from their kitchen remodel.

 

[dogcatcher]

I found an old heavy oak desk. It's too low for a stand up workbench. But made it work using a barstool. I'm handicapped so it fits my needs. My other work area is made out of double 2x4s for the legs and 2x4s for all the bracing. 2 sheets of mdf for the top are screwed together so I can replace the top sheet. In the last 30 years I replaced it 1 time.

 

[MRDucks2]

I have become fond of pine frames, MDF or HDF tops in the form of salvaged 1.5" desk tops or scratch and dent solid core doors from Menards.

 

[Bikerdad]

Get this book, it will help you ask and answer all of the questions relevant to YOUR Givens and Druthers. (If you want to know what THAT term means, head over to the world of model railroading. The basic concept still applies.)

Construction lumber for the base. Solid core door for the top, with a 3-6mm replaceable hardboard skin. Perfectly adequate for most of what you are likely to do. The best? Not really. The reality is that the best workbench material depends on what you're going to be DOING at the workbench, how much time, sweat and money you're willing to put into it, and how long you want it to last. If you're going to be welding, wood is probably not what you want. Conversely, if you're going to be working AT the bench with a lot of edged tools, a steel top is a no-go.

I would stay away from using particle board or MDF in a workbench, except perhaps for side panels. Beyond that, a lot depends on the tools you have. Your simplest option would be to build the bases to fit your space, and then find something like this locally and use it as the top. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton...ertop-With-Square-Edge-THD-HBU-0001/319764603 You could do this option with a saw, a router, and a cordless drill.

Spills are not really a problem. You can either use a laminate/hardboard top, or simply put finish on the bench, which is what I do. Unless you're spilling acid on the bench, spills are merely cosmetic.

 

[Woodchipper]

I have an ancient workbench that was a Christmas gift from the in-laws. Have a 48x22 piece for MDF fr the top. I don't use it for woodworking but the odds and ends in the shop. Great catchall! Can't find it...look there. Need to take it outside and run the belt sander over it.