Garage Workbench Top

Peter James · 22 Jul 2020

Hi,

I plan to build my own general purpose work bench. The main reason is that I can have the exact size I require.
The main structure will be constructed by 4" x 2" timber.
My problem is how to construct the top. Initially I was planning to use the same 4x2 timber and screw five of these to gibe me a 20 inch deep top (cant have much deeper than this).

However, I am not sure if there is a better alternative for the work top?
Are there other options I should be considering? Maybe a kitchen type laminate top?

Thanks

Burnerman · 22 Jul 2020

How about a piece of OSB, with the edges capped with aluminium angle?
John

Peter James · 22 Jul 2020

Burnerman said:
How about a piece of OSB, with the edges capped with aluminium angle?
John

Thanks for this. I has thought of plywood, but wondered if 18mm was sufficient (OSB or ply)?

Harry Bloomfield · 22 Jul 2020

I have used kitchen worktop for both of my benches, one has a heavy 8" engineers vice on it - I added extra reinforcement for the vice.

Stivino · 22 Jul 2020

I have also used kitchen worktop and it is fine for me.
You might be able to get it for the price of a pint at your local recycling centre.

Burnerman · 22 Jul 2020

Peter James said:
Thanks for this. I has thought of plywood, but wondered if 18mm was sufficient (OSB or ply)?

I'd go for OSB, maybe 25mm thick? It's better than ply for liquid resistance and easy to replace. I guess it depends on what you need it for - if you are welding for example it will be spattered in no time.
For sure I wouldn't use lengths of 4x2 because of cupping and possible gaps.
John

Peter James · 22 Jul 2020

Thanks guys. All very helpful.

I actually have a piece of 50mm worktop that I can make the right size.

Gapping and evenness was my biggest concern with 4x2s. I will look further into OSB to see if I can get thicket than 18mm.

I wont be welding - so its just general use. And will be attaching a wood vice and an engineers vice - so the advice on strengthening sounds sensible.

PS I am in the UK

Burnerman · 22 Jul 2020

Good luck with your project, mount the engineers vice so the fixed jaw is in line with the front edge....you'd be surprised how many aren't which means that you can't fix long material vertically!
Wood working benches are typically much lower than engineering ones.
John

Peter James · 22 Jul 2020

Burnerman said:
Good luck with your project, mount the engineers vice so the fixed jaw is in line with the front edge....you'd be surprised how many aren't which means that you can't fix long material vertically!
Wood working benches are typically much lower than engineering ones.
John

Good tip on the vice mounting. Thanks

Tigercubrider · 22 Jul 2020

My bench is 18mm (I think) chipboard double thickness, glued and screwed.
It's about 4x3 feet
2x1 timber edging with a slight lip- apart from the LHS edge where I dropped the trim so I can sweep crap off.
It sits on a 4x2 frame and legs, bolted into a corner.
I also have a sheet of roughly 18" square steel as an extra topper if I need to whack something
Metal work vice and soft jaws.

Nozzle · 22 Jul 2020

I put a sheet of thin steel over mine, fold it over at the edges. Weld if you have the equipment. I should have used stainless, but it's very expensive, so mild steel it is, with a bit of surface rusting.

Nozzle

JBR · 22 Jul 2020

I also used a kitchen worktop in our garage for a workbench.
However, in my case I attached the back to the wall using heavy hinges and added fold-down stout wooden legs (again on hinges) at the front.
I have to have a fold-away bench in order to keep the car in the garage as well.
It may sound a bit of a botch, but it is strong and works very well.

foxhole · 23 Jul 2020

I use mdf for top , very smooth, so doesn’t scratch anything moved on it and coat of danish oil stops any liquid damage.
Also have two mobile(heavy castors) storage units loaded with my heaviest tools which can be pushed together to give me a large work area or moved out to open up the floor area.

Brigadier · 23 Jul 2020

Scaffold boards, tightly-jointed together?

WoOt · 23 Jul 2020

Cast mine in place out of concrete.

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Garage Workbench Top

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