Metal workbench top

[Joe R.]

While working on my exhaust manifold studs, I was reminded again of what a poor material Masonite is for a workbench top in a garage. What would you guys recommend? Aluminum? Stainless? Where should I get it? How thick should it be?

Thanks,
Joe

[Bill M.]

Re: Metal workbench top

Joe

I have 2 steel bench's they are 1/2" sheet with 3" pipe as legs. I bought all of the metal precut from my local steel supply house. They are 2' wide x 8' long and are along the back wall of my garage. I have a vise on one and a hydraulic press on the other. I welded all at home. If you donot have a welder i am sure an iron shop can build for you. steel is the way to go.

Bill

[Terry M.]

Re: Metal workbench top

We have some steel topped benches at school. They are sloped toward the center and have a drain hole, with a hose leading to a bucket. Disassembly of transmissions and differentials is the prefe3red mode of operation on these. I don't like them because they are slippery -- of course the lubricating fluid makes them more slippery.

Some of the other benches are wood near the front and steel on the rear 2/3. Those work fine, but the students do burn the wood. One has to be careful with fire, regardless what kind of bench top one uses.

[Joe R.]

Re: Metal workbench top

Bill and Terry,

Thanks for the quick replies. I was not really considering steel due to my lack of respect for rust. But I could be persuaded. Why is steel the way to go? I don't have a welder but plan to get one once my garage is in better shape.

Joe

[Bill M.]

Re: Metal workbench top

Joe

I painted the bench's with black rustoleum paint and rust has not been an issue. The reason i used steel is that you can beat on it, weld on it, clamp things to it, and it does not move or flex. The weight of the bench made it my choice. O course i needed a chain fall to turn it onto its legs once it was complete.

Bill

[Steven B.]

Re: Metal workbench top

Joe, a fellow near me had a bench welded to his specs (L, W, H, top thickness) by a local welder. He was going to have a stainless top but the increased cost stopped him. The bench is very sturdy and has held up to blocks, heads, transmissions, diffs, everything with no problems. It took the welder less than a half day to measure, cut, weld and put it on the trailer! He did install lockable casters and it has a bottom shelf. To eliminate some of the slipping on the steel surface he layed tool box rubber liner on it but only uses that for small parts as it is easily torn by heavy pieces.

Steve

[Jack H.]

Re: Metal workbench top

I use SS. It's outrageously expensive IF you want to buy new. But, we've got a fella in the chapter who's an HVAC mechanic that used to do the maintenance work for Pizza Hut out this way.

When a given store closes or is 'modernized' they wind up with kitchen 'make up' tables (different sizes & configurations depending on the specific work station) which are either discarded, re-cycled through used restaurant supply houses or sold to scrap metal dealers.

Those that are discarded make EXCELLENT work shop tables! We're talking industrial grade, beefy construction, with the option to 'plug in' either fixed position floor stops or locking wheels.

Why would some be discarded? Well, if a given restaurant/store is located in the middle of 'nowhere', it might not be economic to re-cycle bulky equipment due to travel/transport costs... Why not check around with your local restaurant supply houses to see what you can 'snare' and at what price?

[Joe R.]

Re: Metal workbench top

Jack,

That sounds like an excellent idea. I'll give it a shot.

Joe

[Stuart F.]

Re: Metal workbench top

What you use as a surface is one thing, but if it mounts a vice, make sure it is substantial enough to take some beating, banging and bending. I bought a pretty Sears kit with wooden top to which I mounted one of their finest vices and a grinder. Now, if I want to bend up some tubing I have to have someone hold the bench lest I tip it over. It's nothing but top heavy tin.

Stu Fox

[Bill M.]

Re: Metal workbench top

Stu

Exactly why i used 1/2 steel. at work we used even heavier 1" nothing moves it. Also i instaled legs every 2 feet not just on each corner.

Bill

[David C.]

Re: Metal workbench top

If you want to go the wood direction, try LVL or Laminated Veneer Lumber, an engineered wood product. It is essentially thick plywood (1 3/4" thick ) built up out of about 1/8" thick veneers and is used in the homebuilding industry as beams, headers etc for heavy line load or point load support applications. It comes in 1 3/4" thickness by depths of 9 1/2", 11 7/8", 14", 16", 18" and even 24", although 24" is harder to source. Thus 2 pcs of any combination will give you bench depth that you chose i.e 11 7/8" plus a 14" will give you a 26" top. It is easy to drill for vice mounting with lags or bolts and is rugged for beating, hammering or support. Also a nice thickness for clamping to. Should be available on the ground at any good lumber yard that serves home builders but not Home Depot or Lowes - They can get it, but it will be special order.

It is sold per lineal foot, comes in lengths up to 48' so any length continuous bench is conceivable. Cost should be about $3.50 per lineal foot of 1 3/4" x 9 1/2" up to about $7.00 PLF for 1 3/4" x 18".

Some manufacturers are:

Trus Joist
Boise Cascade
LP (Louisianna-Pacific)
Rosebrurg Forest Products

Truss Joist has a nice feature where they have a "watershed" overlay glued on it to protect during the constuction process. It makes for a nice smooth surface. Pic of my home made bench in the basement attached using 2 pcs of 18" for the top.

[Kenneth B.]

Re: Metal workbench top

While working on my exhaust manifold studs, I was reminded again of what a poor material Masonite is for a workbench top in a garage. What would you guys recommend? Aluminum? Stainless? Where should I get it? How thick should it be?

Thanks,
Joe

I like a wood top worktop the best for most things. The wood will not ding or scratch the part you are working on. You can hammer or beat on it. Oil or solvents will not hurt it. Get some finished Oak or other hardwood & butt together like a wood floor. It will last a life time. All you need to install is a saw,drill & screwdriver.
KEN

[Steven B.]

Re: Metal workbench top

Jack's suggestionn of the restaurant supply is a great idea. I know a guy about 10 miles from here who has a restaurant supply business and last I was in his shop he had a couple of the stainless tables with wheels. He also had a ss top with a ss sink---great parts cleaner! I will visit him next week.

If you like wood some of these guys also have butcher block counters. Last summer I got one free during a house remodel. It was 30" X 72" and about 2" thick, laminated. It had a sink in it which is a good place to mount my parts cleaner if I want. The only problem is they cut it in two pieces before they delivered it!!

Two summers ago went with a friend to Lowes and bought a laminate 60" counter top with 3" back splash that was made up for some people who decided not to take it. Our local Lowes usually has 2-3 of them with a chip or not accepted, etc. for $20-$30.

For light work I use a Luan door for the top with legs attached that I built in '67. 'Still good!

[Phil D.]

Re: Metal workbench top

Interesting and timely discussion. I just bought a used Smithy 3 in 1 machine so I can learn to make some small parts. I need something to put it on. I'm limited on space so I don't want anything much bigger footprint than the machine itself which is about 37" x 17". I could make a steel workbench but I also would like something with drawers to store the accessories, mics and tooling. I've looked at all sorts of commercial products but none are ideally suited and all are rediculously expensive. I then started to eyeball my rollaway tool cabinet. Its pretty sturdy and about the right size at 42" x 18" and 36" tall without the casters. The top chest has advertised capacity of 660lbs so can I assume that the bottom chest would hold up that much? The machine itself weighs 410lbs and could reach 500 with accessories and a workpiece. I got the notion of buying a used rollaway tool cabinet, taking the casters off and putting a top on it. Curious if anybody's put a top on a rollaway and put any kind of weight on it. And I'm not talking Snap-on premium models that are sold with optional tops, but rather, just Craftsman, Kobalt or other consumer brands.

Phil

[John H.]

Re: Metal workbench top

I then started to eyeball my rollaway tool cabinet. Its pretty sturdy and about the right size at 42" x 18" and 36" tall without the casters. The top chest has advertised capacity of 660lbs so can I assume that the bottom chest would hold up that much? The machine itself weighs 410lbs and could reach 500 with accessories and a workpiece. I got the notion of buying a used rollaway tool cabinet, taking the casters off and putting a top on it. Curious if anybody's put a top on a rollaway and put any kind of weight on it. And I'm not talking Snap-on premium models that are sold with optional tops, but rather, just Craftsman, Kobalt or other consumer brands.

Phil

Phil -

The weight rating of rollaways is pretty much determined by the strength of the casters; their internal construction (vertical columns) is VERY stout for compressive loads.

My main bench is composed of a 41" Craftsman ball-bearing service cart and 26" rollaway (separated to provide a knee-hole when seated on a stool) with the casters removed, with a 2" thick butcher-block top my kitchen guy made for me that spans both of them and is bolted solid - I have no concerns about its strength.