workbench finish

[EricDownunder]

What would be the best product to finish off my new wood workbench? Australian hardwood!

[Paul B]

I'd be inclined to use the same stuff they use on wooden floors. There are polyurethanes, water based finishes etc. If they can take heavy traffic they'd be good for a bench, look good too.

[auscab]

You could probably just oil it with one of the many oil finishes, or just linseed oil it every once in a while,it's a bit to dry for me.
I went with a few brush coats of oil based sanding sealer [ Estapol ],a nice cut back with 400 grit paper then a few brush coats of shellac followed up with a fine cut back and a few rubbers of shellac.

You could leave off shellac and go from oil based sanding sealer to oil based satin or gloss Estapol then wax.
Its good for quick finishing if it's thinned. It can be used straight out of the can with no thinning but its a bit more brushwork I think.

[Kim]

Due to this topics relevance I have moved it to the main build forum to invite greater exchange. (shadow left in "anything goes" forum where originally posted)

I know the OP had been specific to aussie hardwood bench tops and some of what follows is relevant, but it may also provide a little food for thought for anyone just setting up shop who is reading this thread sometime down the track .

I use double thickness 19mm mdf on my bench tops and have coated them with a heavy 'thick' mix of shellac made with those deep orange shellac flakes that Bunnings sells. The ones that come in those big plastic jars..... Feast and Watson? I can't really recommend it for anything else as I use blonde or super blonde de-waxed shellac for most everything but I like that bunnings shellac for bench tops because its relatively cheap, very quick and easy to apply with a heavily soaked rag, virtually 'case hardens' the mdf as it soaks 'into' the surface and continues to polymerise over time, and when the initial surface eventually gets tardy, a 'quick' wipe down with a metho soaked rag renews it again.

You could imagine that this original shellac coating would soon thin down to nothing as a consequence of these periodic wipe downs with metho but that's not a problem for me. This is because unless there is an immediate follow on from one project to the next (unlikely in my situation), I will mix a 'fresh' batch of shellac whenever I start work on a new project. When I'm done, any left overs are slopped on the bench tops after a quick sweep to rebuild the original coating.

The reason I like to use mdf is because its smooth, flat, very strong and stable if the benches are built with close enough centres between cross bracing to accommodate, and its dirt cheap if your buying right. Double layers are better than one thick layer because when the original work surface has been abused enough to become full of gouge marks, scuffs, stains and drill thoughs etc, it can be quickly unscrewed and flipped to go again. When that surface gives way to abuse, simply change out the top sheet of the bench for bottom and away you go again with two fresh surfaces. If you live long enough to require yet another replacement...your either very hard on your equipment or not hard enough on yourself and need to indulge yourself a bit more, either you'll probably only need to replace one layer to see you out.

Cheers

Kim

[P Bill]

I use all the above. Poly, boiled linseed and turps mixed equally. I keep the 1st coat wet for 1/2 hour to penetate, then wipe dry and do it again 24 hours later, only keeping it wet 3-4 min. After 4 coats you'll see a build up. I'll fp after one week drying.
Then it's just maintenance. I feel for glue and grot, lightly scrape and oil at the end of the day. I give it a bit of polish every couple months.

[Trevor Gore]

There's a good few pics of my bench (Tas oak/Vic ash, second hand wood, so who knows?) in "the book". I just oiled it with boiled linseed oil. If building another (unlikely - the top is 50mm thick), I'd do it the same. It's pretty much a damage-proof finish in that you can just scrape it clean with a cabinet scraper. I've done that a few times and haven't applied any more oil yet. It produces a fairly high friction surface (not tacky) so things don't slide around as you work them.

[kiwigeo]

My work benches are MDF with a sacrifical layer of masonite tacked on top. When the masonite gets chewed up I just rip it up and tack down a new layer. The benches in the garage are chipboard with cheap arse polyeurathane slapped on top.

[rocket]

Bush chippy benches Martin? , i never would have thought...... Anyways my bench is a reject ledge and brace dunny door flung across a coupla trestle legs i knocked up outa some packing case scrap, the finish is the rigy-didge federation green most dunny doors were finished in back in the 60s Lift ya game you lot!!!
Rod.

[nnickusa]

Piece of white board on a couple saw horses....glue doesn't stick to it!

[rocket]

Toff!!

[simso]

I finish my benches off with rubber.

[MBP]

My work benches are MDF with a sacrifical layer of masonite tacked on top. When the masonite gets chewed up I just rip it up and tack down a new layer. The benches in the garage are chipboard with cheap arse polyeurathane slapped on top.

Same here but they are hardwood frame benches with pine on top. One of the main benches is a island and the pine tops come off in the middle and wood gets stored in the bench with tools and other bits under neath.


I dont think I would like to have a good looking bench, would be too worried about scratch and dents then getting work done.

I also think there should be a show your workshop thread, would love to see some other set ups.

[P Bill]

My work benches are MDF with a sacrifical layer of masonite tacked on top. When the masonite gets chewed up I just rip it up and tack down a new layer. The benches in the garage are chipboard with cheap arse polyeurathane slapped on top.

Same here but they are hardwood frame benches with pine on top. One of the main benches is a island and the pine tops come off in the middle and wood gets stored in the bench with tools and other bits under neath.


I dont think I would like to have a good looking bench, would be too worried about scratch and dents then getting work done.

I also think there should be a show your workshop thread, would love to see some other set ups.

Your bench is like any other tool. Use it. Scratchs, dents, over drilling all get bogged and polished. The main thing is to keep it flat and clean. By clean I mean the beach top won't mark your job. The bench I've been using for 30 years has more character and patina than my new one will ever get from me working at it. In fact, for ambience, I prefer the old one. We spend a lot of time at the bench, it may as well be nice and make us feel good.

[EricDownunder]

As the debate continues, my new bench is one spur of the moment decision a few weeks ago when I was trying out a field bandaw I've fixed up and had for a long time but hardly used. There was a dead tree standind in the paddock, cut it down and turned it to 50mm thick lumber, hmmm. now what to do with it, I know Ill build a decent workbench as I have allways put up with a door on tressels etc, my current bench was put togeather out of whatever scrap I could find and placed on top of a discarded shop freezer, now in my 60's I whant something better, something that doesn't rock all over the place while planing etc. but most of all having a chat with friends and relies around the bench and wow has it created discussion at home, my kids nowin their 20's are starting to think, what can I make? this makes it all worthwhile & fun.
25Years ago I built a kitchen out of Jarra and coated it with Cabothane poly with a hardener additive and it's still going strong doesn't even need re-coating yet.
I am going to try to add some picks for all to see.

[MBP]

Your bench is like any other tool. Use it. Scratchs, dents, over drilling all get bogged and polished. The main thing is to keep it flat and clean. By clean I mean the beach top won't mark your job. The bench I've been using for 30 years has more character and patina than my new one will ever get from me working at it. In fact, for ambience, I prefer the old one. We spend a lot of time at the bench, it may as well be nice and make us feel good.

The good thing with the masonite is you can easily tell when you have started drilling into it and instead of bogging and polishing you just put down a new layer. Like you I prefer the older bench to work on. We actually have a new shed that was built for guitar making. It is bigger than the old shed and two storey but for some reason the old shed gets used more. The new shed has become a wood storage shed, electronic room and a norton being rebuilt on one half of the bench and finally a repair room that is spotless. For some reason it has bedrooms in it as well.

[Nick]

Very nice bench Eric But that floor bothers me!.........It's far to clean!

[auscab]

From your own tree and into your own bench , that's cool Eric.
How are you going to do dog holes for the tail vice? drill in round ones ?

[EricDownunder]

Very nice bench Eric But that floor bothers me!.........It's far to clean!

The floor is coated with 2 pack concrete paint and yes I do believe in a clean shop floor it reduces the chance for accidents

[EricDownunder]

From your own tree and into your own bench , that's cool Eric.
How are you going to do dog holes for the tail vice? drill in round ones ?

I like the idea of 20mm round dog holes and dogs with sqaure blocks on top to allow for different shapes, when I know where to put them and how many. I plan to use a 25mm steel block with a 20mm hole as a guide to keep the holes vertical

[nnickusa]

Looks like it'll be a very nice bench and a pleasure to work at. Nice work....

[J.F. Custom]

What would be the best product to finish off my new wood workbench? Australian hardwood!

And here I was thinking you had asked the question, then gone on and answered it in the same sentence... Shortest new thread ever!


Nice bench. A bit of previous woodwork experience evident in that and a pretty well stocked workshop too. Those panel clamps are not exactly cheap! Very handy for that job though no doubt.

Jeremy.

[EricDownunder]

What would be the best product to finish off my new wood workbench? Australian hardwood!

And here I was thinking you had asked the question, then gone on and answered it in the same sentence... Shortest new thread ever!


Nice bench. A bit of previous woodwork experience evident in that and a pretty well stocked workshop too. Those panel clamps are not exactly cheap! Very handy for that job though no doubt.

Jeremy.

I made the panel clamps from bits and peices laying around.

[Taffy Evans]

I don't rush the coating of my benches, it takes time. They are covered with a mixture of varnish, glue, paint, lacquer, coffee [rings], and the occasional phone number and small drawings of light bulb moments of design ideas.

[nnickusa]

Ah.....a bench with MOJO....nice

[Taffy Evans]

Nick, how did you know have you been peeking?

1-IMGP4966.JPG (211.07 KiB) Viewed 21376 times