Topic: shop bench: wood versus metal

[lrutt]

Prefer wood benches, ditto the old solid core door as a good starting point.

However, for a welding bench, metal is the way to go.

[Muckinfuss]

"I have a friend in Wyoming that built a few really nice benches out of wood and then had a buddy of his put stainless sheetmetal on the top of 2 of them. The best of both worlds!!"

Wood bench with steel top is the way to go.  Stainless is the more expensive way to go but to each his own.

I got sick and tired of dirty, oil soaked wood tops.  Wood benches are for wood working.  Steel is easy, and I mean real easy to clean up.  Paper towels and acetone...you're done and ready for the next project.  The steel skin makes bench tools mount rigid and stable no matter if they are clamp on or drilled and bolted.  The steel on wood is NOT suitable for welding.....once you start a fire under the steel you'll know what real panic feels like.  You can design the wood bench to your liking and any welding/machine shop can cut you a perfectly flat, 16 ga cold rolled sheet to fit perfectly for real small dollars.  As a benefit, from time to time you can hit the top with a da sander and it will polish up to look better than new.

failed to mention, the steel goes on top of two layers of 3/4" ply.  Doesn't get much stronger.

[jeremyillingworth]

Mine is wood, no need for steel unless you are doing a lot of welding.

Def put a lift on the list, the cheap HF lift was the best thing I did for my garage this year.

That's the sort of lift I will likely end up with. Did you get hydraulic only or air lifting as well? Does it take long to raise with the foot pedal?

[flybox1]

recycled kitchen center island - $0
Leftover spray paint and spray glue - $0
4x HD locking casters from HF - $20
Locking rubber (recycled) floor mats (work surface) - $20

[Stev-o]

Build the frame with redwood 4x4's and 2x4s

Really, Redwood?  That would be pretty pricey around these parts.

[FunJimmy]

Could anyone post pics of the hinged set ups? I have limited space, and been considering something like that
against a pegboard wall where I hang everything.

I've got a slick hinged setup that I'll post pics of tomorrow.

[Retro Rocket]

"I have a friend in Wyoming that built a few really nice benches out of wood and then had a buddy of his put stainless sheetmetal on the top of 2 of them. The best of both worlds!!"

Wood bench with steel top is the way to go.  Stainless is the more expensive way to go but to each his own.

I got sick and tired of dirty, oil soaked wood tops.  Wood benches are for wood working.  Steel is easy, and I mean real easy to clean up.  Paper towels and acetone...you're done and ready for the next project.  The steel skin makes bench tools mount rigid and stable no matter if they are clamp on or drilled and bolted.  The steel on wood is NOT suitable for welding.....once you start a fire under the steel you'll know what real panic feels like.  You can design the wood bench to your liking and any welding/machine shop can cut you a perfectly flat, 16 ga cold rolled sheet to fit perfectly for real small dollars.  As a benefit, from time to time you can hit the top with a da sander and it will polish up to look better than new.

failed to mention, the steel goes on top of two layers of 3/4" ply.  Doesn't get much stronger.

+1 to everything you've said, My best bench was almost exactly the same, you can't beat a stainless sheet top, I got my stainless top with a splash back from a restaurant that was closing down, very cheap...

[brandEn]

I think Retro has the right idea. Stainless! Buying it new can break the bank though.

[fitzmotor]

I built a wood bench then, threw a scrounged piece of aluminum on top in the center, I like the wood, it's solid so you can beat on it and mount a vise on it, the aluminum gives me a clean smooth place to work and spill stuff.

[FunJimmy]

Here's my secondary folding work bench.
Works like a charm and folds up flush to the wall.

[754]

Nice and clean like my shop was..eh Jimmy..

[edwardmorris]

I built this in about 2hrs, had some store credit from Menards, and they cut the pieces to the sizes I needed. The tabletop is just an old door, this one is out in the garage. I ended making a second one just like it for my basement shop later and just threw on a sheet of heavy plywood, again pre-cut at the store. Made a third much smaller one with the left over bits too

[Desert-SOHC]

This was my outside workbench, since I live in the desert, we didn't get much rain and I could cover it with a tarp for the occasional storm and it was half covered with 1/4" plate.




This was the garage, I don't have near this much room now.



I make do with my 10x12 shed, its a bit tight, but it works and it keeps me from collection to much crap! 

[DH]

Could anyone post pics of the hinged set ups? I have limited space, and been considering something like that
against a pegboard wall where I hang everything.

I've got a slick hinged setup that I'll post pics of tomorrow.

Thanks FJ, that's what I was thinking of.

[jeremyillingworth]

This is the area that is slated to become the bike shop. There are additional complications of there being a step in the slab and the approach is off to one side, which is why I want to place to lift table off center in the space.

I think I would like to have a bench grinder turned into a buffer, so I can put the shine on parts. I think a pedestal mounted one would be ideal, I can't image polishing something like CB750 mufflers with a bench mounted buffer.

[Muckinfuss]

you have to sink concrete bolts into your floor to hold down the pedestal.  This makes it usable for buffing which requires that you lean into the wheel.  This is why a good solid bench mount for a buffer makes sense.  The table will stay where it is and pressure can be applied as needed.  A pedestal mounted grinder/buffer in a small or poorly designed workspace will most likely need to be moved about to make room for other tasks........they are always in the way.

[Dunk]

I have a wood bench with 3x deep 2x12 for the top. Cracked one from pulling leverage on my vise, it soaks in oil and grease, and is no longer perfectly flat. I would prefer a metal top. Will likely replace the boards across the top and put metal across the top. Have a shelf below that I put engines, transmissions, and other bulky parts on but serves to make the bench more rigid.

[chewbacca5000]

I am in the same boat. I want something very strong that I can attach a vice to as well as power a bench grinder to. I actually signed up for pinterest just to find such a table. This is the best thing I have come across so far and I think it costs about $80 to make.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/365847169708111218/

Great job!  I think I will do the same thing and drop a piece of steel on top.  Maybe some surplus stainless.

[Airborne 82nd]

You might want to think about when you sit on a stool to make a cut out for your knees & feet. I cut a horseshoe shape in the bottom shelf so I could pull up to the bench while sitting.

[rocs]

Awesome idea! Little tips and tricks like that will surely benefit all of us planning our next work bench builds!

[alacrity]

I bought a cheap metal table/ bench that is 60x36 with lower full width/depth shelf and upper full width 1/4 depth shelf with 24 inches of air below that.  (Not there now. Can't put pic).  This came to me with cheap 3/4" thick mdf tops and I assembled it (local vendor in craigslist). All in for $100.  I then called around to local flooring companies and pretty quick found some leftovers of what I wanted.  Super hard perfectly flat bamboo hardwood tongue and groove 4" width p,asks.  Banged together there are no gaps and the surface is almost as impervious to hammering/denting/burning as metal, yet is still "soft" enough not to mar aluminimum.   I got plenty for the top and then some for $20.all planks were at least long enough to cover the top and were mostly useless as "short ends" by the flooring company. 

[MJL]

My  workbench was originally a beer pong table. It is a light duty 2x4 frame with a Formica top. I've done woodwork on it, and have done engine and motorcycle work on it. The Formica is nice for cleaning, plus you can write notes on it. There are a few products that will remove Sharpie, or you could use a dry erase. On myetal workbench, I have one of those slideaway keyboard trays. It's a handy little drawer for holding oft-used fools, or the little bits that might get lost. If I was going to make a new drawer, it would be deep enough for small containers like baby food jars.