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Which material is best for work bench top?

E

E. D. Eliot

Well Known Member
Looking for information on which material is best for the top of my work bench. Is there any consensus - does the 'best material' change as the project evolves? Looks like many use a perforated rubber drawer liner material when drilling/deburring, etc and then switch to carpet of blanket when it comes time to rivet on wing/emph skins. Thanks for the info.
 
bench top

I built two EAA benches and they take a beating. When they need a touch up, I just hit them with the sander. That said, I also have two pieces of 3/4" particle board for drilling and glueing stiffeners to skins. Clecos go right into the match drilled holes and hold the stiffeners in place. I proseal the stiffeners. Probably overkill. Then I have a 1/4" piece to use with the back rivet plate. Melamine works great for all sorts of things. I make jigs out of it. And finally a carpet covered platform for the c-frame. Basically the job determines what is on top of the benches, if anything.
I probably didn't answer the question but will add you will generate tons of tiny pieces of aluminum and it finds it's way into everything.
Walk in your shop barefoot and find out!:D
 
I like 3/4" MDF-- it's smooth and straight. I screw it to my workbench so that it can be easily replaced.
 
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+1 on two EAA benches. I also have a low table retasked that has 3/4" plywood deck with a 1/4" masonite cover. I made the side rails even with the masonite to keep it captured. I paint all the top surfaces with clear shellac just to keep oils from staining the surface and attracting dust. Shellac also allows easy cleaning/vacuuming. Be sure to have C-clamps that can reach the depth of what ever table you have, lots of clamping.

I should have, but did not route a recess for the back riveting plate. note: Always, always know where your plate is and don't go off! I also use other pieces of boards for drill backing, indoor/outdoor carpeting, etc for special parts of the project.

I did not have room for a large work bench on wheels with a vice etc, but can see the value in it.

Happy building!
 
Whatever table you decide on, I'm +1 for raw 3/4" MDF (Not coarse parcicle board though) Tough and you can drill in to it to hold parts on the table with clekos.
Regards
 
I bought a hollow core door and used that for both of my builds. It's great (and relatively cheap) for drilling and then clecoing in place to the door, it's straight / flat and lite weight. When not needed, just stand in the corner.

Obviously, it's not for mounting vises, etc. but for a lite weight, flat surface lying on top of the regular work bench; it great for working with most of the pre-punched pieces. Drill right into the door, cleco, repeat.

Doug
 
I like that 3/4" white melamine-faced particle board. I screw it down so it can be replaced.

I don't care for the EAA tables since they're a bit complicated so I made my own simpler design. They work well. I've three in my garage, where I'm building the RV-3B. The hangar has a few more, all on wheels.

Two are against walls in the garage and the third is on wheels. The ones against the walls have drawers and thus I don't need an expensive toolbox, for which I don't have floor space anyway.

You can see glimpses of them here:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=85658

Dave
 
The guy I bought my partially built 7 from was nice enough to throw in a 3' x 8' bench on casters. Awesome bench. The thing is built like a bomb shelter; it's got a plywood top covered with a sheet of 1/8" hard board -- you know, the smooth, brown finished pressed wood fiber stuff like they make into pegboard, but without the holes. It's working fine. If it gets too scuffed or torn up (unlikely) I can flip it over or replace it cheap.
 
I like plywood on the top of my work benches. When it gets too torn up to sand, I have been know to put a 1/4" plywood sheet over the 3/4" one that I started with.
 
Masonite and carpet

Like Bill L I also use masonite on my main bench. And, I will try his shellac idea. The dark brown is easy on the eyes and the smooth finish is nice on the hands and makes wiping off easy. I have carpet on my other bench. It provides a soft scratch resistant base for aluminum parts. It does require the shop vac for cleaning, but both bench tops serve their purpose nicely. Also, on the back of the main bench I have three shelves with vertical dividers. This holds all the small tools, aerosols, oils, etc etc.
 
I use a 3/4" MDF base with a 1/8" Masonite top on that, screwed down to the MDF. Over time your surface will get chewed up (drill holes, shavings, all manner of abuse) and it's easy to replace the Masonite. Been doing this for about 20 years...
 
Auburntsts said:
I like 3/4" MDF-- it's smooth and straight. I screw it to my workbench so that it can be easily replaced.
Click to expand...

I built 3 EAA benches and I too used 3/4" MDF because it's flat, smooth, and easily replaced when it becomes too worn.
 
In Australia for those Aussies out there

I used yellow tongue floor board from Bunnings (eqv Home Depot) cheapest per square metre/foot than MDF or Ply or anything else for that matter.

Very strong, floor boards right?

I put a bit of white enamel (easy to find that dropped rivet) to water proof so it doesn't swell.

Works like a charm and did I say cheap/st material at least from Bunnings.

Rip any left overs and use for shelving etc etc.
 
Like others, I use the 3/4" MDF. I also have indoor/outdoor carpet that I bought from Lowes that I use a lot of times. I just throw it over the surface. When Im done with it I fold it up neatly and stow it under the table. Cheap and easy to replace when it becomes ratty and tattered.
 
Another vote for 3/4" MDF. Sand it occasionally. Only thing I would have changed is to have coated it with some cheap or leftover polyurethane. Mainly for the swelling when it gets wet.
 
Im in the 3/4 mdf camp as well. Smooth, flat. After benches were built just covered the top with some misc. white house paint I had leftover in the garage. Like suggested above give yourself an overhang. Mine happens to be 2".
 
I built mine out of the shipping crates that the kit came in. It is very strong and stable. Each time I built another plane I replaced the top from the shipping crates again. I still have it seven planes later and its getting heavier.
 
I'll throw my hat into the 3/4 MDF ring also. My benches pre-date the EAA design and are holding up quite nicely. When I built them (20+ years ago) I threw on a coat of polyurethane varnish and haven't touched them since, other than a few thousand #30 and #40 holes, and who knows how many coats of Duplicolor overspray.

FP15062013A0002U.jpg
 
a bit of RV Comedy from 2006

A kitchen table has a perfect top. It's also stretchable. When you get to rivet rudder trailing edge, remove a closet door and clamp it to the kitchen table. Make sure you are drilling through the closet door for clecos from inner side. Otherwise your landlord will notice when you are moving out and may confiscate your deposit.

If you need some weights take the service elevator down to garbage sorting area and ask the super for help :D



 
This may not be the ideal top for a workbench when drilling and cutting, but when doing some tasks, a 4x8 dry erase board panel can be purchased from HD or Lowes cheap and be screwed onto the workbench. It makes a great table for keeping things clean and neat, like rebuilding an engine.
 
I've been happy with 3/4" ply topped with 1/8" masonite. Screen door molding nailed and glued to the edge of the ply holds the loose masonite in place. When the masonite gets too full of holes (or suffers other damage) it is replaced at about $5 or $6 for a 4' x 8' sheet. I've got 2 of the EAA benches to build on, and 2 smaller ones for power tools.
 
Bowling alley

Bowling alley lane. Ten feet long. Flat, Level, MASSIVE.

Supported by 2x4 structure with small jacks to push casters down to contact floor for infrequent moving. Ya gotta see it to believe it! :eek:

Given to me by a repeat offender.

I also store aluminum sheets under the table.

If a lot of drilling is planned, I do put a small sheet of plywood under the parts to be drilled.
 
rv7boy said:
Bowling alley lane. Ten feet long. Flat, Level, MASSIVE.

Supported by 2x4 structure with small jacks to push casters down to contact floor for infrequent moving. Ya gotta see it to believe it! :eek:

Given to me by a repeat offender.

I also store aluminum sheets under the table.

If a lot of drilling is planned, I do put a small sheet of plywood under the parts to be drilled.
Click to expand...

And I thought I was the only one....

Top surface material has been pretty well 'covered', but no one mentioned underlying structure needs until rv7boy. If you intend to use a C-frame dimper (mallet to drive dies), you really need massive structure under the frame to get good, well defined dimples that allow the rivets to sit flush.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is what to use under an assembly when you're using a rivet gun. I found that fairly dense foam rubber, like foam carpet padding, works great. It keeps the assembly stable (doesn't slide around) and allows just enough 'give' so the structure can move enough with the blows to allow the bucking bar to do its work. I used this under the wings (on the work bench) & was able to do 3 of the 4 bottom skins alone. (Could have done all 4, but had a helper on the 1st.)

Charlie
 
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