What's a good surface for a workshop?

[Kaido]

It's for a counter top. Not sure that would work.

Actually, it works great. Gives you a super-durable countertop. Check out some examples on Houzz & Pinterest - you can basically design it to look however you want with epoxy clearcoats, acid stains, etc.

http://www.houzz.com/concrete-countertops

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=concrete countertops&rs=ac&len=16

Ignore the scammy-looking design of this website, they actually have some great Youtube videos & resources:

http://www.betterpaths.com/

 

[rudeguy]

Black phenolic resin:
https://www.google.com/search?q=bla...CYyATurIKYBQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1216&bih=660

I think that's a winner.

Thanks!

 

[PottedMeat]

32"x48"x1/4" steel plate on a rickety wood frame :awe:

 

[Jimzz]

It's for a counter top. Not sure that would work.

Actually concrete countertops are getting more popular.

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-build-and-install-a-concrete-countertop/index.html

 

[drnickriviera]

If you want something cheaper, you can get 4x8',10',12' sheets of formica. Then use contact cement and glue it to your existing top

 

[rudeguy]

If you want something cheaper, you can get 4x8',10',12' sheets of formica. Then use contact cement and glue it to your existing top

Not really going after cheap here. I am more worried about it standing up to abuse and lasting than saving a couple hundred bucks. The phenolic resin isn't an absurd amount, so I'm going to go with that.

Plus a good deal of what I'm doing involves some pretty nasty chemicals. The glue removed and 100% acetone I use would tear that contact cement up.

 

[surfsatwerk]

I think that's a winner.

Thanks!

It's great stuff.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Replace your current mdf top with mdf surfaced with melamine. Water proof and stain resistant.

You beat me to it. This stuff is great. It's super flat and can even use it for router tables and fences. It does wear though. You can minimize it by using a microcrystalline wax, but perhaps better is to contact a local cabinet shop. They can probably give cut offs and could provide at some cost sheets of Formica, which is better than any melamine. I have to replace my router table fence and that's what I'll be looking for.

 

[Mandres]

I use MDF with a sheet of 1/4" hardboard on top. It's smooth, looks pretty nice and easily replaced for <$20 when it gets beat up.

 

[Imaginer]

Two sheets of MDF, with a sandwiched in-between a torsion box frame (of 5/7 sheet ply plywood), sealed on the top with Formica laminate, sealed on the bottom with polyurethane and the sides to prevent warping as an additional measure. For good measure, you can trim the sides with wood (stain and sealing after) and possibly rout out the edges before staining and sealing (beveled or rounded).

MDF is really stable, but needs to be sealed to prevent seepage of airborne humidity over the seasons (and other liquid messes). The Torsion box frame spacing, would need to be enough to maintain the strength over the area and prevent sagging of the MDF over a great distance, while also keeping it light and stable from also warping. The torsion box would also leverage some strength of the workbench too.

Legs or cabinets underneath to taste and organization.

 

[Jaepheth]

My dad put together a ceramic tile work top once. He really liked it, and he did a lot of soldering work. No melting, burning, staining, shorting, and solder/most adhesives simply would not stick.

 

[disappoint]

I think that's a winner.

Thanks!

You're welcome.

 

[MongGrel]

Used Marble Surface plate maybe if you have something can take the weight, might be a bit expensive though.

A small one might not cost a lot.

Phenolic cheaper if you don't might some drip meltage.

 

[crashtech]

Tempered glass works good. You can put plans, cheat sheets, etc. under it for viewing, also.

 

[shortylickens]

marble.

 

[alkemyst]

I'm looking for something that won't melt or stain. Has to be pretty tough but doesn't need to be rock hard.


What do I want

Do you even have a workshop bro?

 

[rudeguy]

Do you even have a workshop bro?

No

That's why they are building me one.

 

[alkemyst]

No

That's why they are building me one.

buahahaha

 

[Imaginer]

Electronics repair. My current bench is MDF and I hate it. Everything stains it. Spilled a little coffee and it warped.

If laminated or using a protective veneer, staining wouldn't be an issue. It would work effectively like a kitchen countertop.

Formica veneered MDF may scratch over time, but stain it wouldn't. One can clean it at the end of the day and be fine.

But MDF by itself (no finishing or coating) will of course warp. The stability I mentioned, comes from the consistency of the material, given proper considerations.

Stone workbenches, as solid as they maybe - are expensive for what you are going to get out of it in the end. It also would be heavy come time of relocating the bench. Stone benches are also more prone to cracking under a heavy impact load, given their porcelain-ish nature.

Metal benches, would be of consideration, if one isn't outright careful with soldering to begin with, leaving the iron tip resting on the bench surface, or doing metal welding of any kind.

 

[MongGrel]

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Surface-Plates-/58247/i.html

Meant granite I guess, but I didn't think he'd intended to be beating on things on it at any rate.

Similar to marble, more or less.

 

[Imaginer]

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Surface-Plates-/58247/i.html

If you are implying that they are cheap, look at the table area. By any means it isn't cheap.

One CAN have the best in cost wise - by combining a section of the bench with the granite work area for immense sloppy incidences while building around that with the table construction I mentioned. The torsion box, would have to be built around the solid granite.

(I say this, coming from someone that likes a bit more surface area in a bench.)

 

[rudeguy]

buahahaha

Why is that funny?

 

[MongGrel]

Depends on what you're doing I guess, I use Surface plates all the time at works and other benches, used to even have to take ESD training and had ESD equipped monitored benches around, for Aerospace wrok, even had a few mills and lathes that were wired for ESD.

Was just an option.

 

[rudeguy]

If laminated or using a protective veneer, staining wouldn't be an issue. It would work effectively like a kitchen countertop.



Formica veneered MDF may scratch over time, but stain it wouldn't. One can clean it at the end of the day and be fine.



But MDF by itself (no finishing or coating) will of course warp. The stability I mentioned, comes from the consistency of the material, given proper considerations.



Stone workbenches, as solid as they maybe - are expensive for what you are going to get out of it in the end. It also would be heavy come time of relocating the bench. Stone benches are also more prone to cracking under a heavy impact load, given their porcelain-ish nature.



Metal benches, would be of consideration, if one isn't outright careful with soldering to begin with, leaving the iron tip resting on the bench surface, or doing metal welding of any kind.

What's wrong with the resin?

 

[Imaginer]

What's wrong with the resin?

Application for a flat, smooth surface with minimal artifacts of dust when applying and drying need to be considered. Also, the table needs to be built level first, to ensure that the coats do not favor one side over another - thus an uneven coat.

Also, giving many coats, resin is on par if not more expensive per surface area of the bench compared to a Formica sheet (however on a small bench level, if you can get a cost for a small Formica sheet - that still is cheaper than resin - typical sheets are at 4 feet by 8 feet).

Metal, while having some stain resistance - would still stain. Same with porous stone (hence the granite suggestions). Metal, would corrode if not protected.