# Benchtop Question



## mschuman (Sep 22, 2008)

I was given a piece of laminated maple 1 5/8" thick. Is that a thick enough workbench top? The piece is 6' x 3' and dang heavy!


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## red (Sep 30, 2008)

It sounds good to me. My bench top has always been a sheet of MDF 1" thick. Talk about heavy! Post a pic when you finish the bench. Red


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

With appropriate bracing underneath it will do fine. 

Seems like mighty fine wood to use for a bench top. Mine is 5ea. 10ft long 2-6's with a 1/8 sheet of hardboard on top. Can change the hardboard whenever I like.

G


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

That should make you a superb work bench. If you are concerned about it being solid enough you could always laminate some mdf or osb to the underside to give it more rigidity.

Gerry


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## mschuman (Sep 22, 2008)

*good idea!*



Gerry KIERNAN said:


> That should make you a superb work bench. If you are concerned about it being solid enough you could always laminate some mdf or osb to the underside to give it more rigidity.
> 
> Gerry


A piece of MDF would also give me a stop for bench dogs, so they wouldn't fall thru, if holes were drilled all the way thru the maple.


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## Handyman (Jan 2, 2008)

I would think it would be fine. I would brace the underside every 16" just like a framed studed wall.


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## johnv51 (Oct 27, 2008)

Nice piece of wood! My bench is 2 pieces of 3/4" mdf glued & screwed with high pressure laminate on top. I was goin for dead flat. I installed a few pieces of T track for hold downs.


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## chevyll_1967 (Aug 7, 2008)

I bought a 4ft x 6ft piece of butcherblock at a yard sale 4 yrs ago for $10.00 talk bout heavy piece wood had to build the frame and legs in basement then set it on top frame finished fastening it from bottom and it's still heavy takes two men and small boy to move it around. I've decided to leave it were it sits now no more moving that big rascal. It has a nice laquer finish on it kinda hate to use it. But what heck what bought it for and can always refinish it if need be. Only use it now for carving on set up my carving supplies on it with an added frame built box bout 1" thick all way around set work piece inside it, that holds work piece from sliding.


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## adeptr (Jul 8, 2008)

I am just about completed with building my first workbench and I laminated the top from 1 3/4" thick hard maple. In fact, the whole bench is being built from this material. Your piece of laminated top is almost the size of my bench top. Mine is 31 1/4" wide X 77 1/2" long. I can tell you this.....that stinkin' top is so heavy that I can barely set it up on edge.

I'm going to be mounting the top to the base this weekend and then all I'll have to do is mount the front and end vices. When I'm done with it, I'll put up some photos on my website and you can check it out. If you decide to use the laminated piece that you have, I'd like to see some photos of the finished project!

Dave
http://www.oldaveswoodshop.com


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

Well, you might not want to put this in a second story
work shop!:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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