[TR] Workbench rebuild

[Rye Livingston]

My father used 2x6 tongue&groove, and hand picked the pieces so they were nice on the bottom, the non-groove side, and mounted it upside down, grove side down, so it it was very smooth. Very solid work surface.
Rye

Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 20, 2016, at 2:00 PM, Chris Kantarjiev <cak at dimebank.com> wrote:
> 
> I'd say "it depends" - on what you intend to use this workbench for.
> 
> For a general purpose bench, my favorite design so far is based on a 2x4 or 2x6 frame, with plywood or butcher block over the top (depending on price and availability: 5/8", 2 sheets of 1/2", 1") topped with MDF ("Masonite"). The plywood is screwed to the frame and the MDF is glued down. For bonus points, trim the edges with MDF, too. Let the top overhang by an inch or two for clamping.
> 
> MDF is a very forgiving surface: it absorbs oil and moisture, it won't damage parts when you drop them, it doesn't gouge very badly. And you can sand it down once or twice and then pry it off and replace it.
> 
> I have used galvanized steel (from an HVAC fitter) for counter tops. It has its place, but it can be hard on tools and parts that interact with it.
> 
> Plate steel can't be beat for a welding bench, but I wouldn't want to do generalized work on it.
> 
> I usually attach the bench to the garage framing studs with lag bolts, ideally in a corner. That makes it super stable - use a 4x4 or larger on the "free" end and mount your vise there.
> 
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