recommendation for a bench top?

Like Nick, I was going to say Formica. My old shop had some and I loved it. I also had some 8" x 2" x 10' wood and didn't care for those sections aside from machine/vice (etc) placement. Made bolting down the stuff convenient. If I'm not mistaken Micarta came about as a spin off of Formica (For-Mica-rta), although I don't know how similar they are. In any event, if you can find some it should be cheap.
 
Haven't gotten to this project yet, life intrudes. The honey do list went critical witht he advent of fall weather. I am leaning towards either the formica top or straight plywood with umpteen layers of varnish.
Thanks for all the help.
Steve
 
91wm6 said:
If you can find some fairly priced bamboo flooring that stuff is great. It's highly weather/moisture repellant, impact resistant, and darn near indestructible. During testing it measures almost twice as hard/tough as red oak flooring. .You can use OSB, plywood, etc. as a foundation, then lay the bamboo flooring on top for a work surface. Just be sure and research all the manufacturers, some brands are harder than others.
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I usually go with the two layers of MDF flooring with a sheet of masonite laminated to each side, but if I make another bench, I would love to explore the bamboo thing. tough stuff, and probably looks fantastic with a little oil or poly on it.

Nick: That fab bench must be one heavy mutha! My fab bench is 36"x72"x1/2" aluminum, and its a beast. I can just imagine that you need a forklift to move yours.
 
Ron- That's a new one for me, I've never seen one like that. Could you show any more photos of it? I actually have thought about "poured-on" concrete counter tops for work benches quite a bit. I watched one of the diy home improvement shows and they poured a ~3" thick concrete top in a kitchen remodel that really caught my eye. The concrete was dyed and burnished... very sharp look and supposedly quite durable.

Higgy- yea, it's a pretty beastly table (to me). It was one of the very first things we moved to the new shop, and at the time I had none of my gizmos for lifting/moving heavy stuff... so my Dad and I did it Egyptian caveman style with 10' 4X4s! :eek: :thumbdn: LOL.

I think it weighs around a ton. The top alone is 1300#.... but, with my 6000# pallet jack, I can jack it up and move it around like a shopping cart. A really big, heavy, wide shopping cart. ;) :)

At my last job the work tables in the fab shops made my table look really puny--- most of them were 7.5' X 11' X 2" thick tops!!!


This was our tooling set up for getting it from trailer to shop... LOL/crying ;)

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NickWheeler said:
Ron- That's a new one for me, I've never seen one like that. Could you show any more photos of it?
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Absolutely. As soon as I get home, I will work on that. I will probably have to post them the following day, a friend of mine is still using my desktop computer. haha

I am working on a machine foundation this week, and during the spec process the P.E. suggested we use a pre-mix expansive grout (five star brand). It dries to a 10,000 PSI strength in 28 days, I can't wait to see what it looks and handles like. It can handle as small as 1/2 clearance to reinforcement bars, and the form.

-Ron
 
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