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Adam Woodwork bench top
February 15th, 2006 02:51 AM
February 14, 2006 Woodwork bench top


While the Allen screws are not required, they do offer greater holding, without the twist-out characteristic, than Phillips screws.

Either one will work, providing proper pilot holes are used with the screws.

The wood top is left unfinished for several reasons.

The first reason is to give the owner the opportunity to fine tune the wood top to the user's requirements.

If the top were supplied pre-finished, there's probably only a 20 percent chance of user satisfaction.

Part of the fine tuning of the bench top will probably include "knocking-down" sharp edges of the wood with a block plane.

Holes may need to be drilled in the top for bench dogs and for some hold-down devices.

I did not see any bench dog holes on the main, left-side wood vise.

These are very desirable features for a woodworker's bench to possess.

Be advised the standard diameter of round dogs is 3/4 inch.

The user can finish sand (or scrape) the top to their satisfaction.

Some users may be perfectly happy at a 120 grit finish. While others may go as fine as 320.

Finishes for the bench top very widely.

Staining the workbench top is probably not a great idea. As every little dig or cut will stand out on the workbench‛s surface.

A non-film forming finish, like mineral oil would probably not serve most woodworkers well.

Surface film forming finishes include; lacquer, Tung Oil and Varathane.

Personally, I prefer Tung Oil. Although not a tough as Varathane, it is very easily applied with a rag and if damaged, very easy to touch up.

If you decide to use a rapid oxidizing finish like Watco Oil, beware of the rags spontaneously combusting. They must NOT be left crumpled up inside your shop.

Even some Tung Oil products have driers in them that behave like Watco Oil.

READ any cautions on the finishing product you decide to use.

Whatever finish you use, be sure to coat the underside of the wood also. Or, you will very likely have warping of the wood, due to differential moisture absorption between the coated and uncoated surfaces of the bench top.

End grain will soak up your finish like a sponge. Feed the end grain with extra finish. Let it dry. And, then apply another film-forming coat to the end grain.

The wood vises can have friction reduced by lightly coating the metal slide rods with a furniture paste wax.

Mineral oil would be a good lubricant for the vises' threads.

Since you will no doubt be doing some heavy pushing applications with hand planes, I suggest reinforcing you bench's bottom section with either cross-bracing or a solid panel, attached to the back of your work bench.

If you wish to keep the workbench's surface less scarred, look into making a "bench hook".

And, always have a scrap board to protect the workbench from drilling operations.

All this may sound a bit much.

Much as the table saw is a woodworker's central power tool, the work bench is where all of the hand-tool, portable power-tool, assembly and perhaps finishing work happens.

It's really worth taking some time to prepare your work bench top properly.
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