Wood Bench Surface - Wood Type and Treatment

[Urban_Redneck]

IKEA also has very reasonable butcher block countertops.

Maple-ply would be my first choice as it's as hard as oak and nearly as light colored as birch.

My mini-bench (designed for cleaning) has 1" (2x 1/2") of Baltic birch ply, I protect the top and cover the screws with a piece of 1/8" tempered hardboard ("masonite") held down with carpet tape. It has my LnL AP mounted on it at the moment, it is rock solid.

The most important consideration is the amount of overhang in regard to the mounting holes of your press(es), too little, or too much and you may end up having to drill through the frame, like me

 

[dickttx]

Picked up three 4' pieces of this at a farm sale about 35 years ago for a total of $3.
It is 20" deep and 2 9/16" thick maple. I believe it was a cut-up shuffle board top.
Still have this one and one more on a bench my dad made and used for carpentry work. I will use that one for casting.




We have just moved and I am getting ready to move my bench inside the house for the first time. I may decide to have a base made for it to somewhat match my reloading room.







The bench will be freestanding and located right behind the easy chair.
First time since I started reloading about 1969 that I will have a reloading place with AC and heat. Looking forward to it.

 

[djmike]

As far as top coat finish goes, if you're going to use polyurethane do yourself a favor and go to a flooring store and get a better grade than Minwax. Gym Seal or any other flooring hard coat has a much harder finish than Minwax and can withstand a lot more. Even though its only a reloading bench as some see it, to me its a piece of furniture.
Just my 2 cents...

Mike

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

You can also screw two 3/4" pieces together or purchase a 1 1/8" sheet and cover it with a thin veneer top that looks nice. You can also watch craigslist for scraps of hardwood. I have seen stuff so hard that a regular saw has a hard time with it. FWIW, I found a 1960's ear Air Force desk that I reinforced with a 3/4" thick plate of aluminum where I mounted my RCBS Rock Chucker. It has been a solid bench so far.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

dickttx, you posted an interesting picture and I just have to ask, why a Lee powder measure on your LNLAP? Not trying to be a smart ***. Just wondering if the Hornady powder measure wasn't up to your standards or if maybe there's some other reason for it. Did it take anything special to get it to work?

 

[GLOOB]

Since you used the word "workbench" rather than "reloading bench," I wonder what else you plan to use it for?

If your workbench might be exposed to stuff like pounding/hammering, exposure to strong solvents, cutting/scraping and the like, you might consider some good old boiled linseed oil. After a few applications of that, you can top it off with some paste wax. This isn't going to protect as much against stains, but it gets into the wood, rather than building on top. So it doesn't really scratch off. And it's dead simple to reapply for regular maintenance, or when attacked by solvents.

Basically, if the benchtop is going to end up looking a bit abused in the long run, anyway, then BLO is where I go with it.

 

[cfullgraf]

As GLOOB said, consider what solvents might be used on the bench. Many do not play well with finishes used on wood.

I do some gun smithing and gun work on my reloading bench, an old metal frame work table with a wood top. The finish, a paint/varnish surface, softens easily with various gun cleaning solvents. (FYI, my presses are mounted on free standing floor stands, not the bench).

 

[dickttx]

dickttx, you posted an interesting picture and I just have to ask, why a Lee powder measure on your LNLAP? Not trying to be a smart ***. Just wondering if the Hornady powder measure wasn't up to your standards or if maybe there's some other reason for it. Did it take anything special to get it to work?

I really liked my LCT setup but working the lever 400 times for 100 rounds really got to bothering my shoulder, so, I acquired the LnL. The LCT worked so well for me that I simply moved all my dies, and the PAD, over to the LnL. It works just a well on the new loader. I understand the Hornady powder measure is very good, but I have never unwrapped mine. It looks a lot more complicated and I am pretty simple minded.

 

[Offfhand]

Butcher block tops are a class act and are available with a coating that is highly resistant stains and solvents. Attached is a butcher block top on a loading bench installed in a motor coach. Probably the most practical top for loading benches from standpoints of strength, endurance, appearance and economy is pre-formed formica countertops. Which come in a variety of lengths and colors and can often be picked up at bargain prices if you check around. A few years back my company had preformed tops installed on all our work surfaces in shop areas and labs. They provide a rigid surface for our loading tools and instruments plus being easy to clean and still look new after hard use.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Butcher block tops are a class act and are available with a coating that is highly resistant stains and solvents. Attached is a butcher block top on a loading bench installed in a motor coach. Probably the most practical top for loading benches from standpoints of strength, endurance, appearance and economy is pre-formed formica countertops. Which come in a variety of lengths and colors and can often be picked up at bargain prices if you check around. A few years back my company had preformed tops installed on all our work surfaces in shop areas and labs. They provide a rigid surface for our loading tools and instruments plus being easy to clean and still look new after hard use.

Actually, it's not all that difficult to apply an epoxy coating to any countertop/workbench. You could make the countertop either natural wood, like the butcher block top, or paint/decorate the countertop any way you wish before applying the epoxy. You could put pictures, articles, or small objects down.

A really cool idea, I think, would be to get printouts of exploded diagrams for various firearms and lay them out on the countertop, glued and sealed down prior to covering with epoxy. That way you'd get the benefit of a white background for the work surface, but would have some really cool diagrams of firearms all over the surface of the reloading bench.

Heck, you could even make a table of all your common reload data and include that as well.

There are several videos on youtube showing how this is done. Here's a project article which shows a kitchen counter done in pennies:

http://makezine.com/projects/install-a-penny-countertop/


Of course, if money is a little tight, this can always be done later, after the bench is built and the budget has been built back up again.

 

[enine]

Anyone use laminate? I used a plain white for a router table years ago and its held up nice.

 

[kennedy]

plus 1 on using a used kitchen Formica counter top, got mine free, works great, don`t have to worry about finish.

 

[holdencm9]

Hey everyone, thanks again for all the replies, and pics as well! It has been fun to read through.

I now do think I will maybe go with some sort of structural-grade 3/4" plywood with a thinner birch or maple or oak plywood on top. This should hopefully get me the additional rigidity we all crave, but be cheaper overall (versus a 3/4" birch ply) and still give me the look I want.

Since you used the word "workbench" rather than "reloading bench," I wonder what else you plan to use it for?

I would like to use this bench primarily as a reloading bench, but also use it for rudimentary gun cleaning, assembly/disassembly, and other miscellaneous household odd jobs. I don't anticipate TOO much pounding and cutting on it. And could lay a temporary sheet of masonite down if necessary. I am more worried about the solvents. Most of what I use is pretty mild, and I have a cleaning mat that should hopefully catch most of it, but if I get a bit of CLP, Hoppes #9, or Gunslick Bore Cleaner on the minwax polyurethane, how will it wear?

RetiredUSNChief...that is a good idea! I may have to do the epoxy sometime down the road. I imagine that would be tougher than poly?

Again, not too interested in formica. I like the look of wood.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

RetiredUSNChief...that is a good idea! I may have to do the epoxy sometime down the road. I imagine that would be tougher than poly?

It's by FAR tougher than polyeurathane.

 

[GLOOB]

Gun cleaning solvents will do fine with polyurethane, so long as you don't let them sit for extended periods. It's stuff like pure acetone, paint thinners, mineral spirits, and MEK that will eat up varnishes rather quickly.

Epoxy can be nice. It is highly resistant to everything. It takes a long bath in MEK or concentrated nitric acid acid to do any damage to it. The only major Achilles heel of epoxy is UV. So don't use it on outdoor furniture. And it's also relatively expensive and time-consuming. You could spend as much on the epoxy as the plywood. And if you don't get the ratio and the mixing just so, you will just make a big mess and have to start over.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Epoxy can be nice. It is highly resistant to everything. It takes a long bath in MEK or concentrated nitric acid acid to do any damage to it. The only major Achilles heel of epoxy is UV. So don't use it on outdoor furniture. And it's also relatively expensive and time-consuming. You could spend as much on the epoxy as the plywood. And if you don't get the ratio and the mixing just so, you will just make a big mess and have to start over.

When you consider the time and work involved in cabinet level finish with polyeurathane or varnish, it's not any more involved.

And UV resistant epoxy is available, though it shouldn't really be a concern for a reloading bench. Tarbended is one that comes to mind, though I know there are others.

Anybody that can read directions and use basic measuring cups can mix this stuff correctly. And, like many other things, a simple trial run on a scrap piece of something will go a long way towards building both confidence and competency.

 

[kerreckt]

I glued 3/4''x3-1/2'' butt matched maple flooring to a sheet of 3/4" plywood underlayment. I screwed through the plywood into the back of the maple as, needed. I then finished the edges with rosewood. The result is a very rigid dense work surface with negligible deflection. It has served me well for many years.

 

[MI2600]

My workbench has been a "work" bench (10' X 2') for the last 25 years and proudly shows its scars and paint splatter. In addition to reloading, I've done everything from building model airplanes to rebuilding a snowblower. I haven't needed anything stronger than the 3/4" plywood top, reinforced for my reloader and vise. When it gets too scruffy, I give the top and quick power sand and refinish it. I haven't felt the need for anything fancy/pretty.

The most important part of any bench is a strong foundation...bolted together.

 

[AABEN]

Heck I got 4 2x8 by 8 foot long and made my bench from them with 4x4 for the legs. works very good. This year I have loaded over 7000 round Last year over 12.000 I have had this for over 12 years.

 

[Dentite]

I used the Birch plywood with the finished outer veneer mentioned earlier. I glued three thicknesses together. It's overkill, two would have been sufficient but esthetically I like the look of a thick table top so I went with three. I did a poly finish on it and it's only been 2-3 years but it is holding up great so far. My uses are only reloading so no solvents, etc.

I didn't do a strip around the outside to cover the layers...I'm sure that would have looked nicer but with a round over router edge it doesn't look too ghetto IMO.

Like said above, there are likely more durable options but this was pretty quick and I don't really have any regrets.

Anyway, here's a couple pics.



.223 case for reference.

 

[greybeard57]

I am far from well-to-do so I use what is available. In this case 4x4's have come in handy. This is my 6' x 30"x39" tall work/reloading bench with the smaller bench also made from 4x4's glued and bolted together. The presses are either through bolted with all-thread or simply lagged down with three inch lag bolts. The press under the old pillowcase cover is a Loadmaster and it's the through-bolted press, the turret press is lagged down. The wall covering is old pallet boards. The stool is a salvaged barstool that I cut 6" off the legs. Over the tall bench is 1/4" holed pegboard with pine shelves on long pegs. The entire setup minus the presses cost me about $150. I worked in construction for 22 years and most of the 4x4's were used as cribbing on incoming truck loads, enough were made of pressure treated lumber to make the large bench. The rest is plain 4x4 and 2x's. All-thread is less expensive than bolts, extra length boring bits can be rented or in my case borrowed from the company to drill the deeper holes or they can be bought at True Value or any other hardware store.

 

[GLOOB]

^ That's beautiful, sir. But all you have to do is add one sentence on how you finished these benches to keep the thread on track. Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[GaryL]

I used the Birch plywood with the finished outer veneer mentioned earlier. I glued three thicknesses together. It's overkill, two would have been sufficient but esthetically I like the look of a thick table top so I went with three.

Nice bench. I don't feel 3 layers is overkill at all. It's amazing how more durable and sturdy a bench gets when you glue several layers together. The best thing about doing that is you can pick the least expensive preferred option for the top layer, and use a less expensive grade for the support layers. I happen to like a hard maple finished plywood, but I've also done laminates and various grades of plywood for different benches I've made.

My computer desk is oak with a laminate top. You can get an idea from this pick:

 

[Riomouse911]

If you like the wood look, I used the wood grain formica that was suggested above. A 6' piece at Home depot was cheap and easy to get right off the shelf. It is very easy to clean up powder spills or spent primer mess, hard so it is tougher to scratch/dent than bare wood, drillable to mount your presses, it has a small lip that helps stop stuff from falling off, and with a 3/4" sheet of ply glued underneath it is downright indestructable. (White formica would make it even brighter, but not as pretty, IMHO)

 

[scottishkat]

+1 on the 1/8" hardboard holds up great. I imagine formica would be real nice to clean.