Ihave been wanting a bench that I could walk all the way around and would hold one of the 33% planes I have in the works. Ihave a couple drawer units I built for another project. and some oak book shelfs from a yard sale. The idea was to use a drawer unit on each end and book shelves in the center. One side is going to be dedicated to my parts trays, the side had to hold 48"x12"sheets of ply and longbalsa. I also am mounting it on heavy duty casters so I can move it out of the way when not in use. I decidedto use Masonite solid core flush doors for the bottom and the build table. 6' 8" x 30' x 1 3/8" bottom and a 6' 8" x 36" x 1 3/4" for the top. These doors were a very bad choice.

When I got the heavy monsters home. and setting on edge, Inoticed the top had about a 3/8"bow end to end.Something you can't see with them standing on end atHome Depot Ihave some angle iron from a box spring frame that will work just fine for a strong back on each edge of the top so I wasn't to concerned. My drawer units are centered over the casters on each end. Iattached one drawer unit and was starting to install the book shelf sides. Iam using 1/8" Luann plyas a back between the two shelfs and when I placed the ply in place to space the two shelf sides on the first drawer unit, Iwas off by about 3/8" top to bottom over the 27" height of the drawer unit. Started checking things out with a builder square and I discovered about a 3/4" bow in the bottom door. Ican pull it out with just a little tug on the top of the drawer unit. The door is like a piece of 1/2" ply for strength. Now I'm going to have to get some more bed rails and probably some 2x4's to add some strength to the bottom. I'm having some serious concerns now about the decision to use the doors as I fear they are just going to wilt around what ever strong backs I add.

So don't use these doors for your build bench. The Masonite skin will not take screws well, and the core isn't particle board like the guy at Home Depot said, but more like very tightly packed shredded wood. I can stick my jack knife in the ends about a 1/2" with little effort. No expectations of a screw holding in it, every thing will have to be through bolted.

Don</p>

I found a great source of build bench tops.

The companies that make Laminated (Melamine) bench tops for Kitchens etc often have "rejects" that have been made to the wrong size or have a slgiht flaw such as a small crack in them. It is usually cheaper for them to make a new one than try to salvage the old one. They will sell the rejects for next to nothing otherwise it costs them to store or dispose of them. My main bench is around 12 feet long long and had a small crack in the melamine at one corner. The base material is 2" thick and there is less than 1/16" between the highest and lowes points on it (I looked at it with a laser unit out of curiosity).

I've been pretty happy with mine so far. Only change I would make is to skin the base frame with 1/4 inch ply on both sides. Lighter and just as strong/warp free. You can still use your top of choice. The only trick is to make sure it is level and not twisted before you add the second sheet on the base frame. Any twist will be in forever after that sheet is attached. I did go a bit over board but it should be the last bench I ever need.

Build thread here; http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10732121/tm.htm

Ken

I took a suggestion from Dave Platt and purchased a 4'X8' piece of 3/8" tempered glass for a work bench top. It was not cheap, but will last a life time, is perfectly flat, you can glue jigs to it and then just scrape them off with a razor blade. You can tape your plans underneath between the supports and build on top of them, I also use it as a light table to copy plans, and (depending on the size) you can build two or three planes a once on it.

the glass is only flat if the underlayment is flat. I used to make big aquariums and 3/8 and 1/2 inch glass will really bow out ona long run. I made on with 1/4 glass that was about three feet long and 10" highwhen filled, there was about a 1/2" bow on both front and back. and just on the top as the bottom was glued to the bottom.

That said though, our shower doors are now over 20 years old and when Ireplace them. the old glass is going on the bench top. If I can get it flat to begin with and it doesn't wilt like plant without water.

Don