workbench question
 

I've been using an 7ft wood door for a building table for the past 12 years and since its been in the basement/storage/workshop for that long its has warped in a few places and I've had to shim the drywall that I lay on top to square it up for building on.

Would this be good to build on, just looking for some opinions. I have thought about a 8ft slab of hardsurface such as a scrap of granite/fake granite counter top which would be perfect but expensive.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...118&lpage=none

Belanger®
8' Autumn Indian Slate Straight Countertop

Item #: 201878 Model: 3687118
$73.00


This is about the same price as a good hard wood door

RE: workbench question
 

Go to Lowes or Home Depot and see if they have a DAMAGED ONE SIDE door. They usually do and it can be bought for (again, usually ) 1/2 price or less. A luan interior door (smooth surface ) on 2 saw horses is what most people use. Undamaged they run about $30 and will last several years.

RE: workbench question
 

I use a hollow door with 1/8" masonite on top for added strength and rigidity.

RE: workbench question
 

thanks newc, thats a pretty good Idea, I might could do that to the one I'm using now.

The one I have is a luan door but it has some warps in it, the masonite top might be the trick

RE: workbench question
 

When I put the Masonite down I did so with contact cement and then with countersunk screws into the hollow door's stringers. Since I have a serious anal retentive streak I then filled the phillips head slots, etc. with Bondo to get a completely smooth surface. My motto is basically that "Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess"

RE: workbench question
 

The flatter your building surface is, the straighter your planes will be. This is not the place to pinch pennies. Rather than trying to shim your current surface, go for something new. I like the idea of the granite top. Let's face it, it'll NEVER warp and will last forever. Lowe's, Home Depot and places like that often do have "damaged" doors. Also look at salvage and discount yards. IMO the building surface should be flat within 1/16" TIR from end to end and less than 1/32" TIR front to back for a 4' x 8' surface.

My current building table is an old solid oak library table. I topped it with a solid core door I got from a salvage yard. Dead nuts flat. I put down ceiling tile on that and finished it off with 3/32" cork. Both the ceiling tike and cork are easily replaceable when too torn up to build on.

Whatever you use, be sure it's WELL supported. I know some use sawhorses, but I prefer more stable mountings.

Dr.1