Using kitchen worktop for wood working bench.

[Gibbo84]

Hello,

I'm going to make a work bench for woodwork soon. I'm planning the materials I need to get and was thinking about the surface.

I know mdf, plywood and old doors are popular but I know a few places around me where I can get kitchen laminate worktop quite cheap.

Does anyone have any comments on this? Kitchen worktop seems ideal since they hard wearing, heavy, flat, wipe able, don't tend to warp.

I need it for general woodwork, building small bits of furniture and general bodging.
It'll be sat on a solid frame since, I want it weigh as much as possible and it to carry a heavy vice.

I know all the pros but can anyone give me the cons? The only thing that comes to mind is that it's hard on chisels if I go all the way through what ever I'm cutting but I can put scrap wood down if that's an issue.

Thanks in advance.

Ian

 

[big-all]

you will need support every 400-550mm along its length as well as front and back
you are better with a wear layer or surface protection board that will take all the bumps cuts chisel marks drill holes and glue drops etc
you can off course remove the wear board and only use it when required

 

[^woody^]

Stuff slides all over the place on melamine. Even when it's held down.

 

[foxhole]

Worktop warp easily in damp buildings, is this going in a shed, garage? It does not stand up to hammering or impact from tool's and materials, a sheet of ply or mdf is more suitable and cheaper.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Biggest issue I can see is that post-formed worktops are NEVER flat across the width. Almost every one I've ever installed had some minor degree of cupping, making the stuff absolutely useless for making workbench tops

 

[Gibbo84]

Thanks woody, that's a really good point I hadn't thought about sliding.

I've got a few large bits of mdf knocking around, I might make an MDF, Plywood sandwich.
As for damp, it's going to be in concrete shed, lined with plastic on the inside. So I'm not too concerned stuff getting damp.

(Shed is not finished yet, I still need to clad the outside with stone but here's a picture of it today.)

 

[big-all]

do not line with plastic as the surface layer it will attract condensation

i would go for 12mm ply

 

[Gibbo84]

You're quite right. I was always going to line with ply.
The plastic sheeting is to go underneath the ply to keep out moisture.