What's your bench top like?

[Tets Kimura]

I know you all like seeing other people's workshops and benches, but what I have always enjoyed seeing are close-ups of bench tops. Even without any tool on it, they tell you fascinating stories.

So, I thought, why not start a thread to show such images. Surely I'm not the only one who like seeing such photos!

I start with mine...

[cbouts]

Now you are making me want to refinish my benches - Been quite a while since I have refinished them. (Various jig pin holes I use constantly for thumb screws) and quick releases for the B&C cradle to attach it to the bench

[~ Ben Conover]

Tetsuo, is that an old door ?

On old Sjobergs bench with newish vice jaws, sold it to Paul Gosling buit later asked for it back !

The teak bench top with big vice chops, took the vice on and off a few times, call it OCD.

Before the teak top I had an mdf top on a heavy base, and before that part of a fire door I salvaged and caried home on my back from a skip in Newark.

The big varnish bench with 4 layer mdf, I add a new layer every few years.

Probably the most ridiculous bench I made was from railway sleepers, had to leave it in Newark, too heavy.

[Joe Swenson]

At risk of being boring.. I just finished my new workbench which is not in the garage, and is in the house in my office. Nothing interesting to look at but I imagine it will develop some character in time.

[Tets Kimura]

Probably the most ridiculous bench I made was from railway sleepers, had to leave it in Newark, too heavy.

I'd love to see that, Ben. Suppose you don't have any photo?

[Tets Kimura]

Andrew, I think your bench top looks fine as is... Love the well used look.

[Tets Kimura]

Joseph, I think it will look a lot better after a year of heavy use or so. Have to admit, when I made my current bench, I antiqued it a little.

I probably didn't need to since I bash my bench a lot, anyway, but I felt more comfortable with a slightly worn bench.

[~ Ben Conover]

Tets, I didn't take many photos of Newark, pre digital days and spent my pennies on tools.

For bashing I use a 1/4 inch steel plate located on the edge of another bench.

[Don Noon]

My entry for the most boring bench top award.

Laminated countertop from Home Depot, with a plank of MDF on top of it to work on, and some rubber stuff to put tools on.

[Janito]

I use a simple bench hook to reduce bench top & side wear, It is equally simple to use a softwood barrier when gouging or chiseling down towards the bench.

There is no virtue in the careless miss use of a bench top.

ps - my super-heavy kitchen block table gets treated in the same way.

[~ Ben Conover]

Careless miss Use and thumped virtue into her bench verily every night, and good for her.

[Janito]

Careless miss Use and thumped virtue into her bench verily every night, and good for her.

And verily, one has to humour Old Farts/Warts.

[Ken_N]

I've done all my stuff on this. Definitely the most boring bench. Works, but slides all over the floor! Would like to make one a little bigger, with drawers to weigh it down with all my tools. Drew one up with dog holes, but wonder if a few well placed holes, or screw stops of some kind, after it is done would be easer.

Ken

[~ Ben Conover]

hehe, nice one Ken, I often thought about making one of those with some pipe vices.

Good to work on a small bench. :-)

[captainhook]

Ben,

It takes a lot more than pipe vises. I have two Workmates. The cheapest they made I got new over 20 years ago and a top line model later from a yard sale. I still use both. You won't find anything else as sturdy and rigid for the weight and price. One foot on the foot rest usually holds them in place.

[christian bayon]

[Magnus Nedregard]

Hahaha, what a cool thread! Fetishists unite! I am at home now, but I'll post mine tomorrow.

[~ Ben Conover]

Nice Bench Christian, very good.

Steel bench dog ?

[Fjodor]

This is my bench. It's an old school bench so it's pretty battered.

[christian bayon]

Nice Bench Christian, very good.

Steel bench dog ?

Yes Ben, 36 years old.

Nice bench Fjodor!

[Joe Swenson]

I've done all my stuff on this. Definitely the most boring bench. Works, but slides all over the floor! Would like to make one a little bigger, with drawers to weigh it down with all my tools. Drew one up with dog holes, but wonder if a few well placed holes, or screw stops of some kind, after it is done would be easer.

Ken

I've got one one of those too. I love it. Very good for carving. Same problem with sliding around, so I used to set it up against the cupboard doors to support it. But the new bench is built to the same height so I can support it now with the bench top.

[Joe Swenson]

Joseph, I think it will look a lot better after a year of heavy use or so. Have to admit, when I made my current bench, I antiqued it a little.

I probably didn't need to since I bash my bench a lot, anyway, but I felt more comfortable with a slightly worn bench.

Already dropped a file - produced a nice dent, and spilled a splash of varnish today. It's on its way!

[Arash]

At risk of being boring.. I just finished my new workbench which is not in the garage, and is in the house in my office. Nothing interesting to look at but I imagine it will develop some character in time.

Nice to see this set-up. I have some space available in my office too and have been wondering whether I could convert a corner into a little workshop.

[Arash]

Not my bench, cannot take any credit for its beauty, but I am in the privileged position to be learning on it. Just wanted to share, since I love the beautiful surface.

[difrangia]

Butcherblock top built into the piano-bench that I converted last year. I'm fairly careful with it, so it hasn't surrered a lot of battlescars yet. I put a good number of threaded inserts in the top and in the face for securing fixturing, jigs, etc.

I have plans to build a portable bench from one of the folding workmate benches and mount a slab of the butcherblock with threaded inserts. Possibly plan to visit area fiddlecamps when I retire in a few years and do a little setup-repair using the small folding bench. Even gone so far as to daydream-engineer several foot powered treddle power attachments into the folder.

Steve