Printable View
I just finished an outfeed table using 3/4 MDO for the top. I would like some advise on products that could be used to protect the surface as I do some amount of project assembly on it. I am concerned about gluing operations. I would like to keep the surface in as good condition as possible.
Plastic Laminate AKA High pressure Laminate, P. Lam., Formica.
Hey Paul
I did considerd that however this material has a moisture resistant resin impregnated paper surface, I was hoping for some topical application. I don't know if wax or urathane or ????? I am hoping for as many different options and reasons to use them as possible. Thanks for your response.
Mine has danish oil and wax. I can get stray drips scraped off pretty easily.
I'll watch other answers because I have no idea if this is what the best answer might be. It's what Frank Klausz uses on his work bench, but he also has a blanket he puts over the top during glue-ups.
Brian
Titebond and its cousins don't stick to varnish.
On all of my MDF jigs and tables and the like I just use up those 1/4 cans of poly then I wax them with paste wax and that has worked very well for me. Nothing fancy at all but it works and if I get some glue on them it comes right off.
I don't know that the characteristics of MDO (although it does paint well) would lend itself to my protocol. I tend to stick to BLO and wax for the bench but get pretty free-form on the outfeeds. Like Bill, my outfeed gets whatever clear finish I happen to be working with at the time; BLO, shellac, varnish, etc. however I don't wax it . . . that might interfere with the next rag, damp with 'whatever', that I am looking to rub on it ;-)
I applied two coats of Sealcoat, then two coats of Johnson's Wax to my tablesaw outfeed and side support tables and it has held up well. Glue drops don't stand a chance!
Nick,
I was trying to save the top of my new Grizzly workbench top. I was wandering thru the "Orange BORG" and noticed this stuff that they put in the bottom of showers prior to putting down tile. It's pretty thick rubber, 5 feet wide and on a large roll. I used to put it on the table (it lies nice and flat) and do my glue-ups. Any slop is just flaked off when dry.
It has worked so well I leave it on all the time. My three year old top is like the day I got it.
Good luck! Ken
I use poly. It is harder than just about anything and takes the abuse that I dish out. I use my out feed table as an assembly table, bench, sanding table, and more. Glue doesn't stick to it and it holds up. Put a couple of coats of wax on it and it will be real slick as well.
Since its MDO and already has some amount of plastic (resin) in the coating, I'd just wax it.
Just wax it. That's all I do to my router tables.