Best product for extension/infeed/outfeed table surfaces?

[Rich Engelhardt]

I had a good sized piece of 3/4" red oak plywood left over from something so I figured, "Why not?"

A couple three coats of orange shellac and a good coat of paste wax & it works as good as it looks.

[cody michael]

granite works well looks awesome

[Steve Peterson]

HDPE is a tough flexible Polyethylene that nothing sticks to. I got a 1/4" 4'x8' from a local Piedmont Plastics and if I remember it was about $80. It lays flat and stays in place with edging trim on my assembly table. I never tried any adhesives to fix it to the table and doubt they would bond. This stuff is a great surface that takes quite a lot of punishment.

I like this idea, especially if the outfeed table serves double duty as a glue up station. The best attachment might be to countersink some screws.

Personally, most of my home built work surfaces are Home Depot melamine. It's cheap enough and strong enough for my usage. The only damaged surfaces are from saw blades or chisels. I have not noticed any wear from wood sliding over it.

Steve

[Jim Sprester]

I made mine with 2x4 under structure topped with 3/4 inch Baltic birch and then topped with 1/4 inch underlayment, which I can replace if need be. The bench also serves as a workbench, so I made it pretty substantial. I'm pleased with it, and it was great addition - safety wise, functionally, etc. I'll try to send you a couple of pictures if I can find them, and figure out how to include them.

[Jim Dwight]

Melamine coated particle board - the stuff sold at the big box stores, makes excellent outfeed support. It will sag over time, however, so ribs are a good idea. With a coat of wax it is quite slick. Melamine is basically the same material as used in "formica" (which is a particular brand of laminate), just thinner. It is much more durable than polyurethane or other finishes for wood. But melamine is not as durable as laminate. That hasn't been a problem for me. My table saw has an extension table built of melamine. It is holding up well.