Do you rough up workbench top?

[Dan Barr]

I use a toothing plane to rough up my workbench top. I put plane at 45 degrees left to right and right to left. One pass across the top. Gives much better grip. Anyone else do this? I suspect few do.

Dan

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I do not. If I need a little extra grip for some reason, I put a piece of rubber shelf liner under whatever I am working on.

[Rob Luter]

I use shelf liner too.

[Joe A Faulkner]

No. Bench dogs\planing stops work fine keeping the piece stationary working the length of the bench. My bench is against a wall, so if I need to keep a piece from moving from front to back, and a hold fast and batten won't work, then I usually use one or more pieces of scrap to use as a stop that sits between the wall and the piece that is being worked.

[Robert Engel]

Its prefectly fine and is/was commonly done by a lot of ww'ers. Nowadays I think there is more emphasis on benches, jigs, etc. as a sign of craftsmanship so we are adverse to doing it.

I don't do it but I do not think a slick surface is desireable.

Bench hooks definitely do not hold as well on a slick surface and the shelf liner trick doesn't always work that well, either.

BTW I line all my vises, holdfasts, etc with 80 grit sandpaper or leather.

[Prashun Patel]

Bench hooks definitely do not hold as well on a slick surface and the shelf liner trick doesn't always work that well, either.

I don't have the same experience. I have benches in a couple different levels of 'grit' and I prefer the oil/varnish finished. It makes glue easier to come off. I use a combination of vises and stops/hooks for work holding. Stops are convenient and quick and they become easier to use with practice.

I don't like a toothed surface because it's harder to sweep.

[glenn bradley]

My top is purposely smooth and I have no issues with hold downs. I do some small assembly work at the bench and the glue pops right off of the BLO / paste wax treated surface. Not slick like a bowling alley but, the oil and wax penetration into the surface makes cleanup a snap.

At some point I'll be doing something with epoxy and will use the leftovers to fill any small dings or gouges. I also use the benchtop as a reference surface and it is flat and level with mother earth. Irregularities in the surface can trap grit and spoil and ruin a surface. If you only use your bench for roughing out this would be moot.

Keep your cutters sharp and a lethal grip is not really required. I think a lot of it comes down to how we approach the work piece. There are many methods and the one that works for you is the right one for you.

[john zulu]

@Dan..... What kind of work are you using your table for? I have not seen a rough table for wood working. I expect the table top to be dead flat.....

[steven c newman]

Tried it once, long time ago ( about 4 benches back?) and the toothy grooves just filled right up with dirt and other junk. usually the same day. Never bother with the idea since. I have dogs, a planing stop, and a few jigs as needed.

Besides, IF you go to flatten a bench over time, the toothed surface gets removed anyway. save the toothed plane for veneer prep.

[george wilson]

This very exact topic was the subject of a big debate years ago here. I think the Schwartz started it in one of his writings.

I didn't like the practice then,nor do I now. As mentioned,you'll soon get grooves full of dirt,as well as sand paper abrasive bits,and anything else small to fall into the grooves. And scratch your work.

[Roy Lindberry]

The only roughing up I do on my bench top is the natural result of working on it and dropping things on it, etc.

However, I have been thinking about doing as you do after watching a video (I think it was Patrick Edwards...) showing the same. I don't have a toothing plane at this point, so I will likely try it when the day comes that I finally get one.

[Dan Barr]

@Dan..... What kind of work are you using your table for? I have not seen a rough table for wood working. I expect the table top to be dead flat.....

This very exact topic was the subject of a big debate years ago here. I think the Schwartz started it in one of his writings.

I didn't like the practice then,nor do I now. As mentioned,you'll soon get grooves full of dirt,as well as sand paper abrasive bits,and anything else small to fall into the grooves. And scratch your work.

Tried it once, long time ago ( about 4 benches back?) and the toothy grooves just filled right up with dirt and other junk. usually the same day. Never bother with the idea since. I have dogs, a planing stop, and a few jigs as needed.

Besides, IF you go to flatten a bench over time, the toothed surface gets removed anyway. save the toothed plane for veneer prep.

Yup, top is flat. (After flattening) I run the toothing plane once left to right and once right to left at 45 degrees to the front edge. It creates a bunch of little diamonds that stick up.

I dont have a problem with dirt/grit. I just brush and occasionally vacuum. Glue does not touch the bench often. If it does, a wet rag does a good job of removing it.

One aspect I have noticed. Having the top rough puts me at ease to do work on the bench instead of worrying about doing work on the bench.

Dan

[Frederick Skelly]

3 coats of tung oil finish on a smooth bench, here. Hold downs work fine. I sometimes use shelf liner too. But if toothing it works well for you, I say go for it.

Thanks for bringing up the idea and letting us bat it back and forth Dan. I often get new/better approaches from discussions like this.

Fred

[Dan Barr]

3 coats of tung oil finish on a smooth bench, here. Hold downs work fine. I sometimes use shelf liner too. But if toothing it works well for you, I say go for it.

Thanks for bringing up the idea and letting us bat it back and forth Dan. I often get new/better approaches from discussions like this.

Fred

You're welcome. I have two coats of tung oil on mine (applied and rubbed with a rag after toothing). Love that stuff!

[Brian Holcombe]

I keep it smooth enough that it will not catch dirt or whatever else. I flatten every six months or so.