Countertop/Benchtop Material

[Chuck Isaacson]

...also, halfway decent ply is cheaper, at least in my neck of the woods. I think you have Menards up your way - that's where I get my sheet goods. I think 3/4 MDF is $40-50, while 3/4 sanded ply is on sale this week for $29. I wasn't making my cabinets for the kitchen, so I wasn't concerned about top notch quality. Price and durability for the garage, my friend...

I think that I can get 1/2" MDF for like $20-25 a sheet. Plywood was more for the decent stuff that would be crappy, but I will have to look again.

Chuck

[dan sherman]

I would recommend at least one layer of 3/4" MDF either covered with hardboard or Formica, Though I think 2 layers would be better.

[dan sherman]

My local Lowe's has 3/4" MDF for $24.12 according to the website. From memory Home depot is always a little more expensive, and Menards a little cheaper (here in Champaign IL anyway).

[Jason Strauss]

My local Lowe's has 3/4" MDF for $24.12 according to the website. From memory Home depot is always a little more expensive, and Menards a little cheaper (here in Champaign IL anyway).

Either I'm way overpaying for MDF or I've doubled the price in my memory. Either way, if you can't tell, I like ply better.

[Marc Casebolt]

It will not get used like a workbench (that is what I say right now). It will serve mostly as a place that I can do a light assembly on small stuff and maybe some routing and what not.

If you are anything like me you will find that any flat surface in your shop will be used eventually as a place to bash on something. I'm just saying that making all horizontal surfaces as heavy duty as you can now will most likely be a good thing. MDF or ply, make it strong enough to clamp to and take future abuse.

Marc

[Brian Tymchak]

Chuck,

Since I have the "real" workbench in the middle of the shop to do the heavy duty work, I used white laminate on my countertop over the side wall storage cabinets. I chose white to reflect light. I have a basement shop and wall mounted cabinets above the counter so it's a little dark along that wall. I will also be adding under-cabinet lights when I can find time to mount them. The top itself is MDF (3/4"+1/2" laminated together) a reuse of tops from old benches. Edges are wrapped in birch to match the birch ply in the cabinets. 1 1/4" tops are probably overkill but I like the weight of it. Really made for a solid worksurface. I extended the top about 3" beyond the front of the cabinet fronts to give me a clamping surface as well. Don't use it often but I still like having it.

Brian

[Jack Ellis]

I'm going to try an experiment of sorts. When a local Mervyn's closed down, I bought up a bunch of shelves from their store fixtures for something like 25 cents a square foot. It's 3/4 inch particleboard covered with a nice smooth impregnated paper finish. If that stuff doesn't work out, I'll replace it with some solid core doors I have, but I think it will be fine for countertops. I also have a 4 foot length of butcher block countertop I'll use somewhere.

I picked up a home made workbench for free that's working out well as an assembly table until I can build something better.