laminating multiple large sheets of plywood

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EW · #1 Post by EW » Thu Jul 21, 2011 11:05 pm

Greetings, I'm toying with the idea of making some wall mounted fold down workbenches for the garage, around 48x32 & was thinking of building up to 1.5" thickness by gluing/laminating multiple sheets of ply. I have a nice flat surface to construct on (5'x9' stone tables) and 2000lb bags of ballast, but thats less than 1.4psi of compressing force.

Has anyone done this sort of thing before? Any recommendations? (Vacuum bagging perhaps?)

Thanks!

Bruce Weldy · #2 Post by **Bruce Weldy** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:22 am

Use MDF. It's heavy and absolutely flat. Two pieces of 5/8 or 3/4 glued and screwed together will make a great surface. Add a piece of cheap fiberboard for a replaceable top and you got a great work surface. Here's how I did it on my workbench. I absolutely love it - I should have done it way before I did.

bzb · #3 Post by **bzb** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 6:53 am

Exactly what I did - double layer of MDF with a piece of masonite on top. Trimmed out with poplar around the edge with a 1/4" lip for the masonite to fit in. I drilled out a 3/4" hole at one end so it's easier to pop the masonite off when I need a fresh face.

Bruce Weldy · #4 Post by **Bruce Weldy** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:36 am

Mine's trimmed with red oak and a lip for the fiberboard. Figured I'd have to replace the top fairly often, but it's still got the original from 2003. Paint, glue, and other gunk comes off easily with a putty knife.

EW · #5 Post by EW » Fri Jul 22, 2011 1:32 pm

Thanks for the input guys! After looking at butcher block tops, going with laminated baltic birch sounded downright cheap! Looks like 3/4" MDF is running $34 a sheet locally.

Is there much concern about swelling with spilled liquids, or at this price range, do just replace the top if/when it swells?

I like some aspects of the concept of this product, but it seems a bit overly complicated (K.I.S.S.!)
http://www.benchsolution.com/products/workbench/

Bruce Weldy · #6 Post by **Bruce Weldy** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 3:48 pm

Top it with with fiberboard - the MDF never gets wet. 4x8 sheet of fiberboard is less than $10.

Then use the cutoffs of MDF and fiberboard to build a circular saw guide..

Lighter, straighter than plywood too!

Tom Smit · #7 Post by **Tom Smit** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:49 pm

Fibreboard, or a s some like to call it, hard board. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardboard

#8 Post by **Bill Fitzmaurice** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:06 am

IMO use a base layer of MDF, a topper of BB. It's very handy to screw parts to the bench for cutting and assembling, and neither MDF nor fiberboard are screw friendly.

Bruce Weldy · #9 Post by **Bruce Weldy** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:17 am

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:IMO use a base layer of MDF, a topper of BB. It's very handy to screw parts to the bench for cutting and assembling, and neither MDF nor fiberboard are screw friendly.

Screws in my benchtop? Blasphemy! (not on purpose anyway)

Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:36 am

Bruce Weldy wrote:
Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:IMO use a base layer of MDF, a topper of BB. It's very handy to screw parts to the bench for cutting and assembling, and neither MDF nor fiberboard are screw friendly.
Screws in my benchtop? Blasphemy! (not on purpose anyway)

It's a workbench, not a coffee table.

bzb · #11 Post by **bzb** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:45 am

But I do set my coffee on it!

I almost bought a sheet of that MDF core plywood for my workbench. Costs too much though! But screwing things to the bench is exactly why the top is replaceable. There have been a couple times I wish there was plywood to screw to, though.

Bruce Weldy · #12 Post by **Bruce Weldy** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 9:25 am

bzb wrote: But I do set my coffee on it!

Noooooooo........it'll leave rings! You don't build on your coffee table do you?

Yesterday my son was in the garage with me....he's been out of the house for 4 years.....looked at my work table and said, "What happened to your table? There's stains all over it."

The first seven years of it's life it was pristine, even though it got a lot of use. One year of Bill's Magic Elixir (aka PL Premium) and it now looks like crap. Guess it's time for a new fiberboard top......still not gonna' put screws in it though.

LelandCrooks · #13 Post by **LelandCrooks** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:58 am

I have about 25ft of bowling alley lane waiting for me to find time to do workbenches and kitchen countertops from it. 2 1/2 thick solid maple. Bought it crazy cheap from a demo.

Bruce Weldy · #14 Post by **Bruce Weldy** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:26 am

Sweet!

bzb · #15 Post by **bzb** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 1:21 pm

Bruce Weldy wrote:Noooooooo........it'll leave rings! You don't build on your coffee table do you?

Err... let's say I've gotten in trouble for things left on the coffee table before

still not gonna' put screws in it though.

There's one spot I keep using for my Kreg jig. Strangely enough, the same screws still bite into the holes.

BillFitzmaurice.info

laminating multiple large sheets of plywood

laminating multiple large sheets of plywood

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