Good morning fellow woodworkers,
I am currently building out a new shop in my basement, and am building 3 banks of lower cabinets for my miter saw, drill press and sharpening station.
I’ve modeled my cabinets similar to some I’ve seen from the Wood Whisperer and a few others, and in many, not all, 2 layers of 3/4″ ply or MDF is often used for the top of similar cabinets.
As I was building my cabinets, I did a quick test of structural rigidity with just 1 layer of 3/4″ plywood across a double drawer cabinet that is 72″ wide and the cabinet seemed sturdy enough to support my weight with no problem.
So, being the “frugal yankee” (translation, cheap bastard), I said to myself, “Self, do I really need 2 layers of 3/4″ plywood for the top for these cabinets ?”
I suspect the answer is that it won’t hurt, and it’s really not that much extra effort (and just a bit more money), but I thought I would throw this out to the FWW forum community for your opinion.
Thanks in advance for your kind thoughts/advice,
Erick
Replies
I was on the horns of the same 3/4" dilemma and went for two layers and don't regret it. You're fine with a single layer for simple strength and storage purposes, but you'll want two and the extra shock absorption and sturdiness if you plan to attach a vise and/or "do" woodworking on it.
I have a workspace with 1.5 inch thick top. Plywood over MDF. After over 10 years it is still stout as H, but no longer flat. Drill press, hollow chisel mortiser, imbedded routers, etc, leave an impression given enough time. I would go ply over ply, or maybe hard maple over ply if I did it again.
I’m sure you will have a nice work space for many years, even with just one layer of 3/4 ply. Someday your son might decide to use your bench to rebuild his motorcycle engine. Then you will be glad you didn’t go with the hard maple top.
Thanks gents for your comments. I think 2 layers of 3/4” ply is the way to go, topped with a 1/4” hardboard. Always good to get an outside opinion.
PS: I’ve seen what happens to a poorly supported single sheet of 3/4 MDF, so I am purposely staying away from using any MDF in my workstation, even if supported by a sheet of ply beneath.
Just a quick tip. A solid core door makes a great top. You can find some deals at the salvage center that the knob hole was drilled wrong or a corner damaged sometimes. I built a "temporary" workbench 20 years ago from one....still use it.