Replies

1. 
   chaim | May 30, 2008 01:58pm | #1

   I built a mdf/pine work bench and applied an oil varnish mixture but 2 light coats of a wipe on poly will do as well. It keeps glue and what not from sticking but needs refreshing every now and then. I wouldn't recommend building up a finish on the surface too much but I'm sure others might differ.

   Chaim

   Make your own mistakes not someone elses, this is a good way to be original !

2. 
   RMillard | May 30, 2008 03:02pm | #2

   Once a year, I apply a mixture of linseed oil, turpentine and beeswax to my yellow pine workbench top. I heat the linseed oil and beeswax, to the point where it almost starts to smoke (do this outside and have a cover ready in case it catches fire), then I throw in the turpentine, and brush it on the top. Keep applying it until it won't absorb any more and wipe the excess off. I then wipe it completely dry after about a half hour and wipe it a few more times during the day to make sure no excess of oil is left on the surface. To be honest, I don't really know why I use the turpentine, other than I read it somewhere, and I kind of like the smell.

   Rob Millard

   http://www.americanfederalperiod.com

3. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | May 30, 2008 03:41pm | #3

   I'll join the distinquished Mr. Millard in suggesting a coat of oil.. let it throughly dry and the wax it. He stated he uses linseed oil which is great. but take forever to completely cure. I simply use Watco and do heat it first as he suggest but not to the point of smoking. I don't use terpentine as he does and have never heard of it for that use. It is a solvent made from sap of pines and has been used to cure lice. Maybe the donator of the idea for Rob had that in mind. ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..

   Oil and wax is all I find necessary and easy to repair if you are into keeping the top pretty. I'm not into that and welcome bruises.. stains.. etc. as it tells me I am doing something and not just talking about it. :>)

   I do have several assembly benches that get the call for glue ups and they are coated in poly just for that reason. Ocassionally I out-run them and use the WB for a small glue-up. I keep several cotton painters tarps on hand I have cut down to 4 x 6.. 3 x 5.. etc.  and other sizes just to throw over the WB to avoid glue drying when I use it.

   I would keep it simple. If and when you have to true the top (and you will as all wood moves and it catches up with current flatness) you don't have to the trouble of removing the gunk on top before you take a few minutes to re-flatten with a hand plane.

   Good luck...

   Sarge..

4. 
   HowardAcheson | May 30, 2008 04:10pm | #4

   A film finish (lacquer, shellac, varnish, poly varnish) is not the way to finish a workbench top. A workbench is going to get dinged and film finishes will crack or craze or be otherwise damaged. Once a film finish is penetrated, it loses its effectiveness and adjacent areas begin to fail. No treatment is going to make a soft wood benchtop harder. I much favor a "in the wood finish". Here are two that lots of folks find effective.

   First, is an boiled linseed oil and wax finish. Sand the surface to 180 grit. Mix paraffin or bees wax into heated boiled linseed oil. USE A DOUBLE BOILER TO HEAT THE OIL. The ratio is not critical but about 5-6 parts of boiled linseed oil in a double boiler with one part paraffin or beeswax shaved in. Take it off the stove. Thin this mixture about 50/50 with mineral spirits to make a heavy cream like liquid. Apply this mixture to the benchtop liberally and allow to set overnight. Do it again the next day and again the following day if the top continues to absorb it. After a final overnight, lightly scrape off any excess wax and buff. This finish will minimize the absorbsion of any water and you can use a damp rag to wipe up any glue excess. Dried glue will pop right off the surface. Renewal or repair is easy. Just use a scraper to remove and hardened stuff, wipe down with mineral spirits using a 3/0 steel wool pad (a non-woven gray abrasive pad is better), wipe off the gunk and apply another coat of mineral oil/wax mixture.

   My personal preference is for an oil/varnish mixture treatment. Either use Minwax Tung Oil Finish, Minwax Antique oil or a homebrew of equal parts of boiled linseed oil, your favorite varnish or poly varnish and mineral spirits. Sand the benchtop up to 180 grit. Apply the mixture heavily and keep it wet for 15-30 minutes. Wipe off any excess completely. Let it dry overnight and the next day, apply another coat using a gray non-woven abrasive pad. Let it set and then wipe off any excess. Let this dry 48-72 hours. To prevent glue from sticking apply a coat of furniture paste wax and you're done. This treatment is somewhat more protective than the wax and mineral oil as the varnish component adds some protection from not only water both some other chemicals also. The waxing makes the surface a little more impervious to water so you can wipe up any liquid adhesive. It also allows hardened wax to be scraped off. Repair and renewal is easy. Just go throught the same scraping, wiping down with mineral spirits and reapplication of the BLO/varnish/mineral spirits mixture and an application of paste wax.

   Both of the above treatments are quite protective but are easy to maintain and renew. They do not fail when the surface takes a ding.

   Howie.........
1. 
   iamrip | May 30, 2008 05:25pm | #6

   Thank you everyone for your input!  There are a lot of ideas for the workbench top but how about the rest of the bench.  Do you not apply a finish to these parts?

1. 
   rsgreenwood | May 30, 2008 05:29pm | #7

   Apply it everywhere would be my recommendation.

2. 
   flairwoodworks | May 30, 2008 11:08pm | #8

   I second everything that has been said here.  Oil or oil/varnish blend.  No film finish and certainly no wax!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com

    - Success is not the key to happines.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

5. 
   rsgreenwood | May 30, 2008 05:23pm | #5

   Another two cents worth. I finished my SYP bench with a soaking of BLO / mineral spirits / varnish blend (somewhat equal parts of each). Three coats a day apart, each wiped down after about 20 - 25 minutes. Can not emphasize enough the need to drench the wood. If it's going to sit on a basement or garage floor where the possibility of water flow exists, pour some of your mixture into margarine tub lids and set the legs in them overnight between coats two and three. Follow up on day 4 with a light coat of paste wax. Keep the wax to a minimum on the top surface unless you're really concerned with glue squeeze-out or spatter. Too much wax will give you your own miniature "ice rink" for whatever piece of wood you choose to work next. Best of luck, and remember that a project that doesn't turn out as planned still beats a project that's never started.

6. 
   troys | May 31, 2008 02:17am | #9

   I like to use amber shellac with the wax still in it because almost any glue will scrape right off, works great for jigs that slide on the tablesaw as well.

   Troy

7. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | May 31, 2008 03:41am | #10

   BTW Rip... if you do decide to go with a oil and wax combo, just a note if you have never used the pure oils. Once you get through don' wad up the rags you used that are now contaminated with oil. Spread the out somewhere with ventilation and allow to fully dry.

   Without ventilation the properties heat up and will ignite from spontaneous combustion. Ask my former fence from about 20 years ago. :>)

   Regards...

   Sarge..

1. 
   iamrip | May 31, 2008 10:53am | #11

   Thank you everyone.  Since this is the first real project I am doing, it is also the first finish job I am attempting.  All of your help is really appreciated!

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | May 31, 2008 05:35pm | #12

   IMO Rip.. a good place to start as you need a work-bench before you get to serious work.. and little mistakes on the work-bench are not critical really, but they will teach you to avoid those mistakes when the stakes become higher.

   I wish I had the instant information available that is now when I began in 1972. I've trial and errored enough stock during those early days to build furniture that would probably fill the White House in D.C. But.. that's just the way things were as opposed to the way they are now. Take advantage of the "now".

   Good luck and even more important.. enjoy.....

   Sarge..

8. 
   md2453 | Jun 03, 2008 10:52pm | #13

   I built my first bench 22 years ago out of pine because I couldn't afford anything else and basically applied the finish suggested here to every square inch of the bench including the bottoms of everything and it is straight and true today.  I refinished the top once about 10 years ago after changing the configuation of vices.  Again just a simple wipe down with finish and off to the races.

   I've since built another fancy hardwood bench in the european style but my heavy pine bench is used daily in our shop and it will probably last longer than I will.

   Best of luck with your new bench and the resulting tool accumulation affliction!

   Madison

1. 
   iamrip | Jun 03, 2008 11:14pm | #14

   Thanks everyone.  I have the pine sitting in the garage right now.  I hope to get started soon.  I wanted the wood to acclimate a little before I started.

9. 
   MikeHennessy | Jun 04, 2008 02:18pm | #15

   OK. Now I officially feel inferior.

   You guys actually finish your workbenches?

   My workbench is 35 years old, made of pine 2X4s with maple edges, and, OK, I'll admit it . . . IT HAS NO FINISH!

   There. I said it.

   I beat on it, sand on it, plane on it, saw on it, finish other things on it, even sit my dog on it when I don't want him underfoot in the shop.

   Hey! It's a workbench, not a highboy! I never figgered it needed any sort of finish other than the scratches, dings, dents and general patina it has developed over years of hard use. I always thought if it was too nice, I'd be reluctant to treat it as a workbench vs. a piece of furniture. (I have pretty much the same view about wooden kitchen counters, BTW.)

   What makes you think your workbench needs a finish? You gonna eat lunch on it?

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Jun 04, 2008 03:59pm | #16

   Mike,

   For cryin out loud!  You been beatin on wood for how long now?  Everyone knows that ya need a French Polish finish on yo benchtop!  A huff and the sawdust flies offn the top ya know.

   And sides, who besides you actually uses tha dang thang anyways!?

   Oh, wait a minute I forgot.  We all don't have a lovely assistant to clean thangs up when we dun makin a mess.  Sorry, disregard previous nonsense.

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Jun 04, 2008 05:42pm | #17

   "We all don't have a lovely assistant to clean thangs up when we dun makin a mess."

   No? Really?

   Well, you should.

   Maybe you could try to find a used one on E-Bay, or at a garage sale or something.

   I myself intend to keep the one I have, and stick with only one. Can't afford another.

   (Actually, I never used to have any paint or stain marks on the top until My Lovely Assistant started finishing. Now, the thing looks like faux leopard skin. Still, I'm not complainin'. I'd rather have bench spots than resume the finishing chores. I'm just as happy to turn a project over to the Expert when it comes to sanding, etc.)

   If I'da finished my benchtop, I'd probably be doing all my work on the shop floor, just to a) keep the top nice and b) keep working in a pile of sawdust and shavings, which is what I'm used to anyhoo.

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

    

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Jun 04, 2008 06:44pm | #18

   Mike,

   I took your advice a while back and got mesef a lovely assistant.  She slao does a lot of the finishing and some of the carving too.  Doesn't like to work in the woodshop though cuz I aint got no TV!

   Only problem so far is that she's also the CFO........  Caint sneek any new tools by her!  Yeah I know, my mistake.  I'll have to find some different tool acquisition techniques.

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   MikeHennessy | Jun 04, 2008 09:13pm | #19

   "Only problem so far is that she's also the CFO........  Caint sneek any new tools by her! "

   Hmm. You're definately not using Your Lovely Assistant correctly. Dude, RTFM!

   Mine is also the CFO, and since she's gonna be using 'em, she's as much into new tools as I am. Her friends look at her like she's crazy when she proudly tells 'em she got some new tools for Christmas. They're all excited about their new shoes and purses, and she's braggin' on her new palm nailer. ;-)

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA