Assembly table top

Al killian

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1,940
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Floydada, Tx
I looked thru old threads and did not seem to find what I was looking for. I need to figure out something for a table top table will not bothers by some water getting spilled on it. The table is going to be 4'x8'. This will allow assembaly and refinishing without takeing up much room. I was thinking something like mdf with hard board over it, but wanted opions.
 
I just have MDF on my two tables. But, I did put "umpteen" coats of oil on the MDF to seal it from water, or glue sticking to it during glueups.
The 1/4 hard board is a good option also.
 
If you are worried about water, go with marine plywood or treated. Both expensive. With a plywood tabletop, you will want to put something on the edges where clothes rub. Unprotected, those edges will wear out clothes quickly.
 
why wouldn't melamine work? i guess you'd have to band the edges really well to prevent water penetrating.

how about mdf with formica over it. unless that is getting too costly.

i don't think formica comes 4x8 though, it may only come 36" wide. i would think that would be a good option.

never done it myself though
 
How much water are we talking about here. My MDF workbench is 'deeply' penetrated with BLO. I paste wax it and have no trouble with glue sticking or the occasional water spills. I wouldn't want to leave water setting on it however.
 
For water amount, I would sat it would never get more then a few cups of water on it at any one time. It really is not much. I am thinking that maybe some poly might be the best option if I go with mdf, or melamine or formica. Keep them comeing.
 
You can find 4 X 8 laminate from some Home Depots, and most Lowes. Lowes carries white, and some multi colors, only one HD around me carries it anymore. They have white, black, and some of the multi colors. Both sell it for 42 to 46.00 per sheet. Jim.
 
Hi Al :wave:,
My run off/assembly table is 49"x97" MDF. Had it on for about three years now, since I flipped it over:D. Never used anything on it. Sometimes when a wet rag is left on it overnight a slight swelling of the surface may occur. If so I just sand it level when I get bothered by it. It is nice not having too fantastic of a top as it won't matter if I drill 1" deep in a 3/4" piece of wood, or decide to set screw right into the table if need be. Flat, as MDF is noted for, is my great concern.
Are you telling me that you are gonna spill a cup of water on it and not wipe it up in 45 minutes?:eek: :rofl:
It is your top, you will make the right choice.:thumb:
Shaz :)
 
I wish I had a photo of the old assembly/outfeed table that John and I had in our shop. It was just a sheet of CDX on top of a pretty basic set of l-shaped legs similar to Nahm's outfeed/assembully table from the NYW. I don't recall what the stretchers were underneath, but it sure wasn't anything fancy. Like Shaz, it was the center of the shop, and everything from finishing to assembly took place on it. as someone pointed out to me, the X in CDX stands for Exterior, and to me, that means a few cups of water every now and then won't hurt it.
 
Most of what I do is refinishing. The water come from when I wash the peice down afterwards. Most of it is done in a tank/table, put there are times it is quicker to just do it on the table. So, yes there are times when water will sit on it for 10-15 minutes.
 
Back to the earliest posts... if you want to use multiple layers of different material, ok, as long as they are not firmly glued together. Of course, if they are not glued, the bending strength is much less than if glued.

I made a bench with a top that has two layers glued together... plywood for strength, and MDF for smoothness. Extremely strong and stiff, but the slightly different expansion of the different materials means the top changes from convex to concave with the humidity.
 
I just use a sheet of moisture resistant MDF screwed down to my bench. When it gets too shabby I turn it over. When that side gets too shabby I replace it.

At $30 a sheet it's no big deal to replace once a year or so.
 
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