Advice on sealing the top of my bench

[dfolk]

I just built a new bench in my garage and I'm not sure on what to use to seal the top of it. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[bsshog40]

I just built 2 benches and sealed both with polyurethane.

 

[Jans husband]

Good looking bench!!
Can I make a suggestion? Have you thought of putting a strip of wood between the legs at floor level to stop this round bushes-and indeed anything else- from disappearing under the bench when they slip out of your hands and onto the floor.
My wife is fed up of getting on her hands and knees with a torch and magnetic stick to retrieve them, and it also gives her the opportunity to say "don't you ever clean under here?"

Mike

 

[dfolk]

Good looking bench!!
Can I make a suggestion? Have you thought of putting a strip of wood between the legs at floor level to stop this round bushes-and indeed anything else- from disappearing under the bench when they slip out of your hands and onto the floor.
My wife is fed up of getting on her hands and knees with a torch and magnetic stick to retrieve them, and it also gives her the opportunity to say "don't you ever clean under here?"

Mike

That's a good idea, I did think to make the space big enough for my shop vac hose but adding a board down there would be easy enough.

 

[monophoto]

My view on finishing the top of the bench is that you want it to look reasonably nice, and also have some resistance to damage, but it's not fine furniture. If your bench is anything like mine, its gonna get dinged, solvents and finishes will get spilled, and dust and clutter will collect..

I inherited my bench from the the previous owner of our first home - that means that Ive had it for 50 years, and I have no idea how long Fred owned it, but when I got it, it was unfinished. Periodically, I use an old chisel to scrape off any glue that has stuck to the top, and then sand it smooth and wipe on a shop-made blend of boiled linseed oil, turpentine, and paste wax.

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

Nice bench! Shop is way too neat, though.

Can't tell what the top is. I have a couple tops (hardboard and MDF) that I treated pretty much the same. Multiple (I mean MULTIPLE) coats of polyurethane. The top will most likely get scuffed up,etc and when that happens, I just go over it with the random orbit sander and apply another coat or two of poly.

Way too neat.

 

[derekdd]

I just built 2 benches and sealed both with polyurethane.

Yeah, we used poly on ours, also.

Makes clean up easier whether glue, resin, etc.

 

[howsitwork]

tung oil and then easy to refinish plus glue resistant

or multiple coats of danish oil for same effect

 

[dfolk]

Nice bench! Shop is way too neat, though.

Can't tell what the top is. I have a couple tops (hardboard and MDF) that I treated pretty much the same. Multiple (I mean MULTIPLE) coats of polyurethane. The top will most likely get scuffed up,etc and when that happens, I just go over it with the random orbit sander and apply another coat or two of poly.

Way too neat.

I just moved in recently and had the floor coated since then. You can't see the other half of the garage where I have everything stacked, lol

My top is three layers of glued up mfd and A piece of BB plywood screwed to that so I can change it out when I need too.

 

[bsshog40]

Nice bench! Shop is way too neat, though.

Way too neat.

I agree. And floor looks way too nice also.
Wish mine looked like that. Lol

 

[bugradx2]

I'm in the multiple coats of water based poly camp. I've also used spar varnish/urethane on benches too. It's really ding resistant.

 

[BULLWINKLE]

I attached a piece of Masonite (same material as pegboard but without the holes).
I used few nails as possible with a brad nail gun. When it gets too banged up, it's easy to replace or I can just add another one on top. I suppose I could have attached it with some square drive (Roberts) finish screws as well.