How do you get a really flat building board / work bench

[Ron]

Hi chaps,

Having just discovered that my bench is far from flat, and needing to sort out a warped wing, I'm starting to wonder just what is the best way to get, and keep, a flat working surface.

Whatever you do with wood, eventually it sags in the middle.
So maybe a metal frame with lots of cross pieces might be the answer?
Even then, my welding technique isn't that good, so just making up a framework from say 1" square tube would mean lots of anglegrinder work too.

Perhaps a metal framework with nuts welded on and support bolts sticking up that you can adjust?

Any ideas?

Ron

[Fred]

Hi Ron,
Welcome to the forum !  

For sure, a metal frame is the best thing to have, but that is also true that's a lot of work to make.

In my workshop, I have a wooden frame with cross sections in the 3 dimensions, and the top is a kitchen countertop.
My longest work bench is 3 mtrs long, and so far, it is still really straight.
I can take pictures of my workbenches if you want.

Fred

[Wight]

I also use kitchen worktop as a bench, actually I bought super-cheap kitchen units in B&Q so I have drawers and cupboards below my bench for storage. The kitchen worktop was slightly damaged along the Rounded "nose" so I got it for 10 Euro. Whole lot (2.5m bench) with 6 deep drawers in 2 clusters and a single cupboard cost me about Eur120.

[Ron]

Yes I guess a kitchen worktop is the answer.
Somehow I've still got this idea that you need to push pins into a modelling bench, but that doesn't apply now does it. And in these days of epoxy glue and fibreglass a plastic surface is much more sensible.

I'll have to look out for cheap kitchen units next time I'm in Cork.

[Fred]

Hi Ron,

For the pins, you can always put a softer wood on top of the kitchen board, that will still be straight, but at least, you can use pins (something like a 4 / 5 mm plywood or sheets of cork)

[Ron]

Hey that's an idea.
The 5 mm ply I mean.
Pins or no pins, it's easily replaced when it get a bit tatty.

Cheers,
Ron

[Wight]

A roll of cork underlay makes a great pin surface on a building board.
Just a thought.

[Alan_Perse]

A roll of cork underlay makes a great pin surface on a building board.
Just a thought.

Yup I agree. I have cork tiles glued to my building board. I just use small drops of PVA glue to glue them. That way you can pull them off later (with a bit of force) and replace them when they get wrecked.