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One Great Tip » Bullet Proof Assembly Surface
Bullet Proof Assembly Surface
By A. J. Moses
Photos A. J. Moses
Posted: April 22, 2009
If you're like me, your assembly table top takes a beating. No matter how careful you are, an errant drop of glue or a sharp edge or corner leaves either a lump or divot. You can live with these minor flaws, repair them, or someday replace the top. I used to live with a few surface flaws as long as possible. Ultimately some precious shop time had to be sacrificed to correct the irregularities. I decided a 'modular' top was in order. Something durable, smooth, less prone to dents and gouges, and a surface that shed glue, paint and filler. I took my cue from the surface below my feet. My shop sits on a concrete slab, but I stand on a cushioned laminate floor. Compared to concrete, this surface is very easy to take for long stretches of time. The other true value to using laminate in the shop is clean-up. It not only sweeps easily, but sheds any drops of glue or paint with ease and without damage. A light bump with a long-handled scraper, like those used to remove ice from walks and driveways, does the trick!
I had 3 concerns:
1) Reasonable cost,
2) Make it modular, and
3) Mount if so the top couldn't shift or pull up at a corner BUT could be readily removed and replaced.
Laminate flooring of fair quality can be found for about $2.00 per square foot. Better yet, it's easy to find small quantities--one or two packages for about $1.00 per foot. This makes laminate flooring one of the most cost effective alternatives available. Concerns 2 and 3 turned out to be interconnected--and resolved themselves simultaneously. A paste adhesive would be too permanent and laying the material dry too loose. My good fortune of working with double-sided tape to mount certain lathe projects against a faceplate led me to the solution.
To start the project, I created a raised rim around the periphery of my assembly table using some left-over solid wood flooring with a rabbet cut along the top side. (See photo at left). After mounting this material, it was time to lay out the strips of double sided tape. I applied the tape to the table top leaving the outer protective paper on the top surface of the tape. I fitted the first tier of panels, removed the section of protective paper to the width of the first tier, and positioned the panels.
After fitting the second row, I removed more protective paper and so on. (By leaving the protective paper in place while fitting panels, the adhesive surface didn't interfere with efforts to position the panels, nor was the adhesive surface compromised before final positioning).
Here's the finished project!
A. J. Moses is a registered member of the WWGOA.
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4 Comments
Posted April 25, 2009 // 11:45 AM Hi A J, What's wrong with tempered hardboard? My bench top at this time is birch plywood with 6 to 8 coats (it's been years since I made it) of poly. It has held up ok but I don't think I'de use this kind of top again. I'm looking at 3 sheets of MDF with a top layer of tempered hardboard. After seeing your idea I think I'll screw down the final hardboard top. What do you think? Bill Golden
Posted April 27, 2009 // 3:20 PM Bill - Tempered hardboard makes an excellent suface for most applications. You might test how glue drops clean up. My experience with laminate flooring came from cleaning my shop floor. Tempered hardboard less expensive, too - 1/8 inch material is about $.25 per square foot, 3/16 runs around $.38 per square foot. (I found the material I used for $1.00 per square foot.) After a couple months living with the new top I found it remains in place - a key item since using the double-sided tape was a bit experimental. I'm confident if a section needs replacing it will peel off nicely. Your idea to use screws will make your top modular - excellent plan! BTW - my bench top is also 2 layers of MDF and one of birch plywood. Part of my drive to replace it was the built-in down-draft section for sanding. It didn't work as well as attaching the dust collector directly to the sander. So, besides the general damage to the top, I wanted rid of the perforations. Thanks for bringing another workable option to the attention of our fellow readers – we can only help each other by sharing tips from our shops. aj moses
Posted August 02, 2009 // 10:28 PM good idea about the bench top..I made mine of 3 solid core birch covered doors . 2 inches thick and dead flat , have lasted at least ten years and ars still in good shape. the bench measures almost 74 inches square and is Great for layouts like cabinets and doors. I can paint and stain all sections that I complete on one platform and dont have to move them till they dry. Also , it is easy to work on chairs and other items that have a lot of pieces that dont fall off the sides of the bench. I have a vise on each corner so that I can clamp long pieces on both ends . Keep thinkin and I'll keep reading and learning.... thanks.............Ralph
Posted January 09, 2010 // 4:04 AM Awesome idea. I also found laminated flooring too work great for table saw throat plates. I make up one for all my blades, a 45 degree one and one for dadoes.