I have been busy setting up my shop for a car restoration and I have almost completed my work bench. I am so excited to get this project done. I have been using the shop floor as my work surface for 3 years now. I found a nice set of steel legs with stringers in the local classified ads. I sprayed the legs with rustoleum flat black and built a top by laminating several sheets of MDF and coating with polyurethane to protect from moisture. I attached trim to the edges that are 1/4″ taller than the MDF surface. I did this so that I may lie a 1/4″ hard wood plywood on top of the MDF and keep it in place so that I would not have to drill more holes through the MDF. The MDF provides the solid work surface and the plywood protects the MDF from marring. I might mount a vise to the bench, but that would be the only mounting hardware that I would use for the 1/4″ plywood. I want to make it as easy as possible to replace.
Update:
Bench is complete. This project took a week working about an hour or so every evening and one Sunday evening. The hardest part was waiting for the polyurethane to dry. If I had to do it over again, I might see if I would use a table saw to get straighter cuts. Although, I am getting good at cutting a pretty straight line with the jigsaw. I would also stain the pine trim a dark color instead of just using the polyurethane. Pictures please!
That bench is looking good. All you need is a straight cutting jig for your jig saw.