On 11/2/2012 12:47 AM, Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
SMS wrote:

On 10/31/2012 11:31 PM, wrote:
I use three layers of 3Ž4² plywood.
I started out with two
but when I bolted the vise on I realized I needed another layer.

I have a very heavy duty vise, must weigh 75 pounds, so I need a strong top.

I will be doing a lot of electronics work on the bench as well, so I
want a smooth top.

I'd like a one piece top, but finding a 10' door or counter isn't easy.
The cheapest would be granite (around here granite from China is about
the least expensive countertop material) but I don't want granite.

I could do the three sheets of plywood (two sets of three sheets for the
area I need), but that would cost more than the solid core doors.

Seriously, check McMaster's pricing on Maple butcher block. 72" x 30" x
1.75" thick is only $233, with or without a radius at the front edge.

If you're committed to 10', you're up around 5 bills and still worth
every penny. Compared to cobbling sheets of plywood together and trying
to make it smooth and flat, that's not a lot more money for a much
better solution. I've got about six of them at the shop.

Much depends on what you are planning to do on the bench, as others
above have said. When I build mine, I wanted plastic laminate, however,
a sheet was sooooo expensive that I quickly abandoned that. I finally
used laminate flooring. I picked a pattern that was smooth and
inexpensive.
https://picasaweb.google.com/actodes...34306941982338

It works pretty well, is cleanable and durable .... maybe not to hammer
on, but, for the stuff I do, it's good. It is glued down to an OSB
surface and edged with a rounded over piece of oak. For hammering, I
have vice and an old stage weight that serves well.
https://picasaweb.google.com/actodes...73751739357826
I've since expanded it to L shaped, with the addition a few inches
lower which is used for electronic stuff.