I am planning to make a workbench from a dinged solid core door I
picked up on the cheap. Read some threads about putting hardwood
flooring on a bench top and really liked the idea. But then there were
those who said the hardwood would expand/contract at different rate
than the door and cause cracks and other maladies.

How about laminated flooring? I know, it's not real wood, but some of
it looks really nice and would make an attractive bench top. What I am
looking for is opinions on durability. Seems to me that a slip of a
chisel, or an errant blow from a hammer and it would be ruined.

Many say put on a hardboard top, and replace it when it gets ugly.
Couldn't the same thing be said of laminated flooring? Next question
would be how to attach it to the door to make it easily removable?

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Thanks,

DJ

wrote in message
oups.com...
I am planning to make a workbench from a dinged solid core door I
picked up on the cheap. Read some threads about putting hardwood
flooring on a bench top and really liked the idea. But then there were
those who said the hardwood would expand/contract at different rate
than the door and cause cracks and other maladies.

How about laminated flooring? I know, it's not real wood, but some of
it looks really nice and would make an attractive bench top. What I am
looking for is opinions on durability. Seems to me that a slip of a
chisel, or an errant blow from a hammer and it would be ruined.

Many say put on a hardboard top, and replace it when it gets ugly.
Couldn't the same thing be said of laminated flooring? Next question
would be how to attach it to the door to make it easily removable?


Tough to beat 1/4" tempered hardboard for a bench top. Cheap, available in
one piece, and a bit of easily removed hot glue center and some countersunk
screws on the edge will keep it. Consider the location of those screws
carefully, though dollars to donuts at least one will be in the way someday.

I'm currently using a hardwood flooring (utility grade oak) on a bench
top. It was built on top of a torsion box made with planned 2x4s and
1/2" OSB skins. The top and bottom were made the same way but with
more glue than nails on the bottom side. Of courrse, the best quality
boards were used on the top. It was only completed around this June.
It looks great, is sturdy and hard to tell its not a solid laminate.
So far the AC in the summer and humidity of early autum has not had a
effect on the bench top... The boiled linseed oil, thats for another
thread ...

I would not recommend the laminated flooring as the outer surface has
esentialy a thin layer of paper which will wear quickly on the bench.
1/4" tempered hardboard would be much better. I'm considering it for a
removeable cover when finishing.

Joe