Bench top

The bench top is the flat working surface of a workbench. It takes the work, the clamps, the blows of a mallet and the weight of anything set on it. Its material, thickness and flatness decide how well it does each of those jobs.

Materials

Solid hardwood

A single wide board or a few narrower boards of dense wood. It takes dog holes and vise fittings well and can be planed back to flat. A wide single board can split or move as damp changes.

Laminated top

Strips of wood glued edge to edge into a block. The strips are arranged so that the top moves less than a single wide board would. A laminated top suits a bench where a thick, stable surface is wanted.

Softwood

Lighter and easier to work, but it dents and wears more quickly under hand tools. It suits a bench where most of the work is light.

Sheet material

A flat panel of plywood or similar board. It is flat and stable, but its edges need protecting and its surface dents easily.

Thickness and weight

A thicker, heavier top holds clamps and fittings more firmly and resists being pushed out of place. A thin top flexes under a plane or a mallet, and the flex can throw off the work. Weight also helps the bench stay put on the floor.

Thickness alone does not make a top good. Flatness and the fixing to the frame matter as much, and a thick top that is twisted will still rock.

Flatness

A top is flat when it lies even in every direction. Twist, cupping and a dip near one end all show when the top is sighted from one end or checked across the corners. A top that rocks on a flat floor needs its frame or feet adjusted before it is used for planing.

How it differs from a table top

A table top is made for light use and for looks. A workbench top is made to take hard use, to be drilled for dog holes, and to carry a vise. The two can look alike from a distance, and the difference shows in the edges, the thickness and the holes.