Workbench advice

[Hobbyshop]

One of the first projects for my new workshop will be to construct a workbench.
I have some surplus rafters and rafter off-cuts left from the build. Sufficient to make both the frame and top if I wanted:

But I think I would prefer to make the top from sheet material. I know people often use MDF for this, but I have two panels of flooring grade moisture resistant chipboard (8' x 2' x 3/4") left from when I laid the floor in the shop;

I am currently thinking of laminating these 3/4" boards together, topping them with a loose (replacable) 6mm MDF sheet and edging the whole thing with a softwood frame (from the surplus rafters)
Is there any problem with using this flooring material that I am missing?

Also, what adhesive would you recommend for laminating the sheets together? Should I go for a contact adhesive or a PVA wood glue?
Bench top size will be approximately 1800mm x 600mm if that makes any difference.

Any advice or suggestions gratefully received.

 

[bosshogg]

I built my workbench top from an old 45mm door blank what I did salvage, no laminating, no edging, slung my vice under this and away I did go. The biggest object is to get whatever you use flat and to be able to maintain this...bosshogg

 

[tomatwark]

I made the top of my crosscut bench with two sheets of flooring I had kicking around screwed and glued together and it has been used and abused for three years now with no probs at all.

If nothing else it gives you a bench top to start out with.
Tom

 

[AndyT]

Go for it. I recently 'improved' my bench - built from scrap worktop and some 2x4s - by putting a piece of similar flooring chipboard on top. Hard, flat and non-slip.

If you do glue the layers together, you'll need a lot of glue - I'd go for basic PVA and a lot of screws from what will become the underside. (You could remove these once the glue has set, to avoid future problems of hitting a screw just where you need to drill a hole for something.)

 

[Benchwayze]

Hobbyshop,

Nothing wrong with using softwood for a workbench.
Nothing wrong with using MDF either, especially the moisture resistant variety.
And over time you can replace the MDF as necessary, without breaking the bank or your back again!

Hie yourself off to the library and see if you can get Chris Schwartz's book on making workbenches. He uses softwood a lot!
Also, there can't be much more left to know about building workbenches, since he started investigating them!

HTH
John

 

[Hobbyshop]

Thanks for the comments

I have decided I will go with the flooring for the top, and I have already begun cutting down some of the rafters to make the frame.

I will scour my local libraries tomorrow.