Another Paul Sellers Workbench... With A Twist

[El Barto]

Thanks Tyreman. I did it before seeing your post but I don't think I was far off. Diagonal strokes certainly helped. It took absolutely f-ing ages to get it flat and square but finally it's ready to be smoothed. I don't want to ham it up too much but it's lucky I had the past couple of days off work because this would have been a ballache to do over a few evenings, definitely glad I got it done in one lump. Also Tyreman, I wish it was as simple as only taking off the high spots!!!!! Mine was quite staggered in the end. Lesson learnt for next time. #-o

I ended up having to rig together a way to stop the bench from moving around while I worked on it. While it's true that the bench is very heavy and stout, my floor is quite uneven and with the colossal amount of planing I had to do it jumped about. This isn't something I'm worried about as I think it's unlikely I'll be doing this kind of heavier duty work in the future, not to mention the bench will eventually be against a wall.

All in all a productive but tiring day, albeit a necessary one. Next up is fixing the well board in place permanently, planing the ends of the top flush and smoothing it out.

(homer)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You might find on occasion that it is handy to be able to take it out.

 

[El Barto]

Yeah sorry Phil, permanent isn't the right word. It'll be screwed in but removable.

 

[El Barto]

No update today I'm afraid but I'm starting to think about finishes, something I have absolutely no idea about. I've heard good things about Livos and also considered good old BLO.

Any suggestions most welcome.

 

[AndyT]

I used BLO on mine. It gives enough protection so spilled coffee doesn't immediately soak in, leaving a stain and a swelling (!)
It's not so hard that you can't easily re-flatten the top when it needs it. And it's cheap - about £3.50 for a 500ml bottle in our local diy shop. One bottle would be more than enough to give your bench several coats.

 

[El Barto]

Thanks Andy. And would that be it, just coat it and leave it to dry/cure then it's done? What about shellac and sealers and things like that?

 

[Racers]

Teak oil is good, I think its like BLO in composition.
One coat should be enough.

Pete

 

[El Barto]

Thanks Pete. I was also looking at tung oil. Any good?

Saw this on Instagram earlier, might be useful for others looking to flatten a benchtop. It pretty much follows what Tyreman said a few posts previously.

 

[AndyT]

Thanks Andy. And would that be it, just coat it and leave it to dry/cure then it's done? What about shellac and sealers and things like that?

I just wiped it on with a rag, waited half an hour or so, and wiped off the excess. Then wait a day (longer in winter) and repeat if needed.
I ought to repeat the usual warning not to leave oil-soaked rags lying bunched up in the workshop, in case they self-ignite. It's a genuine risk which you can avoid by putting them in a can of water, or by spreading them out flat, outdoors.

I didn't use anything else. It's only for a little bit of protection, without getting too slippery. But I'm sure plenty of other finishes would also be fine.

 

[bugbear]

I didn't use anything else. It's only for a little bit of protection, without getting too slippery. But I'm sure plenty of other finishes would also be fine.

Beware the allure of glossy finishes. As Andy mentioned in passing, and I'll emphasize, you do NOT want a slippery bench top.

(although you also don't want glue to stick)

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I find the best thing to with anything that's the slightest fire hazard is to set fire to it - it'll only burn once.

 

[El Barto]

Thanks for all the input fellas. Agreed on the slippery benchtop...!

 

[memzey]

Variation on a theme but I used an equal parts mix of BLO, solvent based varnish and white spirit on my recent bench build -> workbench-build-t102325.html . I've been very pleased with it to date. A good level of protection and not slippery at all.

 

[El Barto]

Thanks memzey. Which varnish did you use, and what made you go for a mix like that?

In other news, I'm pleased to say that after a couple of hours this evening the bench is now very nearly finished. All that's left to do is give it a light sanding (I'm going to wait for a clear day and take it outside), fit the vice and give it a finish. I'm pretty pleased with it if I'm honest, feels quite surreal that it's done. I wasn't actually going to bother tonight because work put me in a bad mood and tired me out - very glad I changed my mind.

A slight change I made from Paul Sellers' design is that after Phil's comment I gave it some thought and decided to keep the well board loose. It's a snug fit anyway so doesn't move around and it makes sense to be able to remove it easily. Paul suggests attaching a rail alongside the apron and another on the underside of the top to support the well board (see below). I decided not to do this as it seemed like overkill and I wanted to keep those edges clear. So that was one less thing to do.

FINALLY - in the photos it looks like the bench top isn't sitting flush against the apron but it IS. There's an annoying discolouration there from some glue that makes it look like it's got a lil edge. In real life it's fine but in photos it annoys me.

Thanks for reading.

 

[memzey]

That looks fantastic Elbarto, you must be well chuffed! I got that recipe from the Chris Schwartz books and used Wickes' bog standard "diamond hard" solvent based varnish to answer your question. The reason was that I was looking for a quick finish that would give me good levels of protection but not be slippery. I've laid two coats down on my bench top and it has worked well so far (only a couple of weeks admittedly). I suspect I could add another coat and still not make it too slippery, as long as it doesn't get waxed.

 

[El Barto]

That looks fantastic Elbarto, you must be well chuffed! I got that recipe from the Chris Schwartz books and used Wickes' bog standard "diamond hard" solvent based varnish to answer your question. The reason was that I was looking for a quick finish that would give me good levels of protection but not be slippery. I've laid two coats down on my bench top and it has worked well so far (only a couple of weeks admittedly). I suspect I could add another coat and still not make it too slippery, as long as it doesn't get waxed.

Cheers Memzey yes I'm pleased with it, looking forward to getting the vice in and destroying some more pieces of wood (hammer)

I'll bear that finish in mind although I think I'm leaning towards bog standard BLO as I already have about 2 litres of it and I'm not sure I need to use anything else y'know. Although adding varnish to the mix does seem a good idea if it adds hardness...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You don't really need hardness, just something that soaks in and prevents the worst of the inevitable crud from penetrating and sticking badly. Every year or two depending on the condition I lightly scrape and sand any dirt off and recoat with linseed - I've never really worried which linseed, if raw comes to hand first I use it, but I bought 4ltrs of Rustins BLO for £4 at a boot sale, so I'm not going to run out soon.

 

[memzey]

Depending on the materials used for the bench I think hardness of finish could well be a positive factor. If, like me, you used fairly fragile softwood then a hard finish can definitely help (IMHO of course).

 

[El Barto]

Small update today. Things were going well with getting the vice fitted until one of the pieces of scrap I was using to pack it down split. That'll teach me for trying to use a 10mm (the biggest I have) bit for an M16 bolt. So things are on hold slightly until I get a larger drill bit. Oh well.

I used a jigsaw to cut the hole as I didn't have anything else suitable for the job. I'm not a huge fan of the jigsaw but it was perfect for this.

 

[El Barto]

Incidentally, would a 12mm bit be suitabe for drilling pilot holes for an M16 bolt? Or should I go larger...?