Workshop bench advice, please

[againstthegrain]

Many years ago I unherited my father's pretty solid workshop bench. My workshop is a general purpose space - I make and mend. But the bench top is in a rather sorry state as the photo shows. Would you recover it - and if so with what. Ply, MDF, or something else?

 

[Austin Branson]

Hello againstthegrain, the top looks fine to me if you’re not doing very demanding woodwork. I think I would leave it alone.
Best wishes. Austin

 

[deema]

Just hand plane it to flatten and renew the top.

 

[Lazurus]

With a coat of Danish oil

 

[bp122]

If you wouldn't mind the extra height, just bolt down a solid core door on top and cut it to size. They are flat and sometimes either veneered or has melamine face. All durable surfaces. And once they get trashed in a few years, just replace them.

Or you can go down the same route with good sheet material.

Shame you are far away, or you could have had my spare workbench top (2 layers of finished MDF with solid wood edges) that I had saved from the skip from my last place of work.

 

[pe2dave]

Downside to covering it. Note the vice 'bolts'? Shouldn't be covered.
If you don't mind the mucky top, live with it (as you have done for ....)

 

[murphy]

Just use a belt sander and a long straight edge then finish with a random orbit sander, then a couple of coats of oil, it will look better

 

[againstthegrain]

Thank you all for your helpful replies. Very much appreciated. I will post a picture when I have decided what to do and have done it!

 

[Adam W.]

I'd scrape it with a sharp cabinet scraper.

 

[ian33a]

I suppose it depends upon what you want to achieve. If you want to make it pristine then that's one thing. However, if you want to enjoy it and have fond memories of your dad, perhaps it might be nice to leave it just as it is.

 

[Daniel2]

I quite like it as it is.
A lovely patina of memories.

 

[Ttrees]

The only sheet material you'd need is a few pieces of ply or MDF for chopping on.
Still looks in good enough nick to me for general purpose kinda bench.

 

[Droogs]

I'd refresh it with a toothing plane and carry on using it.

 

[Ttrees]

I like being able to clean my bench off with the work, leaving only one swipe necessary to sweep my irritable tropical shavings and dust into a bin with minimal contact of the waste.
Smooth planed, flat and polished for me. as I treat mine as a surface planer bed...
cuz I don't have one

If it slips, then it's more apparent what is wrong with the work holding.
But, I don't do site work or anything on the fly as it were.
Rough stuff like welding gets a few sheets on top which get clamped.

 

[againstthegrain]

So far I have just lighly sanded it with my random orbital sander to remove some of the grime. Glad I did because there's a patch of red paint now visible in one corner that is exactly the colour of my first bicycle... Good old dad!
Many thanks to all for your helpful and sensitive replies!