Section 10 Building the top

Section 9 - Finishing the base

If you are making a general work bench you can stop her and built a top of anything. A couple layers of ¾ plywood or several 2X12 will make a serviceable top. I am building a woodworking bench that hopefully will not have to bear the brunt of that lawn mower engine or even the 1929 Fairbanks Morse ZD that I want to restore.

First make sure the top of the base is flat. The flatter the top of the base, the easier it will be to make the top flat. I used a set if winding sticks to see if it is flat. Winding sticks are just sticks that two sides are parallel. You place them across the area to check and sight across them. They should be parallel and if not, that is where you need to remove material.


You can see the sticks across the top near one place that was high and needed some stock removed. Stock removal can be by belt sander or plane. I removed stock with both. Course removal was by plane and fine by sander. There is no reason the planes could not have been used, just set the blade to take a finer cut.


I am building this top from ¾ MDF. It is flat and hard enough to withstand pounding. My top is 24 by 72 and I cut 4 pieces from two sheets. I used 4 only because I needed the extra ¾ to come up to table saw height and to fit the vise.


I took the time to make one layer square with good ends and sides. This will be the top layer when done. The process for the remaining layers:

1. Set the next layer on top, lining up factory edges and clamp.

2. mark screw holes then pilot drill the screw holes. The screws are located 6 inches apart down the center and 3 inches from the edges. This is to clear the dog hole locations. I marked all holes then drilled opposite corners and set a screw.

3. lift the lose top off and set aside.


4. Spread glue on the surface. Get a good coverage.


5. Set the other piece back in place and slide it around to spread the glue.

6. Set the corner screws in place to locate the top in its previous position.

7. Clamp by setting screws in all the holes.

8. After the glue has had time to set, remove the screws and using a router or plane line up the edges.

9. repeat for next layer.

Remember you are working from the top down and the last layer will be the bottom layer when installed.


These tools and a bottle of glue and you are set for an afternoon of fun. I used yellow carpenters glue. Anything more exotic will not gain anything. I had thought of leaving the screws in but it bothered me so out they all came. I cut the MDF with a Skill saw and left the cut edge slightly long. When the top was put together I always put a cut edge over a factory edge.


Section 11 - Mounting the front vise.