Table bounce?

[AbitNutz]

I'm putting together a new work table. I can't stand it when you smack a table top, or drop something on it and everything starts bouncing. What is a sure fired construction method and/or material that will make the table behave like a dead blow hammer?

Is it sheer weight? Or just making sure the table is securely anchored to the floor or wall so it can't move?

Or how the table itself is constructed? Like glueing and screwing? Or certain combinations of materials like a sandwich of MDF/plywood/...something? Or something not often considered, like using through bolts and nuts and not just lags/screws?

I'd rather not go to a metal top for more than a couple of reasons...sparks, magnetism, electrical conductivity...

I'm sure it's a combination of things but without going to extremes, what's a good plan to follow?

Thanks in advance...I know a lot of you folks are talented fabricators and wood workers.

[w5pv]

2X12's anchored to the wall and floor.


Vote Trump

[AbitNutz]

2x12's Really? Wow, have you seen the quality of 2x12's lately...at least in my area, they look like banana skins. Unless of course I go for some kind of killer oak...in which case I would have to live in the bench to afford it. Well, if that's what it would take...

Hmm..3 clubs, no Trump. Your turn.

[RogerDat]

Glued and screw along with good corner bracing will address any flex in the frame. Top that never spans a long or large enough area unsupported by frame to flex will help address top bounce.

An 8' long table with a front to back support under the top every 2 foot will bounce more than a table with a front to back support every 1 foot. I would say 3/4 plywood is not known for flexing supported 12 inch on center.

Have a solid bottom shelf, running between the legs and maybe 12 inches above the floor toward the back. even one that is only 8 or 10 inches deep, store some lead or finished ammo on it. That provides weight to make the bench want to not move, assuming the frame itself is solid. Mine is half the depth of the bench so not in the way of my legs if sitting at bench. Made from two 2x4's running full width, with front to back 2x4 every 16 inches. Angled corner brace runs from shelf front up to back leg. I have maybe 5000 bullets in boxes and bins on it, don't move much.

[AbitNutz]

Glued and screw along with good corner bracing will address any flex in the frame. Top that never spans a long or large enough area unsupported by frame to flex will help address top bounce.

An 8' long table with a front to back support under the top every 2 foot will bounce more than a table with a front to back support every 1 foot. I would say 3/4 plywood is not known for flexing supported 12 inch on center.

Have a solid bottom shelf, running between the legs and maybe 12 inches above the floor toward the back. even one that is only 8 or 10 inches deep, store some lead or finished ammo on it. That provides weight to make the bench want to not move, assuming the frame itself is solid. Mine is half the depth of the bench so not in the way of my legs if sitting at bench. Made from two 2x4's running full width, with front to back 2x4 every 16 inches. Angled corner brace runs from shelf front up to back leg. I have maybe 5000 bullets in boxes and bins on it, don't move much.

Some excellent info/point here...now I know where I'll put half a dozen linotype pigs.

[JWT]

My woodworking bench is 3" Ash quartersawn and re-glued. No flex at all. I'm replacing the other bench with one of similar construction this fall.

[ole 5 hole group]

My bench is made from 2X10X16 #2 and better Douglas Fir and the cost today is right at $21.50 per board. I think I purchased 6 boards back in 1985 when I built my bench but I've got additional layers (2) under the top section for "storage". I'm 3 boards across, which is approximately 28 inches. I'm braced every 40 inches and I know some 40" storage sections must have at least 700 pounds on that 28"X40" section and for the past 30+ years all sections are still as straight as an arrow. I've got 4 electrical boxes spaced evenly running across the full length of the bench.

Nothing bounces on that bench and everything below the top section is fully protected from an asteroid strike.

Bench height is belly high, which for me is 46"s.

[Nueces]

All my benches are topped with Wisconsin Bench Dyna-Top panels. They are made like an Oreo, the filling being a 1" solid wood core and the surfaces being 3/8" phenolic hardboard. Total thickness 1 3/4", smooth, hard, heavy, stiff, impervious to most oils and solvents. Easily cut with a circular saw. Expensive, but I have gone all the way over the years and converted everything. One shop bench is more than 50 years old. Darn fine bench material.

[sirgknight]

Two of the most important things: good anchoring and adequate BRACING and CROSS BRACING. You do not need to use 2x12's to accomplish this. My reloading benches are built entirely with 2x4's and decking screws. The bracing that you use depends on what you are bracing for. In homes, for the most part, it is 16" bracing. When I built my reloading benches I used 12" centering for my table top and then ran a pearl line between the ribs. At all four corners I used a corner cross-brace. The bench top is 3/4 MDF. MDF is extremely dense and is able to take much more punishment than any kind of plywood. Stay away from particle board at all cost. If properly BRACED the MDF can withstand direct hits from 3-lb machine hammers. The MDF is prone to dislike moisture so I covered my tops with a good quality shelving paper (stick-on type) and that has completely eliminated problems with spills, etc. My bench top is able to withstand the use of five reloading presses, a 1-ton mechanics press, a 3/4 horse grinder and a drill press. My bench top has withstood a lot of unintentional abuse over the years and is none the worse for wear.

I edited this to include pics of my two benches. They are built with 2x4 stock and MDF tops covered with shelving paper. These benches are 17 years old and have required absolutely no maintenance or repairs. These benches are attached to the walls and floor, so the anchoring is very rigid and sturdy. Building a free-standing bench would work just as well with the proper design and bracing without using expensive lumber.

[Ford SD]

I'm putting together a new work table. I can't stand it when you smack a table top, or drop something on it and everything starts bouncing. What is a sure fired construction method and/or material that will make the table behave like a dead blow hammer?

Is it sheer weight? Or just making sure the table is securely anchored to the floor or wall so it can't move?

Or how the table itself is constructed? Like glueing and screwing? Or certain combinations of materials like a sandwich of MDF/plywood/...something? Or something not often considered, like using through bolts and nuts and not just lags/screws?

I'd rather not go to a metal top for more than a couple of reasons...sparks, magnetism, electrical conductivity...

I'm sure it's a combination of things but without going to extremes, what's a good plan to follow?

Thanks in advance...I know a lot of you folks are talented fabricators and wood workers.

I have made some work tables for the garage (not reloading tables)

2 x 3/4 inch mdf using wood glue to glue them togeather

Make frame / lay 1st sheet down and pour on the wood glue
I have found using a old gift card and cutting small notches (like a trowl you use for laying ceramic down) but smaller
Do the same for the other sheet then with help flip / position and weigh down and let dry then trim/ edge

some of the snap and click floor products could be put on top of that

I have made frames out of 3/4" fir plywood -- 1 foot centers for the top if you need lots of support

[country gent]

The benches strength comes more from the frame work and supports. A solid base with 4x4 legs properly jointed for the cross bars glued and screwed with long deck screws. A solid framed top 2x6 sides 2X4 front and back with 2x4 cross bars every 12"-16" again glued and screwed together with long deck screws. This frame will form corners to attach to the bases leg tops. Depending on length of bench you may want a 2x4 down the center of the top frame.Again glued and screwed in place. These will need to be toed in place with the screws on one end at least. Sand and tru the top of the top frame and 3/4" or 1" ply wood better still is 2 X 6s layed flat glued and screwed to the top frame every 6"-8" This makes a bench top that is securly fastened together with good solid support underneath stiffing the bench top. For added rididity the sides and back can be enclosed with 3?4 ply wood glued and screwed this will really stiffen against shakes and wiggles. Leave these 1/2"-1" above the floor so feet of bench still support the bench.The other way is 2X4s On edge glued and doweled to gether to make a butcher block type bench top 3 1/2" thick. You need a planner to do this easily. I did one with a hand plane and it was alot of work getting the top flat and true. But it is solid. I put a 1" dowel every 8". When assembling every other hole ahd a dowel the rest had 1/2" ready rod to clamp together while curing. Before removing the ready rod once cured I drilled and installed the 1/4" lock dowels for the 1" dowels. Then removed the ready rod cleaned holes with a drill and glued installed rest of dowels and lock dowels. It was alot of work but came out very nice. It is solid and rigid. Better still would be s diffrent woods maybe oak and pine every other 2x4 for the diffrent grain structure. I planed it down by hand finished sanded with a belt sander to very fine then a light hand sanding with tru oil working it in and filling grain.

[casac47]

When I built my current bench, I looked around and found a set of plans for a "plank top" work bench. The plans may still be out there. It's rock solid and you can move it if need be.

[Wayne Smith]

When I converted a bedroom I put a ledger board on the wall, level and screwed to the studs. Screwed/glued on top of this was 3/4" plywood, one sheet ripped in half and contact cemented/screwed together. At the ends and twice in the middle I have boards running out to feet, the boards again glued and screwed to the ply. The only thing it is not proof against is lifting forces.

[bgw45]

In the mid'90s I had no space so I used an end table built in the 50's. It was very sturdy. I put a 1/4" boilerplate covering the top of the table. No bounce consistent powder drops with this setup. Still I use the plate on my current setup. It's a great option for me.

[mdi]

Depends on if you want a free standing bench or one built into a wall. I prefer an open wall, no paneling and attach the bench frame to the wall studs. I have used plain old 2x4 for the frame and bracing (45 degree angle from just under front edge of bench down to the wall. I used lag bolts for assembling the frame and used 2, 1/2" thicknesses for the top (glued and screwed together). I can bounce my 225 lb. butt up and down without it moving a fraction if an inch...

[country gent]

Another simple little thing to do Is when running screws in run them in about half way back out and put a drop of glue in the hole. This does a couple things for you. It lubricats the scew saving chipping and splitting allowing for a snugger grip. When the glue cures it helps keep the screws from backing out. A drop of glue or even bar soap in hard woods can make a big diffrence driving screws.

[John Boy]

Harbor Freight , $113 - solid wood with drawers ...

[jmorris]

This one is as solid as any work bench I have.

3/4" box tube welded into a 5" truss, with the wing it does not need to be bolted down to the floor or wall, just rubber padded leveling feet.



Put your stuff on the bottom shelf and not a chance of it budging.



Ok, maybe not any bench I have. This one made with 2" thick steel plate won't "bounce" if you hit it with a fork lift but would be much more difficult to get in the house.

[AbitNutz]

All my benches are topped with Wisconsin Bench Dyna-Top panels. They are made like an Oreo, the filling being a 1" solid wood core and the surfaces being 3/8" phenolic hardboard. Total thickness 1 3/4", smooth, hard, heavy, stiff, impervious to most oils and solvents. Easily cut with a circular saw. Expensive, but I have gone all the way over the years and converted everything. One shop bench is more than 50 years old. Darn fine bench material.

Man! That dyna-Top stuff looks awesome! Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be available locally and shipping is insane...Amazon will sell it for just under $400.00 lol...is there anything Amazon doesn't sell. It's clear that bracing, cross bracing and screw and glue are the key to this. Unfortunately, the bench has to be freestanding. Maybe I'll go with maple and a softer MDF core under it. That Dyna-Top would be perfect though.

[trebor44]

Weight or fastened to the wall almost always works best. However, there are other options! For example, if you can 'salvage' the formica/particle board top of an old metal desk, they weight a lot and can be the top of the bench. Another option is several pieces of plywood or 'countertop' particle board laminated together to make a very heavy top work surface. Use '4x4s' for the legs. Thrift stores, building sites and dumpsters are your friends.