Workbench Top, Top Bumpers, and Lighting Questions!

Putting together an 8' x 4' workbench for guitar maintenance and repair.

2x4basics Workbench (http://www.2x4basics.com/PDFs/81410-00_rev-B.pdf)

What's the best, least expensive wood to use for the top (vices will be installed on the top)?

What's the best wood or synthetic surface to use regardless of price?

Can an 8x4 top be installed on that thing with a 7x4 base leaving a nice ledge around the table? Is a ledge a bad thing to do for a guitar maintenance and repair table?

What's the best, least expensive material to use to cover the top and to put bumpers around the edges to prevent damage to the guitars?

What's the best materials to use for bumpers and a table top covering regardless of price?

What's the best type of lighting to use for guitar repair?

Any other suggestions for building the 2x4basics workbench for guitar repair?

In advance, thank you for your replies!

Photographs will be posted upon completion! :cool:

Baltic Birch cabinet grade plywood comes in 8x4 sheets, and makes a great surface.

A 6" over hang is too much in my opinion.

I have an 8x4 table in my workshop, and Ill be honest. Its too big. I wish I had 2 smaller tables.

I just bought two old work tables on Saturday . Both are 4' X 4' X 2" butcher block Maple from the Junior High school that I attended as a kid . They even have chewing gum stuck to the underside surfaces . Each table is at least 250-300+ lbs.
There is nothing wrong with using fluorescent lighting . Mix the tube types for a more warm type of light .
Nothing beats natural sunlight for surface inspections . Martin still places their inspection stations next to exterior windows in order to take advantage of the best type of light available for these purposes .
Multiple tables will permit you to establish dedicated areas of work for certain specific tasks .
Because furniture building requires larger surface areas , most commercial setups are built along these needs . Guitar work does not require these larger surfaces but actually benefit from numerous smaller work areas .
Food for thought .

Baltic Birch cabinet grade plywood comes in 8x4 sheets, and makes a great surface.

A 6" over hang is too much in my opinion.

I have an 8x4 table in my workshop, and Ill be honest. Its too big. I wish I had 2 smaller tables.

The specs call for a .5"-->1" thickness. What's the best thickness for a guitar workbench?

What size overhang do you prefer? The reason I want the overhang is to sit to be able to sit comfortably at the table when I need to.

What size would you make the two smaller tables?

Can you think of any reason(s) to have an 8' x 4' table? I want to keep the large table in the middle of the room and work around it, from station to station, keep a smaller table or two for procedures that demand it.

I just bought two old work tables on Saturday . Both are 4' X 4' X 2" butcher block Maple from the Junior High school that I attended as a kid . They even have chewing gum stuck to the underside surfaces . Each table is at least 250-300+ lbs.

Nice! Heavy duty tables!

There is nothing wrong with using fluorescent lighting . Mix the tube types for a more warm type of light .
Nothing beats natural sunlight for surface inspections . Martin still places their inspection stations next to exterior windows in order to take advantage of the best type of light available for these purposes .

Is there a better artificial light to use? If not, sunshine through windows and two types o' fluorescents it is!


Multiple tables will permit you to establish dedicated areas of work for certain specific tasks .
Because furniture building requires larger surface areas , most commercial setups are built along these needs . Guitar work does not require these larger surfaces but actually benefit from numerous smaller work areas .
Food for thought .

Chompin', thinkin'.

Thank you gentlemen! :cool:

I made mine with a 3/4" laminated maple top , over a 3/4" plywood top , mine is not in the center of the room so I made it 27" wide , 4' wide would work in the center of a room but still thats a large surface , I just use pieces of carpet to protect guitar bodies , unfinished bodies I use bench cookies under them .

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz246/adirondak50/new%20shop/101_0622.jpg?t=1300790478

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz246/adirondak50/p90%20build/101_0734.jpg?t=1300790651

Lighting can be a very personal choice . I , for one find it fatiguing to be under nearby high intensity lighting , particularly if it is in the white end of the spectrum .
Experiment a bit and find your preference .

I made mine with a 3/4" laminated maple top , over a 3/4" plywood top , mine is not in the center of the room so I made it 27" wide , 4' wide would work in the center of a room but still thats a large surface , I just use pieces of carpet to protect guitar bodies , unfinished bodies I use bench cookies under them .

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz246/adirondak50/new%20shop/101_0622.jpg?t=1300790478

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz246/adirondak50/p90%20build/101_0734.jpg?t=1300790651

The Herbster! Just checked out your Thinline build thread -- DSMOATeles!

I'm a Long Islander too -- living in LA now!

Real nice workbench. I like that maple top. Is there any issues using 1/2" maple and plywood? The table specs call for a 1/2" to 1" top.

Is there a benefit to using the 3/4" thick pieces verses verses the 1/2" pieces?

Are the two pieces glued together? Are they secured to the table (I don't see that in the de-structions) or is it a drop-in top?

Is there a type of carpet that should or should not be used? ...nylon, polyester, wool, loop, plush, etc.???

Bench cookies! Cookies good!

And yes, a large surface. It will have a computer screen, keyboard and mouse, tools and containers, vices, some girly stuff (hot chick is learning the art too), ...it'll also serve as a hang-out spot when the guitars aren't being worked on, and well...you know,...it better be real sturdy for those spesh-ul moments! :wink:

Lighting can be a very personal choice . I , for one find it fatiguing to be under nearby high intensity lighting , particularly if it is in the white end of the spectrum .
Experiment a bit and find your preference .

"One overlooked option is t-5. You still have the benefit of instant on, although the price is a little steep. You can get bulbs in the 5000k range. I use these everywhere we grade lumber. We actually switch from 4 400w MH to 4 6 bulb t-5 with 52w 5000k bulbs and every grader told me it really helped them. Just remember that every scenario is different due to ceiling height and etc. Do remember that more fixtures will create less shadowing. You want the fixture above or in front of you as you work not behind."
Source: Shop Lighting (http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Shop_lighting.html)

Is the t-5 a good florescent light to start with???

What else...a secure lighting structure for over the center of the table but not hung from the ceiling?

There's carpeting in the room that we don't want to destroy or remove. Any suggestions?

...pizza cooker, beverage dispenser, ...oh, shelving. One bottom shelf or two for stowing guitars? Is it not wise to stow guitars on the bottom shelf, shelves?

Is there a national, regional, or local wood supplier here in California anybody'd like to recommend for the birch plywood and a maple laminate?

The specs call for a .5"-->1" thickness. What's the best thickness for a guitar workbench?
All my guitar benches are 3/4" with 2x6" frames and legs.

What size overhang do you prefer? The reason I want the overhang is to sit to be able to sit comfortably at the table when I need to.

I don't have any overhang on my tables and benches. Overhangs have a tendency to sag. Unless you have a serious top. All my tables are built to be the right height so I don't have to bend over and such. So I don't sit down at my tables.


What size would you make the two smaller tables?
If I had to do it over again, I would build 3 tables around 30"x5'. That way I could reach across from both sides.

Can you think of any reason(s) to have an 8' x 4' table? I want to keep the large table in the middle of the room and work around it, from station to station, keep a smaller table or two for procedures that demand it.
:

For guitar building, I can't think of any reason for a large table. But its nice for building shelves, picture frames, and stuff like that.

When you have a large table, you want to make the most of it. For instance, you want to build shelves or cabinets in the bottom. Build outlets into the table or hanging from the ceiling. BUild it sturdy and heavy enough you can hammer, chisel, and plane on it with out it rocking all over the place.

Woodworker's Source has Baltic birch ply nad the prices are reasonable.

Woodcraft has thick maple tops... nice but spendy... but when viewed on a board-foot basis are not that unreasonably priced.

MDF or Melamine also makes a nice work bench top. Plus they are cheap, and easy to replace when they get worn out.

Melamine... I love Formica... damn near indestructible...

Melamine... I love Formica... damn near indestructible...

Its a nice slidy surface for RAS and router tables.

I made some "pallets" once for a factory. They fit into custom made racks... really like big baking sheets.

I had 1/32" formica glued on both sides of 1/4 fiberboard. About 100 4 x8 sheets. That stuff was steel plate for strength. The stuff did not sag a bit over the course of 8 years.

I wish somebody would sell like 1" MDF with that "dimpled" formica on both sides.

The Herbster! Just checked out your Thinline build thread -- DSMOATeles!

I'm a Long Islander too -- living in LA now!

Real nice workbench. I like that maple top. Is there any issues using 1/2" maple and plywood? The table specs call for a 1/2" to 1" top.

Is there a benefit to using the 3/4" thick pieces verses verses the 1/2" pieces?

Are the two pieces glued together? Are they secured to the table (I don't see that in the de-structions) or is it a drop-in top?

Is there a type of carpet that should or should not be used? ...nylon, polyester, wool, loop, plush, etc.???

Bench cookies! Cookies good!

And yes, a large surface. It will have a computer screen, keyboard and mouse, tools and containers, vices, some girly stuff (hot chick is learning the art too), ...it'll also serve as a hang-out spot when the guitars aren't being worked on, and well...you know,...it better be real sturdy for those spesh-ul moments! :wink:


Hi Stratavarious , L.I. in L.A. , better weather out there than here , that's for sure. The reason I went with 3/4" plywood under 3/4" maple was that I always practice the fine art of overkill , I wanted a workbench that I could pound a lump hammer on if necessary. I would think that as long as your table had enough cross braces for the top that 3/4" maple would be more than sufficient , the reason I got the 3/4 is because Lowes had 3/4" x 12" x 6' laminated pieces available , I also added a 3"strip of 3/4" flame maple down the center between the two 12" , gave a little more width and looked good. I screwed the plywood down to the cross braces and outer frame and then drilled holes and screwed the maple down to the outer frame and cross braces , the screws in the maple were counter sunk and plugged with hard maple dowel , and sanded flush. The maple is not glued to the plywood , but the maple is glued together , the three pieces. Here's the link to my New Shop thred , I showed how I built the work bench. http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/262674-new-work-room-shop.html

What type of carpet ? Well, for those spesh-ul moments I would say a nice shag carpet :lol: , but I just picked up two carpet mats , almost a Berber type , not to thick , I'm sure its some type of synthetic . Bench cookies are one of the best helpers in my shop at least , they are reasonably priced and work great . Good luck with the table , and post pics of the build .

I made mine out of 2x3 lumber, really solid and great for mounting a vice.

77208

Shepherd Thats a hell of a work shop you got there nice!!!

Sadly, I lack the self-discipline to have a neat workspace, though I certainly admire those who do. I think I could compete in a "most disorganized shop" contest. I've never mastered the art of putting away a tool when I've finished using it. I sometimes have to stop mid-project to clean up in order to find a missing tool. At my advanced age I'm not likely to change my work habits. I have two 8' x 2' work tables. One from Costco and one home built.

Sadly, I lack the self-discipline to have a neat workspace, though I certainly admire those who do. I think I could compete in a "most disorganized shop" contest. I've never mastered the art of putting away a tool when I've finished using it. I sometimes have to stop mid-project to clean up in order to find a missing tool. At my advanced age I'm not likely to change my work habits. I have two 8' x 2' work tables. One from Costco and one home built.

Ive got a shot in this competition.
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Ashleys%20Jewelry%20Box/100_2476.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Ashleys%20Jewelry%20Box/100_2474.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Ashleys%20Jewelry%20Box/100_2473.jpg
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Ashleys%20Jewelry%20Box/100_2471.jpg

Colt and Bud,

Y'all just need another table...

Colt and Bud,

Y'all just need another table...

I was thinking a maid would be more appropriate.

Colt and Bud,

Y'all just need another table...

Tables are like income: the more you have the more you need.

Colt,

I noticed one of your prettiest blonde guitars is somewhere between 5 and 6 feet long. ...Strings all the way past the bouts.

Change some oil... air filter... maybe pads on the front... fix the broken window crank... lunch. You CAN work this out!

Colt,

I noticed one of your prettiest blonde guitars is somewhere between 5 and 6 feet long. ...Strings all the way past the bouts.

Change some oil... air filter... maybe pads on the front... fix the broken window crank... lunch. You CAN work this out!

Are you talking about this one?
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/AshleyGuitar2.jpg

Yeah... not the blue one... the pink and yellow one...

Yeah... not the blue one... the pink and yellow one...

It's an Ashley model.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/pink_dress.jpg

I'm partial to ash... nothin' personal mind you.

All I can say is "Dang". And I shouldn't say that.

We just bought a property in the East mountains in ABQ NM.

Wow I will actually maybe get a real shed and some real tools!!!

First thing I want is a proper work bench with a 360 degree access ! I will have to post a question thread about all the power tools I will need..I mean big man type tools...band-saws, routers...i love them

maybe i can be the first woman in a building tele challenge then, god knows I am pedantic enough about DETAIL !!!

I just wanna build guitars...

Women cannot build guitars... the guitars have to work when they're done.

Sorry... just sayin'.

Just kidding... Mrs. Ash is into woodworking too... and good at it.

We just bought a property in the East mountains in ABQ NM.

Wow I will actually maybe get a real shed and some real tools!!!

First thing I want is a proper work bench with a 360 degree access ! I will have to post a question thread about all the power tools I will need..I mean big man type tools...band-saws, routers...i love them

maybe i can be the first woman in a building tele challenge then, god knows I am pedantic enough about DETAIL !!!

I just wanna build guitars...

You'll have a blast, but remember to keep your hair UP. The last thing you want is to catch your hair in a blade spinning thousands of rotations a minute.

What's the best, least expensive wood to use for the top (vices will be installed on the top)?


I'd have to have a pretty big table to hold all of my vices. On the other hand, a few vises always come in handy.:razz:

As far as lighting, I have a couple of those plug in fluorescent lights over my benches and a reading lamp I can move around where it's needed.

Sadly, I lack the self-discipline to have a neat workspace, though I certainly admire those who do. I think I could compete in a "most disorganized shop" contest. I've never mastered the art of putting away a tool when I've finished using it. I sometimes have to stop mid-project to clean up in order to find a missing tool. At my advanced age I'm not likely to change my work habits. I have two 8' x 2' work tables. One from Costco and one home built.

Ive got a shot in this competition.
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Ashleys%20Jewelry%20Box/100_2476.jpg



...you two need a little more training. That level of sloppiness just won't cut it. Try closing your eyes and just throwin' stuff around. Do the tangle dance with your cords (take a bunch of extension cords and power chords and...well...use the photo below as reference for what a truly sloppy shop looks like!)

http://i1042.photobucket.com/albums/b430/Stratavarious/MessyWorkBench.jpg

Some mood music to get you going, The Sloppy Song!!!

GiGnjkWiUgU

If you need some tutoring...I can send my son over, he's got the sloppy shop thing down pat -- he started young! :cool:

...you two need a little more training. That level of sloppiness just won't cut it. Try closing your eyes and just throwin' stuff around. Do the tangle dance with your cords (take a bunch of extension cords and power chords and...well...use the photo below as reference for what a truly sloppy shop looks like!)

http://i1042.photobucket.com/albums/b430/Stratavarious/MessyWorkBench.jpg


And the winner is....

I see a Lambda power supply hiding in that mess...

A brief delay. We're getting the wood for the frame on Monday, Tuesday -- Redwood.

Still undecided about the top. There's lots of choices.

Chairs are being ordered tomorrow. ...what else... lighting.

t-5 bulbs.

:cool:

Isnt redwood kind of soft, like cedar?

Isnt redwood kind of soft, like cedar?

Yes, but..."It's pretty." And, "The choice of wood is not as important as the integrity of the design - cross grain construction and inadequate joinery typically have a more destructive effect than the use of a less-than-ideal wood."

It should do okay and it'll be softer on the knees and guitars that get banged into it.

I'm curious to see how redwood works with those plastic legs and a hard top.

My only concern is spesh-ul moments. However, I remember picnic tables, when they are assembled right, they are strong and light, when not assembled right...rickety and weak. And, when it's dry, it's harder. Outdoors? Mushy. Indoors, may work!

No heavy-duty work is going to be done on that table, just setups, nuts, fret leveling, electrical, no hammering or heavy duty tools, just basic guitar stuff.

If somebody wants to talk me out of it...

I am new to guitar building, but I've been a woodworker for a good many years, and I've always used solid core doors for my bench tops. We have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore near where I live, and I can usually find one with the lockset blown out, or bad hinge mortises that they'll sell me for $15-20. Dead flat, and plenty heavy for my purposes, plus I feel like I'm doing something good by shopping there. Just my $.02

+1 Solid core doors make great economical bench tops and the recycling aspect is a bonus. In the past I've used the solid core door as a base for a Masonite top in order to have a smooth, flat work surface.

Not to mention that they are a fraction of the cost of other materials. I almost bought a whole stack of them from a local hotel that was remodeling. If I had only had the room for them back then.

Colt's right - y'all need another table. My "reality" is there's always one surface that's cluttered - so plan for it. I have an old bench that my father in law had in his basement (he was a custodian, and this thing looks amazingly similar to the benches they use in schools...) and it's used against the wall to hold up my tool boxes and collect clutter.

My main workbench is nowhere near 4' x 8'. If you can't reach across the thing it gets useless. take a look at the woodworking benches in the specialty catalogs, and if you really feel compelled to go big, then expand those dimensions a touch.

My bench top is made from two pieces of 3/4" plywood with a "replaceable" skin of 1/4" hardboard on top. You don't want it much thicker because then hobby vises and clamps and lamps won't be able to clamp to the edge of the thing.

The idea for the hardboard top was for it to be able to withstand being chopped into with chisels or handsaws and I could peel off the skin after backing out a few screws and replace it. Let's just say the Masonite hardboard top has been on there since before MDF became readily available.

For years I had a hole drilled in the edge to hold an incandescent swing-arm lamp, but lately I've got one of those magnifier-fluorescent swing arm lamps that I need for soldering (don't ask me why I didn't need it a few years ago, I'm still sensitive about the whole bi-focals thing). The shop has a mix of fluorescent and halogen main lighting.

Lousy shot but it actually shows you the sandwich construction:
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk155/bobv_photo/IMG_3519.jpg

You can also see my system for letting the jigsaw signal me when the blade reaches the top of the bench. I took a cue from the woodworking benches and added a tool tray off the back edge so that the tools i'm using can be dropped out of the way and the workpiece can be slid around the top (only half your tools get knocked over this way). Because of the dimensions, it's still easy to reach into that tray, or to lean over and see what's in there.

I wouldn't recommend a permanent carpet covering. Unlike the guys at the music store, you'll have splinters and wood chips being generated in your shop, and they'll become a permanent part of the carpet. Instead break out a clean towel when you need to lay down a polished instrument.

I wouldn't recommend a permanent carpet covering. Unlike the guys at the music store, you'll have splinters and wood chips being generated in your shop, and they'll become a permanent part of the carpet. Instead break out a clean towel when you need to lay down a polished instrument.

Bench Cookies! hehe

Strat....not trying to talk you out of the table or the lighting....but at your age....you had better plan your spesh-ul moments...wouldn't want to come and go at the same time....if you know what I mean :-)

Sadly, I lack the self-discipline to have a neat workspace, though I certainly admire those who do. I think I could compete in a "most disorganized shop" contest. I've never mastered the art of putting away a tool when I've finished using it. I sometimes have to stop mid-project to clean up in order to find a missing tool. At my advanced age I'm not likely to change my work habits. I have two 8' x 2' work tables. One from Costco and one home built.

(pictures of tool/project-covered benches)

I acquired a six foot segment of formica countertop that I extented three feet in length (about 25" deep) with solid lumber underneath, and still somehow manage to consume the available real estate, perhaps owing to a perplexing compulsion to spread out given the slightest chance.

More a guideline of general woodworking benches, if the work surface will be along the length of a wall, two feet is about the widest recommended to make wall-hung tools easy to grab, but if you're building it the dimensions can be to your liking. Christopher Schwarz's books / articles discuss more about bench design than any one person could know.

A couple more delays... Hot stuff tripped and threw out her shoulder. And, I feel bad...she tripped running after the UPS truck to make sure I got the part I was waiting for... Hot stuff's Mustang broke down (transmission's gone, motor needs work). The tools that arrived from StewMac were...well, wow, junk. Delays, delays, delays.

Today, we're gonna be looking at a few cars and we're gonna finish shopping out the wood, tomorrow she's going to the doctor.

I'm still stuck on a big table, for many reasons. It's gonna be in the middle of the living room. It's gonna double as a hang-out spot. Two people need to be able to use the table at the same time. There's gonna be a computer monitor, keyboard and mouse on the table. This table is not going to be used for any woodwork outside of sanding a nut slot and maybe sanding a fret board.

If we get into woodwork, we'll either get a place with a garage, or a warehouse and use the smaller tables for workin' wood.

And Sarrkazztic, I still got it. Nothing's changed since oh, about 1973! The only planning I need to do in that regard is...do I need to do anything else for the next 8-hours and is there least 6 cigarettes close by! Thank you for your concern, however! :wink: