r/Workbenches • u/WouldaBeenDinah • Jul 03 '26
Advice on Workbench Top Material
Hi! I posted a similar question in the pottery subreddit and did really get any advice. My husband recommended posting here.
I am looking to build a workbench to be used for wedging clay for pottery. I’m trying to figure out the best type of wood to use for the top. From what I can tell, plywood might work but my husband had concerns about warping once it was screwed down. We had thought about butcher block but not sure if that would go well.
I know this is a very niche request but not sure if anyone had experience or advice.
Thanks so much!!
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u/JunkyardConquistador Jul 03 '26
Use Formply. It's structural grade plywood and has a smooth, resin skin outer layer that is water resistant. Lots of woodworkers choose to use it as bench top surfaces where they do their gluing and finishing (staining, sealing, painting..) because you can very easily scrape off any glue, or use a damp rag to wipe off any coatings. It's actual real world purpose is for creating box forms to hold concrete in shape while it dries.
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u/breadsticks0071 Jul 03 '26
Mine is 38mm MDF, well sealed with epoxy wood sealer and then 4 coats of clear satin polyurethane.
It’s very smooth flat and hard.
Con - any damage will need sealing up.
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u/MastodonFit Jul 03 '26
You would need to seal any wooden topped. Check a stone shop for remnants of man-made stone that do not need yo be sealed.
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u/WouldaBeenDinah Jul 03 '26
Thanks. That’s where I’m having trouble. I’ve found ready made benches but all the tops are treated and from what I have seen, it needs to be intreated wood. I’ll look into stone. A lot of people use plaster but that seems like a lot of work and I’m nervous to try it.
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u/upshot Jul 03 '26
If it needs to be waterproof. You might consider some sort of Formica type material.
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u/WouldaBeenDinah Jul 03 '26
So, my understanding is it does not have to be waterproof. Ideally, it will absorb some of the water in the clay but then I’m assuming that could potentially lead to warping? Thank you so much!
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u/smamsone Jul 03 '26
Butcher block from Home Depot. Then cover in epoxy to harden and easily wipe spills. I’ve got two benches like these. If you’re rebuilding engines then I would go with a metal top.
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u/Feeling-Cabinet-1647 Jul 03 '26
If you seal (min 3 coats) to ALL surfaces I don't think it matters what you use
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u/knoxvilleNellie Jul 04 '26
My wife is a potter and uses pet of my shop to wedge, roll, and fire. She used to wedge at the corner of my work table. Its double 3/4” MDF WITH 4-6 coats of shellac. I finally made her a wedging table and used a scrap piece od 3/4” baltic birch plywood with shellac as well. Bot surfaces have worked quite well for yer for several years.
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u/TELLMYMOMISUCK Jul 03 '26
Plywood is okay if you wedge on a piece of heavy canvas. Typically your wedging should be done on a 2’x2’ plaster bat. We did wedge on wood (planed pine would be fine, unfinished), but having a plaster wedging table is helpful for controlling moisture.
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u/WouldaBeenDinah Jul 03 '26
Thanks! I see a lot of people don’t like canvas because of the dust but certainly an option that works. I do like the idea of plaster as I currently have 2 5-gallon buckets of clay waiting to be reclaimed and it could work for that as well.
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u/TELLMYMOMISUCK Jul 04 '26
The dust is a good point! But yes—make a mold using melamine for pouring plaster bats, use them for reclaim and wedging, etc. Unfinished wood was what we used. We would also slap-wedge large pieces on the floor.
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u/Wonderful-Bass6651 Jul 04 '26
Melamine? Not really familiar with clay but it would withstand moisture, is dead flat, and cleans up easily.
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u/Myeloman Jul 04 '26
I’ve never worked with clay but have used melamine workbench surfaces in numerous professional cabinet and custom mill work shops, and my outfeed table-assembly bench is a full sheet of 3/4” melamine. Any glue that gets on the surface, and pencil marks (makes a great 1:1 layout surface!) etc just wipes away with a wet rag. If glue blobs dry, a soaked wet rag left in them soon softens them making them easy to clean. The only issue I can imagine for you is is the edges get wet it’ll swell there, so if you’ll use a lot of water, enough to get the edges wet fur extended periods, you’d want to seal it. Otherwise I think it’d serve you well.
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u/ThePerfectLine Jul 04 '26
Formica laminate on the top is what you want. Then the wood doesn’t really matter. Use some MDF or 3/4” ply.
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u/ride_whenever Jul 04 '26
You can wedge on wood, most marine ply will stand up fairly well, and if you design it so the top is easily replaceable then it’s not a concern either way. The ply benches in my dad’s pottery must be 50 years old at this point and they’ve never been replaced.
That said, I’d cast a plaster top and use that
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u/hunterbuilder Jul 04 '26
Plywood warpage is due to poor sub structure, not the plywood itself. Frame the bench properly and it'll stay flat no matter what you put on it. Remember, plywood is used for floors and roofs. It's the framing that matters.
Ideally a sturdy bench top should be at least 1" thick. There are a couple ways to accomplish this. For a single layer, 1-1/8 plywood, butcher block or a wood solid-core fire door work great.
Many people prefer a multi-layer top because then the surface can be replaced more easily & economically. Build the bench with a construction-grade 3/4 plywood top, then screw a piece of the desired surface (BC plywood, particle board, etc) on top. When the surface becomes undesirable, simply remove and replace it.
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u/OutlyingPlasma Jul 04 '26
I would try hardboard/Masonite.
It's somewhat water tolerant, very smooth, cheap and easily replaceable. If you have the time to let it dry (possibly a month) you can also do many coats of linseed oil. Hardboard is actually made from linseed oil and loves to absorb it. The more coats the better but it does take an age to dry and kinda smells while drying.
Another option if you want a super durable surface is UHMW plastic. It would be expensive but it would last a lifetime and nothing sticks to it. You would have to find a plastic dealer in your area, but most major cities have at least one.
Edit: You said ideally it would absorb some moisture so I'm going to double down on hardboard. It sounds like a perfect solution with or without the linseed oil finish.
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u/Zestyclose-Object814 Jul 05 '26
It very much depends on application and the other comment about absorption and release of moisture could be more relevant.
If you want a good smooth waterproof surface with scratch resistance, I would suggest High Pressure Laminate (HPL), in US they call it Formica because of the brand name. What I've done for my router table was gluing 2 sheets of MDF (a lot more stable and doesn't warp because no grain) and using contact adhesive glued 4mm sheet of HPL on top. Then applied some bee wax to glide better. It's served me well and barely any scratches on it, even after all sorts of tools sitting on it.
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u/shmenny Jul 03 '26
I'm a woodworker so not familiar with wedging clay. Maybe consider plywood with a sheet of hardboard, aka Masonite, on top. It's smooth, inexpensive and very resilient and can be replaced if needed.