Some hate the concept because a good finish on the benchtop whether wax shellac or anything else does tend to make the top slippery probably more slippery than many woodworkers care to use.
Woodworking bench finish. Two inevitable ravages of nature water and the uv rays in sunshine damage wood and the finish protecting it. You can t caulk a bench like you do the framing around windows. If you are really going to do actual work on that workbench top then it won t look pretty very long. Woodriver small holdfast.
If you have installed some big dents or surface distortions over time you can renew the surface by planing it flat provided the surface is thick enough then put the oil finish on once more. Woodriver patternmaker s or gunstock carving vise. Varnish will probably offer the longest most durable life. Woodriver woodriver bench dog 3 4in 2pc.
Top sellers newest price low to high price high to low top rated. 4 57 out of 5 stars. It s a matter of personal style. Not much will stick to poly and you will certainly have spilled glue oil nondescript goo and other things on the bench over the years.
You can finish the other surfaces of your bench however you like with whatever finish you prefer. You can get some good back and forth chatter among woodworkers when it comes time to apply or not apply a finish to the benchtop. If he insists on applying a finish maybe for looks or to make the surface smoother a boat varnish from a marina would be best because it would hold up better against the sun s uv light. Wr hd table vise 2in.
For a shop workbench i would put on a thinned coat of polyurethane varnish. Woodriver 4 1 4 miter vise. For some woodworkers the term workbench refers to a set of sawhorses and a salvaged door slab. When working with a softwood workbench top such as plywood many woodworkers find it important to add a finish to the workbench so it is easier to clean as well as help the plywood last longer.
Before we get into the specifics of each type of product kevin keep in mind a few general principles that govern the performance of outdoor finishes. Best finishes for outdoors. Once damaged wood fibers separate from the underlying wood taking the finish with them. Common brands include interlux epifanes pettit and z spar.
In my own case i built my current benchtop more than 35 years ago. For others no workbench is complete until it sports a beautiful high gloss finish.