# Newbie question on finishes for a workbench



## Smile_n_Nod (Jan 20, 2011)

I'm nearing completion of a workbench made from southern yellow pine. I plan to rag on a finish of some sort. The workbench has a shelf made of ship-lapped ash boards where I will place tools, wood, etc.. Should I use the same finish on the shelf, or should I leave it natural? If I use finish on the shelf, should I put the finish on the boards before I nail them in place, or should I do it afterwards?

(Sorry if this question is too basic; I'm still a beginner at most aspects of woodworking.)


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

Brett:

I would finish the bench, shelf and all, with an oil of your choice, something like a Danish oil that will not build up a film finish and might give the yellow pine a more satisfying color (at least for me). Film finishes are easily damaged on a workbench and start to look bad in short time…whereas they must be stripped. Oils are easily replenished. Top with a good wax to provide some good moisture/chemical protection, satin look, and feel.

Pre-finish the shelf if you can't cover the surfaces well, such as with spraying in nooks & crannies. If you pre-finish, do not apply it to glue areas.

Grats on the new bench!


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Danish oil for sure. 
I would really consider using some other wood than yellow pine, it's primarily a construction wood. It gums up tools an rarely takes a finish well. It's okay for a bench, but I'd use some other wood for anything I wanted to look nice.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Here's a good finish. http://www.generalfinishes.com/retail-products/oil-base-top-coats/arm-r-seal-urethane-topcoat
It will be much easier to prefinsh the the shelf before installing it.


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

Russell:

Chris Schwarz recommends southern yellow pine because it IS a construction wood. It is cheap, found at the big boxes, and you can get a really thick laminated surface by milling and gluing up the bigger 2×6s, 2×8s, or larger.

I'm with you with regard to looks, but it a solid, cheap way to get a really heavy, durable top. It's certainly not the easiest wood to work with or to finish, but for hand plane guys it's a smart choice, especially if you can't afford the traditional, rough cut sized maples, beeches, ashes, or even oaks.


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

BTW, the pine really appeals to me. As much as I want to build my own heirloom hard maple bench out of 8/4 stock, it's not truly a necessity, IMO.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

I'd just finish it all (top, base, and shelf) with BLO (which I did on mine). the finish will protect your workbench from moisture and other elements and give it a warmer tone without creating a plasticy film on top that will be hard to refinish in the future. wipe it on heavily, wait 15 minutes, wipe off excess… done deal.


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## Moai (Feb 9, 2009)

oils are the best way to go. Once dry, just apply wax periodically. Tung oil worked 4 me.


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## Gshepherd (May 16, 2012)

Ditto on the Danish oil…......I always use the GF brand natural not the tinted stuff.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

After an oil "Johnson's Paste Wax". Cheap and very good.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

I would use Danish oil or a thinned coat of shellac. I used BLO on my yellow pine workbench and over the years it attracted dust and became gummy; eventually I scraped it off and just left it plain. Maybe the problem was I used too much or maybe it's the combination with pine but I wouldn't use it again. Over time I've become a shellacophile, it's easy, fast drying, durable, and repairs (if needed) are simple but I would stick with maybe two light coats to seal the wood a bit so dust and dirt don't become embedded in the wood. Danish Oil is fine, it's just that every time I use it I end up wishing I'd used something else.

Also, ditto on the wax.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Cosmicsniper, I just hate the way it gums every tool I have up. Around here we have more white pine than anything else at BB stores. A little bit of douglas fir and lots of cedar. I don't even want to think about what yellow pine would do to my ORS's.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

I think that out of all the oils, danish natural gives you the best bang for your buck as far as making grain pop. I'd likely leave my workbench natural though, no need to use any thing on it because it's going to take mucho abuse anyway. I usually spill enough oil from other projects to cover most of it anyway,


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

No, I get that, Russell. It's a trade-off to be sure. But it should be mentioned that southern yellow pine is substantially harder than white pine, with almost twice the Janka scale rating. I would be afraid of durability with the white pine, as well as the weight for handplane guys.


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## Cosmicsniper (Oct 2, 2009)

BTW, we are talking about ideals here. I'm not a workbench snob in this regard. MDF and plywood make for excellent workbenches as well. My father, while not a hand plane guy, has had his plywood benches for as long as I can remember.

There's something equally appealing about a top of two laminated 3/4" or 1" MDF boards with a thin, replaceable hardboard atop of it. Heck, that's only one sheet of MDF ripped down the middle. If you need it deeper, you could incorporate a tool tray.

I might do something like that for an TS outfeed/assembly table.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

Anytime you can finish it is preferred. You'll get a much more natural look to the project. Danish oil for the bench.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

Add me to the oil choir…

What I've not seen mentioned is traction. Your bench's surface is half of the equation when work is held in place by stops or holdfasts when using hand tools. Stops and holdfasts are much faster to work with than clamps and vises, and they don't bow faces with pressure. If you're not using them yet, you'll want to give them a good try.

Film finishes or too much wax are slippery. Slippery is bad on a working bench.


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

A workbench don't need no stinkin' finish.


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