Finishing my base wheeling and setting drawer lines and top planing sanding and finishing.
Woodworking workbench finish. Would be better to do it before it is finished. Last moment i decided to make hole on top plane. Workbench overhaul part 2 of 3 cleaning finishing wood work top how to make a woodworking bench duration. It has some tearout on the top.
For a shop workbench i would put on a thinned coat of polyurethane varnish. It is a badge of honor that this bench i worked for so. Top flattening and finish. How to build a woodworking workbench part 1 in part 1 i go over building the bench top and installing the lake erie i finish the bench.
In my own case i built my current benchtop more than 35 years ago. Since plywood is a softwood it is much easier for liquid oils and other residue to get into the wood and cause damage. If you are really going to do actual work on that workbench top then it won t look pretty very long. For others no workbench is complete until it sports a beautiful high gloss finish.
There are hide glue stains shellac stains chisel marks errant auger bits holes small saw kerfs and even a few drops of blood. 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. It s a matter of personal style. You can finish the other surfaces of your bench however you like with whatever finish you prefer.
Varnish will probably offer the longest most durable life. 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. That is the finish i put on it. 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.
My roubo workbench does not have finish on it. For some woodworkers the term workbench refers to a set of sawhorses and a salvaged door slab.