The first half of the kzread.infoUgkx3ICSK6nSknaL_45CU2NmFSoXjarGMDiJ book is everything about wood: types, tools, finishes, setting up shop etc. The second half is all about doing projects for inside and outside of the home. The color pictures are helpful. After reading a dozen of these types of books, this is probably the best overall (layout, color photos, plans). Only detraction is that many of the projects use a table saw/router/planer, which are usually expensive and take up space, so the plans are less friendly to newcomers and the budget conscious. But I know I can use a drill, circular saw or a jigsaw to make the projects.

I've had the chance to use this table a couple of times now. It's fun to whip out in front of people:) I can see what people are talking about when they say the legs are delicate, but they're design to support a "mostly" vertical load, not be torqued from the side or pushed back into place. If you just let the table open or close on it's own and don't force anything, it works great kzread.infoUgkxyFZUPFEey-PuqsPMxqaykBhgA1LWxFHh Once it's set up, it's pretty solid. My only gripe would probably be related to the clamps provided. They're not the highest quality. They do the job, so no big deal, but they could be better. All in all, pretty cool gadget.

I sealed my mdf work top with everything I spill on it.

MDF weighs 90 lbs. per sheet. I use MDF for my bench tops with white laminate glued to it with contact adhesive just like a counter top which I have made many of. This gives a bright top that is super durable plus when it gets beat up it can be replaced using a heat gun.

@FrugalFixerSpike

2 жыл бұрын

I am covering mu MDF with 3/16 ABS Plastic. Did you seal your mdf? Considering doing both sides and edges, unheated shop mostly. Thanks, mine will be black tops.

I've got twenty five years in the cabinet shop after 12 years as a union carpenter and been using MDF for my work table tops the whole time. It's a solid surface , I use the 1' on my main assembly table on top of the maple floor boards from the Balboa Park Gym which I used as the sub top and have had the same assembly table for twenty five years. It's solid , made me a living and if it gets marred or a few holes , who cares. Scars are a part of life, it shows you lived, worked and fought once in a while. I've seen some of these shops on you tube and they run the gamut , I need a clean work surface to start the project but after that from chaos comes inspiration and maybe art. Good luck with your endeavors

The new top does look amazing. But really I was thinking about during this entire video was the original video series of making this table. It’s super cool to see it being updated after all this time.

Regarding that shellac that went in your eye, that's going to need three coats, and you should lightly sand with 220 between each one.

@rickywilson7240

3 жыл бұрын

Ha, I wear my safety glasses when painting Shellac too for all the same reasons.

@active4delta

3 жыл бұрын

😂

@V0YAG3R

3 жыл бұрын

Derek Smalls After that, you should always use a router to smooth that eye surface 👁👌🏻

@danielmccarthy5668

3 жыл бұрын

@@rickywilson7240 why cut and paste another user’s comments in the same thread? Genuinely curious or is that a bot thing? @Ryan Henderson

Getting back into wood working after a 20+ year hiatus. Really enjoy your content and style. I am in the middle of the workshop table build, slightly modified for a table saw integration. I am planning on attempting the ultimate cabinet build after I make my mistakes on other projects. Looking forward to future content. Thanks for the tips and tricks of the trade!

Love how you commentate your videos and I used MDF on my old garage shop for years. When my new house is done in a couple of months I was going to use something different for the top. But seeing you use MDF and Shellac with a good trim well that will be the way to go. Oh I had t-tracks in my bench and used it all the time. Even when I used the bench for reloading my shells.

I used that same t-track and I love the black! Make sure you have a screw at the end of each piece, if not with a little clamping pressure the track will bend upward at the end. I learned that the hard way!

My first view of a shop nation video. Excellent presentation by a clear-speaking, articulate, craftsman. Oh, and the content was spot on. I think I'll add an MDF top over my existing 3/4" plywood. I've been coveting some t-tracks, and this looks like the answer. Thank you.

Thanks! Smaller project but doing the same thing with a table saw extension wing/router lift insert. Went with birch plywood at first and decided to go with mdf. Going to use 3 coats of shellac with sanding in-between each. Awesome shop man! Kevin

Wow! So clean under the bench top when you removed it! That dust collection looks to be doing a great job!

The fact that you finished the surface with shellac that will really help! In my opinion MDF has always been fragile around the edges. With the additional trim to protect the edges that is a win win. The T-track looks great. I can see a lot of versatility with that table!! 👍🏼👍🏼

I just discovered your channel yesterday, and I've been watching your videos nonstop. Your content is top-notch. I have subscribed!

I used laminate countertop veneer (rubber cement bond) on mine, no glue sticks things slide nice and wipe up easy. Adds a touch of height as well so the T track is recessed. Nice work!

Turned out fantastic. I’m in the planning stages of my new shop and I think I’m going to incorporate this budget T track system. I’ve used a roll on Urethane product to seal MDF, but Shellac is much more affordable and that’s a good thing for sure! 👍🏼

Good timing, stumbling upon this vid... I'm getting a garage built as we speak and when the epoxy on the floor is dry, one of the first things I'm building is a multipurpose pullout table for the table saw.

Thanks so much. Downloaded the plans and just started on the workbench. I've tried building in the past and umm, let's just say it hasn't gone well. After watching some videos and looking into things, turned out the table saw wasn't at 90 degrees, my straightedge was bent, and a whole lot of other things I wasn't aware of. Now that I can cut square finally, decided to give this a try. Anyway, thank you for the detailed plans, they are soooo great!

I have used mdf on my out feed table for about 15 years. Finished it with shellac as well. Probably could sand it down now and redo the finish. Smells like rum, could put a whole new meaning to getting shellacked! Cheers buddy!

I've been using MDF as a work surface for years. Just finished a smaller roll-around work table. Will follow your lead and edge with butt joined poplar band. I laminated 3/4 MDF to 3/4 OSB because that's what I had on hand. Free is the best price!

This will work perfectly for the top of my workbench. Thanks for all the great videos!

You got a great workable shop. I haven't fully plan out my shop but I love your ideas. Thanks for sharing.

Hey man, I bought your plans and am building the bench. I was planning on adding T Track to the top... Awesome to see you did it to yours as well!

Awesome build. I made a similar top for my 8’ bench as well. I used 1 3/16 ultralight MDF as a base to give it as flat a surface as possible, then added an unglued replaceable 3/4 ultralight top (should’ve used regular MDF since it’s much stronger, lesson learned). I added t-track on the same half as yours using Powertec’s track. Another good option that’s inexpensive and blue (little bit darker than Rockler’s). Also going to add track along the edge banding for vertical clamping. One mistake I made was painting the surface in semigloss white. 🤨 easily chips and looks awful after a few uses. I’ll be using shellac next time. Thanks for the video!

In process of resurfacing my work bench too. Very helpful 👌 thanks man. Should have a video up in the near future on that. Stay Blessed 🙌

The fact you have your dust collector inside your work bench,. is absolutely brilliant.

Another great video. I built a shop table for my table saw last summer with an mdf top. Pretty happy with it so far. My shellac finish didn't turn out as smooth as I had hoped, but oh well. I think it may have been because of the heat.

In a way it is somewhat comforting that I am not the only guy who will in the most random manner with the most impossible odds get something in my eye. Its pretty much why when I leave the house or pretty much leave my bed, put on a pair of sunglasses or safety glasses.

Clear style has 2 and 3 ft. kits that come with 2 sections of track plus the intersection. 4 ft. lengths of track without the intersection and just the intersection itself. They also have hold downs that are nicely machined and heavy duty all at prices cheaper than anybody else. I made my workbench using a sheet of 3/4" plywood topped with a sheet of 3/4" MDF. I am also adding T-track along with some dog holes. Thanks to this video I will also be putting on a couple of coats of shellac.

Mike Farmington shows using shellac but he thins it down for the first coat. He says he feels like because it’s thinner it penetrates the mdf more making the protective layer thicker. Haven’t tried it myself but seems to make sense.

Such a good timing, to come across this video.... Thanks

About to redo my whole garage and all work stations, great tips on coating bench and T tracks installation. Great job! GO VOLS! (Saw the UT sticker on toolbox lid)

Practical. intelligent. Inexpensive. Impressive. Thank you.

After a thousand videos of work benches, I am finally going to say something. Now that looks like a damn nice table!!!🎉

I really like your setup, that looks like a setup I'm looking for. Thanks for sharing

I’m watching this mid 2021 and with the current global shortage and pricing of plywood, MDF is the best alternative. Work top looks great 👍🏻. I have a bag of blonde shellac flakes which will be just the ticket for finishing some MDF projects

Good job. I like MDF as a surface. Very flat. Very stable. And Shellac is the best topcoat.

Nice workbench set up. Thanks for the video. Stay safe.

Looks good, I used oil based clear polyurethane on all my table tops made on MDF, very durable. I really like your miter saw table. I'll be ordering the plans for sure.

Very good video. Wanting to go back on some of my tops and add t-track to them. Good info.

Actually, i did it a bit different. I had a ¾ Inch plywood top, where i mounted the t-tracks. And then i Cut the 1/2 inch mdf to fit between the tracks. The mdf was then screwed on to the plywood from the underneath, and not glued. In that Way I Can easily change any part of the mdf, that is ruined by cuts or paint or whatever.

@jordannaegle5366

3 жыл бұрын

That is a great idea. Does having the track sit that far below the surface cause you any problems?

@mrklean0292

2 жыл бұрын

I have seen up to 3 1/2" T-Bolts sold by Rockler. I wonder if that would help.

@Mollermester

2 жыл бұрын

@@jordannaegle5366 actually, the diffference between the mdf-surface and the t-Track-top is only ½ mm, so it is working very well

@chadcleary7931

2 жыл бұрын

@@Mollermester so you didn’t router the T-track into the plywood then. You screwed into the plywood and then put the mdf around the T-track? Is my thinking right?

@Mollermester

2 жыл бұрын

@@chadcleary7931 exactly 👍

Excellent video, super nice work station. I am a commercial painting contractor. The best finish will be a marine grade polyurethane finish. Impervious to water and extremely durable. That's what all the architects spec.

I made a similar work surface a few years ago, and coated it with a thin coat of watered-down Titebond. (I read about it in a forum someplace.) It was super cheap and easy, no fumes, and has held up pretty well. Use the water-resistant Titebond or else you'll get water rings wherever you set a cup down. If I were to make my workbench over again, I'd probably try the shellac or a water-based poly (or both) instead of Titebond. I've also made a bench with melamine-topped particle board and it has not held up well at all. It's hard to work with, brittle, and generally a pain. If I were going to use a non-MDF topper, I'd probably use hardboard.

When I built my assembly table I used a 1/2 inch and a 3/4 inch mdf panel. Added dog holes and track. To seal it I used a wipe on matte poly.

I like MDF as a work surface and for drawer fronts. And Shellac is the only finish to use.

I've been in restaurants that aren't as clean as your shop. Nice video and I love the workbench!

Looks Great, Lacquer works very well also.

Looks Great!! Thanks for the video. I think I will do this on my next workbench.

the more i see ,the more i learn. thank you!

I just finished section 1 of this build (doing the dust collection next). I also put t-track in mine, though I have three strips running down the "long" way instead of just two. I also only put it in half of the table. Not knowing any better, I covered my MDF top with some extra johnsons paste wax I had in the garage. It worked out really well, but it used up a BUNCH of it.

@ShopNation

4 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a great build! Would love to see it

Nice project. MDF is bigger than 4x8' because it is sold by metric measures (~ 125cm x 250cm). It's actually helpful because you can cut off any damage on the edges, provided you have a large enough table to handle truing it up. Shellac smells like rum mainly because it is alcohol based. You can buy dry shellac flakes and dissolve into alcohol yourself--which allows you to customize the thickness. A lot of luthiers used it in the past (antique violins, for example) & some still do, though most have gone to lacquer. True shellac comes from secretions of an insect: the lac bug--native to India and Thailand. Shellac is definitely the way to go for MDF. Also good to know is that Zinser B-I-N Primer is basically a white-pigmented shellac. Great if you are going to paint over it. Very good to seal between practically any other finishes. And being alcohol based, shellac dries FAST.

It gives the table tops a classy look. Definitely a nice change.

Good job, love the results

Great work Travis! Looks awesome!

Just further inspiration for my own workbench great work Travis

Turned out great!

I have been using polyurethane to protect my shop tools and work benches for years. You can sand it down every few years (15 for my table saw extension) and refinish it. The shellac tops look nice and I am sure will last you for years to come.

Rock on my friend! Please let us know how that new T Track works out.

That really looks good.

Thanks mate that was an excellent presentation.

Outstanding bud. Very nice stuff. Fantastic content

I like the way it looks, plus it looks like it will hold up. I'll be building my shop very similar to what you have done, great job keep it up...

I love the MDF top on my assembly table. I finished it with wipe-on poly, and will be adding t-track soon.

@jeffstewart7434

3 жыл бұрын

I’m about to make myself a t-track table. How did your wipe on poly finish work out for you? I actually have some already on hand and was hoping to use that

@ocelliwoodworks7272

3 жыл бұрын

@@jeffstewart7434 It worked great! I put 2-3 coats on, and now not much sticks to the top. I can pop wood glue drips off after they dry, and everything else just wipes off.

Great content, happy to be one of the new subs!! 😁

Man this is awesome... I literally went to HD today to buy material for my big workbench/outfeed table. I was going to buy a sheet of 3/4 birch but then I saw MDF was cheaper so I went with it instead... thanks for the info cu, I had no idea how I was gonna seal it... #Subscribed lol

Great Job thank for the tip on track

Looks great and it's a great idea too

I think the top looks very nice.

It's a beautiful thing Travis!! I built my workbench with MDF and used polyurethane to seal it. It has stood the test of time for 12yrs now and if I had to do it again I would use MDF all over again!

@mashclub

3 жыл бұрын

Could you recommend polyurethane for sealing?

@suearmstrong3404

3 жыл бұрын

I used Minwax

Looks great!

I built my workbenches almost exactly like this, except instead of laminating MDF to a thin plywood base I attached hardboard to a thick plywood base with countersunk screws. I finished it with poplar edges as well. I like the hardboard because it holds up to a lot of abuse, but then when it finally does get trashed I can just pull it off and replace it. I think I got that idea from an old Norm Abram video or something like that. Great video, man. I really like what you've done with your shop. You've given me some great ideas to get my own shop cleaned up and organized!

@davidkennedy2555

4 жыл бұрын

I like hardboard for that also. I use it as an ultimately disposable top that can be easily replaced.

@justinpack8292

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for another great video. Unfortunately the track you linked is "currently unavailable" 😥

@andrewmcgillivray448

4 жыл бұрын

@@davidkennedy2555 do you have a better way to fasten the hardboard to your benches? Screws work, not sure if they're needed though. I'd like to keep the tops smooth if I could.

I don't have engineer like precision, maybe thats why its fun to watch your videos

Your the next big wood working youtuber my friend keep doing what your doing!

Looks great!!

I would have dispensed with the plywood and gone with a 1 1/4" MDF. Fabricated many a custom cabinet on a 1 1/4" X 5' X 9' bench top. Finished a 1" MDF metal lathe bench with 4" high splashes on 3 sides I built with Danish Oil, sealed reasonably well but got kind of dirty after a few years.

Damn I wish that was my work shop 😂 really great job done. Can’t wait to watch all the other videos, how the garage came to be

I have all MDF surfaces. I use the Mike Farrington super-secret mixture 1:1 paint thinner and wipe on poly. thinning the poly lets it absorb into the MDF without swelling, then the poly hardens in there which if you ask me, strengthens the work surface. it also seals the surface so stains and spills have no effect. requires like 4-5 coats though. no big deal.

@chrisfrancis1346

4 жыл бұрын

Water or Oil based Poly?

Looking great.

Personally, I am currently building out my garage shop, and I did a lot of research on the work surfaces. I ultimately settled on using 1/8” High Density Fiberboard laminated to 3/4” Sandply plywood. When coated with polyurethane and a final paste wax coat, you cannot find a much better attractive work surface.

Casual lurker..... now a subscriber. Keep up the good work.

Ah, the good ole' oversized MDF. We always have tons of 1" strips of MDF because the spoil board cutout on our shop bot's vacuum table is exactly 48" x 96".

I've used MDF to make custom moldings for years, and shellac is my big secret for sealing the cut surfaces to allow for a smooth paint job. I seal with 2 coats of shellac, sand, prime, sand again, and paint. Works beautifully.

@matiasgoinheix366

4 жыл бұрын

What alternative would you recommend for Shellac? Can't find any in my country. Thanks.

@johne9341

4 жыл бұрын

@@matiasgoinheix366 You can buy Shellac in powdered form and just mix in with alcohol. That is the preferred way most woodworkers purchase it here in the USA. Shellac is so light in powdered form shipping would be minimal.

@matiasgoinheix366

4 жыл бұрын

@@johne9341 That's a great tip, thank you, will give it a try.

@DynamicRockers

4 жыл бұрын

@@matiasgoinheix366 Shellac in spray is even cleaner

Great project! 👍

I really like the black t-track. Looks really good on the bench with your paint scheme

Nice job - 👍.Came out very well.

Great video! Very informative.

Very nice work bench ! 👍👍

Looks great 👌

When the shellac flung into your eye...the wtf?! moment. Lol great content. Hope the eye is okay.

Now I know why you needed to make the new one in Ohio. This thing weighs (half) a ton!!! I changed it up a bit since I have a small shop, and sunk my planer and router table into the top at 1 end and have my drawers under them. This table has opened up so much room, thank you for the inspiration

Well now I have my table top idea. Thanks

I like to use 3/4" Melamine...nice surface as a out-table and resists glue and other finishes.

One of the nicer things about MDF is that it is 97" x 49". This allows for more pieces out of a sheet because the extra inch on each dimension allows for kerf loss.

@ShopNation

4 жыл бұрын

Very true

Great looking shop. Thanks for the vid and I subbed.

I will for sure buy these plans... Not sure if this has been mentioned in the comments but a router lift incorporated in this mobile workbench would have been amazing... I will try incorporate a router lift in my version of this

Great job I like !

Ok....did all the viewers, 9K+, of this video during ONLY 8 hours , buy out all the T-Track. Went to link and "Currently Unavailable" . Just doing your job. Keep up the great work. currently 10:02 PM 20-02-20

Nice Job...just to mention. Norm Abrams made a workbench using hardboard as a top-layer so it can be replaced later if needed.

I highly recommend getting a non-ferris metal blade for your mitre saw. You can then skip all of the intersection kits and have a much cleaner track. (and you could avoid the little bird's mouths in the top of the t-intersections)

@davidburson6406

3 жыл бұрын

I'm not getting what you're saying Daniel- getting ready to lay down track on my table, so HOW can I get rid of the intersection kits exactly?

@DAS-Machina

3 жыл бұрын

@@davidburson6406 With The correct blade you can cut t-track on your miter saw. and with mitered corners you can make any intersection