Work Bench Finish

[Parks 788]

About 75% done with my new wood work bench for my shop. 16' long, 41" tall and 34" deep. Made of kiln dried 2x4,6,12 and 4x4 material. I've sanded it down to get all the splinters and "defects out of the wood. I don't want to leave it bare wood and don't want to paint it. I'd like a finish on it but keep it about the same natural wood color or just a hair of a darker tint. What would you use to get it a nice coat and maybe a small bit of protection (from what, IDK).

My first thought is linseed oil or some sort of teak oil. Not sure which direction to take this to give it a nice finish. Is there a reasonable thought to leave it unfinsihed? What say you?

 

[kirk1978]

If its like mine, it will have dents, dings, spills, oils...So I wouldn't worry about a finish.

 

[SoonerP226]

It’s a workbench. If you’re going to use it like a workbench, it won’t be long before it looks like one, so I wouldn’t fret over the finish. I don’t think any of the various workbenches my dad had were finished at all, just bare wood. Well, bare wood coated with oil, Berryman’s B12, brake cleaner, and pretty much any other kind of fluid you could get out of or use on a car…

 

[xseler]

How about just putting on a couple coats of polyurethane? This would prevent a good portion of the potential staining.

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

gotta show us the bench, man!

 

[Big House]

10W-40. One coat will do ya.

 

[Roadking Larry]

I'd go with a few coats of boiled linseed oil. It'll give it some basic protection and can easily be renewed once in a while.

 

[Parks 788]

gotta show us the bench, man!

Need to get a bit more work done on it tomorrow and will post some pics tomorrow or next weekend. Bigger than I expected but should be a great work area and some storage under it.

Thanks for the replies so far. leaning towards the boiled linseed oil but will see.

 

[beardking]

I'd put a layer of hardboard screwed down on top so when it gets ruined you can replace just the hardboard instead of having to refinish the work top.

 

[HoLeChit]

I've never been one to put finishes on my work benches, because the work surface is gonna get beat up and used as a notepad too. But if you must, I say linseed oil would be your best bet. I dont know what your shop setup is like, but if this is your main work bench, I would put in a 36" wide piece of 1/8 or 1/4 steel (thats what I would use, I dont see why someone couldnt get away with some 10ga) on one spot, wrapped around the front of the bench. You can mount your vice through the steel, and then the steel will give you a nice spot to hammer on things without damaging the nicer parts of your bench, and protect the area around the vice from weld splatter or grinding sparks. this is as close as I could find to show the idea. Its nice to have a sacrificial steel plate that you can replace, and have to put small welding projects on or heat things on without catching your wooden work top on fire.