stainless steel bench top?

[Threedog]

I am a mechanic and all of my work benches have stainless steel sheet metal on top. Any reason I can't do this on my reloading bench? [/I]

 

[oneounceload]

As a covering over something thick enough to take the torque of working the press, it should work well. Most s.s. counter tops I have seen are fairly thin.

 

[Threedog]

I would put it over 1 1/2 of ply wood. I have free run of a tin bending shop.

 

[ranger335v]

"Any reason I can't do this on my reloading bench?"

No.

 

[tom357mag]

sounds like a good idea to me no reason not to do it

 

[Cosmoline]

I'm going to be using a massive piece of solid oak from an old school desk. I could see topping it with a thin sheet of steel, but it would still be kind of an odd work surface. Maybe for cooking.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

If you can bend and afford stainless, go for it.

 

[Oyeboten]

I would not do it...too slippery, 'cold' in Winter, too liable to have dropped things bounce away far too well.


Sheet Zinc is a wonderful old time Bench Top material, and well Oiled Masonite ( Watco or other drying Oils ) or smooth Oiled Soft Wood, such as Pine...would seem ideal to me.

Stainless is great for Food Prep or Mechanic things, since one can wipe it down easily for cleaning.

Even 'Dry Wall' ( easily flipped over or replaced if getting shabby,) or Green-Board, Paper Edge toward operative, ( over an underlaying Bench Top strata of course ) makes a very good surface for a Light Projects Bench Top...the Paper covering is friendly, never cold in Winter, things do not slide on it, wipes off easily with a dry cloth for clean up...can be easily edged-trimmed in Wood or painted even.


Real, old time light solid color 'Oil Cloth' also was pretty well an ideal for Light Duty project Bench Tops....and Oil Base Painted fine weave Muslin or fine Canvas, is about the same thing when done one's self.

 

[340PD]

My workbench top is a couple of sheets of 3/4" plywood glued together with hany coats of poly on top. One foot from the end I routed down 1/4" and put in two squares of 1/4" steel 12" x 12". It added the weight for my reloading press. Great for soldering, shaping flat stock, and many other uses. It has served me well for over 45 years. Many steel supply houses have pre cut stock.

 

[jhansman]

Like 340PD, My bench top is 2 sheets of 3/4" plywood finished with a few coats of poly. I thought about a sheet metal top, but the 'cold' factor and the fact that I use solvents in glass bottles dissuaded me. That, and wood just has a warmer, more friendly feel to it. It's about due for a re-sanding and finishing, but that's about all the maintenance it takes.

 

[solvability]

Stainless would work fine on a solid base. I went cheap and got a some discarded laminate office desktops and stacked them 2inch slab and heavy as heck with a formica top - works pretty darn well and did not cost anything - and it has that lovely fake wood grain.

 

[cougar1717]

Stainless steel has a great appearence, durability, and is easy to clean - but I'm not so sure that I would use it as a reloading table top because it is a conductor of electricity. In those dry winter months, I have enough trouble discharging static electricity before I touch the press. I have never lit powder with static electricity, but it is possible. Others may disagree, but I would rather use an insulator rather than a conductor as a tabletop.

 

[Seedtick]

I routed down 1/4" and put in two squares of 1/4" steel 12" x 12".

Hey, I like that idea. That would be handy. hmmmm

ST

 

[esheato]

I like a steel topped bench for casting...much easier to clean up.