How to seal my garage workbench?

[mitchiko]

hi there newbie here..  it's my first time making a table because I couldn't find the right size to match the space. I bought this specrite panel, what oil or stain can I use to make it easier to wipe and clean? Thanks for your help

 

 

 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @mitchiko. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about sealing a Specrite panel.

What a fantastic bench you've constructed there! It looks exceptionally sturdy, and the castors are a nice touch.

I'd recommend Danish oil for your bench as it nourishes and protects the timber with a natural matt finish. If you wish to change the colour, then a stain would be the way to go. However, stains don't offer the same level of protection as an oil.

I look forward to seeing your finished project and please let me know if you have any questions 

Mitchell
 

[MikeTNZ]

Hi @mitchiko,

Welcome to Bunnings Workshop.

May I suggest an "upgrade" to the bench you've done a really good job with?

I would suggest a couple of diagonal braces, between the lower and upper lateral slats on the front and back of the bench.

These will run at 45 degrees to the "box" shape on front and back and to be fair, only need to be 25mm x 50mm timber.

This will give it a lot better structural strength if you fit a vice or other such things, especially if you use saws and things like that.

With respect to coatings, back in the day, we used to use Linseed Oil for timber, but, if you wanted a really hardy surface, you would either use multiple layers of poly-urethane, sanding between coats or get some "boat varnish" from a Marine supplier and give it 2 coats.

What sort of work will you be doing on this bench?

Cheers,

Mike T.