Sheet material for a simple workbench for various small tasks (2025)

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F

Funcadelic

#1

Construction rookie· Täby

&middot 29 posts

Funcadelic

Construction rookie

  • Täby
  • 29 posts
  • #1

I'm building these saw horses https://egenbyggt.com/sv/shop/ovrigt/enkel-sagbock-diy-guide/ and I'm wondering which board material I should buy to use as a work surface to place on them. It will be used for lighter tasks such as painting, planting, screwing, etc. The board will be clamped when needed and the bench as a whole will be stored disassembled in the garage when not in use.

Which board should I buy? Plywood? MDF?

#workbench#sheet-material

Z

ZipLock

#3

Real estate speculator· Uppland

&middot 1 752 posts

ZipLock

Real estate speculator

  • Uppland
  • 1,752 posts
  • #3

Cheap oak countertop to get something harder?

Z

z_bumbi

#4

Member

&middot 2 641 posts

z_bumbi

Member

  • 2,641 posts
  • #4

OSB so you can replace the board when it becomes too dirty.
Another option is to buy a table at a flea market/Blocket or search for giveaway ads and just keep the tabletop.

A

Anonymiserad 405730

#5

Anonymous

Anonymiserad 405730

Anonymous

  • #5

F Funcadelic said:

I'm building these work trestles [link] and I'm wondering which board material I should buy to use as a work surface to place on them. It will be for lighter work such as painting, planting, screwing, etc. The board will be fastened with clamps when needed and the bench as a whole will be stored disassembled in the garage when not in use.

Which board should I buy? Plywood? MDF?

The problem with plywood etc., occurs when you get water on them since you want to plant on the bench..
I would recommend a cheap oak board that is lacquered so that it can withstand moisture..

F

Funcadelic

#6

Construction rookie· Täby

&middot 29 posts

Funcadelic

Construction rookie

  • Täby
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  • #6

Rejäl said:

The problem with plywood etc. is when you get water on it since you want to plant on the bench..
I would recommend a cheap oak slab that is lacquered to withstand the moisture..

What happens when it gets water on it? Does it warp?

F

fribygg

#7

Member· Östergötland

&middot 16 911 posts

fribygg

Member

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  • #7

I would primarily suggest a second-hand stainless steel sink; I don't think you can get a better and more durable surface for free or under 500 SEK.

An alternative might be a regular pallet?

A

Anonymiserad 405730

#8

Anonymous

Anonymiserad 405730

Anonymous

  • #8

F Funcadelic said:

What happens when it gets water on it? Does it warp?

Plywood delaminates if you expose it to moisture.

M

mrsnhp

#9

Homeowner

&middot 1 988 posts

mrsnhp

Homeowner

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  • #9

We have a leftover piece of OSB board that we place on sawhorses when needed. The advantage is that we don't have to worry about it when sawing, drilling, etc. It was already cut when we saved it from construction waste.

If you want a smooth, neat board and don't plan to drill or saw into it, you can check out pre-cut laminate countertop boards for kitchens from places like Ikea. As long as they are intact, they can also withstand spills.

F

Funcadelic

#10

Construction rookie· Täby

&middot 29 posts

Funcadelic

Construction rookie

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  • #10

I'm mostly looking for something I don't have to worry about and can get fairly cheaply. How does a particleboard handle if it gets wet, etc? Used tables were also a good idea.

Oak boards actually feel best, but they are quite expensive from what I could see.

F

fribygg

#11

Member· Östergötland

&middot 16 911 posts

fribygg

Member

  • Östergötland
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  • #11

F Funcadelic said:

I'm mostly looking for something I absolutely don't need to be careful with and that I can get pretty cheaply.

Europapall

M

mrsnhp

#12

Homeowner

&middot 1 988 posts

mrsnhp

Homeowner

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  • #12

F Funcadelic said:

I'm mostly looking for something I absolutely don't need to be careful with and that I can get fairly cheaply. How does an OSB board handle if it gets wet etc? Used tables were also a good idea.

Oak boards feel best actually, but they are quite expensive from what I could see.

I built low benches for the pots in the greenhouse out of OSB. I painted them with some random white paint we had at home, might have been bathroom ceiling paint. There was no problem with water and soil regularly spilling on them. The unpainted one we use as a carpentry surface has never gotten wetter than a few raindrops, so I can't comment on unpainted boards.

The biggest problem with OSB is that it is uneven, but you can put a piece of MDF or something similar on it when you need a completely smooth surface. I wouldn't use MDF as a surface if it can get wet.

A

Anonymiserad 156538

#13

Anonymous

Anonymiserad 156538

Anonymous

  • #13

F Funcadelic said:

I'm mostly looking for something I absolutely don't have to worry about and can get pretty cheaply. What happens with an OSB board if it gets wet, etc? Used tables were also a good idea.

Oak boards actually feel the best but they are quite expensive from what I could see.

You can paint an OSB board or cover it with construction plastic and staple it on the back. One aspect to consider is the weight of the board if you are going to assemble and disassemble as well as move the table.

T

tergo

#14

Member

&middot 5 569 posts

tergo

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  • #14

OSB boards are generally waxed so they should withstand a bit of moisture.

S

Sernando

#15

Banned· Göteborg

&middot 418 posts

Sernando

Banned

  • Göteborg
  • 418 posts
  • #15

Just to include all types of countertops, I'll go with a regular laminated wood board, any size and thickness. Not many hundreds for one of those.

Sheet material for a simple workbench for various small tasks (2025)

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