Steel thickness for workbench top

[Bobupndown]

What size of steel would you recommend to go on top of workbench?
I have a bench made of 40x40x4mm angle with 75mm thick wooden top. Would 2mm thick steel sheet be a suitable top for it? I'll weld stuff on it but not welding anything to it if that makes sense.

 

[winchman]

Have a root around and see what you can pick up used, winchboy bought a bench with a 6mm plate top as it was cheaper than buying the steel.
I feel 2mm will be ok but generally the thicker the better

 

[tom2207]

personally ,,, id take the wood off and go with the thickest lump of steel I could buy ,
failing that , take the wood off , and cut up a length of 40x80 4mm to make slats for the top , either with or without gaps depending on what suits you the best .
then bung some 1mm or alloy in front of the wooden board too , if your doing heavy grinding the wood would bug me.

 

[KimB]

What size of steel would you recommend to go on top of workbench?
I have a bench made of 40x40x4mm angle with 75mm thick wooden top. Would 2mm thick steel sheet be a suitable top for it? I'll weld stuff on it but not welding anything to it if that makes sense.

View attachment 284034

If It were me I’d remove the wooden top personally not go bellow 3mm steel. 3mm sheet isn’t too expensive, I bought a 2.4 x. 1.2n sheet that I had cut down by a local company, then has them fold the back up as a backing piece against the wall and had the front folded down to cover the box section. I did a thread on here a while ago if you want some ideas.

 

[KimB]

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/new-bench.95707/
You'll see what I mean about the bend up backplate

 

[Feet 'n Inches]

The thicker the better in my view. If you're going to put thin steel directly on the bench frame, you'll find that even when chipping off slag, it will make a heck of a racket. I'd go for either thin steel on reasonably thick wood or thick steel, e.g. 10mm plus, direct onto the framework.

 

[Bobupndown]

I intend to keep the wood and put metal on top. It is scaffolding planks cut down and coach bolted from below through 40x4mm flat steel. Only just made it so not looking to get rid of them. I'm thinking 2 or 2.5mm will do the job.

 

[James1979]

A bit thicker may be better if you can run to it.. If you make a frame that sits around the edge of the wood top, like a picture frame, or a lattice type thing, it will give you an air gap so keep a bit of the heat from your wood.

You want think steel so it doesn’t deform so you’ve a nice flat surface to work from. Makes all the difference when you start making stuff

 

[mtt.tr]

benefit of the wood, if you use thinner steel it wont ring

 

[bricol]

I've got a 3mm thick top on an angle iron bench, with angle iron supports under it every so often. Withstood being used as a work bench at work for some considerable time, and survived 20 yrs as my home work bench since.

So I'd say 2mm supported entirely underneath will be fine. Might be worth dropping some countersink screws through it into/through the wood every so often to keep it tight to it.

 

[Screwdriver]

Depends what you're going to do with the worktop. If it's general purpose, I'd keep the wood and have a handy steel plate loose for welding on or ideally, a vice fixed to a sheet of steel. Wood is lovely to work off for most jobs.

If it's a dedicated welding bench, I wouldn't have wood anywhere near it.

 

[nickk]

Don’t forget,a wooden surface is very helpful when grinding and marking out,steel components just grip it.

 

[Screwdriver]

Ignore the monster in the background, this is the vice-on-a-plate "invention" I refer to.

It comes in dead handy for all sorts of work and there's enough gravity in it to keep it in place for most smaller jobs. Just light enough to be portable.

 

[Barking Mat]

6mm minimum for me, thé bigger the better. I foresee 10 or 12mm.

 

[Parm]

Have a root around and see what you can pick up used, winchboy bought a bench with a 6mm plate top as it was cheaper than buying the steel.
I feel 2mm will be ok but generally the thicker the better

winchman and winchboy seem to be putting steptoe and son to shame

 

[redlig]

I intend to keep the wood and put metal on top. It is scaffolding planks cut down and coach bolted from below through 40x4mm flat steel. Only just made it so not looking to get rid of them. I'm thinking 2 or 2.5mm will do the job.

I did the same with 3mm but sandwiched a piece of fire resistant sheet in between as the wood underneath can scorch/ burn if you weld on it.