Unpopular opinion: you don't need a $200 workbench top

I spent years using a beat-up hollow core door as my workbench surface. Thought I was being cheap. Then I helped a buddy build a bench out of a solid core door from the habitat restore for $15. That thing is flat, heavy, and takes a beating. After 3 projects on it I realized my old door was flexing and throwing off every measurement. All that money on sawhorses and leveling feet was a waste. How many of you are stuck on expensive tops when a $15 door from restore works better?

2 comments

2 Comments

harper_wright15d ago

You're not wrong at all. That hollow core door struggle is real, man. I had one for years and blamed my tools every time something came out crooked. Finally built a torsion box top out of two layers of plywood with a grid inside and it's dead flat. Made all my measuring squares actually square again. It's funny how we think we're saving money but just end up fighting bad geometry the whole time. Solid core door from Restore is a genius move though. Might steal that idea for the next bench.

abby30815d ago

Honestly, the "flexing and throwing off every measurement" part is the real killer. Most people don't realize their cheap top is messing up their work until they're deep into a project.