Supplies for the workbench builder

Updated October 28, 2009

Factory made workbench tops

Michigan Maple Block
Michigan Maple Block makes excellent pre-made tops for counter tops and workbenches. They come in a large variety of sizes and thickness. Their construction techniques are high-tech. Considering that building a top is one of the most difficult parts of building a bench, this might be a reasonable alternative if you don't want to tackle it yourself (Or don't have enough clamps!). They are a manufacturer that sells wholesale only. But, if you contact them they can help you find a distributer near you.

Grizzly Tops
At last easily available workbench maple tops. Amazon stocks all kinds of sizes. These are 1 3/4" thick so they should work well for a woodworking top if the base is solid.

Birch Hardwood Tops
Available in a couple of smaller sizes make these tops perfect for work stations. These are 1 3/4" thick and birch strips.

Woodcraft Tops
These appear to be the tops made by Michigan Maple Block.

Lee Valley
Tops and pre-made slabs. Some with round dog holes already drilled.

Wood for Your Bench
A great bench deserves at least a few pieces of treasured wood. A great place to find it is at woodfinder.com

Vise hardware
See the section of this site on Vises

Specialty hardware

McMaster-Carr
A specialty hardware supplier. One of the things they offer is very heavy duty leveling mounts for the feet of your workbench. This is not an area to scrimp so make sure you get the heaviest duty mounts you can. My workbench weighs close to 400lbs with all the stuff in the cabinets for example. Do a catalog search and go to page 1244 for a list of several good candidates. I personally like the heavy duty vibration reduction type. Use a t-nut for mounting.

Bench Accessories

Other supplies

The Rot Doctor
Penetrating epoxy for softwood benches