Solved: Need A 48”x48” Work Top

[LeftyTom]

My current builds find me needing a flat work surface that will accommodate 50”x30” panels, with additional room for my flattening setup. The panels are rough sized, the final length will be 48”.

As Murphy’s Law dictates, my workbench and shop tables are 26” and 24” wide.

A 48”x48” table would be a tight fit, so I am pondering just a work surface of the same dimensions.

One idea: A sheet of 3/4” ply, cut into two 4’x4’ sections is my starting point. I plan to laminate the panels, then drill dog holes, and maybe cut a carry/hang handle along one edge. I would lay these atop my workbench for use with panel flattening.

The other option is a Bora 4’x4’ centipede and top. While more expensive, I would buy if there are enough advantages over my plywood idea .

What says our collective wisdom and insights?

 

[Jack A.]

Are your existing tables the same height? Could you set them next to each other to get the size you need?

 

[LeftyTom]

Are your existing tables the same height? Could you set them next to each other to get the size you need?

One table is 1/8” shorter than another table. I could add a layer of 1/8” tempered backer board to the shorter table, but the other table is not a good flat reference.

Except for my workbench, my tables are recycled pallets built years ago. The wheels on each table are different sizes.

 

[Martin Roper]

A torsion box would guarantee that your work surface is dead flat. It would also make it easier to drill dog holes through 3/4" of material rather than 1-1/2". For ease of mobility and added versatility, you could make two 24x48 boxes that can be either bolted side-by-side for a 48x48 table, or end-to-end for a 84x24 bench.

There is also this idea:

 

[ChemE75]

Will be interested to see your solution. My need is somewhat similar but temporary, just a surface to router sled flatten 3 walnut slabs. Then glue up the two best as a desktop. Been thinking about it for a while and may have a fairly easy a solution. I got a 6’ long bench so just need width from the 21” bench to about 36”. Thinking to use my 2 saw horses and build 2x “L” brackets to attach to the top of the sawhorses that match top of bench height, add a horizontal 2x6 on edge as a beam for rigidity and to support extended edge of the temporary double layer of plywood. Not easy to store for future use. But maybe instead of the sawhorses, making a hinged leg unit for the one side support, it could be somewhat portable and store flat against a wall.

 

[Al Olme]

How long is your work bench? If it's 48" or more and you're tight on space, a folding table hooked to the long side of the bench seems like a decent solution to consider. [a riff off ChemE75's suggestion] It has the advantage of being half built already [the workbench will be one set of legs], it's self storing, easily built to be the exact correct height, easy to deploy and put away and, definitely cheaper than a Bora unit.

 

[Darl Bundren]

The Centipede deal I have has a bit of wobble to it. I have one of the 4x8 ones, no top, so maybe there's better versions of it out there. I think as a support for holding stuff up it's fine for painting and maybe sawing and such, but for extended, laterally intensive labors like planing, assembly, and the like, it'd move too much. Have you considered using 3/4 mdf and laminating that up? Stays flat, heavy enough to resist shoves, and if you band it in 1x hardwood or ply, it'd be 48".

 

[LeftyTom]

After cost-versus-benefits-versus-time to get it fixed analysis, I ripped the top off the sketchy table and replaced it with 3/4" plywood.