Shop Tips: Covering Your Work Tables

12 thoughts on “Shop Tips: Covering Your Work Tables”

1. I think Paper is the worst thing to put on a work surface :), I guess it’s one of those old fashion things to do.

   you never know what you will be doing beforehand, and a garbage bag is much better, but I hate the fact that it easily rips and when you are doing rough work on that table, you also run the risk of cutting/ripping the paper/garbage bag underneath, and all kinds of crap can get under the paper, or you even lose some small detail parts between the table and paper.

   I always use a 1.5mm sheet Hips, the ideal flat cutting board, and costs next to nothing, temporarily glue support structure to it, mix my paint on it, and so on, and lasts way longer 🙂

   And as an added bonus DIY tip, if you need a cheap lightweight flat surface/table, buy a unpainted door at your local DIY store, these often have a rugged cardboard center, flat and lightweight, they can hold a lot of weight.

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2. i thought covering a table would be about the least debatable thing on the internet.

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3. Nicely done. Although seemingly simple, these basic tips are great for the new maker / hobbyist. I have two work surfaces in my shop – an actual woodworkers bench and a work table (like Frank’s). The latter is surfaced with an extra piece of Masonite board and gets the paper cover for both protection and sketching ideas. I added an outlet strip for handy nearby power. I also made the work table height at a level to do double duty as an outfeed surface for my table saw. Thanks for the video!

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4. Nah, we’re going to bikeshed the crap out of this.

   The nicest thing about the paper is that you can draw on it, as they said at the end of the video

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5. Your paper has to be 48″ wide? I’m asking myself … hmmm … couldn’t you run the paper lengthwise instead? I don’t know what width that Home Despot paper is but I bet you could still cover your table if you just turn it 90 degrees.

   Just teasing you guys — I love your posts.

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6. I’ve been doing that for ages with part of my work bench. Works great, keeps at least a large part of it nice and clean, while also giving me an area to write down quick comments and measurements for whatever I’m doing. Keeps paint and resin mostly off the wood itself, so it stays nice and flat 🙂

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7. We get paper shopping bag end rolls and use it on the work benches and on the floors.

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8. I thought that too, but if you listen carefully, Frank says that all his tables are 48 x L, and that this is his shortest “L”. It probably should have been made more clear in the video.

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9. you can also get rolls of poly (plastic sheeting) from uline, depending on what you’re working with

   combine that with tuck tape instead of masking, and then you also have some materials handy for simple drywall/insulation replacement 😉

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10. The store bought paper is fine, but what I find VERY useful is POSTERS! Usually movie theaters, schools, or just old advertising is a great source of REALLY THICK paper that can withstand spills, resins, etc… and it’s free. PLUS poster paper is usually white and that gives an extra CLEAN feel to the surface. Also, clear packing tape is cheaper than masking tape. food for thought.

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11. This is a great tip and one that a lot people forget and then ruin a table top. I use the brown craft paper above to cover all my work tables but for jobs that there is a lot of cutting involved I like to add a layer of chipboard (brown cardboard that you see at the end of a legal pad of paper…but in larger sheets) for an added layer of protection. The brown craft paper is great especially when utilizing any adhesive product (better to accidentally adhere your piece to brown paper than the work surface). Yes a simple tip but a very useful tip for those beginning builders out there.

    Brian

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12. Paper. On a table. We’ve been doing this for years. Maybe before that.

    I’d never would have believed the anti-paper movement existed but today I am enlightened.

    Paper is a perfect, efficient, cost effective way to protect (mostly) a work table.

    If it’s for another type of table (cutting, printing or something else I can’t find words for : ageing, specific costuming?) there are some better options.

    I’ve wrapped a work table with a plastic tarp. Reason : making HUGE MESS. (We totally browned it up)
    When finished it was easiest to throw away the entire business. Viola, clean table.

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