Work Bench

[Paladin Gun For Hire]

I'm in the process of getting tooled up ( have to sell off some automotive tools first), and building a work bench for leather work. My question is in regards to a piece of granite for the surface, what size do you recommend? I have an opportunity to buy an 18"x 31"X 1/2" piece at Home Depot for about $20.00. Is that thick enough and is it too big. My plans for overall size of the work bench is 4' x 2' and about waist high.

[Cliff Fendley]

I would pass on that and put that money toward a thicker piece.

I was given one of the cut outs of a granite top from a job site and it didn't work very well. This one is a little over an inch thick and about 2x3 rectangle. I got it all set up on a solid desk and was excited about having a large area to tool on.

The first smack of the hammer and disappointment set in, it bounced and almost rings like a hitting a piece of thin steel.

The counter top piece may have worked if it was glued down to the desk top but I'm not sure.

The very best thing I've found is a piece of a broken monument or tombstone because they can be very thick. If you have any monument supplier in the area you could check and see if they have a defective one you can get.

The marble slabs Tandy sells work fine but are kind of small. The granite surface plates work well also. You can pick those up at enco or other machine supply houses. http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=640-0100

From my experience the larger the surface is the thicker it needs to be to work well. I don't believe there is such a thing as one being too thick.

[ChuckBurrows]

The first smack of the hammer and disappointment set in, it bounced and almost rings like a hitting a piece of thin steel.

Try putting a piece of poundo board or rubber horse mat (horse mat also makes a great cutting surface) under it first - but I agree that 2" or thicker is best and often the least expensive source is burial monument companies - my own block is marble (I prefer it over granite because it's easier to resurface with a simple sander) that measures 14" x 18" x 4" for which I paid $30.00 15 years ago. It's bloody heavy to move but once in place on a piece of poundo it doesn't move and is VERY solid - nice when I need to use my 4.5 lb mall for those certain jobs...

[Mogorilla]

you can look into old laboratories as well.  Marble slabs (of ~3-5 inches thick) are used to set balances on to minimize vibrations.   You may not want to know what has been spilled on them, but with the economy some places are closing up.   I have even seen a marble weighing table.  It was a 3x4 piece of marble 6 inches thick, set on marble legs that were 6 inch square pillars.  I think it weighed around 500 lbs.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Try putting a piece of poundo board or rubber horse mat (horse mat also makes a great cutting surface) under it first - but I agree that 2" or thicker is best and often the least expensive source is burial monument companies - my own block is marble (I prefer it over granite because it's easier to resurface with a simple sander) that measures 14" x 18" x 4" for which I paid $30.00 15 years ago. It's bloody heavy to move but once in place on a piece of poundo it doesn't move and is VERY solid - nice when I need to use my 4.5 lb mall for those certain jobs...

  +1, I use the stall mats, and find they work fantastic, they also make a great cutting surface, and for pounding it really cuts down on jump and noise, as soon as my new shop is together I will add the stall mats to my tooling bench and cutting bench... as for a slab, I have been using a 12"x12"X2" piece of granite and that works just fine for me, although a little larger one wouldn't hurt at all.. 

             tEN wOLVES  

[Cliff Fendley]

I had a piece of horse stall mat under the counter top granite. I think the problem is being only around an 1nch thick but so large it allows it to resonate.

For most stamping I just use one of the marble slabs from Tandy but I have a thick piece of marble that came from a broken monument I use if I have to do heavy pounding.

The burial monument place offered me a granite stone real cheap that they had replaced with another but I passed since it has someones name and markings on it.

He's supposed to call me if he gets a defective or chipped one that hasnt been marked yet.

[Blair]

I had access to an old (out of business) soap stone quarry south of Charlottesville, VA. that I could get slabs of precut soap stone from.
I used a piece roughly 18 x 18 inches and 2 inches thick. With a 1/4 inch thick piece of cork casket making material I bought from an auto parts place to support it on my table top.
The nice thing about the soap stone was that it was soft enough that if I ran a sharpened steel tool into it, the stone would give way before it damaged the steel cutting tool.
I know soap stone may not be an option for most people.
Maple butcher block maybe another alternative especially for embossing, stamping or hammering on.
Just meant as some ideas,
Thanks.
  Blair

[Red Cent]

I remember wen I watched the Bianchi tapes, he used a piece of granite/marble that was dedicated to having a smooth surface so not to hurt the surface of a nice piece of leather. He also used a slab of metal to punch holes or other strong stuff.
I am going to use a pretty hefty piece of metal to use for the strong arm stuff. If I need that dedicated surface, I will wipe the steel clear of any debris and place a piece of cabinet (sticky) paper on it for the ultra clean surface. 
BTW, I have put some stuff together but it does not belong here. These are experiments in a new mousetrap. While the skill is so so, it does not compare to the capturing ofhistory as you guys do. I will get up nerve.......sometime.

[KidTerico]

I went to a tomb stone business and got a damaged tomb stone and had it cut 22 in by 3ft. by 3 in thick. It works great and never moves no matter how hard you hit it. The top side is smooth as glass. I lay a 1/2 in rubber mat on it for cutting or for big pieces I use stall mats like TW said on another bench. Its to heavy to move. KT

[GunClick Rick]

Its to heavy to move~You outta have the put on your tombstone...........piece

[rickk]

1/2" is too thin but $20 sure is a good price.

If I stumbled across such a deal I would probably try pouring a 3" slab of crack resistant concrete into a 3.5" thick "2x4" framed mold and then drop the smooth slab on the top of it. The result would be a 3.5" thick slab that was smooth granite on top, but for not too much money.

Also, I did the math for you...the total weight would run about 160-200# depending on your exact blend of concrete and how much water you used in the mix.  I would think a couple of 80# bags of crack resistant concrete would be what you would need.

Rick

[Massive]

http://www.grizzly.com/products/24-x-36-x-4-Granite-Surface-Plate-2-Ledges/G9657

I have one of these except it was off an auction site locally.  At the time the guy I got it from had a Starrett test plate, 6'x8' and about 10" thick.  The guy wanted 800, and so far the only offer he had had was from a guy who wanted it to put under a woodstove.  Granite plates come up on sale a lot so keep your eyes open.  I am always coming across threads by people who get a deal for 60 bucks.

That is like finding a top of the line nearly new Adler saddle stitcher for 200, but the only guy who wants it is going to use it as a anchor.

Local auction site has several 2x3 foot surface plates for 150, American made.