Oil or shellac on assembly table?

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

I built an outfeed/assembly table. Top is BB plywood. To make glue stick less, what should I put on it? I'm thinking BLO.

[Stwood_]

BLO would be a good choice

[Robin Dobbie]

I've had some good luck just putting paste wax on bare plywood every few glue ups and it works well.

Oh yeah, I remember the old adage, shellac sticks to everything, and everything sticks to shellac. Not sure how true that is regarding glue, but I've only shellac'd a couple projects because I'm a polyurethane and spray lacquering millennial.

[fredhargis]

I don't think shellac will be all that durable (and I suspect it allows glue to stick). You'll get a wide range of suggestions, but the one I've always used is a mix of beeswax, BLO, and MS. You dissolve a lump (egg size) of beeswax in about 2/3s qt. MS (or turpentine), this may take a day or 2 and is faster when it's warmed up. Then add enough BLO to make a quart. To apply just wipe it on, let it sit maybe 1/2 hour then wipe the excess off. It then needs to cure for a day or 2, and if you use turpentine it will smell. I usually repeat the application, but I doubt it's needed. Here's the advantage of this: glue pops right off...and refinishing is as easy as just another application. It doesn't flake, peel, and it does offer some small amount of water resistance. Wood slides across it very smoothly as well.

[JohnnyEgo]

For a quick shop surface finish, I tend to hit raw wood with Watco Danish Oil, which has a lot of similarity to BLO, followed by a couple coats of paste wax. The Danish Oil is there to minimize the penetration of spilled stains, etc. Wax makes it smooth and slick, and helps pop glue right off. My only observation is that you may not always want every work surface to be slick. Sometimes a little friction keeps things from moving around when you are applying force, which may be relevant to an assembly table.

[mikefm101]

Alternatively Laminate it with Formica or similar. Water based contact cement works great to adhere it.

I’ve also used melamine coated particle board with a solid support frame for tables like this and no regrets. Glue pops right off.

Mike

[Admiral]

I used shellac (2 or 3 coats, i can't remember, actually, i can't remember when i started forgetting) then a coat of Johnson's past wax every once in a while, 20 years ago, still doing fine.  Cheap, effective.

[MichaelMouse]

I used shellac (2 or 3 coats, i can't remember, actually, i can't remember when i started forgetting) then a coat of Johnson's past wax every once in a while, 20 years ago, still doing fine.  Cheap, effective.

Been the same with my router table for maybe 20 years, as well.  Made with MDO, shellacked, slides fine.  Unless you're using polar or semipolar solvents on it (alcohol/acetone)  no problem.  For glueups, I prefer butcher paper to catch the glue and start the stove later. That is, if I'm not using the laminated top.

[®smpr_fi_mac®]

Thanks, folks. I appreciate it.

[Ohio Mike]

I used shellac (2 or 3 coats, i can't remember, actually, i can't remember when i started forgetting) then a coat of Johnson's past wax every once in a while, 20 years ago, still doing fine.  Cheap, effective.

Am I the only one that used polyurethane on my assembly/outfeed table?   I built it about 15 years ago with a top of Home Depot cabinet-grade ply and have been happy with the ease of cleanup. 

I hit it with a coat of paste wax 2 or 3 times a year as well.



Mike