Red Green

I've been told I can no longer clean my firearms on the kitchen table anymore. I'm going to build a work bench in the basement...easy enough. But what I would like to know is what have all of you covered the top with as not to scratch your firearms? I always just laid down a large bath towel (told I could no do any more either). Not sure what to use that would stand up to all of the solvents and oil.

Nwmarc

Solid wood top and buy your own bath towels

HappilyAddicted

I actually bought a Ruger cleaning mat for my cleaning bench. Works well.

Purchased here: Lg-Gun-Cleaning-Pad-Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

Smithy

I would buy one of the firearms mats that have already been suggested. I have that, but in a smaller form since I only work on handguns and small stuff. One thing I wanted to add is what I've done with all of my reloading/work benches: No matter the base (my current one is part of a steel shelving unit) my tops have usually ended up being some sort of lamination of wood. My current one is made of two solid wood doors, glued and screwed together. After I get the final top dementions, I go to my local air conditioning shop and have them make me a heavy sheet metal top that bends over the sides by one inch on all sides. That is then glued and pop rivited to the side edges that were previously screwed into the sides using perforated steel. You end up with a rock solid work bench with a metal top.

So the solvent problem mentioned earlier does not also soak into your wood bench. And if I change my mind about what equipment I had bolted to the top: I simply tape the bottom hole, sink a couple of finishing nails inside the hole and mix up some silver colored Acraglas to pour into the hole. After curing I level the Acraglas with my Dremel tool and then can mount/remount any tool I wish. Smithy.

ironhat

Just use short-napped carpet scraps. They usually sell for a couple of bucks at the carpet stores when a line is retired from the sample book. Indoor/ outdoor carpet should be ideal.

Waveform

Hey you're Red Green - just cover the top with duct tape!

Amishman44

I recommend a large wooden 'chopping block' with a small juice cut around the outside edge...fit works great for fine work when I don't want to have pins or screws rolling off the table!

Dozer02

Assuming you're using wood to build your new bench, you can always get some cheap rubber automotive floor mats to use for scratch protection, the "runner length" ones work perfect for rifles. You can also get a cheap sheet of linoleum flooring to cover the entire bench top if you'd like. (That's what I did!) Either way you'll be saving the your dining room table from the rigors of gun maintenence and possibly saving your relationship as well! Be sure to have good lighting in your new bench's area too.

CTJack

Wood is good. And I use a piece of, or sometime a couple of layers of, cloth painters drop cloth. It is soft and a light weight canvas and can be washed and re-used before it gets too crummy. Not a slippery surface either.

James6591

They've no sense of humour.....

Smithy

I usually come back with the innocent "Oh, is that a good towel?", "I thought that that was one of the one's that had a hole in it?" (even though it was probably me that put the hole in it). As long as I bucket wash the towel in question using hot water, bleach, and laundry detergent, she'll take that fully rung out piece and launder it in the machine. (By itself mind you) And give it back to me. I think that this is in order not to steal another towel of possibly better quality? Smithy.

Toby

Saw a video of a smith working on Ruger and his bench top looked to be what was called at one time "butcher paper". Since most butchers seem to put everything in plastic I have no idea where you could buy such material. Perhaps poster paper held down with double stick tape from an arts store would work and just change it out when needed.

heymatthew

You can get sheets of Neoprene online and sometimes by the roll at hardware stores. I'd just get some of that and cover the top of your bench with it. Use some good, heavy duty staples and staple it down. You can cut out areas to put small containers containers so they won't slide around and get knocked over.

Nwmarc

I should have further stated to,that while I use plywood on top I also got a large section of a rubber tool box mat and laid that down on top. You can use the ribbed portion or turn it over and have the smooth portion on top. I've found that, that works very well so your guns don't get scratched.

WvDave

I have a couple of those workbench mats that are anti-skid on one side and a soft felt type of material on the other. Got a longer black one at Walmart and a smaller pistol sized green one at a local Dunhams. Solvents and lubes don't soak through.

I do most of my gun work and cleaning on my wooden bench out in the garage, but in the winter I have another bench (mostly for electronic work) in the basement so I just move my stuff down there until it warms up.

If I am tearing into a gun, I always do the work over or in a plastic storage container or it's lid so as not to lose small parts.