What to do with a so-so ikea work bench bench

September 10, 2024 8:27 PM

I have this IKEA workbench I'm using in my kitchen in my new rental apartment. The top is, currently, a rather rough plywood. What the heck should I do with it to make it a little nicer?

Here are some options I've thought of (as someone who struggles to spell DIY, but is willing to learn).

My end goal is just to increase the usability, durability and aesthetics of the bench itself by a few degrees. It doesn't have to be many times better, but at the very least I don't really want the rough feel of the plywood to remain. I also want to get something done quite soon, because I need the space to be functional as soon as possible.

1) Sand and use the mineral oil I have for wooden chopping boards.

This was my first idea before I did some initial research. I understand I need a reasonably low number sandpaper (180?) and have to be careful with how much I sand. Not sure how this would look or last, but sure does seem easy.

2) Sand and use a hardwax oil

As above, but I got the sense it might look better?

3) Try and get a custom piece of stainless steel made to replace the counter all together.

I have no idea how much this would be but I suspect hideously expensive and maybe overkill for what could be a temporary piece of furniture - just moved into a new rental and the new kitchen has v. little work space and storage, hence buying the Bror)

4) Something else all together.

posted by oxford blue to Home & Garden (18 answers total)

I recently bought a roll of glossy “marble” peel & stick vinyl that was impressively sturdy; heavier than contact paper and wide enough that it didn’t need to be pieced together.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:43 PM on September 10 [2 favorites]

I don’t think this is ever going to approach, e.g., a butcher block countertop. I would either get one of them to put atop the whole thing (it will take the mineral oil or hard wax oil much better, or something like Rubio Monocoat) and add a few screws from the bottom, or maybe just paint the plywood with semi-gloss trim paint and take it relatively easy on the surface.
posted by supercres at 8:49 PM on September 10 [1 favorite]

OR since i’m guessing you don’t really care about the character of the wood, just put on several coats of polyurethane. (Don’t use it as a cutting board directly after this.)
posted by supercres at 8:51 PM on September 10

Best answer: I did something similar and sanded with 120, then 150, then 220 then raised the grain by wiping with a damp rag, let it dry, sanded with 220 again and then finally with 320. After that, applied a couple coats of Howard Butcher Block Conditioner (it's foodsafe oil + wax). Once it wasn't absorbing as readily, I wiped off any exccess from the last coat, let it sit for a day, wiped it again, and then used it as my kitchen counter.

Hand-sanding only -- no power sanding, and don't overdo it. If your plies are really thin maybe start sanding with 180 instead and skip my two lower levels (I was working with non-Ikea stuff).
posted by aramaic at 9:28 PM on September 10 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Cheap plywood without veneer is going to look like crap in an application like this. I don't think it's worth your time to sand it. If it were me, I would replace the top with a nicer-looking wooden piece of the same size. The pre-fab butcher block linked by cres would be a nice option. For lower cost, a few options would be:

1) A nicer plywood (like Baltic birch). Pro: Looks nicer than what you have, while maintaining a similar image. Easy to work with. Already partly sanded, a little of the higher-grit sanding would finish it, and then add your preferred treatment. Con: plywood in general won't be very moisture-stable, so it may warp or swell. Since it's veneered, you run the risk of sanding through the veneer, or just wearing through it on a work surface.

2) Painted MDF. Pro: it's cheap, moisture-stable, paintable, and easy to work. Con: doesn't look like wood, not an ideal work surface (want to use cutting boards).

3) Solid hardwood. Pro: it's pretty, and you'll never sand through a veneer. Con: expensive, harder to work with (in that you can't get a sheet of it in your finished size), not moisture-stable, needs the most finishing work.

For cutting the piece to size: I'm not sure what tools you have. Big box hardware stores will cut sheet goods for you, but they won't warranty exact measurements, it's rough only. Sometimes you get a good employee who nails your requests, sometimes the new kid gets it to "within half an inch or so". If you have no options to cut the sheet, you could gamble and try having them cut it for you, but it's not ideal. I suppose if they flub the cut, you could always thank them, put it on your cart, turn down the next aisle, and then leave the cart and walk out of the store. That might be immoral, depending on your feelings about big box hardware stores.
posted by agentofselection at 10:11 PM on September 10 [3 favorites]

2nding the faux-marble contact paper linked by TWinbrook8. I applied almost that exact same contact paper to my kitchen counters about 2.5 years ago and it’s still in great shape. It honestly looks much nicer than I ever expected it to.

Obviously don’t, like, chop directly on the contact paper with a knife, but barring that, it should last a long time.
posted by mekily at 11:01 PM on September 10 [1 favorite]

fastest: Wrap the top in a food-safe, wipe-clean oilcloth.

Is the reverse side less splinter-y? Your link has "Can be treated with oil, wax, lacquer or glazing paint for higher resistance and easy care" - maybe the paint option? Nah, just wrap it and drop it back into bench.
posted by Iris Gambol at 11:05 PM on September 10 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Contact paper is absolutely the way to go. There are so many options for it these days!

I’ve tried to improve some older ikea bare wood things with sanding and oil, and later paint. I would call myself an advanced and knowledgeable DIYer. There was never a point where I got it to a finish I would have been happy with, and the time spent and mess made was not worth it. Later, I painted the thing with glossy white paint, which was better but still ugly and a pain.

Had I done contact paper instead, I wouldn’t have wasted time and money on sanding blocks, overworking my shoulder, making repeated sawdust messes, or had to wait for oil to sink in before repeated application. It would have just been measuring, prepping the wood with some light cleaning, sticking, and fiddling with the corners until I was happy. I have used contact paper on other non-ikea crappy wood things and been quite happy. I suggest getting a thicker kind because it’s less prone to wrinkles. You should get someone to help you for the actual application so you can place it down smoothly. I’ve seen contact paper that looks like stainless steel and it looks good in person, you just have to be mindful that it doesn’t have the same heat tolerance and all that. Something like a terrazzo or a solid color or subtle texture might be best, since it’s not pretending to be anything it isn’t and you can match it to your decor if you like.
posted by Mizu at 12:30 AM on September 11 [1 favorite]

I too came in to preach of modern contact paper. I've even specifically put it on unfinished plywood as a counter-type surface for my laundry machines, and it's held up perfectly for I don't even know how many years now. I actually did it alone and it went fine but I also have experience placing vinyl lettering/designs so may be underestimating the finickiness.
posted by teremala at 5:05 AM on September 11

I have a piece of unfinished Ikea kitchen furniture that I polyurethaned and I am happy with the results with regard to durability and ease of cleaning. I liked the way the rough surface looked, but I needed to be able to scrub it down when it gets dirty.
posted by stinker at 5:43 AM on September 11 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Don't do 3, unless you can find a stainless steel top the exact right size without fabrication. Any fabrication costs will likely be more than the unit itself.

Refinishing already bad plywood can be an exercise in frustration. It really depends on how rough it is, and if there is any peeling or issues. Is it new, just ikea new? If it is, a very light sand and finishing with anything will be better than the stock-ikea finish.

If it's at all damaged or anything, You can start fresh with a new piece a plywood, and sand/finish to your desire. A (good) local lumber supply will cut you a piece to size for you for cheap (my local place something like $10 a cut? I dunno, I am lucky to have my own means here). This will let you choose the veneer, and likely won't need anything more than a once over sanding with before you finish it. This option would also let you pick a thicker plywood, which, IMHO tends to make things feel drastically beefier and durable.

If you were my neighbor, or local to me, I would offer cutting tools, sanding tools, and standing-watching-holding-a-beer-support.
posted by furnace.heart at 7:47 AM on September 11 [2 favorites]

It looks like this is intended for a garage or similar storage situation, not a kitchen. So the advice about sanding and finishing may be overestimating the finish of the plywood.

I agree with contact paper as a cheap and easy solution.
posted by jeoc at 9:15 AM on September 11 [1 favorite]

Actually, taking a closer look at the photos, could you just swap one of the shelves with the top?
posted by teremala at 10:00 AM on September 11 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I wouldn't trust the plywood to be food-safe in itself. Various plastic resins and adhesives that often contain some formaldehyde, among probably other chemicals, are used to bind together the layers. For that reason, I also wouldn't recommend heavy sanding of a top like that, because it could create dust that includes those resins. Repeated exposure to formaldehyde resin in plywood dust in childhood is probably why I became allergic to it.

Replacing the top with a premade butcher block piece or polyurethaning it are two good options.
posted by limeonaire at 10:34 AM on September 11

You can buy a sheet of formica pretty cheap and install it with spray glue.

But I'd probably go to a local specialty wood place and get a nice piece of Baltic birch plywood cut to size.
posted by mullacc at 10:43 AM on September 11 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Out of left field (inspired by my lunch) you could go for the antique French bistro look — a thin sheet of zinc is fairly easy to hammer down to wrap the edges, then tack into place with tiny nails they make for the purpose. Easily cut to size (eg., to handle the corners) with aircraft shears. Wear gloves. Pretty affordable, extremely durable, quite a lot of character.

There are a number of DIY articles online discussing the concept. IMO, go for pure zinc not zinc-coated steel (some of the DIY people use galvanized steel which would be much more of a pain in the ass to work with).
posted by aramaic at 2:47 PM on September 11

Response by poster: Incredibly helpful, everyone! A lot to think about and all input was appreciated.
posted by oxford blue at 9:38 PM on September 11 [1 favorite]

I'd agree that you could refinish the pine plywood and it would be nicer than before. Nice enough? It's hard to say. Depends on what you like.

When you sand it, you could start with a medium number sandpaper and move to high number, and then use steel wool.

In our case, we rebuilt a desktop by sandwiching a nice oak plywood on top, screwed together from the bottom with short screws. We got it cut to size from the lumber store on their big tilted skill-saw; personally we've always gotten accurate cuts from them, just measured carefully and clearly written down.

For our final finish we used tung oil. It's nice but it was extremely smelly to apply. I'd probably recommend something else.

(Some comments mention preparing food. Dedicated cutting board only for us.)
posted by ovvl at 6:56 AM on September 13