Table saw bench surface finish

[sammy296296]

Hi,

I was wondering if someone could give me some advice on a finishing surface for hardwood plywood for a specific use.

I've recently built a bench with an integrated table saw. The table saw is an extremely cheap one that had a tiny and non-flat top surface made out of cheap sheet metal, so i've removed it and built the saw body into my new bench. So the table saw top/surface is now a piece of flat 18mm (3/4") Malaysian hardwood plywood.
So far i've given the plywood one coat of boiled linseed oil, but i'm wondering if i should also apply an oil based varnish on top to make the surface more durable?
I'm very new to wood finishing and would appreciate the advice.

Thanks,
Sam

[russ57]

I would think that you'd want something with a gloss finish to make it easier for the wood to slide over.
I don't think it needs to be oil varnish, but not sure what is compatible with the oil.

[Bohdan]

Silbergleit (https://www.carbatec.com.au/surface-protection-1000) is a good product and was available in the smaller tin but appears to have disappeared off the price lists. It is a good woodworking lubricant and rust preventative for machinery and hand tools.

[tonzeyd]

To answer your question you'll want the most durable surface you can get, plywood/varnish won't last long. If it were me i'd replace the top with something like melamine.

Or better still consider replacing the saw with something that is fit for purpose. You may find that by the time you do all your essential upgrades it may end up costing as much as a decent used saw.

[Lappa]

I used Formply for my home built saw table top. Nice and slippery, especially with a once over with Ubeauts Traditional Wax.

[sammy296296]

Thanks for all the suggestions, very helpful