New Work Bench, Top Suggestions? Options

[jfort]

I am going to make a new work bench this winter. Maybe 30" by 16'. 4 by 4's. drawers and a shelf across the bottom. A vise. I am just your typical once-in-while car project and home project type guy.

Don't know what to do for the top. I see places make butcher block. I put formica-type stuff on top of 3/4" plywood one time. I've though about a sheet of metal, but something tells me not to do that.

Suggestions? Any other suggestion about a work bench would be appreciated, too. For example, I've thought about getting 2 or 3 half-sized metal shop drawer thinks, bolting them together and putting a work bench top on that. What do you think?

[Brian_Boss]

All I can add to all the good ideas above is to say that it's nice to have both metal and wood tops, depending on the project. If you only have room for one bench, you might consider covering half with metal.

Now, the real reason for my post is to say how much I admire the discipline of the guys posting pics of the clean benches. I have two 3' x 6' benches and I frequently find myself hunched over working on the shop floor because both benches are covered in junk. I'm too embarrassed to post a picture.