A hard hat for your benchtop

With all the time and money invested in the solid-maple top of my workbench, I want to protect it for as long as possible. So for potentially damaging tasks, this ¹⁄₄ "-thick, removable hardboard top protects the maple. After cutting the top to size, I clamped it to my table and used a Forstner bit to drill up through my bench's dogholes—that is, all but the four in the corners. On those, I marked the center using the spur of the Forstner bit, and then screwed ³⁄₄ " dowels, 1" long, centered, on those marks. Now, I can quickly move the protective top on and off as needed. When it wears out, it is easily replaced.

—Stan Morgan, Mapleton Depot, Pa.