Bloody stainless steel workbenches

[coops]

RAVING
Recently ive had some work done on my head/block and been into two different state of the art machine shops for honing/valve seat grinding lapping and so forth.
Both places had stainless shop counters and I could see out in the workshop, stainless workbenches, made me cringe but seems too be the way things are going, and being recommended had the work done.
Well I was quite impressed with the quality of workmanship done with my head except on the other side of the head was all garked up and scratched quite badly.
Really pissed me off! Normally it wouldn't be a problem but in this case its actually a split head where the valves are in one half and the cam sits in the other half and the gasket in between is a metal sheet gasket. (no sealant) Doesn't take F All too leak.

Why the Phuk do they insist on having bloody stainless workbenches?
My workshop is all timber benches. You can roll engines around on them, they are nice and soft. I have a square 12mm plate in one section for bashing things.
Whats with the stainless. I don't see any advantage at all.
Maybe there just to impress the boy racer bolt on turbo boys
I am old school. Timber rules.
Told you I was raving. But im going back to complain next week. Still highly pissed. Its careless damage, unnessarsary and cant be repaired
Thanks for listening

[Ocean1]

RAVING
Recently ive had some work done on my head/block and been into two different state of the art machine shops for honing/valve seat grinding lapping and so forth.
Both places had stainless shop counters and I could see out in the workshop, stainless workbenches, made me cringe but seems too be the way things are going, and being recommended had the work done.
Well I was quite impressed with the quality of workmanship done with my head except on the other side of the head was all garked up and scratched quite badly.
Really pissed me off! Normally it wouldn't be a problem but in this case its actually a split head where the valves are in one half and the cam sits in the other half and the gasket in between is a metal sheet gasket. (no sealant) Doesn't take F All too leak.

Why the Phuk do they insist on having bloody stainless workbenches?
My workshop is all timber benches. You can roll engines around on them, they are nice and soft. I have a square 12mm plate in one section for bashing things.
Whats with the stainless. I don't see any advantage at all.
Maybe there just to impress the boy racer bolt on turbo boys
I am old school. Timber rules.
Told you I was raving. But im going back to complain next week. Still highly pissed. Its careless damage, unnessarsary and cant be repaired
Thanks for listening

Dunno what's industry best practice, but I wouldn't have a SS bench surface in my workshop. It scores fairly easily, (especially in contact with more SS) leaving wee trenches with a lump at the end.

And yeah, my workbenches are treewood, except for the 1" plate welding bench.

[Motu]

I've never used a wooden work bench in my life....although auto sparkies use then so they can power things up without shorts. You use timber supports under the head so it doesn't get damaged. You can also get head supports that locate in stud holes....I prefer a couple of blocks of 4x2.

[skippa1]

Used both, steel benches cab be handy when you need a hard flat surface, you can drill and tap to create hold down points or tack weld on it when fabricating. Always had timber overlays (or rubber) to avoid damage where necessary. Timber can spring when subjected to impact etc which is not always desirable.
In your case, they have been bloody careless, I would be very pissed.

[TLJimmy]

I use a wooden bench for the same reason. I also have an old woodwork vice I scored when the govt. shut down all the schools. I use it as much as my regular vice. On the down side, I set fire to my wooden bench today welding the slipper-type clutch cam centres out of the TL's - I usually have a steel plate to weld on but thought I'd get away without using it... Next on the to-do list is a small steel topped bench...

[R650R]

careless is careless, if they had wooden bench they just would have screwed something else up.
Used both but always have rags or blocks for fragile stuff anyway...

[The Reibz]

Main reason for having a metal table is you can have a easy earthing point when welding. (and going apeshit with a hammer)
Stainless is easy to clean down to ensure a clean surface which is free of oil and foreign particles which is why its so widely used in the food industry and likely to be why its used in a engine builders shop.
Did you have any dye or metallic particle tests done on the head before you got the work done? Damage may have already been there and was made worse by the machining operation.
Its going to need to be welded and machined, or you can just run the risk with the headgasket. I know what I would do...

[The Reibz]

Main reason for having a metal table is you can have a easy earthing point when welding. (and going apeshit with a hammer)
Stainless is easy to clean down to ensure a clean surface which is free of oil and foreign particles which is why its so widely used in the food industry and likely to be why its used in a engine builders shop.
Did you have any dye or metallic particle tests done on the head before you got the work done? Damage may have already been there and was made worse by the machining operation.
Its going to need to be welded and machined, or you can just run the risk with the headgasket. I know what I would do...

EDIT: Disregard, didn't read your post properly. If your that concerned with the surface then get it reskimmed.
For some reason I read it like you had a cracked head...

[AllanB]

Nothing wrong with the bench - just the user. I would take no time to put a cloth down to protect painted surfaces etc.

[bogan]

I use a wooden bench for the same reason. I also have an old woodwork vice I scored when the govt. shut down all the schools. I use it as much as my regular vice. On the down side, I set fire to my wooden bench today welding the slipper-type clutch cam centres out of the TL's - I usually have a steel plate to weld on but thought I'd get away without using it... Next on the to-do list is a small steel topped bench...

Yeh my small steel topped one is the go-to work bench, easy enough to chuck a rag or bit of wood on it when you need to. And really handy for bashing/welding things (except when it earths out through a bearing ) Then again, my work is the stuff where all 'clean' parts will be worked with on rags even on the wooden assembly bench so I get into reasonably good habits with work surface prep.

[Grumph]

I can pretty much guess where you've been...And yes, more care should have been taken. Only takes a sec to put down some paper.

One old line guy in ChCh has steel top benches but has a wooden insert where he works on alloy bits - best practise IMO.

i have a very long bench which is actually from Tommy's shop on Moorhouse ave, and is zinc coated steel topped - always work on paper.

From memory the valve guides in the lower head of the FZR stick up above the joint line which makes it bloody hard to lap it flat again...

[Woodman]

Always had steel benches when I was rebuilding engines for a living. Wood gets all splintery and when turning motors over and over the splintery bits get in the engine.

Never could understand guys who put newspaper down, or use them stupid engine stands.

Your issue is with the operator not the bench.

[Yow Ling]

Maybe just put it on the concrete floor when it was finished.
A plus for metal benches is they can be kept clinically clean, good when you are doing forks etc