Reply by crank49

I see you’re in MN so outdoors is a challenge this time of year. The hollow core door on saw horses is a dandy way to start. I made a couple of those when I built my house 30 years ago and still use them. You can sometimes pick up one those doors at salvage places for almost nothing; especially when they get a ding or hole poked in them. You only need one good side to use as a work surface.

It’s also a good idea to cover the working surface of the door with 1/4” or 3/8” MDF to make it more durable. 3/4” MDF will work for sure, but it is very, very heavy. I like to seal the MDF with a couple of coats of BLO (boiled linseed oil) and varnish or polyurethane so it won’t soak up moisture and swell up. The BLO mixture is better in my opinion as it’s not too slick.