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I am looking at some desks for replacing my current hobby station, right now it's just a cheap desk with an small upraised platform on the right side. I'm looking at getting this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-Corner-Workstation-Cherry-with-Black-Accents/11061199 because it gives me quite a bit of extra vertical and horizontal space for storing paint, bits or semi built models, and painting in progess stuff. The thing is, my current desk surface is pretty banged up after a few years of getting paint, glue, and hacking on stuff on top of it.

What I am trying to figure out is a way to protect the main work area from knife scratches and paint. A cutting mat helps but sometimes to get the leverage I need it gets in the way at the edge of the table or slips. I've seen some people recommend screwing plexiglass to the desk and using that, others recommend using a lacquer to protect it, which the former I could probably coat the entire desk with it so everything is protected. Does anyone know of anything I could use or recommendations? I had found a post on a forum way back when, which sounded like there was a way to turn the entire surface into a cutting mat, but I can no longer find it, is there such a thing?

I just use one of these folding tables. They have a large surface area and I don't care if it gets paint on it, or cuts from hobby knives ect...

I have a 6ft for my normal "paint/assembly" area, and a 4ft for my airbrush station. It cost me about what the desk your looking at from walmart would run.

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/967640095486710819?q=plastic+folding+tables&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.52109249,d.aWc,pv.xjs.s.en_US.e7W6Chm7DWQ.O&biw=1600&bih=775&dpr=1&tch=1&ech=1&psi=UsIwUoXuBpTUyQGT_4G4Bg.1378927182558.3&sa=X&ei=WMIwUr2VAeHhygGj44HYCw&ved=0CJwBEPMCMAU

Plexiglass might work well, I work at a glass desk. use a cutting matt for knife work (more to save the blades blunting/breaking on the glass rather than caring about the glass lol!)

It wipes clean with glass cleaner easily enough, and is fine to be cleaned with anything upto acetone.. basically its 100% unstained form the countless spills and messes I've made on it. The frame is becoming rickety before the glass pane is getting damaged.

I don't have much horizontal room for the desk, which is why I am going with that one, so I get more storage area while taking up less floor space. I'll have to look into seeing about the plexiglass, and see if I can find someone who would be able to cut a piece to fit into the middle space once I figure out its dimensions.

you can get custum cut plexiglass from any real HARDWARE store ..(not Box store)


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Also look to good will or local Colledge Auction for a Cheap Seelcase case desk with laminate top ..as these can be had for far less and the extra can customize yourself an upper hutch

Plexiglass is pretty simple.

you could also tape down a large sheet of craft paper and replace it if it gets too messy.

Another idea might be to find the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They might have something that will work on the desk top and it would be very cheap.

I might actually stop by that store and see if they have any alternative desks I might be able to use, didn't even know they existed.

1/8" mdf sheet from home improvement store, I have that on the surface of my work area.

its dirt cheap. if you are worried about it moving, put one of these under it;
http://duckbrand.com/products/shelf-liner/select-easy-liner

you can pick up this stuff at walmart (or whereever) with the shelf liner...I put it under stuff to stop it from sliding around.