As I was considering my bench dog question (linked here) I had a thought and I'm wondering if it is realistic. The problem that I am most concerned about with bench dogs in a workbench made of MDF is the inevitable ripping out of the bench dog holes in the MDF. So, the thought process goes, if I were to eliminate MDF as the top of the table, I could have holes that won't tear out while still being able to enjoy a thick but inexpensive workbench.
MDF is generally cheap where I am located, but hardwoods are somewhat expensive if buying from the big box stores. Could I conceivably make a 1" thick oak or maple panel, then sandwich in between several sheets of MDF, then perhaps cap the top with an additional 1" maple panel? My assumption would be that the layers would be glued together, but I'm curious whether this idea would be even remotely stable for a workbench I'd expect to last a long time.