Woodworkers, need tips.

[brutal]

I'd go with Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO), Tung Oil, or Watco Danish, all of which can be found at Home Depot or Lowes. However, it's a work bench. Sooner or later it is going to get scratched by something nasty, and firearm solvents and cleaners will strip it out.
On the workbench I use most for cleaning guns, sharpening knives, or other nasty activities, I put a piece of 1/8" door-skin on top. It's essentially melamine over a thin layer of hardi-board. Clean it up with 409, discard it when it gets too ugly for your tastes. As an added benefit, it's like a giant white board. I write notes in pencil on it all the time. Mine has become pretty gnarly of late, and I plan on swapping out the existing skin tomorrow. My top is a layer of ply for strength and holding, a layer of MDF for being dead-flat and heavy, and a top layer of sacrificial door-skin.

Watco Danish is pretty good stuff. Dries hard and looks nice. Takes a while to fully cure. Keep in mind it has resins in it that harden in the wood, so it's permanent. Common finish to use when reconditioning older stereo speakers. JBL recommended maintenance of their oiled finishes using 3:1 BLO/Gum Turpentine mix.