The workbench needed to have to following features:

1. sturdiness - I don't put heavy things on the workbench but I do sometimes need to hit them hard, so weight bearing was important. I also wanted to avoid wobbliness from jiont movement.

2. size - being able to spread out when working on projects is important, as is having the option to shovel one part-completed project to one side while another is pushed ahead in the queue. Large work surface size plays to both of these.

3. storage - most of the hand tools live in a tool chest which we got towards the end of 2003, but there isn't a good place to put the power tools.

4. vice mount - my father gave me a large vice for my birthday many years ago, and although I have used it for things in the meantime I have never had anywhere to attach it permanently.

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I had certain limits in what I could do for this workbench. Firstly, I had no workbench available to do fine work (which is why I wanted to build a workbench...). Secondly, I haven't done any real woodworking for many years. I'm a fairly accurate worker, to be sure, but not a skiled woodworker.

So, I wanted to use pre-cut timber wherever possible and to apply simple saw cuts to it to make the boards the right length. There was also the possibility of using some plywood laminate which had been left behind by the previous owner of our house for facing the top surface or any shelves. This was hideous panelling, but was a very handy all-purpose source of general flatness.

In a similar vein, I didn't want to do any gluing. I have nothing against glue in general, but it's an exacting art and I was unconvinced of its long term strength for this kind of project. As a result I was looking to use screws and bolts.

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	Front right elevation.
	Exploded diagram of leg joint.

06-Jul-2004 So, does my work bench get used?

Oh, yes. Things in the workshop are not (nor will they ever be) perfectly organised, but things will improve pretty dramatically once the downstairs project is completed and the huge amount of stuff occupying what should be workspace migrates inot the new living area. It's a solid workbench, though, and I am very pleased with how it has come out.

And I finally have something to put my vice onto.

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