Splint, that belt was worn anyway and they had a stack of replacements. My wife is using the bench all the time now.
And yes, I re-glued the mallet and put brass pins in.
Ryan, it sits flat with no wobble or racking. The slab is 1 1/2" thick and as hard as it was to seat the legs, I don't expect any issues in the future.

"Duck and Bob would be out doin some farming with funny hats on." chrisstef