re: TIPS: the workbench build

A workbench is basically made to hold workpieces and because of the many different sizes and shapes and the types of work being performed on them, a lot of different holding options are not only desirable but also necessary, That is unless you are doing more or less repetitious work building the same type of stuff all the time. A bench should also be very steady under a heavy workload, such as planing for instance. My best tip is explore the many different types of benches that have proven themselves useful, try to relate your own needs to how the different ones would work for you, but try to think of the future too, when new skills might translate to other types of work. Check prices on what you want so you can evaluate whether to buy or make one with a view towards getting the most for your money. I have ‘The Workbench Book’ by Scott Landis which I have had a few years and which I still enjoy reading. I used a lot of ideas from it for my own bench which I am extremely happy with. I built it fairly recently and it has made my woodworking much, much more enjoyable.