Welcome to my journal thread for my very first major build: a workbench!

I plan to add photos and updates as I make progress on the bench build, which may or may not be frequently. It all depends on how it plays out. But, I'm hoping that it'll be a learning experience for both you and me, and that I might get to pick the brain of the great SMC collective from time to time when I have questions.

Here's the plan:

Build a basic workbench that's heavy, has a thick and solid top, with at least one vise. This should get me off and running with other projects as I delve further into hand tool woodworking. I want to get more into boxes, at first. Then make my way into simple furniture, after I develop some of the essential skills (dovetails, mortise and tenon, rabbets, using my hand planes effectively, etc.)

My basic plan is similar to what you'll find here, a basic design for students of Chris Schwarz. I figure that should be plenty to get started. The main differences between my bench and that found in the link will revolve around attaching the base to the top. I want to make sure that I can disassemble this bench, in the event that we move. (We're in a smaller townhome now, so it could happen at some point.) I'm thinking of adding 4x4 pieces to the legs under the top to allow me to attach the top to the base with lag bolts. This would be in lieu of the typical double tenon that is seen on, say, a Roubo-style bench. Any thoughts here would be appreciated. Is this a good idea..? Should I still use some sort of tenon for a better connection to the base?

The vise I have is a Taiwanese copy of one of the Record quick-release vises. It's in great shape, and I added maple jaws to it. Should serve me well here, I hope.

In any case, I picked up my lumber today. It consists of a bunch of reclaimed 4x4 and 6x8 pieces of Douglas Fir, or so I'm told. These were from very large pallets that are used to transport wind turbine components. There are a few bolt holes and nail holes, but I don't anticipate they'll affect the bench much. It won't be the prettiest bench, but I want something functional. It was outside, so I want to give the wood time to warm up and dry out a bit. There were bits of ice and snow on some of the pieces, so I plan to at least wait until this weekend so that the moisture evaporates. Then I'll see how wet the wood is. (I do not have a moisture meter, sadly...)

So, that's where I am currently with this project. To finish things off, here's a shot of the wood that I picked up. The pieces with the angles on them will get cut down for the legs. The long pieces on the right will be laminated into a 24"x8"x6' bench top (maybe longer, if I can). And the 4x4's on the floor will be the supporting cross pieces to add rigidity to the bench, and possibly places to bolt the top onto the base. FYI: 6x8 lumber is HEAVY. Each of those 7-footers on the right is likely around 100lbs.

Any advice to a newbie woodworker on this bench concept?