I completed my new workbench last month. It took 20 months to complete. I wish it didn't take so long (but work, family, moving, house and yard projects all take time too). Nonetheless, I am glad it is done. I worked mostly by hand to make the top and the legs using a work table that I made with a solid core door. However, I did use some power tools along the way (e.g, table saw to rip the long boards and power drills for removing the waste for the mortises).
It is 72 inches long, 20.5 inches wide, 35 inches tall, the top is 2 3/4 inches thick. I used the Benchcrafted Classic leg vise hardware and the planing stop. I followed Benchcrafted's plans but deviated in some areas and used the plans from Schwarz's workbench book too. It is a bit of a Frankenstein bench, I used a combination of Ash and Douglas Fir. I originally intended to use Douglas Fir exclusively and bought the wood for it, but then I decided to mix in some Ash after realizing that I could afford it and the added weight and strength would benefit the bench. The base is mostly Ash, and the front third of the top is Ash (the back two-thirds of the top are douglas fir as are the two back legs). The construction is drawbored mortise and tenons. I used Titebond II for laminating the top, the legs, the stretchers, and the chop. I used some System Three long-cure epoxy for assembling the base and attaching the top to the base. Overall, the bench seems very sturdy (it withstood a move several states away by commercial movers and a brief stay in storage just after being assembled) so I hope to get many years out of it. I affixed stair tread non-slip traction tape to the feet and the bench does a good job of staying in place despite the fact that it is not the heaviest of benches (it is probably in the 225 pound range).
Overall, I am happy with the way it turned out. This was my first real project using a lot of hand tools and using traditional joinery techniques. I made several mistakes along the way, but usually figured out ways to overcome or downplay the mistakes. I learned a lot and have a greater appreciation for woodworking (especially the fine woodworking that I see posted on this forum). I look forward to using it on future projects and improving my skills.
The Benchcrafted leg vise is great, I like the ability to quickly place and hold my work (something that I didn't have before). The installation instructions were easy to follow. I also really like the holdfasts too (Gramercy). They are such an ingenious, quick solution for holding work.
Here are some pictures of the finished product (covered in some saw dust from recent use). It is not perfect in appearance and that is fine since it will be put to use. As you can see, I placed a Dutchman/spline in the top. There was a slight void between a couple of laminate layers, so I decided to add the spline. As I excavated down a little below the surface, the void disappeared. I probably didn't need the spline, but it was a good chance to experiment further with different techniques.
All in all, I am happy with the end result. It will be a useful tool going forward and now I have a proper workbench for hand tool work and woodworking in general. I already have a list of projects that I want to tackle over the coming months.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.