JJ_Lewis

When I prop my head precisely as shown, I can use the light reflection off my head to identify any surface imperfections.

That thing has LAWSUIT written all over it.

And, I'm sure it will be easy to convince woodworkers to use 2-3 foot long push sticks. About as easy as it would be to convince any human to eat a meal with a 2 ft. long fork.

Engineers?...really?

I just built this bench last weekend, with some modifications. I used 3/4" cabinet grade plywood for the top, instead of MDF. I think it wears better than MDF and the lag bolts seat strongly. Two sheets fastened with drywall screws form a flat, sturdy top. I also attached the top using pocket hole screws (easier & faster than routing the groove and using the table top fasteners...IMHO). I put a 9" Rocker vise on the face and a 13" Rockler vise at the far end, with dog holes over the entire top. I also put a 1/4" sheet of hard board on the top (over the plywood) and fastened this with 18 guage brad nails. This makes the surface very smooth, and if/when the top gets beat up, you can simply replace the hardboard (hardboard also hides the brad nail holes nicely). I also mounted the workbench on locking wheels (about 4" high) that I found at Harbor Freight. My two car garage is still a 2-car garage, but I can get the bench up and running in a hurry.

One question...what are good hardwoods for the bench vises. This is my first experience with these vises, so I'm looking for suggestions (maple + ?).