The largest of the benches we tested, the Laguna also was the shortest. The overall appearance was pleasing and the bench had good stability, but on closer inspection the construction and the vises left something to be desired. The top was visibly wavy and dished 0.030 in. in several places including the critical right-front corner near the tail vise, suggesting the top had been poorly wide-belt sanded.

Also, the top of the trestle base protrudes beyond the front of the top, interfering when edge-planing a long board. The dogs and dog holes got mixed reviews. Some editors described the fit as just right, while others found the dogs’ flat spot too small to locate without a second glance. With some modest redesign and better quality control, this could become a much better bench.

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