Originally Posted by
Jack Llewyllson
Couple of quick thoughts:
Your vise might be more useful on the face (long edge) than the end (tail). Better: have both.
I wouldn't personally use a torsion box for a surface to beat on; even less so if I wanted dog holes. Your butcher block will work really well for a bench top. Maybe try boring lines of 3/4" holes, and using Lee Valley or similar round dogs. Also, you want your bench to be pretty heavy. Solidity is a plus.
I once built a 42"-wide bench top, and you're right: that's too big. If you're six and a half feet tall, you MIGHT be able to reach across on an angle and pick up a clamp, but you'll damage your back doing it -- and walking around to the other side of your bench turns into a "fun run." I personally think more than 28" is too wide. It's okay for things to hang over the side. That's what support stands are for.
Mobility: if you want it to be mobile without hernias, try step-on casters. Don't use locking casters, or any other scheme that lets your bench wriggle while you're using it.
Flatness: a biggish hand plane (#5 or larger; preferably a #7) is your friend here. Learning hand tool sounds like it's already an interest of yours. Any glued-up or slab bench can be flattened, and all of them will need to be flattened from time to time.
Large assemblies: perhaps consider doing these on a pair of saw ponies (short sawhorses) and a sheet of ply. That nets you an assembly table that you can stash out of the way between glue-ups and finishing projects, and it's easier to heave large projects onto a low table than a full-height bench.
Check garage sales and estate sales for "grandpa's vise" to possibly score a second vise for your project bench.
There are no perfect benches for every situation. Use yours for awhile and decide on your next modification... or build your next bench. A maple slab makes for an enviable start!