Originally Posted by
Scott Winners
Couple things.
1. Your first bench will not be your last bench. Build what you can afford, do it now, get going on the projects you want to make, learn the shortcomings of the bench you have, make another bench.
2. The Paul Sellers bench is going to last a long time and do a lot of things for the small amount of money it costs. You can build a stouter longer lasting bench, but it will probably cost more money. On quality - lifespan - cost it will be hard bench to beat for your second build.
3. Go ahead and buy a single inexpensive vise. Use it, adjust it, use it some more, just go with it. When you come to loathe it you will be ready to buy a more expensive vise.
4. If you want to use a hand plane on stuff you are going to need a heavy bench. Or a big pile of concrete on the low shelf of a light bench. Just build what you can and then pile your anvil collection on the lower shelf.
You will find some folks here seem to be in it for tool restoration or tool collecting and others are making various things. It is a big hobby with a lot of room in many directions. I am pretty well done restoring hand planes and will be buying from the guys who have restored dozens of hand planes in the future.
Build anything for a bench, just slap some wood together and get going. It is the experience of using that first bench that will help you figure out the second one.