Hi all. I've been browsing this forum on and off and really enjoy it. I have been thinking and reading about hand tool woodworking for a while and am ready to take the plunge. But, until I find I really like it I want to keep my investment reasonably small.
I have a small workbench that I built for my kids when they were little that I'd like to upgrade for the purpose. This is where I'm looking for your ideas and suggestions. I want to keep it fairly simple for now but I also don't want the lack of features to hold me back too much. The bench is 44"W x 21"D x 28" high with a laminated MDF top, as shown in the picture. It's heavy and stable -- there's the MDF plus a hidden shelf on the bottom with a bunch of ten pound weight plates on it. Not sure what I was thinking when I mounted the vise -- I made a few mistakes there.
My current thought is to buy a 60"x24"x2.25" maple top from Grizzly and mount it on top of the existing top. This would serve the dual purpose of raising the height a couple of inches (I'm 5' 8") and adding some length to the top. I would then re-mount the vise to the left front (properly this time) and bore some dog holes. That's about as far as I've gotten in my thinking.
I'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions.
Thanks, Herv