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After waiting for my vice screw & nut to finally arrive, I set to putting a whopping great hole in the apron. I did a few test runs of this on scrap first and it ended up not being as bad as I thought it would be to get through. I didn't understand what Richard meant on the video by saying if...

Thanks, I've got some long offcuts I'll cut in half and plane together. That's the one! My bench is just over half the length of that beast. If it turns out over half as good I'll be happy! I know, all the timber for the bench cost about £150 so the vice screw will be more expensive than...

Thanks. That's true, the winding sticks I have are only 18" so I might have to look up how to make some. I'm just following everything to the letter to hopefully avoid major unforeseen cockups! I'm nowhere near the stage where I can start going off script. Someone on here pointed out Dictum...

Thanks, MikeG. I'm pleased how it is turning out so far. Fingers crossed it stays that way! I've been worrying about flattening the aprons down. I'm mooching about the place looking for a flat even surface to use. I've been eyeing up the kitchen floor to do it on but I'll have to get that...

Right onto the aprons now. Here I said I'd have a go at ditching the guides when sawing the shoulders. I chickened out! Instead, I did the shoulders with the guide and the relief cuts were used as practice. Using the tips here and elsewhere I can report I'm still at 50/50 on getting it...

Thanks. Until it is finished I won't know if I can take on a project this size! This is literally the first proper thing I've attempted. That's probably why I'm being overly precious with little chips etc! As others have said it's just a workbench that's going to get battered anyway. Are...

I was putting this off but I had to grasp the nettle sooner or later and glue and nail these trestles together. I wanted to use rustic looking nails so bought some cut clasp nails. All I could envision was splits forming on my rails instantly turning them into firewood. I was so concerned I...

Hi MikeG, I was just using the square (set at 45 degrees) to illustrate how far off 45 degrees I actually was, I didn't use it to set out the joint. That's exactly how I did mark it - by clamping it and marking around the butchered joint!

Thanks. Someone said to use matching wood filler or glue with sanding dust mixed in. I didn't consider splicing a piece in. I'll have to do some research on how to do it now!

Right, now the trestles are done I'm up to the diagonal brace from the leg into the apron. This ended up a whole host of cockups that I'm still having sleepless nights over. Here's the end result so you know what I'm talking about... The first bit all went fine. Just cutting a lap joint...

I'll have a mooch on the Internet at them - there's a day gone.

Ha. You wouldn't have a cigarette for my light would you?

Thanks, Frank. I've just watched a Youtube clip on Story Sticks. Good idea to make marking out easier to see for me. My dad is 64 and doesn't need glasses, don't know where I went wrong. I do know our milkman wears enormously thick glasses, though!

I've read that on here and a few other places and I'm sure that is true. I know this is not what a workbench is about... but ... it is the aesthetics of the big wooden vice. I've looked through lots of these builds and the vice always looks too small for the bench. If I do go down that route...

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. My ability with the saw would probably be called into question there, though! I will agree with the nightmare, my hands were killing me after it!

That is exactly what I'm thinking. If the bench turns out pants I'll use a removable vice on it. If I'm happy with it I might go the whole hog and build the vice with a nice wooden screw.

Thanks, Mike. Ha, the dreaded next time! Don't burst my bubble at this stage. I'm telling myself this is the bench I'll keep forever against all the odds and experience of everyone else, despite my complete lack of skill, somehow it'll turn out alright on the night. I read someone doing this...

Thanks. I am at the nieve stage at the moment of telling myself that this will be my first and only bench. I've read all the bench builds on here and see that it is the second or third attempt that you might end up keeping. If I let myself think that this is basically a prototype I know I'll...

Thanks, Nick. Agreed. I started it this year as well and initially, I had all kinds of ideas that I wanted to build but soon realised a B&Q picnic bench was totally inadequate for work holding! I thought about buying a workbench but the ones in my price range looked something like...

The top rails are basically the same thing as the bottom to cut. By the time I got to them I was feeling better about cutting out those dovetail bits. The next big job was to cut the joints into the legs. I couldn't believe the surprises that were in store for me there! The bottom rail leg...