I have a decent set of usable tools now, which means that it’d probably be a good idea to start using them. Unfortunately, there’s just one little thing missing: something really solid to hold the wood. Most people call this a “workbench.” Unless I do strange acrobatics, my Workmate won’t work so well for handplaning; it’s just not heavy enough. Alas. Woe is me. Okay not really.

So I’ve been looking at the options. Most of you probably know this as “looking at a bunch of stuff on the internet.” I also bought a workbench book. It says that someone in my situation should try to throw a bench together quickly, paying less attention to how it looks and more to how much it costs and how well it works. I like that advice.

I got some ideas. I cleared a lot of space in my dining nook (the only halfway practical spot for a bench in here). This shouldn’t be so bad, I guess.