I never really appreciated how helpful a good solid workbench could be until I started building this rocking chair. This workbench was my first major project about twenty years ago. One of the hardest things about building it was not having a workbench to build it on. I modified the end vise to my liking and lined the inside of the jaws with 1/4 inch cork; it gives great holding power and will not mar anything. I clean off the top every couple years and give it a good coat of shellac/oil mixture and then paste wax. The base is finished with poly. I built the mahogany tool chests to fit underneath last year for my hand tools. I liked the idea of wooden bench dogs and made them at the same time as the bench out of a contrasting colored wood. They still spring back after all these years but are getting loose so it is probally time to make some new ones.
