For my first bench, I used what was inexpensive and what was available: pressure-treated 4x4s for the legs; a 7″ quick-adjust vise that has held up surprisingly well; and 2x10s, salvaged from my late grandfather’s built-in basement workbench, for the top.

And onto that reclaimed top I nailed a piece of 1/4″ tempered hardboard as a sacrificial surface that I could replace as it got bunged up. The funny thing is, I’ve never replaced it. Oh, it’s bunged up: Glue. Stain. Chisel marks. Penciled calculations whose purpose is long forgotten. I decided that it didn’t need replacing, for several reasons. For one thing, the pressboard surface does a good job of shedding glue after panel glue-ups — dried glue dots pop right off, taking only a thin layer of fibers with them. That leads to the second reason the old hardboard is worth keeping: That roughened surface helps keep workpieces from sliding around, whereas slick new hardboard offers a pretty face but little staying power.