I took the advice of Ye Wreckers and built my first workbench (I had been
leaning towards buying one). Since I don't know how to do fancy (or even
non-fancy) joints, I bought some relatively straight construction-grade
2x4's (Douglas fir, I'm told yellow pine splits easily), some MDF and
tempered hardboard, and knocked together a modest bench. It's fairly
stable and has about 14 sq ft of work surface, and it only cost me about
$50 in parts. Joints are all hardware-reinforced butt joints, so nothing
too impressive there. But, I learned a ton. Mainly, that no matter what,
your cuts and angles can never be too precise.
Anyway, I have a 46"x26" section of MDF and hardboard leftover, I was
thinking of buying a few more 2x4's and making a low bench for additional
storage and assembly. What height would you recommend for a generic,
general-purpose secondary bench? My main bench is about 36" and it's just
about perfect for me. I was thinking of 18-22" for the assembly table.
It won't be anything fancy, it's mainly an opportunity to recycle some
scrap and, as ever, hone my skills.