When no bench-mounted tool is needed, two insert blanks give you a perfectly smooth bench surface.

The legs are steel pipe, cut to length and threaded into flanges on both bench and floor. This allows the bench to be leveled, then bolted firmly to become rock solid.

The inserts are simple in theory, but to a non-carpenter like me, they are tricky. You want a snug fit with neat edges and no gaps; at the same time, the inserts must slide in and out without a struggle. This is not easy to achieve. Particle board, which swells up at the forecast of drizzle, is a nightmare if you install your bench where there is any dampness. My new inserts are plywood top and bottom (instead of a particle-board base and plywood top), so swelling is not an issue.

Finally, the legs. The legs of this bench are Wiley's original prescription of steel pipe threaded into flanges top and bottom. The flanges are bolted to bench and floor. The back of the bench is fastened with lag bolts to an eight-foot 2x4, which, in turn, is firmly bolted to the wall.

On my first bench I used 6x6-inch cedar posts fastened with angle irons, which worked well enough. The steel pipe, however, is easier to level by screwing the flanges up or down and also gives you more room beneath the bench. There I have two eight-foot shelves to hold bench inserts and tools, dies and small drawer units.

CONSTRUCTION
The first step is to buy a straight, eight-foot 2x4 for the bench support on the wall and bolt it on at the appropriate height.

Have two sheets of 3/4-inch plywood cut into four pieces, each 8'x18". This leaves two strips 8'x12".

The Redding T-7 is bolted permanently to the bench; the Ultramag, used less frequently, is attached to an insert and can be moved onto the bench in an instant and put away just as quickly.

It is possible to build the bench and then install it as a unit, which is how I did the first one. This time, however, I bolted the 2x4 to the wall, had the legs cut to length and threaded, then immediately fastened the bottom layer of plywood to both the legs and the 2x4. One piece of plywood is much easier to install and ensure it is level in every direction.

By attaching the first (bottom) sheet of plywood to the 2x4 as a foundation and building up from there, you avoid the use of angle irons to attach the bench to the wall, and the 2x4 becomes an integral part of the bench.

A caution: Don't assume your floor is level. You may require legs of slightly different lengths to accommodate undulations, and even then you might find yourself shimming the flanges. All of this is considerably easier working with just one layer of plywood to begin with.

Once it was in place, fastened firm and level, I glued the second sheet on top. With the third sheet, it becomes more complicated since it has 11x8-inch cut-outs for the inserts. The fourth (top) sheet has corresponding cut-outs of 9x7 inches, which overlay the notches below.

Whichever way you choose to construct the bench, I suggest gluing and clamping one layer at a time. Trying to fit and glue all four simultaneously is very difficult.

Also, you need to take particular care with the top sheet. When the time comes, it is best to have one insert base already made so you can see how it fits. You do not want to fasten the top sheet down as tight as it will go because it will squeeze the inserts like a clamp. Before gluing it down, sand the underside of the top layer where it grips the inserts, to reduce friction.