Includes index.

Chapter 1 Perfect Bench 4 -- What Kind of Woodworking Do You Do? 6 -- Locating the Bench 8 -- Bench Size 12 -- Weight 15 -- Height 17 -- A Comfortable Bench Area 20 -- Designing Your Bench 22 -- Chapter 2 Workbench Tops 24 -- Benchtop Dimensions 27 -- Top Configuration 28 -- Tool Trays 31 -- Materials for Tops 33 -- Keeping the Top Flat 40 -- Flattening a Benchtop 43 -- Fastening the Top to the Base 45 -- Finishing the Top 45 -- Chapter 3 A Solid Foundation 46 -- Base Configuration 48 -- Frame Bases 49 -- Base Joinery Options 50 -- Strengthening the Base 56 -- Legs Made from Metal 57 -- Enclosed Bases 58 -- Leveling the Bench 64 -- Electrical Power 65 -- Chapter 4 Getting a Grip 66 -- Locating Vises 68 -- Types of Vises 68 -- Screw Mechanisms 71 -- Manufactured Vises 74 -- Shop-Built Vises 82 -- Chapter 5 Holding Your Work 88 -- Bench Dogs 90 -- Stops 95 -- Holdfasts and Hold-Downs 97 -- Board Jacks 102 -- Bench Hooks 104 -- Fixtures and Auxillary Tables 105 -- Chapter 6 Bench in a Box 106 -- Bench Components 108 -- Manufactured Benches of the Past 112 -- Contemporary Bench Makers 114 -- Chapter 7 No-Frills Benches 124 -- Getting Down to Basics 126 -- Sam Maloof's Bench 128 -- Building the Bench 132 -- Niall Barrett's Bench 136 -- Building the Bench 140 -- Chapter 8 Tradition Meets the Twenty-First Century 142 -- English-Style Workbenches 144 -- Building the Bench 148 -- European Traditions 152 -- Building the Bench 156 -- Best of Old and New 158 -- Building the Bench 162 -- Shaker with a Twist 166 -- Chapter 9 Innovative Workbenches 168 -- A Different Kind of Benchtop 170 -- Torsion Box 173 -- Storing Large Worktables 176 -- Thinking Outside the Box 180 -- Chapter 10 Benches for Special Tasks 182 -- Assembly and Finishing 184 -- Portable Workbenches 186 -- Benches for Working on Irregular Parts 188 -- Other Woodworking Specialties 190 -- Dedicated Task Benches 192.