Nicholson Bench, decision time

I am planning to build a workbench so I created a list of features I wanted. I needed a bench that was portable and fit in my van to take to demonstrations. I wanted it to be an inexpensive example of a workbench for people getting into woodworking without a large outlay of cash. I wanted a bench that could be easily switched from right handed to left handed use. I wanted to build my own wooden vises. It needed to be stout. After reading Chris Schwarz's excellent book, Workbenches, from Design and Theory to Construction and Use, and having some discussions with my friend Dean Jansa I decided on a Nicholson style bench. Nicholson describes his bench in about 3 pages of his book, The Mechanic's Com­panion. With Nicholson's des­cription and my laundry list I headed to the Borg to get my materials. I came home with three 18' x 2" x 12" planks, with another 8' plank that I already had my material bill came to around $75 without the vise. I bought longer planks because they were nicer than the shorter ones, you just have to go and look for the best material the yard has on hand.