Re: The workbench topic. I have a welder, two actually, both inexpensive, however, it's not necessary to weld a bench together. someone could get angle iron of their choice, cut pieces to size, drill appropriate holes, use hard steel bolts and bolt the sucker together. A tape measure, a framing square, and a level are all that is necessary for final assembly. My custom is to try to scrounge material when possible.
Top: I have the woodworking equipment to make a butcher block top and have done so.
At a minimum a table saw and a wood planer is needed if starting with rough lumber. If using purchased or scrounged dressed lumber only the table saw is needed. If good straight dressed lumber is found only a cut off saw is needed and a handsaw and framing square could be used instead of the cut off saw.
Nominal 2 inch lumber is needed for a top. AFIK building supply places have only softwoods like pine available. A trick is to buy large long pieces since to make, say, a 2 x 12 board 10 feet long a large tree is needed and that size tree will be old enough to have some dense, knot free lumber, at least that should be found fairly easily.
Another possibility is to skip all the searching and get a solid door, maybe from a Habitat for Humanity store or one of that type. That will give a nice flat surface.
KEH
