>    Geoff Webb  asked about portable workbench ideas:
> 
> -bio snipped-
> 
>tools).  However the problem is that I live in a second floor apartment
>and there is no room for a permanent bench.  I got to thinking, how did
>they do it in the old days?  Surely, some 19th century carpenter needed
>a portable bench.  Do any of the galoots on the porch have an answer? 
>I'll just sit here on the bottom step and await the collective
>wisdom.
> 

Well, I did something for a light-weight bench that may help 
apartment dwellers.  In my (shudder) Normite days, I had constructed 
a 2x4 and plywood "bench".  It is in the basement on a smooth, painted 
cement floor.  First time I clamped a board to it and tried my #7 
(long jointer) plane on it, the whole "bench" slid away.  After some 
fancy footwork involving wrapping a leg (mine) around another leg 
(the benches) which almost broke both, I had a better idea.
   I put a piece of plywood flat on the floor in front of the "bench" 
and fastened and the "bench" together with a strip of 1X4.  It's very
stable and I will use it to make a real bench.

WARNING- amaturish ASCII art...

  End view of bench and flooring:

                          :         :
                          :         :
                          :         : <- 2x4 "bench" leg
                     -----:         :
                     :    :         :
               1x4 ->:    :         :
                     :    :         :
                     :    :         :
                     :    :         :
                     :    :         :
                     :    :         :
 -------------------------          :
   plywood flooring       :         :
                          :         :
 ------------------------- ---------

   After looking at it, I wonder why I didn't use hinges instead of a 
1x4.  I could fold the plywood up against the "bench" and keep it out 
of the way.  Hmmm.  I gotta go downstairs for a few minutes.

Hope this helps.

Larry