Del looks like the American stereotypical image of the "peculiar" Englishman...leather loafers, knit stocking cap, slacks! Granted, I see the same thing...but then I catch myself studying the wood he has trapped in the bodger trying to see where he is in the process, whether there is anything I can steal for ideas, how he is addressing the wood with the tool. Heck, I wanna be Del the Cat when I grow up. Maybe that should be IF I grow up.
In the last place I lived, I built a great workbench by going to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and buying a set of kitchen cabinets. The base cabinets were set up on 4" of risers and had a countertop made of double thickness of 3/4 exterior grade plywood with a glued and dowelled hickory facing installed. The wall cabinets fit over a sink and had a gap for a window where you would stare out wishing you weren't washing dishes. That wall unit was hung up and a pegboard tool rack covered the space where the window would have been. A flourescent light fixture was set in that space as well and three power outlets installed at the back of the bench. The bench top also extended 3 inches out over the base cabinets so that clamping to the bench was a snap. I wrote out all my math equations and doodled over it with pencil until it was covered. I'd use my palm sander to clean it up and re-paint every few months. Worked for me.
