There has been a lot of "shop talk" lately so I guess I will continue as I have been asked by Serge and Todd Stock to post these pics when it was ready, so here they are, the new bench (still under some construction!):
Full view
This is the bench dog vise, I will make the dogs in the next few days. They are great for holding things that need planing or sanding.
This is the end vise. The screw is from Lee Valley and I have had it for a couple of years now, waiting to build a nice traditional shaker style bench (which I will still do when I finally build the big shop!)
On the left side of the bench are this bank of drawers. There are 15 of them and will be VERY handy!
The two middle drawers are full extension and are for the portable power tools.
My design ideas for this was something solid, functional, inexpensive and half decent looking. The top is two layers of 3/4 inch MDF capped with Birch on the edges. The vices are made from the same birch tree which I harvested from off my property about three years ago. I think that spending a bit of time putting together things like your benches are important if you plan to do business as they show your clients the respect you show your workspace, just my thought on that! I like to work near the edge of the bench a lot so the edges are eased but not bullnosed and there is at least a two inch overhang on every edge for clamping. The left wing of the "U" is only 18" wide and will be the main area for working on guitars as you can access it from three sides. The studio is small, about 330 sq ft, so multi function is important. In that light the end vice will host a bunch of accessories. The buffer that I have just about completed will mount in the vice when needed. The fret board radiusing jig will be vice mounted as will the Larrivee style binding jig and the bending iron. I have lots of plans for organization and will show more pics over the next while as things come togther. All of the tools mounted on the wall will find new and better homes/holders in the next while as well. But for now I want to get at making a couple guitars and see where things need to be placed as I move through the processes. Hope this inspires others thinking of a new bench!
Thanks
Shane
. I never have enough storage, having all those drawers would be wonderful... The U shape will work out well also, I think. Leave off one part of a build, turn around, start working on another. Of course, it'll probably never look quite so neat again- or at least very seldom 
!!