I’ve just put a coat of boiled linseed oil on my workbench, after nearly a year of working on it (on and off, mostly off). Quite a productive day today, I flattened the top (enough, I hope), and installed the vice. I even started making some bench hooks before deciding that actually my efforts are best spent on getting this one finally over the line.

It’s not strictly strictly speaking over the line - I am waiting on delivery of a scrap of leather to line the vice jaw, and I’m hoping that having the bench in this state will make it easier for me to make a proper tool well - what I’ve got there is just a couple of planks resting where the tool well ought to be.

But the linseed oil is on, the vice works, I’m calling it done! Now it’s time to practice some dovetails (or start working on some guitars!)