Thank you. All neat ideas so far. I actually rebuilt the bench. It wasn't too hard, and I think it will be worth the effort in the long run. I laid a fresh sheet of 1/4 inch ply, and think I'll go with the homasite idea. So far, I've gone through the instructions a couple of times, once while looking at the plans and have done inventory. It's amazing that somehow, this stack of wood and balsa will eventually be an airplane! Going to either pick up or fashion a good set of sanding bars...long and short, and invest in a good set of blades for the knife. (I always think in terms of you get what you pay for). That also applies to aircraft I've learned lol. Anyway, happy thanksgiving to everyone, and I'll hopefully be adding my progress as the time progresses. So far, the advice has been great. Lucky to have found you all.