Wiley Horne--So. Calif.
Tony,

Thank you! The biggest news (for me) is that the bench is steady under planing at the moment. That moots the other questions for the time being, since they concerned the details of how to stiffen the bench.

David has said it--now you're up to work holding. There are as many different work-holding schemes as there are woodworkers in the world, so hopefully others will show what they do. Wilbur has a very effective stop system for planing, for example. Others--Derek and Roger Lance come to mind right away, have made heavy wooden twin-jaw vises that are removable additions--take them on or off. I myself like the Veritas Twin Screw Vise, and their Hold-down. [Statement: I have no relationship with Lee Valley, other than I send money, they send me stuff. However, they do have really useful stuff, and if the item doesn't suit for any reason, they make right.]

In your case, because you're moving in a matter of months, I would suggest not undertaking a big bench project, but rather work with what you've got, and add a few simple appurtenances that will assist give you another pair of hands for your most frequent operations of planing, sawing, chiseling.

Whenever I have a work holding issue, my first stop is Lee Valley, to see what they've got, and usually there are a couple three new things they've added since I was there last. This time is no exception. I went to my usual two stops: Index>Benches>Accessories and Index>Vises. Go to Vises and Bench>Accessories. Here are two items IMO you would never regret having in the future, and which would be of immediate help to you right now:

Vertical clamp: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=57059&cat=1,41637

Small vise: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=31144&cat=1,41659,41665&ap=1

Many, many applications but one I will mention that is problematic is distance ripping with Japanese saw, in that you need to do it standing up straight. What I've found is that to do this, you want the work held vertical and angled slightly away from you, so that your saw is cutting from top to bottom, and is a little higher than belly button. As you cut, move the stock up in the vise. When you get half-way, turn the work end for end, and make a new start from the other end, and meet in the middle. Advantages: Your back is straight, but major muscle groups can be used; gravity is on your side; takes only a slight movement to adjust the cut angle and extend the kerf down the board. That small vise will let you do that--I would line the jaws with leather pieces for grip--hold with two-sided tape.

For joinery sawing, you will have to experiment to see whether you prefer to have the work flat on the table and extending off, or whether you want it held more or less vertically: either the vertical clamp or the small vise will do this for you.

As David said, you will need to drill the bench top with 3/4" holes, to accept various hold downs and dogs.

The above are merely my thoughts on how you might proceed. There are many, many other ways to go. Perhaps Wilbur will show his bench stop approach--it is a practical and efficient method for hemming in the work, especially for planing.

Wiley