Interesting thread on workbenches....I'm gettin' set to build as well, and have 
  wondered what would be wrong with 3-4 1/2" threaded rods buried internally in 
  the benchtop?   I'm planning to build a bigun' ... a 3x8 footer,... dog holes 
and end vises on both sides.... there would be just over 2' of laminated top bet
ween dog holes....   you could match drill (i.e., use one board for a drill temp
late)   all 12+ center boards, and just start adding boards using clamps plus th
e   threaded rods which would serve both as clamps and as assembly guides thus  
 leaving out nails and excess length.   in the end, the threaded rod portion wou
ld just be buried beneath the final laminations.   Is this a crass deviation fro
m purist Neanderthal thought?   or why isn't this a   good idea.   My old bench 
(Swedish style) has threaded rod in two directions!   Of course it's hand forged
 and hand threaded, but gee.....

Tom Johnson.... a new galoot recruit