On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 02:04:26 GMT, wrote:

The legs are traditional trestle design made with approx. 3"
square stock and attached to the cross beams with bolts screwed into a
metal piece that is inset into the cross beam.

What's a "trestle" here ? Trestles are generally free-standing, so
they have a triangular end profile. A flat top across two trestles is
fine as a workbench, but it's not rigid enough for planing. Most
woodworking benches use a couple of flat "frames" for legs, with long,
deep rails between them for rigidity. If your bench has free-standing
trestles, then I'd think about putting a rail or two between them to
improve this. Lack of rigidity is one of the major causes of
dissatisfaction in a completed bench.

My concern is taking it apart and doing more damage than I can repair.

If it's bolted, then you should have no trouble at all.

You could also just use it as it is for a while - see what you like
about it, and what you don't. If it turns out that one leg is shorter
than the other (common, owing to rot) then it's good to know that
before you dismantle for repairs.
--
Smert' spamionam