Holtzapffel workbench project #2: top and legs

I finally decided to build the Holtzapffel workbench.

I have all legs and top parts milled, legs are glued, top pieces ready for glue up.

top is ash and red oak, 3 inch thick 24 inch wide and 72 inch long
legs are red oak.
vises jaws will be ash

I have not decided yet on the layout of the top pieces, I have 6 peices of oak and 8 of ash, So like in the picture (hard to see) it might choose to be (from the front) 2 oak, 4 ash, 2 oak 4 ash 2 oak

By the way this is my first ever project, and I hope to not do a major mistake because I am out of dried lumber

Here is the legs glued, When doing this, I have not paid attention to the grain ring orientation and I don’t know if I should have. In the picture you can see that one leg was face glued with end grain ring opposed and on the other leg, the end grain were in the same orientation. I sure would like some feed back on this. on the bottom picture, some nasty cracks appeared after glue up and I wonder why. The boards were in humidity equilibrum with the shop and I sticked stack them a few days after rough cutting them. Again feedback much appreciated

-- Martin, Gatineau, Québec