Just a quick one, but does unloading your junk etc into any bench located pool it so it can be used ?

or are all bench inventory's unique to that bench. i hope the former

The workbenches are separate from one another until you set up supply lines that pool the resources of the connected settlements.

Im not certain if the junk that isnt broken down is shared with supply lines

ie if you have oil and copper it is.

but if you have it still in the form of a canister/toy then it isnt.

I was trying o figure this out last night and I'm pretty sure it's the case as I couldnt build things at one settlement that I could at the other (linked with supply line)

They're connected within each given settlement (junk dropped off at the weapons workbench will be available at the armour bench), but you need to set up supply lines to access junk left at the Red Rocket workbench while you're at the Drive-In (for example)

Suppose what i need to know is, if your in a building clearing it out and you come across a bench, and dump all your Junk... i lose it then... it doesnt all collate back into 1 big junk pool ?

mean i gotta hump it to vendor and sell

All crafting stations in a settlement are linked to the same (hidden) container. Without the Local Leader perk, though, you can't access materials at a different settlement.

how do u setup supply lines, or does that come later ? I'm level 18 just nailed kellogs

You need the second level of the Local Leader perk under charisma - also lets you build stores/etc.

You only need rank 1 to set up supply lines.

Highlight a settler in build mode and the option to set up a supply line will appear.

I have Rank 1 and have set up some supply lines. The inventory from my first workshop is not available at the one I linked it to and neither is that ones available at the next one I linked it to.

I thought the perk wasn't working but I hadn't set up supply lines. Now I've set up supply lines I'm convinced it isn't working!

Next time I level up I'll grab Rank 2 and test it again.

thanks guys

Perk is definitely working. If you put a junk item in your workbench at Sanctuary that specific junk item will NOT be in your Red Rocket workbench BUT the materials that it can auto scrap into will be accessible from there.