Can someone please explain to me how to setup that mending bench. i keep seeing posts about it being broken and quirky and needing materials storaged near it in specific ways.

it works for 1 pair of cloth pants , but the other pair of cloth pants next to it ? NO. These are evil pants. the righteous pure mending bench refuses to touch that particular pair of cloth pants. Infact, after seeing these filthy cloth pants the mending bench refuses to repair ANYTHING anymore.