Split Top Roubo
sidfarkus Oct 02, 2016
This is a split top Roubo workbench I'm designing based on the popular plans from Christopher Schwartz's "Workbenches". Part of the goal here was to build a big hand tool friendly bench that used very cheap materials so I wouldn't worry about screwing it up. SYP isn't available in my area so I used doug fir and pine (whitewood).
The top is 2x10 Doug fir ripped in half and laminated at just over 4 inches thick. The legs are simple whitewood as I don't need much from them except to hold the bench up. The plan is to add a leg vise and an end vise but I may swap the end vise for a wagon vise.
One of the legs dressed and squared. The joinery still needs to be cut here.
Clamping up the lamination for the legs. This is 3 pieces of 5/4 whitewood glued up with one piece left long to dovetail into the top. I initially was aiming for a total bench height of just a hair over 34 inches.
After the glue up for the legs the mortises were cut. The stretchers are select pine with a 1 inch stub tenon. Not pictured is the bevel cut for the top of the leg to dovetail tenon it into the matching mortise cut in the top. Only the front legs got a dovetailed tenon the rear legs had a straight tenon.
Skipped a few steps this is after fitting the top mortises onto the legs just before glue up. Still needs a leg vise and sliding deadman (along with dogholes and the tail vise).
Some cherry I milled a few years back for the leg vise. I'm not going for perfect so I'll cut down this crack and plane it to glue up.
Leg vise installed but not finished. Still needs a wedge system (ala Jay bates) for the bottom stop.
