The Benchcrafted Split-Top Roubo Begins!

Article - October 21, 2011

Be sure to read the entire article for a special limited time offer!

Since I first expressed dissatisfaction with my workbench several years ago, I have received numerous requests for a workbench project. My canned response was always, “Sure, some day!” Well, that day has finally arrived. I am proud to announce the next Wood Whisperer Guild Build: The Benchcrafted Split-Top Roubo Workbench. The Roubo is a proven design that will serve as a “career workbench” and will never need to be replaced. Whether you’re into hand tools, power tools, or both, this bench will serve all of your work-holding needs.

The bench and its hardware are, without a doubt, what I would consider “top of the line”. Last year at Woodworking in America, I had a chance to use the Benchcrafted hardware and I was blown away by the quality. I knew immediately that my next and FINAL workbench would include this gear.

Pricing

Now I’m not going to kid you here folks. As presented, this is going to be a very expensive build. But we are doing everything we can to keep the costs down and the value high. As part of our partnership with Benchcrafted, the hardware is being offered at a special discounted rate for Guild members. The discount is being offered immediately and will be valid up to 6 months after the build is complete. With the holidays coming, I wanted to give folks enough time before and after the build to make their purchases. My recommendation would be to buy the hardware now so that you have it on hand and ready to go for the build in January. And as a special bonus, if you do decide to purchase a hardware kit, you’ll receive a 3-month add-on to your Guild membership. Buy your Workbench Hardware Kit today!

Schedule

The build will take place in January 2012. Between now and then I plan on having some interviews and events that will help set the stage for this fundamental build. On a personal note, I would like to explain some of what is happening behind the scenes. I plan on building and filming this project well before Christmas. In January, I will release the videos to the Guild every Friday until the project is complete. The reason for this has everything to do with Nicole’s due date being Dec. 23rd. With a newborn in the house in January, I don’t plan on doing much actual woodworking. So you’ll have to forgive me for not building “in real time” on this one. :)

Join the Guild

Join the Guild to get immediate access to the entire Split-Top Roubo workbench build!

Discussion

cleveland carr October 21, 2011 10:32 am

As a carpenter of around ten years. I have formed, framed, trimmed and built scaffold ontop of or around anything you can imagine….I truly believe that I am a cabinet maker in the soul…Although my tool set is extensive…i have found it is about completely useless for cabinet making…I have slowly but surely started purchasing the hand tools required for my new adventure..similar to marriage..it’s slow and grueling and expensive….but i do have a few questions for you though… where might a man find quality tools for this craft that are affordable…I’m not a harbor freight man i do not mind spending mone on tools…but I cannot afford 300$ block planes….but the planes I do have are old (which I don’t mind that they are old….my father left them when he passed) but the irons are a nightmare to maintain….please help hahah thank you look forward to a responce
Cleveland

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 21, 2011 10:56 am
  
  Hey Cleveland. This is a big frustration for lots of woodworkers. It seems you can’t really get guaranteed quality until you get into the Lie-Nielsen and Veritas price range. Recently though, there have been offerings from companies like Stanley, Wood River, and Groz, that are starting to hit that “reasonably priced” sweet spot. The reviews are mixed and you might need to do a little tuning, but you can certainly get some nice working planes without having to take out a second mortgage.
  
  Also consider the possibility of upgrading your current planes with new irons. Aftermarket irons can significantly improve performance on older planes.
  
  Reply
- Richard Kresge October 21, 2011 11:10 am
  
  I can personally say that the wood river are a great set of plains, i bought the number 6 plane about 7 months ago for a project. I was sold after about 10 mins of use. Since then i have bought the rest, and woodcraft sells them in group packages which make the cost a lot more reasonable. I use to have some old planes that were given to me by people and since i upgraded planing is a lot less work and to me worth every penny and i still don’t feel like i burned a hole in my pocket for all the planes i have now.
  
  Reply
- Brian Gibson October 21, 2011 1:32 pm
  
  I was just browsing woodcraft’s website and found some GROZ Jack, Bench and Block planes in the overstock section for $16-20. You can get a GROZ Jointer plane for $48.or a Block and Bench planes set for $40.. You can get pretty well outfitted for around $100.
  
  Reply
  - Jon May 21, 2012 6:37 pm
    
    Brian:
    
    Several weeks ago I bought the GROZ plane set (#4 & block) you were looking at ($35.99 plus S&H for the pair I believe) . They are not too bad IF you know ahead of time you’re going to have to do some serious reworking to make them perform like the the Stanley knock-offs they are intended to be. They are made in India, come with absolutely no documentation, no parts list, no warranty, and are smothered in cosmoline (that military preservative that lasts forever). Woodcraft does offer a honing service, but I prefer to do my own grinding and honing. I had plenty of reworking to do (6 to 8 hours worth) long before I was anywhere near regrinding and honing. The plane irons themselves, however, seem to be quite adequate.
    
    Reply
- Jerry S October 21, 2011 2:55 pm
  
  Cleveland, seriously looks into replacement blades for those old planes. If they are Stanley planes, Hock blades would be a great place to start. I think they cost around $40? Not a bad price to make a heirloom super sweet. I have an old #4 stanley with a Hock blade. butter. You can find many old Stanley for $20-$50 on ebay. Just make sure they are pre WWII. Thanks just my to two cents.
  Jerry S
  
  Reply
- Randy K November 25, 2011 10:07 am
  
  Hey Cleveland,
  
  I’d suggest Craig’s list, swap meet and Ebay. Looking for a quality tool takes patients, if you’re like me more time than money.
  
  Because you’ll still need to learn to work the tool. For example a plane may need lapping, and squaring, and the blade needs to be sharpened. So learn on a decent tool, and you’ll get good results. I’ve bought a plane on Ebay with a broken tote, but made my own and it’s all good.
  
  As a 2nd generation carpenter myself, cabinet making isn’t the same as in the trade.
  
  Hope this helped.
  
  Randy
  
  Reply
- Gene January 7, 2012 9:19 pm
  
  No doubt you’ve figured out that there is a never ending list of handtools. I guarantee you will need the one you don’t have at some point. That said, one of the best investments you can make to keep your edge tools in shape are a selection of stones, and sharpening accessories. That will run a couple hundred at least. Then there’s scrapers, saws, chisels and carving tools, etc. etc. And the world of round stuff – lathes and the unique set of accessories that go with them.
  
  Some of this you can build yourself of course or recondition by replacing handles and so on. Don’t over look estate and farm auctions.
  
  Reply
Tom Iovino October 21, 2011 10:36 am

Marc –

Now, you just have to hope Nicole isn’t early with little Amerigo Spagnuolo! :-)

Looking forward to this one. And, if need some guest bloggers to fill in the gaps during the January time frame, we’re always willing and able to step in!

Reply
- Charles Kwakye October 23, 2011 10:37 am
  
  Hey do anyone know how Marc & Nichole registered on amazon for little Marc. He said it earlier. My computer computer has been down can not retrieve my old mail mail. I couldn’t find it on amazon. Any information will help.
  Thx .
  Charles. Kwakyec@sbcglobal.net
  
  Reply
  - thewoodwhisperer October 23, 2011 11:27 am
    
    Hey Charles. We are registered at both Babys R Us and Amazon. You should be able to find it by searching for Nicole Spagnuolo.
    
    And this is really the first time I am mentioning this publicly. Nicole and I are in NO WAY expecting anyone to buy us anything. We made the registry for family and friends. Just want to make sure this wasn’t misconstrued. :) Nicole had her baby shower yesterday so I am not sure what’s left on the registries.
    
    Reply
John October 21, 2011 10:51 am

That’s a phenomenal workbench. I would love to do it.
I’d just need a new workshop first – that thing is MASSIVE! :)

-John

Reply
Alex October 21, 2011 1:43 pm

2 of these in my shop would me nice! (I’m greedy)

Reply
jose varela October 21, 2011 3:26 pm

An extraordinary bank, there remembers very much to the bank of pine his torch of my grandfather cabinet-maker, that unfortunately I do not inherit, since I have many incidental to work manually, I have one also very similar and can assure that it is the best bank of work for the carpentry, it if what has been called me the attention is the steering wheel to press the screw.

Reply
William October 21, 2011 4:03 pm

How much do you expect the wood to cost? Any plans to offer project packs with bell forest products? Thanks!

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 21, 2011 4:29 pm
  
  Hey William. The price will vary widely. Benchcrafted recommends you purchase at least 150BF and 200BF if you can, just to give you more flexibility. Let’s say you find an inexpensive wood for $2/BF, would cost you $300-$400. If all you can find is wood fo $4/BF, you will pay double the previous figure at $600-$800. So I guess it would be safe to say it will most likely cost somewhere between $300 and $800.
  
  As for Bell, we are definitely talking with them about it. But I can see why they might be hesitant about shipping this much material. Shipping prices would be insane. If you have a local source, you are probably going to save quite a bundle.
  
  Reply
Mo Theron October 21, 2011 6:54 pm

I can’t wait for this project. Marc what wood did you decide to use?

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 22, 2011 8:09 am
  
  I’m going with soft maple.
  
  Reply
Woodscreamer October 22, 2011 11:36 am

Soft maple? I thought you preferred hard maple for benches?

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 22, 2011 12:19 pm
  
  Well that is what my old bench was made out of. But after giving it more thought and discussing it with the community, I decided that soft maple would be a better choice for me.
  
  Reply
Mo Theron October 22, 2011 12:44 pm

What specifically about soft maple made select it ? What finish will you be using in conjunction with the soft maple?

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 22, 2011 12:45 pm
  
  I think its a good compromise between hardness and workability. Well, its a little on the harder side of the scale which I like. But not quite as difficult to work as hard maple. For the finish, I’ll probably just seal it with a coat or two of an oil/varnish blend. Nothing fancy.
  
  Reply
Arif October 22, 2011 6:39 pm

Man, this would be a nice time to join the Guild – I’ve been on the fence for a while. I’ve got a decent enough bench for the time being but want to build something like this so badly. Too many honey-do’s on the list though to justify $1k+, at least right this second. Good news is the extended discount on the hardware.

Is it going to be pretty easy to substitute a different manufacturer’s bench hardware, or are the plans going to be very tailored to the Benchcrafted hardware? Even going with LV/Veritas hardware would lower the cost by a bit methinks (never thought I’d say that).

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 23, 2011 8:43 am
  
  Hey Arif. The plans are tailored to the Benchcrafted hardware. But in actuality, you can very easily substitute a different leg vise. And since pretty much all workbenches start simply as a slab of wood, you can just leave out the details for the tail vise and instead include the vise of your choice. We do plan on talking about alternatives in the video series, although I may not be able to do an actual install demonstration for each on. Only so much time and budget to work with.
  
  I should also add that if you do join and you aren’t ready to build the bench, you are always free to download the videos and keep them for your own private use in the future.
  
  Reply
Brad October 23, 2011 6:15 am

Marc,
Do you know of a way to get a slightly scaled down version of this bench plan? Would love to build it, but it is too big for the area I would have to put it. Even if I don’t build this now, looking forward to joining the guild after the holidays. Thanks

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 23, 2011 8:45 am
  
  Well you can certainly just start knocking off inches in each dimension. As long as you leave the appropriate clearances for the hardware, you should be fine.
  
  Reply
Roger October 23, 2011 3:41 pm

Marc,
What wood is your current bench made out of? Also the one in the photo, what type of wood is that? I live in aust so I have been brought up on the metric system (the correct measuring system) :) am I able to get your plans in metric? All these feet and inches just confuses me. :) thanks

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 23, 2011 4:21 pm
  
  Current bench is hard maple and the one in the photo is soft maple.
  
  And yes you can get a metric version. The plans are generated in SketchUp so its very easy to convert to metric. Just keep in mind the project was not designed in metric so you won’t have perfect round numbers.
  
  Reply
Mo Theron October 23, 2011 5:34 pm

Brad,

I feel you pain, I was raised in South Africa and after being in the US for 5 years I still don’t get this measuring system. The metric system is much more accurate I pesonaly think:), Anyhow I am force to live with this so my life saver is a mesuring type that has both on it and a iphone app. After about a year youl get use to convert on the fly.

Mo

Reply
Michael Plaut October 23, 2011 6:45 pm

Michael says:

Marc,

Can you explain, what advantages does the split table top offer?
How can I order your videos on DVD,S?
I plan to goin the Guild next week, very inspiring for any wood worker.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 24, 2011 8:31 am
  
  There are a couple advantages that I can see. First, the split top allows for clamping in the center of the table. Any shop clamp should be able to slip in the gap and do its job.
  
  Another is the fact that the gap turns into a plane stop. Nice to have one built it although its probably only useful on shorter boards.
  
  The third is ease of construction. When built, the two slabs can fit through pretty much any planer. So they are easier to assembly and flatten. And in the future, you can disassemble the bench and send the tops through a planer to clean them up.
  
  As for DVDs, you can order them through our store: http://twwstore.com/
  
  Hope that helps!
  
  Reply
Dean October 25, 2011 5:39 pm

I noticed that the bench top has “square” dog holes. Will the Guild build be with these square dog holes or the round dog holes? If square, will you be showing how to fabricate wooden square dogs as a low cost alternative to the metal square dogs? Thanks.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 25, 2011 5:52 pm
  
  I will be making traditional square dog holes. But I do plan on showing how to make round ones as well. And i will indeed be making the dogs myself.
  
  Reply
  - Dean October 25, 2011 7:07 pm
    
    Thank you Marc. One other reason I asked about square versus round dog holes is for the people who are using or want to use the traditional holdfasts. I would think that one could build the bench with square bench dog holes and strategically place a few round dog holes in the top for holdfasts. I have heard of woodworkers using a round holdfast in square dog holes, but it sounded like an exception to me.
    
    Reply
    - thewoodwhisperer October 25, 2011 9:00 pm
      
      The Benchcrafted design actually has some round holes throughout the top for that exact purpose. Nice to have all bases covered.
Stephen S October 26, 2011 10:39 am

Great project! Been wanting to join for awhile now. Will definitely have to scrape up some funds for this now. Any paticular reason for going with the Benchcrafted tail vise vs reusing your Veritas twin screw? Haven’t used either but the Veritas would seem the superior vise.

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 26, 2011 10:54 am
  
  Having used the Veritas Twin Screw for a few years now, I am actually looking forward to trying something new. I find that the set screw comes loose far too often, resulting in the chain slipping. Its easy enough to tighten it up but after 10 or 15 times it gets old. I also constantly bump into the large wooden handles and I frequently snag my microphone cable on them. Obviously not everyone will have that problem. And functionally, I think the leg vise provides superior performance and options. One of the things I like about the twin screw is its ability to take a panel right down the middle. But you are limited to the distance between the screws. With a leg vise, you can clamp pretty much any width panel you want.
  
  Overall I find the vise a little tedious. So I am looking forward to the quick/smooth action of the Benchcrafted hardware. Overall, I just find that it suits my personal needs better.
  
  And keep in mind, this is all personal opinion anyway. I know many folks who are ecstatic with their twin screw vises.
  
  Reply
  - Randy K November 26, 2011 8:50 am
    
    Hey Marc,
    If you counterbore the threaded rod you could prvent that from happening. Should be only cold rolled, so it’ll drill.
    
    Randy
    
    Reply
Dean October 27, 2011 1:03 pm

I was wondering if a lower cost alternative to the Benchcrafted (BC) vise could be offered to those who don?t have the money for the BC leg vise? One that comes to mind is the Lake Erie Toolworks wood screw vise kit ($185 for the full kit). Of course for those who can afford the BC there?s nothing like spinning down the chop with that wonderful hand wheel and knob. If one went with a wood vise screw like the Lake Erie, then they could be responsible for reading the accompanying instructions for installation (prior to drilling a hole in the leg and chop for the vise). Not trying to complicate the Guild build, but just a thought.

http://lakeerietoolworks.com/s.....=cid%3D%26

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer October 27, 2011 2:07 pm
  
  We are actually encouraging members to consider other options. The more the merrier. I probably won’t be able to arrange for special pricing or anything only because I don’t want to step on Benchcrafted’s toes here. But there is no reason we can’t discuss other options and share links like this Lake Erie Toolworks version.
  
  Reply
  - Dean October 27, 2011 3:02 pm
    
    Thank you Marc. That is what I call being very considerate. I appreciate that. I does confirm one other thing for me personally, and that it sounds like I’m not in big trouble here for posting such a suggestion. One last thought: I would that everyone could have a set of Benchcrafted vises, myself included!
    
    Reply
Marty July 17, 2012 11:48 am

Hi Mark,

Is BenchCrafted still offering Guild member discounts after July 1st ? If so what is the price on the Roubo bench package ?

Marty

Reply
- thewoodwhisperer July 17, 2012 12:05 pm
  
  Unfortunately no.
  
  Reply

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The Benchcrafted Split-Top Roubo Begins!

Pricing

Schedule

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