Benchcrafted Split-Top Roubo

Video - May 7, 2012

Finally, the Benchcrafted Split-Top Roubo workbench is complete. If you can believe it, I started this build back in October! While a workbench is a fairly large time commitment, it shouldn’t have taken me more than a month to complete. But if you add in filming, editing, my first child being born 7 weeks early, and a healthy dose of DDOS attacks on our website, it’s surprising I made it to the finish line at all! As crazy as it may sound, I am almost thankful things happened the way that they did.

Get all 23 videos for this project in the Guild!

We often talk about workbenches as being “lifetime” projects, meaning they will likely be with us for the duration of our careers. So by nature, this is a very meaningful project. But for me, it goes well beyond that. I simply can’t look at my bench without thinking of my wife and son. Every saw cut, every plane stroke, and every hole drilled has Nicole and Mateo all over it.

Now don’t get the wrong idea. I sure as heck didn’t slack off when it came to the educational side of this project. In spite of being short on sleep and a little loco en la cabeza, I was focused like a laser beam on getting these videos completed and in the hand of Guild members each and every Friday. The end result is over 10.5 hrs of high quality instructional videos!! This is our largest Guild Build to date! The short video above is just a promotional video that we plan to use on our sales pages, but I thought I would post it on the site for all to see. If you are interested in seeing this build, click here to learn more about your membership options.

Discussion

Craig Clemans May 7, 2012 12:49 pm

The Roubo is great but the real winner is the family pic! Congrats Marc!

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- thewoodwhisperer May 7, 2012 1:37 pm
  
  When I looks at those two, I DO feel like the luckiest guy in the world! :)
  
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Marilyn May 7, 2012 1:02 pm

Mato has an ow-ie! on his head. Wa happened? Workin’ my way through the build and lovin’ the content .. as ususal.

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- thewoodwhisperer May 7, 2012 1:36 pm
  
  That’s actually a hemangioma Marilyn. A benign buildup of blood vessels that is fairly common in preemies. They usually go away on their own in a couple years and thankfully, Mateo’s is very small and will be under his hair. Nicole had a couple when she was a baby so I like to say this was her gift to Mateo. :)
  
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Alex May 7, 2012 2:03 pm

This looks great and also really tempts me to join the guild. Since I’m moving soon, it doesn’t quite make sense now but after my move, I’ll really consider it. What is the next guild build?

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- tom buhl May 7, 2012 10:47 pm
  
  Hey Alex, keep in mind that besides the upcoming Guild Build, as a member you’d have access to all the past Builds. You would be able to build or just watch and learn from all the past builds. Nothing says you have to build along in real time. This bench is the first build that I’ve played along with (with delays of course) but I’ve been a member since the beginning and find value and inspiration in watching all of the builds. If you like the Spagnuolo style, the Guild is awesome value. Rock on.
  
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- thewoodwhisperer May 8, 2012 6:16 am
  
  Hey Alex. No official word yet on the next build. As soon as I know, I will make the announcement.
  
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Scott May 7, 2012 6:26 pm

Marc, I’m very happy for you and for your little family. You guys that have made the bench really inspire me to continue working.
I am going to join the guild at some point, it’s just not in the cards at the moment.
Thanks again Marc for what you are doing for all of us who love Woodworking.

Scott

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Mark Loughran May 8, 2012 6:28 am

Hi Marc

Wonderful family photo, little Mateo is growing up so fast and he’s getting cuter by the day!! The bench is amazing also, really like the detail on the leg vise!! Nice to see the variations by different guild members in the video too!! Congrats!!

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Rick Roades May 8, 2012 9:09 am

Thanks for the best video production in modern woodworking and a true “lifetime” project. I can’t help believe but there were times the last thing you wanted to do was smile at the camera or project humor into a post, but such is the nature of gratitude for the endurance and sharing visibility into your family and craft.

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Romain SAUCOURT May 9, 2012 2:17 am

Hi everybody !

Could anyone give me a link to the workbench with many holes on the top we can see in this video ?
By the way, great job, Marc !

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- thewoodwhisperer May 9, 2012 7:17 am
  
  That’s my buddy Aaron Marshall’s bench. You can read some of his posts on his blog: http://garageshop.blogspot.com...../workbench
  
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Trevor Hillman June 13, 2012 5:19 am

Are you planning on selling the workbench DVD as well? I have been toying with the idea of joining the guild but with the rediculously slow Internet and sporadic free time to work in the shop I do not know if I can justify the price. I really appreciate everything you offer and I have learned a lot from the different videos that you have available. Thanks for all that you do.

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- thewoodwhisperer June 13, 2012 6:11 am
  
  Thanks Trevor! I am a bit delayed on that thanks to the upcoming move. But we do have plans on putting the video series on DVD just like the others. I just don’t have a time-frame yet.
  
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Gord July 22, 2012 11:24 pm

Hey Marc Congrats on the addition to the family! and the bench looks great too. I am on the fence about the guild up to this point. I really really want to add this bench to my shop, and thanks to your videos from way back I am currently finishing up my out feed table with the crazy dead flat MDF top (I will post pics when finished). I guess my question is what does this project cost roughly hardware and wood? I know that all depends on suppliers / location but a rough guess would be enough to sell me on the guild! Thanks in advance!!!

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- thewoodwhisperer July 23, 2012 6:02 am
  
  Hey Gord. As you suspect, this is hard to estimate because the wood can cost hundreds or thousands. But the hardware costs around $800 if I remember correctly. And you need about 150 – 200BF of wood. Coming up very soon, you’ll be able to access the Roubo build alone without having to buy a yearly membership. Not sure if that impacts your decision but I thought I’d mention it.
  
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Ethan Harris August 3, 2012 7:34 am

Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to have my own work shop! This is going to be one of the first things I do to get it started!

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Patrick August 7, 2012 12:36 pm

I am confused the blog says that you get access to the builds by signing up for a membership but it looks like I can either buy access to the one build or become a super fan to get access to one video (not all of them as implied in the last sentence of your post). To me it would make more sense to have the following options:

1. Buy an individual plan
2. Subscription: future projects plus any single previous plan
3. Superfan: full access – future and archived. (i.e. people support you you support them)

Seems a lot more straight forward and differentiated. The other differentiators are nice to haves but do not really justify the price increases.

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- thewoodwhisperer August 7, 2012 2:47 pm
  
  Hey Patrick. I have corrected the ambiguous language in this post. There are several old posts that don’t accurately reflect the new Guild setup and I need to fix them. But the setup should be very clear on the Guild site at http://thewoodwhispererguild.com. For the most part, what you described is exactly what we have in place, with the exception of the Superfans getting the full archive. Since the archive continues to grow every year, that just isn’t an option for us.
  
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Michael August 8, 2012 8:15 pm

Wow, this is a dream workbench. It’s unfortunate that I can’t afford the benchcrafted vises. Maybe I’ll be able to find some alternative. Please tell me if you have any ideas. Thanks, Marc.

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bob August 14, 2012 8:06 pm

OK I am going to pick up 100 bft of hard maple tomorrow aside from that what is the total cost for the Bench build+hardware(vices) I understand there is a discount if your a Guild member?

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- thewoodwhisperer August 14, 2012 8:31 pm
  
  Unfortunately the discount is no longer valid. And you can take a look at the hardware prices on Benchcrafted’s site: http://benchcrafted.com/Benchbuilding.html Looks like the Benchmaker’s Package is going for $769.
  
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Ben Sterling December 6, 2012 4:06 pm

Cool bench. How did you put your logo on the vise?

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- thewoodwhisperer December 6, 2012 4:23 pm
  
  CNC gift from a viewer. :)
  
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Duncan del Toro December 16, 2012 8:51 pm

Maybe one day I’ll work on getting a bench like that in my shop (perhaps the same time when my shop stops being my 2 car garage heh). I do have a question though about the guild. So as I understand it if you join you get one past plan up to X amount and you get access to the plans made that year in the guild right?

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- thewoodwhisperer December 17, 2012 5:36 am
  
  Yes, that’s correct.
  
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Tod Jervey April 6, 2013 7:45 am

You mentioned how this bench was perfect for your use. I am looking for a table design and wonder what features do you feel are important? I’d guess the vises and ability to drop the center into the split.

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David September 17, 2013 5:18 pm

SketchUp is great for what it is, a free 3d modeler. The problem is that many people, like myself, use industry standard modeling software. I administer SolidWorks. It is almost impossible to get SketchUp files into a standard format that any other program can import. Have you ever thought about offering another type of file format such as .iges or .stp? These file types can be imported into just about any CAD modeling software. Something like that might be helpful to a great many of us out here.

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- Marc Spagnuolo September 17, 2013 5:36 pm
  
  I see what you’re saying. But I honestly never get requests for other file types. If there were enough demand, I would consider it.
  
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Rod October 17, 2013 7:17 am

Marc,
Thinking of building a Roubo work bench with drawers underneath for hand tools. I have a question about the gap stop…

1. by what mechanism do you lower the gap stop to sit flush with the fence?
2. how do you raise?
3. how high can you raise the gap stop?

Also, now that you have had a chance to use your completed Roubo for quite a while. What are your thoughts on it? If you had to do it over again, what would you do different? Did you end up liking the benchcrafted wagon vise over the traditional tail vise?

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- Marc Spagnuolo October 17, 2013 8:31 am
  
  The gap stop is cut just a big wider than the bench top. To make it sit flush, we cut notches on the under side where each rail resides. To raise the gap stop for use as a plane stop, you can simply lift the entire unit up and shift it left or right so that the notches disengage with the rails. The height is about 1/2″ but you can change that by making the gap stop wider and making the notch deeper.
  
  I gave my choice in workbenches a lot of thought before committing to one. This is after having used several benches in the past that didn’t meet my needs. That put me in a good position to finally select a design that works for me. As such, there were no real surprises with the bench in use and I am 100% happy with it. And I feel the investment in the Benchcrafted hardware is worth every penny. there are cheaper alternatives, but the smooth motion of the Benchcrafted hardware is simply awesome!
  
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Rod October 17, 2013 7:19 am

Woops!……Typo… I meant…

1. by what mechanism do you lower the gap stop to sit flush with the TABLE TOP?

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Jon March 14, 2014 9:52 am

hello marc have you ever thought of adddin gT- tracks to this bench?

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- Marc Spagnuolo March 16, 2014 7:55 pm
  
  Nope. Haven’t really had a need.
  
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Michele Armillotta May 1, 2014 8:47 am

Carissimo Marc sono un tuo fans, tempo fa vidi un video dove mi mostravi come costruire un workbench, beh ora non riesco più a trovare quel video, potresti mandarmi per e-mail il suddetto video? grazie. sicuro della vostra disponibilità Distinti Saluti.

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- Marc Spagnuolo May 1, 2014 9:58 am
  
  L’unico video che ho fatto su un banco di lavoro è stato per il legno Whisperer Gilda. Ecco un link: http://thewoodwhispererguild.c.....top-roubo/
  
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Ray Hamono June 25, 2015 6:33 am

Great site U have!
& congrats re baby. Our two in heaven.
I have wiki’d & searched EVERYWHERE but i cant find WHY one needs a SPLIT top.
What is the split for??
Why is this a secret?
Where can i find a vid showing all of its uses?
Please advise.. if U have the time,
Thankyou!
Ray H.
Oz
PS there seems to be a real absence of youtube vids on tutorials of this nature; at least nothing found using quotation marks, 7 searching with “build” not included.

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- Marc Spagnuolo June 25, 2015 6:54 am
  
  Here’s a thread on our forum that should answer all of your questions about the split:
  
  http://www.woodtalkonline.com/.....split-top/
  
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Tom Morris January 9, 2016 6:20 pm

I just watched your video on inlaying and was fascinated at your easy to understand techniques. I would like to purchase a video or book on inlaying, could you recommend which one of your books I should purchase.
Thanks for opening a new world to a 72 year old novice woodworker!
Tom Morris

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Roger Wensink February 12, 2017 8:50 pm

Marc,
Great looking bench, and family! I’m thinking about joining the guild but would like your option on the wood for it before I do. I have a friend that is remodeling his house, one of his descendants built it in the 1840’s. We have already taken logs that were in good shape and had them sawed into lumber. Mostly white oak, ash and elm. And he reciently gave me several 4×4’s that he removed from the walls. They are all closer to 4 3/4″ to 5″ but straight. They are all white oak, and other than where we removed nails they are very clean. Is there a down side to using the white oak for the work bench? It is very hard, as planing was slow with light cuts. He is giving me all the lumber I need, only cost is I will be building a few pieces of furniture for him with the lumber from the logs, to keep some history with the house.
Long story but any thoughts?
Roger

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Pär Petersson April 6, 2017 11:41 pm

Hi Marc!

First of all, I love watching your youtube-films and find it so educational. Thank you for putting your content “out there”!

I have a question about the Roubo-workbench.

I have just taken down some maple trees and will shortly cut it before putting it aside for drying. My dream is to build a Roubo-bench in a cuople of years, when the wood have dried.

My question is if it´s prefered to build the tops whit slabs or if you think it´s better to do a glue-up from, let´s say, 4″x 2″? Is it easier one way or the other? Is it more safe regarding to twist or other movement in the wood to do it with a slab or with a glue-up. I have the possibility to use a wide jointer and planer at the local woodworking company, so dealing with slabs, though heavy, is possible.

I might add that the maple we have in Sweden is not hard maple, but I think it still will give a nice result.

I hope you can give me some advice!

All the best from Pär Petersson.
Ps. Please excuse my bad spelling, English is not my first language! Ds.

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- Marc Spagnuolo April 7, 2017 7:51 am
  
  Personally I think if you can get the top out of two massive pieces, then do it. I’ve never had the good fortune but if the wood is dried properly, it should be stable. And just imagine how much less work you’d have to do!!
  
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Tripp Otto August 23, 2017 7:46 pm

Marc, this looks awesome and i’m probably going to buy this build, but i have a question similar to the one asked just above. I have plenty of 2×12″ white oak slabs air drying. It’s free lumber from my property so i’m really excited. Do you think it’s ok to use the thinner 2″ slabs instead of 4″ thick? Similarly, can i use 4×4 for legs? I know i “can”, but would it fit with vice hardware and still be strong enough for a hobbyist woodworker? I value your opinion. Thanks again, i’ve got 7 kids so i’ll be impressed if i pull off this project, but dream big!

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- Marc Spagnuolo August 24, 2017 7:46 am
  
  Hey Tripp. Are you considering making the top 2″ thick? Maybe people have thinner bench tops but there are lots of advantages to a 4″ thick top. So yes, you can do it. Would I do it? No. I would rip those slabs up into 4″ strips and turn them 90 degrees to make the 4″ thick top. The same stock could easily be used to make the legs by cutting them at about 5 1/2″ wide and then glue two together to get the thickness required. With the stock you have, I don’t see any reason to cut corners or make compromises.
  
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  - Tripp Otto August 24, 2017 8:20 am
    
    Yes, i meant the top, thanks, i’ll take your advice and go thick! Keep up the great work.
    
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Jesse December 31, 2017 10:45 pm

Marc, what’s the name of the song in the videos?

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Gary Ward December 9, 2018 11:00 am

Hi Marc,

I’m working on the end cap and the guild video said the thickness of the top above the screw show be 1-15/16″ and the template you taped to the end cap for hole placement reflected the same. However, when I pull the template from the Benchcrafted site it reflects this thickness as 1-7/8″ Should I go back and route this area another 1/16″ before moving forward?

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Geoff Bertin April 28, 2021 8:48 am

Build this bench over the last four months. Great plans, videos and material take-offs. Very pleased with the results!

Take Care

Geoff

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Benchcrafted Split-Top Roubo

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