Instructions
Split Top Roubo Bench
Benches - Kits - Plans
NOTE: Delivery charges will NOT show in cart, but will be billed after purchase for accuracy. Delivery is available to a semi-truck accessible driveway or garage. If your street or location does not accommodate semi-trucks extra charges may apply. Please contact us for an accurate delivery quote. Delivery typically takes about 2 weeks. Not eligible for discount codes.
BACKGROUND
The Benchcrafted Split Top Roubo (STR) workbench is the culmination of over a decade of research, testing and daily use in our workshop. Our Complete STR is built to the highest standards from American hard maple and outfitted exclusively with, and specifically designed around our vises. It is an evolution and refinement of Andre Roubo's original design from his monumental woodworking treatise "The Art of the Carpenter".
Vises
The STR excels at holding work in the three most necessary positions: for working the edges, faces, and ends of boards.
Glide
The Glide Leg Vise, used primarily for working edges, functions without thought. Simply spin the massive cast iron handwheel and allow the chop to close against the workpiece. In most cases no further tightening is required. For working long boards on edge the sliding deadman comes into play providing vertical support for the opposite end of the board via a peg placed in the deadman. Holes in the front right leg also allow the attachment of a batten via holdfast for supporting even longer boards.
Crisscross
The Benchcrafted Crisscross mechanism is an integral part of the Glide. The mass and free spinning action of the handwheel are provided with unencumbered movement over the vise's entire range by the Crisscross, which completely supports the weight of the chop and Glide components. Additionally, the Crisscross completely eliminates the traditional wooden parallel guide and its adjustment pin. The Crisscross is maintenance free. Once you install it properly, there are no adjustments to make. Ever.
Tail Vise
The Tail Vise is ideal for working the faces of boards with work held between wooden dogs. You can do mallet work without worry while using the Tail Vise, since the vise's design maintains the robust structure of the top surrounding the vise. You can work the ends of boards in the Tail Vise jaw, but we prefer and recommend our Moxon Vise for dovetailing. The first dog is positioned directly over the leg, and allows clamping of very short pieces. This is handy for holding narrow boards across their width for certain tasks. An access hole in the leg allows the first dog to be pushed up easily. Every bench is provided with three dogs.
Video
Gap Stop
The Gap Stop runs down the middle of the bench between the two top sections and features a slot for storing tools.
The bottom of the Gap Stop rests on the upper short rails of the end sections and when pushed towards the end of the bench raises up 1/2" via ramped sections milled into the bottom of the Gap Stop. The stop is excellent for working boards across their width. Remove the Gap Stop entirely by simply lifting it away from the bench to clamp work directly to the top between the top sections.
1" holes are strategically placed throughout each top section for Crucible holdfasts (available separately)
Gap Stop Up
Gap Stop Down
Knockdown Design
The two end sections are joined with drawbored mortise and tenon. Each end section joins to the long rails with four Benchcrafted Barrel Nuts. This allows the base to break down for easier moving. The tops register onto the base on four massive tenons at the top of each leg and are held securely to the base with four Spax lag screws.
Construction
Our Complete Split Top Roubo is constructed with massive components in American hard maple (acer saccharum). The tops are made by laminating 8/4 stock on edge for stability, yielding tops 4" thick by 87" long. The legs are 3-1/2" thick by 5-3/8" wide with the remaining base elements 3" thick and 1-3/4" thick. The 3/4" shelf boards rest on ledger strips fastened to the rails, and are easily removed for transport or cleaning. The complete bench weighs upwards of 350 pounds. It does not move under the most rigorous woodworking activities.
S4S Kit
Our Split Top Roubo S4S Kit greatly reduces the time and effort needed to build your Split Top Roubo workbench, but still gives you the satisfaction of building your own bench. We prepare each component in the same way as when we build our complete workbenches, then you cut all the joinery and install the vises.
The kit comes with everything you need to build our Split Top Roubo bench including wood, vise hardware, and plans.
Milled from select and better white hard maple, each component is surfaced on four sides to precise accuracy, but left slightly oversized in certain dimensions for further refinement and joinery processes.
The legs, vise chop, and two top sections are laminated from 8/4 stock. The rest of the components are milled from single boards
Plans
If you wish to build your own Benchcrafted Split Top Roubo Bench, we offer our meticulously developed plans which we've refined and updated numerous times since we introduced them in 2009. Every spec and dimension is clearly defined in order to make the bench building experience as clear and enjoyable as possible.
Included in the Split Top Roubo plans
Measured Drawings
Four 20" x 30" printed pages of the measured drawings, showing the bench in numerous views, exploded, and with details of each part. Extremely comprehensive and concise. Printed on 20-lb. bond paper, edge bound, and shipped rolled in a tube, not folded.
Techniques
History, design info, construction notes and techniques, and photos of the completed bench. Provided in PDF format, we recommend looking over the notes before commencing your build.
Get the free construction notes below.
Specifications
Designed and made in the USA
*Starred specs only apply to our Complete STR and S4S Kit
87 inches
24 inches
35 inches
4 inches
350+ pounds
North American Rock Maple (Acer Saccharum)
None. Benches supplied in-the-white, ready to use.
Glide or Classic Leg Vise
Matching Tail Vise
Instructions
Installation instructions for all our products are supplied only in PDF format. Please download and review the instructions before using your product.
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