Hybrid Roubo Workbench

The workbench at the woodworkers club, a bolt together commercial bench, was old and rickety. It shook more than the vibrating bed in a cheap motel and it was time to replace it with a new and functional workbench.

With the help of some club members we built a new bench based on the “Hybrid Roubo Bench” featured in John Tetrault’s Fine Woodworking Magazine’s video series.

The new bench is made from wood that we had in the club’s woodshed. We think it is pine, its been there a while.
The bench is 62” long, 24” wide and 34” high. The top is a shade under 3” thick and made by laminating several boards together. The quite heavy and rock solid. It does not move.

The legs are 4” thick x 5” wide and were made by laminating two 1” thick boards on either side of a 2” thick core. This made cutting the joinery for the dovetail tenon quite easy. The stretchers were made using a similar method.

The legs are joined to the top and bottom side rails with through tenons which have been draw-bored and glued. The legs and top connect via a mortise and tenon joint into the top.

The two stretchers join the leg assemblies together and the dovetailed through tenons are held in place with walnut wedges. We used some walnut for the vice chops on the two Record 52 1/2 vices taken from the old bench. A series of dog holds were drilled along the bench to be used with the end vice.

The sliding deadman is also made from walnut.

A bottom shelf made, supported by cleats on the stretchers was made from ash and a piece of oak (ie whatever was in the Club’s wood shed)

The bench can be moved by lifting up the front end with a small levered dolly made with two wheels and some 3/4 inch pipe.

Finally we did a bit of relief carving and added the club name to the front of the bench.

-- Peter, Woodbridge, Ontario