Project Information
I needed to replace my old "weekend workbench" badly, and I built myself a Roubo from Douglas fir and ash. I detailed the build in this 5 part blog series "YAR! Yet Another Roubo" if you want to see scads of photos.
The new bench is amazing, and I spend less time trying to figure out how to hold work down and more time working on the projects. Not to mention it is just beautiful, and I think a shop should be as nice and inspirational as possible. It is 24" deep x 7'2" wide, and about 33" tall.
Total time was about 4 to 5 full weekends. Lumber cost about $300 (the ash came from one 8/4×9" x 6' slab for about $60), and the hardware was about $100 (two vise screws from Lee Valley, a pair of holdfasts, and some Spax lag bolts for the end caps), and a piece of leather for $12.
Here's the bench I replaced…
The vise racked, it was too light, it was too tall (36"), too deep (30"), and too narrow (5'). I had no tail/end/wagon vise, it just couldn't hold work worth a crap. And it was ugly!
The new bench is amazing, and I spend less time trying to figure out how to hold work down and more time working on the projects. Not to mention it is just beautiful, and I think a shop should be as nice and inspirational as possible. It is 24" deep x 7'2" wide, and about 33" tall.
Total time was about 4 to 5 full weekends. Lumber cost about $300 (the ash came from one 8/4×9" x 6' slab for about $60), and the hardware was about $100 (two vise screws from Lee Valley, a pair of holdfasts, and some Spax lag bolts for the end caps), and a piece of leather for $12.
Here's the bench I replaced…
The vise racked, it was too light, it was too tall (36"), too deep (30"), and too narrow (5'). I had no tail/end/wagon vise, it just couldn't hold work worth a crap. And it was ugly!