I finally stopped planning...

[Tri Hoang]

and start working on a new bench. It is just another Roubo bench but I simply could not resist the urge to share my joy as the project is heading to an end.

The bench is approximately 24" x 86" x 4" and is based on the plan from Benchcrafted. I chose northern white Ash over Poplar, SYP, and Doug Fir because I found a nice bundle (8/4, 8-9% MC) at a pretty attractive price ($2/bd. ft)

The vises are from Benchcrafted. They are a little pricey but very well-made and work as advertised: effortless. I have no doubt that the vises would outlast the bench and me. The total cost so far for the bench is about $1100.

[Tri Hoang]

I chose the split top design so I handle the top myself. The down side is that it requires more work to flatten the bench. The top is also sensitive to the amount of pressure put on by the 8 lag screws holding it down to the legs.

[Tri Hoang]

I have two pair of brass dogs/pups from LV for a few years now and they work fine. However, after a few close encounters with the brass, especially in thin stock, I decided to make some (18+) wooden dogs. They are pretty straight forward to make, easy to adjust up/down, and have more holding power than I ever need.

I also put a planing stop on the front slab. It would have been better if I put in inline with the dog holes instead of middle of the bench.

[Andy Hsieh]

That is awesome! Nice job - if you keep it up, your gonna actually be expected to build something for the SWMBO :)

[Tri Hoang]

I resisted the temptation to smooth the bench with my smoothers & stopped instead with my jointer plane. The bench is finished with a heavy coat of Watco Danish oil and a coat of wax. I also put a coat of clear shellac over the frame.

It was a lot of work. It could have been better has I did not take a few shortcuts and had more discipline. Overall, I'm happy with the result.

Thanks for viewing & sharing my joy.

[Mark Wyatt]

I love the choice of materials and hardware. Beautiful.

[Bob Jones]

Wow. very nice.

[Don Dorn]

A fantastic bench. I built one that is the split design, and it's fully functional, but not nearly as beautiful as yours. Congratulations.

[Gary Hodgin]

Congratulations, very nice bench!

[Stephen Cherry]

looks great

[Leigh Betsch]

Boy that looks sweet. I gotta seriously consider the split top when I stop procrastinating and build a new bench.

[Peter Cobb]

Count me in on the envy group!
Looks really nice. What height did you go for?(as I s'pose 4" is the thickness of the top)
Cheers,
Peter

[Kemil Pepin]

That's a fine looking bench, I'm sure it will be totally functional too. Great job!

[Jim Koepke]

What a great bench.

Do you have a piece to put into the center if you want a solid top?

It would be nice to have the split for some clamping operations. Are there any other advantages?

jim

[Michael Peet]

Your bench looks awesome, Tri. Glad to hear the BC vises work as advertised. Did you get the new version of the tail vise or the old one?

I know what you mean by "a lot of work"; I've been working on mine since Feb and have a long way to go yet. What a learning experience though.

Mike

[Tri Hoang]

Thanks everyone for your encouragement words.

Peter - the bench height is around 31". A little on the low size but works great for standing tall boards on the bench. I tend to favor working on a board edge without vise/clamp if it can stand on its own. I'd consider adding a joinery bench on top to raise the working height to around 36-37 for detail work.

Jim - the main advantage of the split top for me is the ease of construction. It made the slabs more manageable. The front slab is about 2" wider than the back.

Michael - I have the V.2 version of the tail vise so the excavation is a little easier. Good luck with your bench build and don't forget to post some pics.

I've since added the gap stop, a crochet, and shelf.