Bench Project Begins - This is not your Father's workbench...

The old reliable doing its job...

My main workbench in my shop was built in 1991 and has served me beyond well for every project I have built since then and has the scars to prove each one. There is nothing I would change on this bench as everything has its purpose. The plan was built from one of the early Woodsmith articles and is by most accounts it is the "traditional" European (German?) style bench.

I have however been running into some limitations with this baby, especially related to the surface area of the top. I have been building quite a few chairs and larger items and the flat working surface is limited by the well. So this project started out as possibly an assembly/outfeed table, but I really wanted to build myself a nice bench with a large working area and lots of options built in.

Of course you are building a Roubo, who isn't?

Quick sketch of the final product

Why me of course, I have not succumbed to the siren call of the avaricious modern day McGillicuddy promoting this as the only option one should consider. To me the traditional (this term is used advisedly) bench style is very flexible. This will be a wider top to serve as an assembly table with a few considerations for how it will be used.

The main field will be a 2.5" maple slab with a wider skirt on three sides. The "back" will be left open to provide an extended surface to clamp the many laminations that I do. The top will be ~28" wide x ~79" long and all Veritas hardware. There will be the quick release face vise similar to the one I have on my current bench and the end will be fitted with the Veritas twin-screw vise. The trestle base will hold a cabinet of drawers for my tools.

Flattening the top with my Sauer A1

The old bench is not going far, just down the aisle to replace the Sjobergs one I bought a few years ago, this will become the outfeed table for the saw. See where I am going with this...