What Will I Receive?
- Detailed cut list and plans including a PDF and a SketchUp file (Metric and Imperial).
- Hours of detailed video instruction showing every step of The Hybrid Workbench Build.
- All videos and plans are digital and will be available for download upon purchase.
What Will I Learn?
- Selecting a wood for your workbench
- Constructing and flattening a large bench top
- Constructing large legs and rails
- Large-scale mortise and tenon joints
- Knock-down hardware installation
- Constructing a gap-stop
- Constructing various sliding accessories
- Drilling dog holes and holdfast holes
- Improving the holding power of holdfasts
- Painting hardware a more awesome color
- Face Vise Installation
- Quick Release Vise Installation
- Selecting a finish for your workbench
- Finishing with Danish Oil and Polyurethane
What Will I Need?
This bench is what you make of it. I will provide links to items I used as well as some reasonable alternatives, but you should think about your options and shop accordingly.
Materials
- Approximately 75 BF of 8/4 Hardwood Lumber, 4BF of 4/4 Lumber (minimum)
- 1 1/4” Dowel – 12” Length
- 1/4 Sheet of 3/4” Plywood
- Bell Forest Products has Wood Kits available for this project.
Tools
- Tablesaw, Jointer, Planer, Bandsaw, Miter Saw, Router with edge guide, drill press, hand drill, hand plane
- Wood Owl Auger bit 3/4″ – Used to drill 3/4″ dog holes.
- 1/2” Up-Cut Spiral Bit – For making mortises.
- 9/16” Drill Bit (for drilling knock-down bolt holes)
- 1 3/8” Forstner Bit (for counterboring for knock-down bolts)
- 1 1/4” Forstner Bit (For locating dowels that join the top to the legs)
- 1″ Forstner Bit (For installing knock-down cross dowels)
- For Vise Installation (3/16″ drill bit, 3/4″ drill bit, 1 1/8″ drill bit, 6 – 1/4″ x 2″ Lag Screws, 6 – 1/4″ x 1 1/2″ Lag Screws, 12 – 1/4″ Flat Washers)
- Integrated Power – Rockler Grommet Template
- Caster Plates (8 – 1/4″ x 2″ Flat Head Screws)
Workbench Accessories & Supplies
- Regular Front Vise (mounted in the front position)
- (Alternative Front Vise) Yost Tools F9WW 9″ Front Vise
- Regular Quick Release Front Vise (mounted on the right side)
- (Alternative Quick Release Vise) Rockler Quick Release Vise
- Knock-Down Bolts & Cross-Dowels – If you want a knock-down design.
- 4 – 5″ Long Spax Screws
- Workbench Casters with Quick Release Plates – If you want a mobile workbench.
- 20 amp Marine Hull Outlet – If you want a powered bench.
- If you only have 15 amp circuits, consider a much cheaper Desktop Power Grommet
- TayTools 4-pack of Dogs
- Dog Bushing – Not required but can make drilling dog holes easier.
- Rubber Caps for Vise Handles – If you make your own vise handles, you’ll want these for the ends.
- Cork Rubber – Used for lining vise jaws
- Gramercy Holdfasts – Good solid holdfasts.
- Magnifying Lamp
- Leather Holdfast Sleeves
- A copy of Hybrid Woodworking – The perfect Hybrid Workbench accessory!
Is it still a Roubo?
Absolutely! The primary features of a Roubo include an apronless design, a thick top that negates the need for an upper rail, and a flush front surface. I just made this one a little lighter, smaller, more mobile, and knock-down.
What if I want it to be a different size?
It’s a trivial thing to adjust the dimensions to suit your needs. Want it longer? Increase the length of the overhangs. Want it taller? Add some length to the legs. If you need to make major changes to the length and width, you’ll want to adjust the length of the rails accordingly.
Can I install Andy Klein's Twin Turbo Vise?
Andy’s vises require 16″ of clearance between the end of the workbench and the legs of the base. As designed, the Hybrid Workbench gives you a 12″ overhang on the right and a 4 1/4″ overhang on the left. The easiest way to install the Twin Turbo Vise is to simply shift the top to the right. If you make it flush on the left, you’ll end up with a 16 1/4″ overhang on the right. This works, but I think you would be better served by keeping the overhang on the left as designed and simply adding an additional 4″ to the right side of the top, increasing the total top length from 66″ to 70″. Please keep in mind, Andy’s swivel mechanism add-on requires an additional 2″, for a total of 18″ of clearance.
A little history…. Back in 2011 I built the original Split-Top Roubo Workbench which features top-of-the-line Benchcrafted hardware. To this day, the Roubo is one of the top-selling projects in the Guild and hundreds of Guild members have built one. Over the course of 10 years, I’ve had a lot of feedback about the design and many folks are looking for something different: a bench that’s smaller, less expensive, mobile, knock-down, and modernized. As a self-confessed hybrid woodworker (using both hand and power tools) and being the author of Hybrid Woodworking, I too found myself longing for a bench with a few key changes that would suit my personal style of woodworking a little better. So I set out to make a new workbench that satisfies not only my needs but also incorporates many of your requests, and I’m happy to say I think I nailed it. This bench is truly something special and I hope you enjoy building and using it.
If you’re curious about the size difference between the Split-Top Roubo and The Hybrid Workbench, check out this side by side.
