A Massive Roubo Workbench with a Superpower

[@michaelkelley6905]

I’ve watched hundreds of videos on workbench builds and read a lot of articles and books on design features and functionality. This is an amazing build! Incredibly beautiful and what a beautiful bench. Awesome skills. The budget must have been ridiculous! Thanks for showing us! I’d love to know how much it weighs.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Kind words, I really appreciate it! No idea of the total weight, we assembled as shown and it’s never moved, even a little! 😂

[@Jackcarr87]

At the end of almost all bench making videos, I think to myself "well I could build that if I had all those tools". I thought I definitely COULDN'T make this just a few minutes in! Great job.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Haha.. It certainly seemed simpler when I decided to start.. I don't think I could would ever want to build this bench again. Thanks for the kind words! 👍

[@blemtaters]

neither could he. the cnc made all the joinery.

[@AndrewKleinWW]

Beautiful work, so happy I could help

[@pixelwoodworks]

Grateful for your input and help! The Twin Turbo Vise has worked perfectly and its hard to imagine using a bench with a vise that didn't have an accelerated gear ratio!

[@pemj7360]

I've built custom vices for a friend of nine who is a joiner/master carpenter. . Being a welder fabricator and engineer. His vice is totally over engineered and over kill . But he's a happy chappy . You will forgive me if I don't show him this wonderful video. I couldn't bare the stress again. . Thank you for a great video. And all the best Pad from the uk 🇬🇧

[@pixelwoodworks]

What's wrong with over engineering? :chuckle:

[@BrailsfordWoodworks]

You did an amazing job! It is very original!

[@MrEldoradot]

I have watched plenty of woodworking projects that used the word "ultimate" to describe the project. I do believe this one defines the word ultimate. It is beyond my capabilities.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@annayoder6036]

I’m speechless, that’s amazing! IKEA instructions stump me so I am in awe of your amazing skills! The video was captivating, watching it all come together, and entertaining!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video. Don't worry about IKEA, I still can't pronounce half their product names.

[@rabieamziani8267]

Very informative video. But more than that, it was funny. The final product turned out to be magnificent.

[@lorilabian8203]

Agree. It was entertaining for me, and I don’t care about wood working.

[@pixelwoodworks]

I was aiming for magnificent, but I would have settled for 'not a complete disaster.' Thanks for the kind words!

[@jacobingram-dodd4108]

Well done, thats amazing. First scratch is gonna hurt of course!

[@RichardLamUSA]

Super Duper Awesome!!!! This will be The New New Yankee Workshop...😀

[@pixelwoodworks]

But Richard.. I'm from the South! 😅 Thank you so much!

[@pkwoodworking]

Amazing work, so funny how the algorithms keep cool channels hidden for so long. Keep up the great content!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@tlangridge]

Awesome build! Super impressive. "video creation is not really my thing" - yeah right! Nice job!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Yeah but you should have seen how much hair I had before I started! I was like an 80's rockstar! 😁

[@tlangridge]

@@pixelwoodworks keep putting out videos like this and you'll be a 2020's rockstar before you know it!

[@peterlee2969]

Awesome work Derek! The ending was the best.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks! I'll start the trek to Sugar Land immediately. Should be there by 2045!! :D

[@lorilabian8203]

Because you know it’s true!!! 😂

[@lorilabian8203]

Nailed it, as usual! I may be biased, but you did well. Now that you have this amazing work bench, you can start building stuff with the wood we have tucked all over the house. 😂😘 awesome work, Derek!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks! Now, about that wood... do you mean the 'decorative logs'? :D

[@lorilabian8203]

@@pixelwoodworks 🤣 totally. At some point, it just starts to feel like art.

[@pixelwoodworks]

​@@lorilabian8203 I always knew we were trendsetters. Wood storage is the new home decor!

[@lorilabian8203]

@@pixelwoodworks same with dog grooming equipment. It adds a little something “extra” to the house.

[@pixelwoodworks]

@@lorilabian8203 It's just called strategic clutter! 😂

[@nickyork8901]

Very interesting project, innovative and beautifully done.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks so much for the positive feedback!

[@ericaholly-xd7oz]

Expressive!!! Excellent step by step video. I could undoubtedly repeat this process . Your Hard work payed off !!!!!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks for the vote of confidence! Just remember, if you do try it, safety glasses are a must! 😂

[@Onix64]

Nice work!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you so much!

[@zhazha2540]

This is the coolest Roubo workbench I have seen, great job!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you so much! I better do my neck exercises before my head gets too big! 😜

[@TPublic]

Your workbench looks awesome! You did a nice job building it, and I can see the attention to detail and craftsmanship that went into it.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Detail, craftsmanship, and blood, sweat, and tears... but mostly blood and tears, especially blood. 😝

[@karatekid10908]

This is an amazing design. Talk about even clamping pressure! Genius and truly the best of both worlds. Great design

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you so much for your kind words!

[@dennismacwilliams196]

I love it, I've never seen a split top bench that movess'. Good Video FYI

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks so much for the support!

[@PianoMan365247]

Amazing work, congrats!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks, your support means a lot!

[@jonsoucy6974]

Beautiful work!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you so much, it was a labor of love.. yeah, thats it, thats the ticket.. 🥸

[@Yoeau]

Can I ship a log over to your workshop and have a similar bench made? 😜 Very impressed with how it came out. Neat to see all of the tools and woodworking equipment you use on this project.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Sure thing! Just be aware, long-distance relationships between a log and a woodworker can be pretty intense. 😜

[@areabum]

Very nice build. You have a pretty insane shop there.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you for the kind words. It's going to be a real pain to move this shop some day! :D

[@ChrisMongeon]

definitely a lot of work went into this build, and the end result looks amazing. nice job!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Coming from you! That's saying something! 🤣Thank you so much!

[@acat5520]

That boy at 1:32... He got some nice pjs

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks! We only recruit the best-dressed assistants in this workshop and we take pajama fashion very seriously in this household. 😂

[@billbyrnes9505]

Forget how much it weighs, The shop looks, just a little crowded, But the friggin' machines. Dang it son? Two young kids standing in the play ground, One says to the other, " Been woodworking long? " Maybe, how long did it take to build? Hours, days, weeks?

[@kurttalert]

Legit! Incredible work, and easily the most unique bench build I’ve ever seen. I’m about 90% done with my bench build, which will have two of Andy’s TTVs on it. I’m now officially inspired to get back down to the basement and finish it off!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Congratulations Kurt and thank you! How long have you been working on it? The last 10% has to be the hardest, probably because it stretches into 20% :D How are you using those TTV's, end vise and face vise? If your posting pictures of your build, feel free to share a link!

[@kurttalert]

@@pixelwoodworks 2023 has just been Marc’s miter station, this bench, and redoing tool/shop layout and dust collection pipes. Mostly random weeknights- a few hours here, a few hours there. Occasionally I’d get a half a day on a weekend and get a good chunk of work done. The bench is Third Coast Craftsman’s “ultimate workbench” but with TTVs instead of the specified vises. One 14” face, 20” end. Swivel mount on the end, fast travel handles on both. I just have to do some drawbored dowels, the lower shelf slats, and the sliding deadman. If I had a solid weekend to myself, I’m positive I could finish it off. Bench is 30” x 84”. I’m really tall and am endlessly frustrated by a world that’s built for people 8-10” shorter than me, so this bench will be higher and larger than most would probably want… finally, something built for me, and me alone 🤣 kurttriebe.smugmug.com/Woodworking-1/In-Progress/New-Workbench

[@pixelwoodworks]

@@kurttalert "a few hours here, a few hours there. Occasionally I’d get a half a day on a weekend and get a good chunk of work done." -- I know the feeling :) That is a lovely bench and you took great photos. I'd swear its deeper than 30", It looks more like 40" but it must be the photo perspective! Your old bench looks pretty nice too, battle tested; are you keeping it around and adding work surface or replacing? Did you black out the back of your TTV? It looks really nice! It looks as if you offset the base heavily. Any particular reason? Congratulations again, beautiful work!

[@kurttalert]

@@pixelwoodworks Yeah, the old bench will stick around- in the same spot it is right now. It's nothing special, but it has served its purpose. I built it when I was brand new to the craft and knew nothing about what a bench was supposed to do- I was pretty much just like "big and flat surface, perfect, done!" without any consideration given to the concept of workholding. Built a lot of nice things with it, but it's time for an upgrade. And having it serve double duty as an outfeed and my only bench has meant a LOT of wasted time & effort moving stuff on & off the bench. "Oh, I'm sanding right now, but I forgot I need to cut this part... OK, move everything off... cut... move it all back on." etc. Very inefficient, and has led to much longer than necessary build times. It's going to continue to serve as table saw outfeed, assembly/glue-up/finish surface, and "messy work" bench- anything that involves liquids that leave behind messes. My goal is to just do "pure wood" things on the nice new bench- milling, cutting and fine-tuning joinery, sanding, etc. I did gun-bluing on the backplates of my TTVs, and then did what I could to make the gears a brighter silver. I have original TTVs from the very start of his Kickstarter campaign, they came pretty raw and a bit grimy and needed some surface treatment. I think Andy has started doing a finish on the new ones, and they don't need any cleanup now. The offset base is pretty much just to make sure there's no interference from the legs with the vise screws and the swivel mount. The TCC plan had a similar offset as well, I just adjusted the amount a bit to fit the vise placement.

[@pixelwoodworks]

​@@kurttalert I suffer a lot of the same issues regarding space and shuffling, and when you have limited time in the shop, it's doubly frustrating. I often think, if I just could work on this full time, I could get SO MUCH done.. My guess is you will find ways to fill up that new bench too! You just can't have enough space or surfaces :D I did see Andy talking about that in his video's, I was just so tired I wanted to be done. Your's look fantastic though, especially with the light wood top. I have to say, that swivel mount is pretty damn cool. I haven't seen it in the KZbin wild though. I wonder how many people have implemented it. I just got in my fast action handle too, but it seems a bit to small to fit on the handle? The rollers are inset too preventing even forcing it on. I didn't see any information on how to install it, I just assumed it would slide on and then install the rod handle through the center. Did you have any issues installing yours or have any advise on getting mine installed? It also seems like it is so tight I would scratch the hub trying to get it on. Here's a picture: www.mediafire.com/view/ys1idnps43afiq4/E0F8.jpeg/file

[@dave_ecclectic]

What is a rotary lathe? If the slot wasn't central to the table, I would think it might be useful but not in the center. As a side note having an extra linear motor, I have decided to use two of them for an end vise...no central screw. Just the sliding guides, and a switch. Two linear motors would have eliminated the need to have room for the screw on your table vise.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Hi, A rotary lathe is an add-on to my CNC that rotates the wood against the CNC bit. Think of it like an old line printer, it shapes one line, rotates the wood a little, and does the next line. I don't have a traditional lathe so this is my solution for round work. Your certainly right about the linear motors. I looked at so many options for that top including motors. Probably the best functioning would be a screw at each end with either linear motors or a chain drive. In the end, I'm happy with this result and I'm really happy to be done with the project :) I did a short video on how I"ve been using the center slot. Thanks for the feedback!

[@adamholly4552]

This is pretty epic! Your lumber warehouse is the best I’ve ever seen 😂.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks! I'm considering rebranding it as 'Bed & Board' instead of Bed & Breakfast. 😂

[@lorilabian8203]

Fuzzy PJs for the win

[@pixelwoodworks]

Right? His pajamas are the real stars of the show! 😂

[@johnbell1012]

You’re a madman! Excellent work on the bench and video 🎉

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the build!

[@smugeyed]

Beautiful table & great work! I'm impressed.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Appreciate your kind words! 'Impressed' is what I aim for - that and 'didn't lose any fingers', of course! 😂

[@mal656]

Beautiful skillful complex work !

[@pixelwoodworks]

Appreciate the compliment! My motto is, 'Why make it simple when you can make it complicated?

[@dblehar]

Incredible. nice work. would love to see a tour of your workshop!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks for your support! I'm planning a deep dive video on dust collection, the topic is so deep and wide I feel it could be made much simpler for most people. Maybe I'll do a shop video after that.

[@chrisdunham7169]

Love the out take at the end :) Actually I liked all of it .

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you so much for the kind words, we try to keep it light :P

[@erikhemmingsson1188]

Mindboggling, can't wait to see it in action!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Appreciate it! I've used it now on a variety of project components. Recently I had to edge sand a long piece of 1/4 fluted walnut. I was able to clamp it into the table and easily sand it. Not sure how I would have done that otherwise.. it was too long for my edge sander and couldn't really hold it in the other vises.

[@joeysampaolo8962]

Damn good job. You wanna talk about an awesome beautiful work bench that’s something to be proud of right there. 👊🏽 you got yourself another subscriber 😂

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks so much for the kind words and the subscription! Really appreciate your support.

[@britcan5255]

Any plans?

[@pixelwoodworks]

You don't really need any plans and your space is going to be different from mine, your power will be in a different location, different tools, so on. Again think of it like lego blocks, you don't really need plans, you can just start at the top, and build down.

[@JinxLoaf]

Very funny! 😂

[@pixelwoodworks]

I hear that a lot both about the way I look and the way I speak, so which ever is funny, thank you! 😝

[@AlexK07010]

wow. that came out awesome. Put a servo on the twin turbo vice to control the opening and closing :)

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks for the suggestion and support! Before I decided to use the Twin Turbo Vise, I had another design that used two Veritas vises at the ends of the bench and my own gear drive. The gears were connected with a chain similar to the Veritas dual screw vise. I had trouble sourcing the exact parts I needed from McMaster-Carr and with the far more extensive milling required to implement such a complex design. I probably would have had to create custom parts to make this work perfectly. That said, a servo would have worked well in this design as it could have also been embedded in the bench. For my part, I'm a part time Woodworker and between this project and a couple of kitchens I've been building (mother-in-law etc), I'm really glad to be moving onto other projects! Thanks again for the support and feedback!

[@AlexK07010]

@@pixelwoodworks either way , came out great

[@sylvialee8667]

Love it love it love it !!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Now you know what I was doing all those weekends 😂, and you just thought I was off having fun! 😜

[@zanepaxton7452]

Please further clarify WHY you chose to have the expanding top. I guessing that it wasn’t to use the top as a giant vise? It’s a lot of effort to make so what is the functional purpose? In watching your video, you’re using a lot of power tools but the giant vice most probably would be for hand tools right? Hand planing comes to mind as an obvious use, but it’s ergonomically more awkward to have the board away from the sides and using a jointer machine is more accurate and faster. Inquiring minds need to know.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Hello Zane, thank you for your comment; I've answered this question several times in other comments, so please read those as well. It gets used as you imagine it would on odd shapes that don't work well in the leg or tail vise. It was a lifesaver recently sanding and edge planing 1/8 walnut strip that was 2" wide and ~24" long. It also helps if I want to put something through the center of the bench because I can expand that gap to ~5". I also plan to build some inserts for specific purposes but have yet to have the time. It works exceptionally well for holding long workpieces (over 2 feet up to 10+ feet) where I'm working on the end of the piece horizontally or vertically where the leg vise screw is not ideal because of the width of the parts. I don't have a sliding deadman, so it fills that purpose. As you suggest, It's less ergonomic if your workpiece is in the middle of the bench. I hope that helps.

[@VertexCarver]

Don't take my question the wrong way as I'm completely open to be wrong. What I can't wrap my head around is the benefit of (Edit: work) being clamped in the middle of the workbench?... O.o' I can only think of aligning case-work at the moment but perhaps you had something more in mind?

[@pixelwoodworks]

Hi Slevin, thanks for the question. The sliding top has three use cases, 1) allowing for a solid top at 27" wide, 2) allowing for insertion of tool holders and workpiece insertion of up to 5" wide, and 3) clamping objects. I have not had a use case yet to clamp ONLY in the middle of the bench and I don't think that work would well (the criss cross blocks insertion of items vertically), but I have clamped items that are long that extend beyond the middle of the bench out the end. On a classic Roubo you might use the leg vise and a sliding deadman for this, YMMV. I've primarily clamped tall workpieces vertically that do not clamp well in a leg vise. For example, clamping a 2' wide board that's 3' long works well in the center vise but not the leg vise. Its really just another option depending on the workpiece that adds flexibility. A bit of background: what led me to this was trying to decide how wide to make the top. Standard size is 24" and I saw enough people wishing they had made it wider for me to start thinking about how wide I should make it. This mixed with the question about solid or split top as well. In the end I came up with this design to give myself flexibility. The clamp is as much about the managing the surface width and insert configuration as it as about clamping workpieces. I doubt this design will become common use case, if for no other reason the time, cost and complexity, but it been fun to design, build, and, now, use.

[@VertexCarver]

@@pixelwoodworks Ahh, yes. I can see that it's definitly a convinence for larger pieces & definitely has a technical beauty to it. I look forward to follow along your next project! ^^

[@starpoint2112]

you need a bigger workshop Chief! that looks GREAT!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks! I've tried to convince my neighbors to let me use their garage too, but no luck yet. 😂

[@lorilabian8203]

His workshop is JUST the right size. I don’t want to move!

[@pixelwoodworks]

@@lorilabian8203 No moving required! We'll just continue playing Tetris with the tools. 😂

[@lorilabian8203]

Better you than me…

[@EngineerMikeF]

World's Alltime Heavyweight Champion Black & Decker Workmate. Love it. Thank Andy Klein for the referral

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you! That was kind of Andy! Just between us, I'm still waiting for him to autograph my vise! 😂.

[@gregzoller9003]

Dude builds a workbench worth $20,000 😂. Exceptional work!

[@pixelwoodworks]

I wish it was worth $20,000 :P

[@scottcountryman6090]

Bro you got skills.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks 😅

[@timpenner7858]

A roubo workbench, the epitome of hand tool support systems, built with a computer. Hmmm.

[@pixelwoodworks]

I appreciate your perspective and it's a valid point. Indeed, the use of a computer might seem counterintuitive in a hand tool workbench build. However, given the immense size of the slabs, technology helped ensure accuracy and made the process manageable. It's important to note that this video primarily focuses on the sliding top, a feature where the computer-assisted tools were especially useful. Much of the build, not highlighted here because it didn't relate to the sliding top, utilized handheld tools and powertools in the spirit of traditional woodworking. My goal was to merge old and new techniques to craft a bench specifically designed for hand tool work. Thanks for watching!

[@craighamilton2690]

Impressive work, and creative build, but way to complicated to be practical

[@pixelwoodworks]

I totally agree. Honestly, sometimes you get into these projects and A leads to B, and before you know it your at Z, without really looking back. I have enjoyed the end results, its been rock solid and great. Thanks for the feedback!

[@Joew99001]

I’d never get anything done. Afraid to use it.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Oh you would get something done :) Its ok for it to get chipped. Its easy to refinish, just a rag and some danish oil.

[@nathanielsnyder1323]

Andre' Roubo would be rolling in his grave 🤣🤣 jk. Amazing man I hope it gets a lot of use because that's an over engineered work of art!!

[@pixelwoodworks]

I’m sure Mr. Roubo would have had a chuckle. :) Cheers!

[@gXXrGoNe]

This can be a very cool channel if you stay to your bio and more importantly not give up on making videos. You should do a shop tour as a filler episode!

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you so much for the encouragement. A shop tour is not a bad idea; I'm about to start another 10' dining table and chair set, so I may never get to a second video :P Thanks again!

[@Johngle]

y tho

[@pixelwoodworks]

y not?

[@Johngle]

U got me this time In all seriousness though I’m curious how often you have actually used the sliding top feature. It seems like a very inconvenient position for edge jointing using the whole length of the jaw, so I imagine you mostly just use the very end of one side like a massively over engineered shoulder vice with the handle as far away as possible. I’m happy to be proven wrong though, impressive build

[@pixelwoodworks]

@@Johngle Thanks for your thoughtful comment! I understand your curiosity about the sliding top feature. Here are a few points that might clarify its utility: The primary function of the sliding top isn't as a vise but as a way to create a variable-width bench. It's handy when you have a larger workpiece that doesn't quite fit nicely on a standard 24" bench but doesn't want to be locked into a 34" bench all the time. 1. There's a toe-in on the sliding tail vise side (the larger side). It's designed for optimal hold there as you suggest. 2. The benchtop vise is screw-free, providing about 2 feet of unrestricted clamping space. This is perfect for objects that don't fit well in the leg vise because of the screw or is oddly shaped. 3. I've clamped in a 4" piece of solid wood down the length of the vise to create a solid top, which was pretty cool since it was locked in and not floating like other inserts. 4. The vise being on the rear poses some challenges, but I can only do a little about that. Usually, I'm clamping to hold something while I work on it, so it can either rest on the benchtop or on the frame and then be clamped. If I was clamping something that had to be held while clamped, it's more challenging, but I tried it, and it was "ok." Regarding your question about usage frequency, sadly, I haven't had as much time to work with this bench as I would have liked. In other words, I have not used the bench at all. I paused a kitchen build to finish it and have been caught up with it since. That's coming to a close, and I plan on crafting a couple of small various projects soon and getting back to work. The real driving force behind this bench's design wasn't the vise but the expandable top. I wanted that flexibility to use a solid top or various drop-in tool holders as per the project's needs. The extra vise was just a beneficial outcome of this design approach. Initially, I was looking at building a Hybrid workbench, but after researching, it appears to move/rack a bit; it think it was more of a gimmick to sell plans, as Marc S. didn't even keep using it himself. A Roubo was the right fit, and, long story short, the sliding top required me to scale up the mass of the bench. The end goal was a sturdy workbench that wouldn't move or rack with any hand tools; I wonder if all Roubo's can make that claim. I would have been fine building a standard Roubo as I originally intended. Time will tell. The main point I wanted to highlight is the debate on bench width. While settling on the design, I found various people who had built Roubo's wishing their bench was wider than 24" while others argued against it. The expanding top is my solution to this difficulty, giving me the best of both worlds. All the other features are just cherries on top! Thanks again for your comment and interest in the build. 😊 It's this kind of dialogue that makes sharing the process so rewarding! I hope to actually do some woodworking one of these days and get some use out of that bench! 👍

[@pixelwoodworks]

@@Johngle @johngle Point in case, i made a large Charcuterie board today and I used the table vise to hold it at the base and sand the upper part. Worked really well. Am I suggesting anyone try to build this? Probably not. Does it work? It seems to work pretty damn well.

[@MrMeasureTwice]

I love the 'idea' of this project, but until I have around $15,000+ for all the very nice machinery, I will defer to my usual tools. Looks neat-o though.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thank you, and I agree, this would not be a casual project for anyone, myself included. :)

[@TheMonkdad]

That’s a cool concept. But we really need to talk about your tools. I’ll never live long enough to ever afford those tools.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Thanks for the advise, I'll have to do a video on that.

[@SebR-FR]

Kinda Workmate on steroïds.

[@pixelwoodworks]

Distant cousins, like a squirrel and a wooly mammoth, both mammals :)

[@Maker_of_fine_sawdust]

Dining rooms are Sooooo overrated. Humidity and temperature controlled lumber storage is much more important.

[@pixelwoodworks]

I totally agree, and instead of reducing my lumber supply, I keep buying more, and its taking over our bedroom too :D