A Means To An End

I’ve been building this bench for so long that I’m a little sad to see it come to an end. It strange, usually projects tend to drag towards the end but this one really accelerated, so apologies for cramming a lot into this last update.

It’s been a challenging build but also a rewarding one. What i’ve liked most is that some elements have just fallen into place. The asymmetry in the top was dictated by the size of stock I had on hand. The two piece top was made of 4 beams, one was a good 7” wide and the rest were a little smaller. I used the 7” piece for the front as it was widest and it didn’t make sense to rip them all to a common width just to have the centre gap land right in the middle. I actually really like the fact that the work surface at the front totals 13” at the front and just over 8” at the rear. I also really like the fact that the 7” beam worked out to be exactly the same width as my sheldon vise. This really helped with the installation. The material for the legs had its fair share of structural defects, but all were addressed through epoxy reinforcement. It worked out to be kinda neat that I had enough material for 4 gnarled legs and 1 clear top. Without getting too mystical, in some ways i feel the bench build itself. Or at least dictated its final form. Anyways, on to the picture show.

The top was a bear to trim. I was able to make a kerf cut with my track saw but i still had 3” or so to hack through.

The top was a bear to trim. I was able to make a kerf cut with my track saw but i still had 3” or so to hack through.

Man this was tough work. I nicked my fingers several times with this Ryoba, should have taped the edges….

Man this was tough work. I nicked my fingers several times with this Ryoba, should have taped the edges….

I used miller dowels to secure the ledgers for the bottom shelf. Didn’t have to but if anyone ever looks up my skirt they’ll see a craftsman.

I used miller dowels to secure the ledgers for the bottom shelf. Didn’t have to but if anyone ever looks up my skirt they’ll see a craftsman.

Next, on to the shelf boards. The veritas small plow is a finicky beast, can’t say i’ve mastered it but i was able to fiddle with it enough to get it plow an acceptable tongue and groove.

Next, on to the shelf boards. The veritas small plow is a finicky beast, can’t say i’ve mastered it but i was able to fiddle with it enough to get it plow an acceptable tongue and groove.

I find this type of work to be some of the most pleasurable. Light chamfering with an apron plane and a chisel.

I find this type of work to be some of the most pleasurable. Light chamfering with an apron plane and a chisel.

Here she is, in the raw. Still needs a good danish oil bath and a few dog holes.

Here she is, in the raw. Still needs a good danish oil bath and a few dog holes.

Made a quick jig to drill the dog holes straight and true. Lee valley sells this 3/4” brad point bit and 1” bushing, they make things easy.

Made a quick jig to drill the dog holes straight and true. Lee valley sells this 3/4” brad point bit and 1” bushing, they make things easy.

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On to flattening. You can see here the front beam lamination was slightly proud. All in all everything was sitting relatively well and it didn’t take too long to get things dead flat.

On to flattening. You can see here the front beam lamination was slightly proud. All in all everything was sitting relatively well and it didn’t take too long to get things dead flat.

Full length shavings tell me I’ve found true flatness.

Full length shavings tell me I’ve found true flatness.

And when everything’s said and done here she is.

And when everything’s said and done here she is.

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Another roubo workbench enters the world, built with wakened hands & built for a lifetime or two.

Overdue

I’ve neglected updating for some time but the pace has picked up and I’ve made substantial progress. I’ve also made a few big decisions… I was going back and forth between on whether to go with a split or solid slab for the top, each has pros and cons but ultimately an asymmetrical split top design won out. A few considerations came into play, number one being mobility. Having just moved to a small town with my family, I have very few people to help out in a pinch, especially with a giant slab of walnut. There’s also an air of self sufficiency around these parts, which I guess will be reflected in this work. I’ll go it alone and manhandle it across the finish line myself. The second has to do with design itself, I figure there’s no real need for a sliding deadman if I can simply put a clamp in the split and secure the end of the board against the front of the bench top. Not having a sliding deadman will cut down on the complexity (and time) of this build substantially. Especially since my front stretcher is inset an inch and is not flush with the front legs. My original idea was to use a cam clap and a sliding block design for the deadman, the block would take up the 1” gap and would be a pretty elegant solution to this problem… but hey a clamp and the split is cleaner and simpler. Often the simplest solutions are best and the more elegant a solution the more beautiful. Maybe the deadman would just be clutter? I still like the idea of the cam clamp and I think I’ll use it with the gap stop and tail vise for a sliding batten system. Anyways, on to the pictures.

These sheldon vices are pretty nifty, the sliding bolt style action reminds me of a rifle. Though i’ve never touched a gun so I don’t know how accurate that statement is.

These sheldon vices are pretty nifty, the sliding bolt style action reminds me of a rifle. Though i’ve never touched a gun so I don’t know how accurate that statement is.

Of course it’s not 90 degrees, what fun would it be if it were easy?

Of course it’s not 90 degrees, what fun would it be if it were easy?

Looks about right.

Looks about right.

Japanese saws cut like laser razors.

Japanese saws cut like laser razors.

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There’s a hump on the bottom which requires a mortise, the hole is for a casting mark.

There’s a hump on the bottom which requires a mortise, the hole is for a casting mark.

Skipped a few steps here but I’m sure you get the drift. There was a bit of serendipity here as my widest beam ended up being the exact width of the sheldon vice.

Skipped a few steps here but I’m sure you get the drift. There was a bit of serendipity here as my widest beam ended up being the exact width of the sheldon vice.

Top front glued and in the clamps. I used titebond 3 if anyone’s wondering.

Top front glued and in the clamps. I used titebond 3 if anyone’s wondering.

Back half of the split is about 9”, front is about 13” and the gapstop is about 1.3”.

Back half of the split is about 9”, front is about 13” and the gapstop is about 1.3”.

Tenons have been sawn.

Tenons have been sawn.

And trimmed to fit, sometimes a trimmed a little too close…

And trimmed to fit, sometimes a trimmed a little too close…

Capital Improvements

Your eyes have a remarkable ability to adapt to low light, to a point where your shop might not feel dark but it actually is. At least for woodworking purposes… I had two LED bulbs illuminating my space and they just weren’t enough. Chopping mortises was particularly difficult as I’d just revert to blindly stabbing the mortise floor hoping errant pieces of wood were lurking in the shadows. Enough. Enter hyperikon led lights. Simple to install and enough lumens to give me a nice tan.

Note the auxiliary ikea lamp hanging off the right wall.

Note the auxiliary ikea lamp hanging off the right wall.

I can’t believe how simple and cheap LED technology is these days.

I can’t believe how simple and cheap LED technology is these days.

Just kidding about the tan. 4000K bathes you in a off-whiteness as not to be too sterile but white enough to mess up your instagram pictures.

Just kidding about the tan. 4000K bathes you in a off-whiteness as not to be too sterile but white enough to mess up your instagram pictures.

Beams to Dreams

It’s time to get started. No more planning, no more thinking and hopefully no more tooling up. First order of business is to start cutting my beams down to size. Though it’s not as straightforward as it might appear. I’ve learned a few things about buying wood, some which I already knew but didn’t quite register with me. I guess i’m an experiential learner… 1st off, country folk are savvy and you should drive a hard bargain. I still can’t decide whether I got a good deal… On one hand, walnut beams are exceedingly rare and should cost a small fortune. On the other hand these beams have checks, pith, debris and the tree ate a small fence and a few lag bolts back in 1982. All in, I probably did very well, especially considering I wouldn’t have been able to buy the same amount of wood in ash or oak from the local hardwood supplier for any cheaper. Actually it would have been close to double. The trade off is that I had to dig metal out of a few beams, I’ll have take care to mill the pith out where ever possible and I’ll probably end up having more dutchmen than than the Netherlands.

It took a bit of rotisserie but the bosch glide got it done.

It took a bit of rotisserie but the bosch glide got it done.

Used a mdf sled to get straight and true edge.

Used a mdf sled to get straight and true edge.

Hot damn, it actually worked!

Hot damn, it actually worked!

Legs were looking a little hairy and needed a shave.

Legs were looking a little hairy and needed a shave.

I wasn’t kidding about the pith & checks. I might need to drown those dutchmen in epoxy.

I wasn’t kidding about the pith & checks. I might need to drown those dutchmen in epoxy.

proto-roubo | walnut-henge

proto-roubo | walnut-henge

A French Connection

I’ve been deep in the minutiae of workbenches for some time now, it’s been one of more extensive rabbit holes I’ve travelled down. I’ve poured over all the books, have read countless build threads and I think I’ve reached a point where I have a clear idea of what I want for my own. Initially, I was really drawn to Chris Schwarz’s cherry slab roubo, to my eye’s it was just about perfect except it was a little on the small side. It has a purposeful honesty about it, whereas the more popular “benchcrafted” style benches come across as more cold and clinical. My plans changed when I stumbled across 1stdibs.com, which is a veritable treasure trove of workbench design ideas. And it was there where I found it, a french bench with perfect proportions, a design which sang to me across the centuries, and It’s the one I will build. It differs from the modern roubo interpretation in a few ways. Its front stretchers are inset and not flush, It has drawers, lacks the dovetail tenon and has an overall wider stance than most. I’ll need to make a few modifications of my own, I’ll add upper support stretchers , a quick release tail vise, a shelf to the underside and will thicken the top somewhat. It feels good to be able to stop searching, no more endless research, it’s just time to build.

Christopher Schwarz’s Petite Cherry Roubo

Christopher Schwarz’s Petite Cherry Roubo

The French Bench

The French Bench

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A quick sketchup plan

A quick sketchup plan