Guild - Roubo

Solid Ash Roubo Progress

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:09:55 +0000

Ok so i thought id blog my progress with you guys here .
so here we go i milled the base first mainly because i needed the space i left everything oversized by a couple of inches here some photos of that process.

Tail vise installation

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:20:51 +0000

I am having a problem with my tail vise installation. The vice moves the full length very smoothly when the the flange nuts are tightened snuggly by hand, however once I tighten them with the wrench, I am getting a lot of resistance. After putting in the upper left flange bolt (viewing from end with bottom up) the other bolt goes in very tight. My only thought is to make the hole a little larger so that the bolt goes in easily and then retry it. Does anyone have any ideas?

Mike

Roubo Bench Dovetail

Tue, 22 May 2012 02:21:51 +0000

Okay Marc,
There's a chance I'm an idiot, but to me the one thing I don't like about the look of the split-top roubo is that there is only a dovetail on one end of the bench. Okay, maybe I'm OCD, but if both ends of the bench were "finished" with a dovetailed endcap would that create any problems?

Okay, obviously it is more work. But I'm thinking more in terms of wood movement.

I think it would look cooler. I'm not saying I'm going to do for sure, mind you. I do have plenty of work. But if I wanted to it… other than aesthetics would it serve any purpose? Would it be detrimental in any way?

Again, I realize I’m probably a freak with my OCD, but I’m hoping this is the last bench I ever build and if it is I would sure like it to look “finished” on both ends.

Finally got my Lumber today!

Thu, 17 May 2012 02:35:17 +0000

So since im using solid slab ash for everything no laminating should i build the base 1st?

Attached Thumbnails

If I am planning on doing all round dog holes then?

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:38:12 +0000

I went back and forth and read plenty on the whole chevy/fart round/square thing and have decided to just go with a set of rounds and in skimming over the plans for the past little bit I am not seeing why I cannot just glue the whole front slab up full width..am I missing something here? I am heading out to pick up all the materials tomorrow morning and when I get back Ill continue reading and watching the vids but wanted to get your take. Thanks

Really torn here, just got ready to join guild and order parts then.....

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:29:36 +0000

Well I have been researching benches for ages now it seems like and I finally settle on what I think will be the perfect option in this split roubo with the awesome vise package from Benchcrafted only to find out they are at least 12 weeks out on shipping. The news was heart breaking to say the least since I have a lull between startup on jobs right now and in 12 weeks Ill be slammed. Then while twisting and turning in bed last night I thought I wonder how much of the bench I can build without actually having he hardware hence my post here. How much do you think that I can actually get done and not make a costly error in time or materials without the gear?

As a side I would love to call Benchcrafted to get some questions answered specifically related to this but there is not a number listed and wanted to see if any of you know a good way to get ahold of them besides email since that route has not worked thus far.

Thanks

What Finish Are You Using For Your Bench?

Fri, 11 May 2012 01:21:20 +0000

I figured it would be cool to have a thread specifically focused on bench finishes. Even folks who aren't building the Split Top Roubo should feel free to chime in with their opinion. It would be cool to hear what you applied, why, and whether it met your expectations.

I used Tried & True Varnish Oil. It's more or less an oil/varnish blend of sorts as it contains polymerized boiled linseed oil and an old school varnish (no VOCs). It has to be applied in super thin coats otherwise it will never dry.

So far, I have to say I'm a little disappointed in the product as I don't see a significant difference between it and something like boiled linseed oil. I wasn't really expecting the results we might see from a modern Danish Oil, but I did expect it to NOT behave exactly like a regular pure oil. And by that I mean I don't see any evidence of a film and the finish is taking a very long time to dry. Five days so far in truly ideal dry and warm Arizona air and the surface still feels tacky. So I would like to apply more coats in the hopes of getting a light film, but I am not going to apply more oil to a surface that is still actively curing. As a point of interest, the original rag I used to apply the finish 5 days ago was laid out over the garbage can in a single layer to cure. It is still soft and usable 5 days later. Perhaps my expectations are off and I don't completely understand the product, but I really expected the finish to develop some rigidity within that time frame.

That said, an oil finish is a great finish for a bench so I'm not really complaining. I can always hit it with some Danish Oil later if I want to. But the product does cost quite a bit so I guess I was hoping for something that might wow me and convince me to use this on some of my other projects. Perhaps over the course of a few weeks as the finish fully cures, I'll change my opinion. But given the dry time and my lack of patience, I can't imagine I would ever use this on a piece of furniture.

We're not at home to Mr Cock-Up

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:19:36 +0000

Ok so time to bare all and spill the beans on the cock-ups you make as you go through the build. And hopefully the ways you get round them.
I shall start, with probably not the first of mine.

I got to the glue up stage with dog strip and on checking the squareness of the end of the dog strip, nearest to the vice end, (yes after it was glued) found that it was not. Square that is. Problem stems from the chop saw being slightly out, That hadn't mattered until this point.

So to get over it I set up some blocks on either side of the top and used a fence to rout the end of the dog strip square again.

Now who else has something to tell us!

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Wanna help someone with the build? Reply here

Sun, 06 May 2012 15:58:19 +0000

A member posted that he's having difficulty getting over some hurdles with this build. Likely there are others.

As many are already well advanced on their project, they could likely help someone stuck a little ways back. I'm guessing most of the needed help is in the form of jointing/planing stock be it by electricity, ATP, or frenzied beavers.

So, if you want to put yourself out there to possibly help out, reply to this thread. Someone stuck can find someone in this thread and PM them to see if they can help out with whatever hurdle is in the way. To the requestors, be sure to put some detail in any query. And also: it is to get over a hurdle, not get side-by-side mentoring for the rest of the build

I'm not doing the build, but if someone needs some help with something, I'm in Chandler, AZ.

Dog Hole Strip Advice

Sat, 05 May 2012 12:49:41 +0000

Posted this in the comments on guild website on the dog hole strip video page but thought I would repost it here incase it could help anyone out who had not gotten to this part of the project yet.

Couple pieces of advice that came in handy on my build of the dog strip.

First:

Mark mentions being careful about not routing through the lip of the template which holds the two template pieces together. Well when I was routing I found it almost impossible to see exactly where I was and I almost cut through the thing.

I realized if I simply filled in the space between the two templates halves with a small piece of scrap that I could use the router bushing to keep me from going to far. I cut a piece that fit between the two and brad nailed it in place. Worked like a charm.

If you do this yourself cover only the top (outside) 1/2 inch and leave the bottom (inside) 1/4 inch of the template clamp piece exposed. This way you will route slightly into the piece and fully cut the top corners of the dog hole in your bench strip.

Second:

Mark has you routing the last dog hole for the movable dog block in the same way as all the others. Which leads to the issue he refers to in the video of the backing strip being on the opposite side of the block then it is in the main dog strip.

I solved this easily by simply making a second template but building it upside down. I simply switched to the other template when I was routing this last hole.

If you try this make sure that you change the layout to compensate for the reversed dog hole. Instead of measuring in 2 inches from the end you need to measure in 2 inches from the inside edge of the movable dog block.

Ok, I give in

Sat, 05 May 2012 00:38:49 +0000

I guess the sensible thing is to wait a while until I have some more experience and can build this bench right. The lure of the Benchcrafted site the Shcwarz's book was too much because I gave in last night and I'm bulding a Roubo anyway. I'll probably get the vise screws from Lie Nielsen or Veritas instead of the BC hardware; sexy as it is I just can't swing the good stuff anytime soon. I do have a problem that with no table saw, no jointer, no thickness planer, I think I've created a massive amount of work for myself. I got a Veritas bevel up jointer from my wife for christmas. That partially solved the milling problem and introduced a host of new sore spots in my shoulders and forearms.

Half of the back slab was done in about 4 hours of work and much frustration. Most of the boards wound up flat(ish), but significantly warped; after playing some Jenga they seem to clamp up fine in a dry fit with a good grain direction of flattening later (see the attached image). I'll probably glue them together two or three at a time just to make sure I'm bringing enough clamping pressure to bear. I'll call that step one and feel satisfied that I know more today than yesterday. Given how much time I have to spend on it, it may be done by late summer, maybe later. I forsee a few design changes that might come up, but I'll burn those bridges when I get there. I'm one the fence about doing a wagon vise too (I'm not sure I can pull that off). Round dog holes for sure.

So now the question.

Split top or not? How nightmareish is it going to be to level both slabs, by hand, across a gap like that? I think I'm already signing up for a lot of work in terms getting the slabs to a constant thickness with hand planes. It seems to me that even if I clamp them together for flattening, the non-glues seam is going to be hard to plane, particularly if I needed to work across the grain.

Attached Thumbnails

Base sturdy enough?

Fri, 04 May 2012 14:24:41 +0000

Here's a question for those who have completed the build per the plan: is the base stout enough to prevent wracking?

I'm concerned that the Benchcrafted design, which accounts for a knockdown configuration, sacrifices the sturdiness that is guaranteed by using through tenons for the legs to join the top. I'm at a key turning point having just cut the 1 inch tenons on my legs per the plan, but they don't look nearly substantial enough. Since I'm not building this for knockdown, I'd rather modify the design now to get the sturdiness I need than just follow the plan and be unhappy with the result. I use hand tools primarily, and I need this thing to be rock solid when I'm planing a rough board.

I just viewed a video of Jameel demonstrating the prototype of the new vise design with the St. Peter's cross. A very cool design, btw. But what jumped out at me was how the BC bench rocked when he demonstrated the gripping strength of the vise. I'd be disappointed if the bench I've been sweating over these past two months had the same issue.

Thanks in advance.

Interesting news ...

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:23:25 +0000

I'm kinda glad I'm running so far behind on my build :

Just getting started

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:54:18 +0000

I made it to the lumberyard on Friday. Just like a little kid at Christmas I was excited about getting something new. This is the most ambitious project I have ever started in the shop. I can't wait to see this come together. However the lumber buying experience was not all that pleasant this time. When I got to the lumberyard and told them I wanted 200 board feet of 8/4 soft maple 8 feet long I got a dirty look from the forklift driver. The pallet was burried in a warehouse and on a Friday afternoon he didn't seem overly enthused about digging it out. He wanted me to buy 10 foot lengths cuz it was easy to get to. I told him no and that I needed 8 footers, so I had to wait about a half hour for him to get it. I guess I should have called ahead of time and they could have gotten it ready for me. Oh well. This is the only place within 100 miles to get soft maple and at $2.40 a board foot, I figured I could wait.

I had figured in my head that I wanted mostly 5-6" or 10-11" wide boards per Marc's suggestion. When the pallet arrived I was disappointed to see only about 2 boards that met this criteria. All the remaining boards were MUCH wider, some even 16-17" wide! Having to think quickly, I decided I could rip the wider boards and made the calculations. Because most of the lumber was a little twisted and I have never ripped 16" wide 8/4 maple before, I ended up buying getting a little extra, and ended up with 224 board feet. I can always use the extra after I get the bench built for other projects that the wife wants me to build.

As I mentioned earlier, I have never milled this big of boards before. I am here to tell you, this is a serious task. Wielding a 15" wide 2" thick board around is some serious work. The wide stock presented a challenge to me as far as figuring out how to get it cut down to size and milled. I have a 8" jointer, a delta contractors saw, a 14" bandsaw, and a 13" planer. Due to time constraint this weekend, I knew that I did not have enough time to get both top pieces milled and glued, I only milled enough to due the back half. Here is what I did to mill the lumber and please feel free to comment if anyone has a better idea, as I am just getting started, and don't know all the best techniques yet. Because my jointer is not wide enough to handle these boards I first edge jointed the boards to get them fairly straight. I then took them to the table saw where I ripped them to about 5 1/4" wide. Then back to the jointer to get face planed on 1 side. After I had a straight face, I edge jointed again to ensure a square corner. then I planed the boards edge first, thinking that I should plane the edge first, as the base is wider and more stable. Then finally I planed the other face. I ended up with 7 boards of varying thicknesses giving me a slab that is 11 1/2" wide. When clamped together, I can see a few spots where the boards did not get face jointed properly and I have some gaps. I will plane those again, while working the slab to the 11 1/16th" width.

All in all it has been a great weekend getting started on this. My 10 year old son, who has never expressed any interest in the woodshop, spent the whole day helping me milling boards. That in itself was worth every penny and inconvenience of buying the lumber. I hope he continues to help me, because years from now when he inherits the bench, he will have all the great memories of helping build it.

Final Project Post

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:35:28 +0000

Final Project Post

I am now completely finished with my Roubo Workbench and it was an awesome learning experience and while I am really glad its finished, I am going to miss the Friday video release and the challenge of squeezing in time during the week to keep mostly on schedule to finish the build. I learned a lot during the build

My fence on my jointer/planer is not nearly as square as it should be and is easily knocked out of square when adjusting it. I need to always double check. Once I figured that out, wood prep was a lot easier
Wood selection is critical. I ordered my stock from a local mill in 12 foot lengths and in my infinite wisdom asked them to plane them down to 1 ¾ figuring it would save me some time. It did to some degree but when I went to use the 4-foot cutoffs for the base, I realized that by the time I glued them up and rejointed them etc. they would be less than the desired width so I ended up buying more wood. In fact I may win the prize for buying the most wood for the project. I think I ended up with roughly 260 board feet. Some of that is because of my multiple screw-ups on the end block but a lot of that is due to boards that were 8 or 9 inches in width. All is not lost however as I am going to use that wood to build cabinet doors and trim for a small cabinet project I am going to start so it wont go to waste.
A Mortising chisel works much better than a bench chisel for cleaning up mortises. Also, I learned that my chiseling skills, while much improved over the course of the project still need a lot of practice
I must remember to measure three times before cutting. My measurements for the dog holes were a bit off and it almost caused me a serious problem with the base unit. Luckily I somehow managed to think of this before cutting the long stretchers. When I checked the position of the dog holes, I had to shorten the long stretcher a bit and was very lucky that the position of the two dog holes around the right front leg worked out
I gave my festool 1400 router a real workout and learned a lot about how to use all the attachments etc. I really like that router
My addiction festools may soon be surpassed by an addiction to Lie Nelson and other high quality hand tools. I purchased a No 7 jointer plane and a rabbeting plane and I really enjoyed using them on the project. I was really happily that my top was relatively flat after shimming one corner of one slab and it took only 20 minutes of planning to get it darn close to deadflat with the No. 7.
Drawboring is an awesome jointery technique and I will probably use that in a lot more projects
Definitely learned that soft maple was the way to go. I toyed around with hard maple thinking it wouldn’t be that much harder but even making dowels out of extra hard hickory proved to me that making such a large project out of a very hard wood would have been an even more serious and tiring project
Benchcrafted makes awesome hardware and is a top-notch operation.
The guild is a great concept and has really increased my woodworking skills. I had purchased the plans for the roubo almost 2 years ago but had a hard time getting motivated to start the project so when I saw the next guild project I knew it was time to sign up and get going. There were so many different techniques I learned from the videos that I would not have thought about during the project and while I am sure I could have finished the project without the guild build, I am also certain it would have taken me a lot longer and I would have had countless more screw ups

I really appreciate all the help from the Woodtalk online community and the great ideas everyone shared. Marc, definitely props to you for cranking out high quality instructional videos, especially with the new baby and all that crazy DDOS crap you had to deal with. Cant wait to move on to the next guild build what ever it is.

KC
Overall Bench

Leg vice and deadman. This is the first time I have worked with Paduak and it it a great wood to work with. Machines fairly easy although I did have some trouble with one of my glue ups for the leg vice chop and it does have a tendency for tearout

Top with Paduak dog strip.

I had some free time this weekend so I also threw together a moxon vice. This vice is awesome and I highly recommend it to anyone

The holdfasts also are superb at holding down wood. A quick tap with the other hold fast and even with one holdfast its very hard to move the moxon vice. then a quick tap and the holdfast slides out.

Base unit not Square!

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:10:29 +0000

I am working on mortising the base unit to the top My problem is that the two front legs are a bit off square so that if I try and align the face of each leg with the front edge of the bench is doesn't really work. if I align one of the front corners of the legs, the other corner of the leg ends up being about 1/64 to 1/32 or a little more proud of the edge of the bench. I was thinking of either squaring up the legs with a plane, at least where they connect to the bench. Alternatively, I can align the slab with the other corner of the leg l then plane the front of the bench. What do you guys think the best approach is

Done.

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:40:05 +0000

I'm done.

And I'm really happy.

This was one of the best projects I have done. I absolutely enjoyed it. If you dream it, you can build it!

Without the videos I know I would have never completed it. I feel giddy with excitement thinking about how much I learned.

Tomorrow I will go to the Marc Adams school of woodworking and have a class with Michael Fortune - and Christopher Schwarz will be there building a workbench with another class. I wanted to be done before that and I made it. Not I can turn my attention back to my regular woodworking.

thank you!
--bjorn

gaps in my bench top laminate

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:20:22 +0000

Well, the old saying that you can never have enough clamps held true for me. After planing down the bench top to just a few hairs over 4" I found a bunch of gaps between boards of my glue-up. Fabulous. Evidently I needed more clamps and pressure. Live and learn. Now I need to know how to fix it. The gaps are fairly small, the widest being .019" as measured with a feeler gauge. Unfortunately, although most are on the end due to planer snipe there are some far into to bench top so I can't just lop them all off.

If I somehow thin wood glue can I get enough in there for it to hold if I clamp it? Should I use epoxy? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Dead MAN?

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:56:55 +0000

To personalise my Roubo I am going for something different.

Here is the sketch for Dead Woman......Hey we need not be sexist and just stick to men in the shop.

Anyway I shall post the results on the blog when I get round to it later at the weekend.

Anyine with any other ideas for this interchangable part of the bench??

CC

Deadman Screw/Holdfast?

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:52:18 +0000

What is the name of the screw/holdfast in the guild picture of the deadman? Where can I find one?

Thanks in advance!