Toss your Roubo in the garbage!


Llama

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I think it is easy to balk at the Schwarz because the world of woodworking is filled with teachers who teach practical basic skills. We are so used to the Marcs, Norms, and Cremonas of the world doling out practical advice that when someone is excited about something that is way way down a deep rabbit hole he's been running into for years, we don't know how to react to it. The less-experienced woodworkers among us (myself included) see him getting all excited about ancient Roman benches and say, "So what? I still haven't used a lathe. Someone show me how to use a lathe," or something like that. I feel like Schwarz appeals to a smaller segment of the population, even among woodworkers.

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I looked down on the brace and bit until we had to drill a hole to run a gas line during a blackout/ ice storm. Gas heater on the fireplace hearth and a living room full of kids beat freezing out asses off. Sure was glad my grandads brace and bit were handy !

This was in the late 60's, so cordless tools were a long way off.

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I actually needed one of the bigger ones when I was making my leg vise with the BC hardware. Funny thing, I asked Shannon how to sharpen it because it was so dull. He said they're pretty much worthless. He is mostly right. Had to use a router plane to flatten this thing out. 

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This thread came at almost the same time PW sent out an email called "Popular Workbench Magazine" where Megan Fitzpatrick joked about how many workbench articles they have published.

I'm still thinking through what I want to build, though it would be nice to be able to actually spend a few minutes standing at different ones before deciding - like trying out tools at HWW or the Woodworking Show.  I'll probably end up building a version of Marc's Ruobo but it seems quite daunting.  I think I'm more worried about getting the top flat than any of the rest, but hey, I had a flat top when I was a kid so how hard can it be?  A few strokes with a hard bristle brush and I'm good to go - LOL!

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I bought an old Stanley Sweetheart brace at a flea market in Florida.  No bits.  TSA made me throw it out.  Couldn't take a tool in my carry-on.  So stupid it hurt, but I didn't have time to go back and put it in check on baggage.

 

 

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On 3/20/2017 at 7:51 PM, wtnhighlander said:

why would anyone want to build a more primative bench?

To sell more books... nobody would have listened to CS had he started out with a crappy Roman bench first. Going back in time somehow gives him street cred... 

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6 minutes ago, Llama said:

To sell more books... nobody would have listened to CS had he started out with a crappy Roman bench first. Going back in time somehow gives him street cred... 

People are buying his material so there must be a market for it.  I wonder why it is that guys like Schwarz, Cosman and others take so much grief for making money in their chosen field from people who expect to make money in THEIR chosen field?  

As for "street cred" I have a friend who is a music historian.  He is writing a book on the development of stringed musical instruments going back thousands of years.  I love music, have over 10,000 songs on my iPod, but I wouldn't give you a penny for a signed copy (except he's my friend) but I bet it will sell a lot of books to those who have an interest in the topic.  More power to him.  He also has an amazing collection of old stringed instruments.  He plays them, studies them and their time period, searches out ancient music, reads ancient materials, etc.  We also shouldn't underestimate the amount of research that goes into historical writing.

I love history and though the Roman bench isn't my cup of tea and won't end up in my shop, at the same time there is value in understanding what life was like for woodworkers in their day.

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7 minutes ago, prov163 said:

People are buying his material so there must be a market for it.  I wonder why it is that guys like Schwarz, Cosman and others take so much grief for making money in their chosen field from people who expect to make money in THEIR chosen field?  

I don't fault them one bit for making money... Honestly, I'm glad they are able to make money doing what they love... 

 

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I mean I guess but I like Pop Wood, the only recent issue is didn't like was the one on Shaker boxes because I think those are a prime example of doing crap work just because dead people did it. But other people dig that so it's whatever, the other 6 issues in the year I enjoyed.

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