matsui Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 Hello! Just registered first time posting, after checking out all the projects and what the guild membership has to offer, this is just the kind of thing I am looking for! I am planning on building the roubo workbench first but I had some questions about the tools that will be needed, I know there are many ways to get things done and some tool lists have been posted but I did not see one for someone building this with hand tools only. So my question what hand tools would get the job done and would I still be able to follow along with out using power tools, I am more then happy to put in the hard work and longer build time it would take with only using hand tools. I am looking forward to building my first real workbench, I inherited a lot of old tools from my grandfather and would like to put them to good use, I always liked watching him use them and really want to make something impressive with them one day. Anyway, if anyone can help me out on everything I would need for doing this by hand, and also if anyone has also done it this way if I could ask them for some advice when needed, that would be great. thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 Think Shannon did it... Believe he posted some videos. http://www.youtube.c...r/RenaissanceWW he has his own hand tool blog/podcast... check it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevmc Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 I didnt build it with hand tools but here is my list thinking about it retrospectively Rip and crosscut saws. Big ones to manage the big lumber Bench chisels Mortising chisel Rabbitt plane no 7 jointer plane low angle plane brace and bits to drill holes dovetail saw marking gauges etc sharpening stones for all the hand tools It would be quite a build entirely from hand. you might want to get the wood for the top ripped to width and planed to thickness. thats a huge amount of prep work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 First thing that jumps to mind is that this is a peculiar thought. As I see it, the whole point of splitting the top of a Roubo is to make each half fit through a basic thickness planer. If you're doing things by hand, there's no reason to limit the size of the top pieces to 12" or 13" or whatever your planer capacity may be. Someone with a planer would likewise think nothing of turning a dozen thin boards on edge to glue up a big slab. Someone cleaning boards by hand would deem this absolute folly and would instead try to source timbers as massive as possible, thereby keeping to a minimum the number of joints to be shot and glued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmac Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 As I see it, the whole point of splitting the top of a Roubo is to make each half fit through a basic thickness planer. Isn't part of it also that you can stick a clamp through the opening and hold stuff down to the middle of the bench? -- Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 I second the notion of having someone mill your boards. It's a noble thought to do this entire build with no power, but man, that is a TON of labor and time. I have a hunch you simply won't enjoy that part. There is so much material in this project that it would take you weeks and weeks just to mill. The rest of it I'd say is at least realistic with hand tools. In my opinion the most challenging parts will be accurately cutting the massive tenon on the front slab, and excavating all the material in places like the tail vise cavity, dead man runner, and the mortises in the base and in the slabs that receive the tenons on the legs. Manageable. But a LOT of work. You'll need patience and stamina. Good luck. Oh, one afterthought...about accuracy. Some of the procedures with regard to the vises need to be extremely accurate, like the hole and through-mortise for the leg vise, and the holes in the end cap for the tail vise. I'd practice my methods quite a bit before diving into those parts to be sure you're able to do it accurately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walnut_weasel Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 I actually DID build a roubo (non split top) by hand using 2x southern yellow pine from the home center. You will definitely need a scrub plane. Attempting to flatten 6' long boards results in having to remove a LOT of material. There were several boards that I removed 1/8 from each side to remove twist/bow. Also, the process is different. You will want to glue each board as soon as you get it flat. It takes so long to to get those very long boards dead flat that by the time the last one is flat the first one will be bowed again. All that being said, the roubo build made me sick of hand milling stock. I now own a jointer and planer. Looking back the learning curve to teach myself how to flatten 6' boards was a stupid idea. The longer a board is the harder it is to get perfectly flat. Plus the accumulating error of gluing up all of those boards is also a steep challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceWW Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 Isn't part of it also that you can stick a clamp through the opening and hold stuff down to the middle of the bench? I don't buy that. Drill a hole and use a hold fast. Honestly I think the split top idea is just as Rob suggests: ability to run it through a typical planer. Tool list: Crosscut saw Rip Saw 10" (at least) Brace with 1-1 1/4" bit and 3/4" bit for dog holes, 3/8 bit for drawboring 1" or wider paring chisel Bench chisels Fore Plane Jointer Plane Carcass saw **optional tenon saw*** depending on your stock I find big tenons like this are easier when you split out the cheeks I may be forgetting something but you could do the build with what I have listed above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Seganti Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 I don't buy that. Drill a hole and use a hold fast. Honestly I think the split top idea is just as Rob suggests: ability to run it through a typical planer. I think the idea behind putting a clamp in the split top is more in line with clamping pieces to the front of the bench and not the top. You can put one end of a parallel clamp in the split with the other end towards the front of the bench and use it like a sliding leg vise. I know you can do the same thing using the 'back' side of the bench, but if the 'back' side of the bench is against the wall... the split top slot will give you a clamping point. It also allows you to use shorter clamps in this scenario... not that it's a necessity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matsui Posted September 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 Thanks for the input guys, trying to get everything I need together and I have decided to wait for the new benchcrafted xcross and new handwheels so I have some time. Crosscut saw Rip Saw 10" (at least) Brace with 1-1 1/4" bit and 3/4" bit for dog holes, 3/8 bit for drawboring 1" or wider paring chisel Bench chisels Fore Plane Jointer Plane Carcass saw **optional tenon saw*** depending on your stock I find big tenons like this are easier when you split out the cheeks I don't have a paring chisel so I would need that, and I do have a jointer plane and a jack plane, that should be ok right? not sure what a fore plane really is for to be honest, but if it will make a big difference I am sure I can find one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barron Posted September 12, 2012 Report Share Posted September 12, 2012 My understanding and experience is that the longer the board you are jointing the longer plane you want. If you flatten wide boards frequently a fore can be handy for te same reason. I like the fore for flattening for most boards and because a friend found one for me at an estate sale before I got a jack, but just for the extra mass over a jack. If you have a jack and a jointer you are set. A dedicated paring chisel is nice, but you can make due with a bench chisel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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