So it’s finally happened! Of course, the day before i read that the Schwarz is coming out with another workbench book, this one more hand-tool-apartment-dweller-friendly, but no matter :-/.The lumber has been ordered and picked up. I know it’s premature to thank ppl for helping me build a workbench when all i have is a pile of lumber, so for now, i suppose i would like to mention that there are two people without whom i could not have a pile of lumber that is hopefully soon to be a workbench. The first is my LJ buddy Dave R. He gave me advice when it came to dimensioning in mm, Sketchup, general advice, etc. He helped me A LOT and he didn’t even block my thousands of unnecessary questions on email. For that i am thankful.
Now to make it physically happen, my friend Talia Hofbauer, or Hoffy. I don’t have a car, so i basically had to rely on her. OK—to be honest, i tricked her. She’s 9 months pregnant and i tricked her into going to a lumber yard with a tiny Toyota Yaris. Before you judge, i told her i was tricking her. I am making a mini-rietveld red and blue chair for her kid and she agreed to take me to pick up the wood (which is so tiny and cute it fits into a shopping bag, but never mind). I then mentioned that i had a fairly large order for a bench as well, and that picking up the chair wood was a ploy to get my Roubo lumber home.
She was a great sport! Thanks Dave and Hoffy!
-- 'Humility is a duty in great ones, as well as in idiots'--Jeremy Taylor
9 comments so far
stefang
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7061 posts in 1139 days
#1 posted 796 days ago
I hope you will be taking a lot of photos and blogging the build Naomi so we can follow with. I also think it is interesting that you will be doing your woodworking in an apartment. Using hand tools, I expect that could work out just fine. Most people living in apartments wouldn’t even consider woodworking as a hobby, but you are demonstrating that it is possible. Good luck with your bench!
-- Mike, American in Norway - Do it the fun way
acanthuscarver
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259 posts in 1517 days
#2 posted 796 days ago
Naomi,
I sure hope you can incorporate some dovetails into that bench. :)
Good luck and I can’t wait to see the progress.
-- Chuck Bender, period furniture maker, http://www.acanthus.com
Beginningwoodworker
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12326 posts in 1477 days
#3 posted 796 days ago
Naomi, I think you is off to a great start.
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker
DoctorDan
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278 posts in 819 days
#4 posted 795 days ago
How exciting. The birth of a roubo. It’s interesting that you mention pregnant people. I would have thought that i could build a roubo in less time than my wife could have a baby… but I guess not. I’m up to 14 months now… and still not finished…
-- Daniel - http://theloveofwood.blogspot.com/
Kari Hultman
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36 posts in 817 days
#5 posted 795 days ago
Yea! I bet you’re dreaming about the build. Nothing quite like the excitement of starting a new project, especially your own workbench. :o)
Ethan
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761 posts in 1978 days
#6 posted 795 days ago
Looking forward to watching your progress, Naomi! Love the tricking of the pregnant woman bit! The temporary loss of mental reasoning due to pregnancy is fun to take advantage of, but… it’s almost too easy at this point (20 weeks for my wife). It isn’t as much fun when it is too easy, you know?
Kari, I didn’t know you were a lumberjock! Welcome!
(says the mostly inactive lumberjock… still, my post count is currently at 1183 days)
-- Ethan, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/, http://thekiltedwoodworker.com
naomi weiss
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196 posts in 1198 days
#7 posted 795 days ago
Thanks, everybody! I will definitely be taking loads of photos…but mostly so i can ask you guys how to fix mistakes! ;-)
Chuck—i will do dovetails on the next bench—when i have one big solid slab of wood :-)
Ethan and Daniel—congrats on being dads! New baby woodworkers!
Yeah, Kari—i didn’t know you were a lumberjock…but it’s not surprising. If Nancy was a LJ—that would be! ;-)
-- 'Humility is a duty in great ones, as well as in idiots'--Jeremy Taylor
PurpLev
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6765 posts in 1453 days
#8 posted 795 days ago
very cool news! congrats on the chosen path.
curious – where did you get your lumber from? I was just in Israel, and was wondering where the resources would be. was hoping to get some Olive wood, but didn’t get a chance to get some.
-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.
stefang
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7061 posts in 1139 days
#9 posted 795 days ago
Naomi, one thing I forgot to mention. The latest Shop Notes mag had a great article on preparing Douglas Fir for a bench top and a fairly stress-less glue-up process. If you don’t have the mag., you might find it worthwhile to get it. They also mentioned they have some info on the subject on their website.
-- Mike, American in Norway - Do it the fun way
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