| Project by BigRedKnothead | posted 82 days ago | 2779 views | 50 times favorited | 52 comments |  |
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Well my Roubo bench is Done! It’s been quite a ride.
This bench was heavily inspired by Christopher Schwarz’s recent book on workbenches. Part of me wanted plow my own path, but I couldn’t deny this simple and extremely functional design some French guy came up with centuries ago. I gave his bench my best shot and this is what I came up with. Bench measures 8 ft long, 28” deep, and 36” tall. Legs are 5×6”. Probably around 500lbs. I can move it around my shop by lifting one end at a time. But not easlily.
The bench is made of white oak and walnut. Of course, the contrast of the two species was intentional. But I really selected these because they are the most common hardwoods here in Iowa. Matter of fact, all the wood in the bench was harvested and dried within 30 miles of our home. I was able to get really good prices and didn’t spend any more than folks would spend on southern yellow pine in other parts of the country.
Like a lot of the furniture a I make, the key feature burns up most of the hours. In this case it was the through dovetails/tenon by which the legs are attached to the top. My first ever dovetail I might add. It’s a massive joint, but it was worth the hours put in. I think it makes the bench.
My real motive for this project was to have a bench that would be more conducive to working with hand tools. That’s the direction my work has been progressing. Goal achieved. I have been using this bench, and my planes, A LOT ever since the vise was installed. The leg vise was the only unknown in the project. I’d never used one before. I’ve been pleasently surprised. It works great. The end vise is really just vise off my old bench. I kicked around other end vise options but stayed with this for now. Eventually, I think I would like a veritas twin screw vise on the end.
Definitely feel blessed to have the means and ability to embark on such a project. Here’s to a lot of years of enjoying this bench. Peace out, Dan
Oh ya, I made a 3 part blog about this project if you want to see how I went about the construction.
Blog:
http://lumberjocks.com/BigRedKnothead/blog/34408
-- "Imperfection is the prerequisite for grace. Light only gets in through the cracks." -P. Yancy
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52 comments so far
waho6o9
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2887 posts in 744 days
#1 posted 82 days ago
Impressive joinery BRK, looks like it’s near impossible to move that
fine bench.
Most excellent!
Don W
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9939 posts in 734 days
#2 posted 82 days ago
excellent bench. I like the local lumber use. Most of the lumber for mine came from within a 1/2 mile of my shop.
-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)
Mauricio
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5103 posts in 1318 days
#3 posted 82 days ago
Dang Red, thanks for not posting your bench yesterday. It would have kicked me out of the daily top 3! LOL.
I love the contrast of oak and walnut. Its not stark like Maple and Walnut. It’s a pleasure to look at man. WOW that’s an amazing bench.
I also like your “Pint” shaped deadman!
I like the rest of your shop furniture to by the way. You have a dream shop now man!
-- Mauricio - Woodstock, GA - "Confusion is the Womb of Learning, with utter conviction being it's Tomb" Prof. T.O. Nitsch
helluvawreck
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10383 posts in 1034 days
#4 posted 82 days ago
That is a magnificent bench.
helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau
Brandon
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3736 posts in 1118 days
#5 posted 82 days ago
Dan, that’s a very nice bench! I hope you enjoy working on it.
-- "hold fast to that which is good"
Jamie Speirs
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3671 posts in 1023 days
#6 posted 82 days ago
That bench is just awesome
It must be a pleasure to work on
jamie
-- Who is the happiest of men? He who values the merits of others, and in their pleasure takes joy, even as though 'twere his own. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
jap
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1029 posts in 221 days
#7 posted 82 days ago
great job.
-- Joel -- http://diversitywoodworks.wordpress.com
BTimmons
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1082 posts in 652 days
#8 posted 82 days ago
Beautiful and useful, what’s not to love?
-- Brian in Arlington, TX - Laziness is the foundation of efficiency.
ShaneA
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3961 posts in 765 days
#9 posted 82 days ago
It really looks nice. All this quality bench building is inspirational. The leg joinery turned out great. Well done.
kdc68
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847 posts in 444 days
#10 posted 82 days ago
BigRedKnottHead——Incredible looking bench…the walnut and oak together is beautiful
-- Measure "at least" twice and cut once
BigRedKnothead
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490 posts in 149 days
#11 posted 82 days ago
Thanks for all the encouragement guys. It was definitely a labor of love.
Mauricio, don’t know about the dream shop….yet. It’s feels pretty cluttered. Gonna build a shed this spring and get everything that isn’t for my woodshop outta there. New cabinets, plane till, lumber rack…all on the way. Got a few commissions first take care of first. Blessed to have a way to pay for it all.
-- "Imperfection is the prerequisite for grace. Light only gets in through the cracks." -P. Yancy
USAFPOL
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89 posts in 217 days
#12 posted 82 days ago
Wow, that is beautiful…not only a workbench but a piece of art. Thanks for posting it!
Ron Harper
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110 posts in 83 days
#13 posted 82 days ago
Wow, you are going to love working on that thing!
-- Ron in Kokomo
bondogaposis
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1237 posts in 518 days
#14 posted 82 days ago
Really nice, I hope mine turns out half as well.
-- Bondo Gaposis
blackcherry
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2903 posts in 1990 days
#15 posted 82 days ago
Oh what a sweet looking bench, the journey has just begun enjoy the ride with your new workmate…BC
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