# YAR! - Yet Another Roubo



## dczward (May 23, 2011)

*Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*

I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!

I've also been getting into hand tools quite a bit, and need the sort of workholding that a good, heavy bench will provide. I also love learning about the history and origins of tools, and techniques, (I like nerding out about that stuff). this is also just another project to do to improve on some basic skills. Like most woodworkers here, I use power and hand tools as needed or as appropriate. And so the jointer, planer, and table saw were used to prep the stock, drill press & forstner bits to clear the mortises. Chisels and hand planes were used to clean up mortises, smooth the mill marks, etc.

On to the build!

I pretty much followed the "bible" or Mr Schwarz's seminal workbenches book, with one twist: I'm building it lefty, and it will be 2' x 7' (not 8').

My first challenge was finding material. I had decided to use Douglas Fir or southern yellow pine, as it fit the budget, i thought hardwoods to be overkill, and Schwarz made a good argument in the book for why using construction dimension lumber is a fine option for a bench. (Along the way, I learned waaaay too much about construction grade lumber). I live in Chicago, and southern yellow pine is nowhere to be found. Checking my local big box stores, I was faced with the fact that their construction dimensional lumber can be one of any number of species, most of which are too soft for what I wanted. Most of the construction lumber is generically listed as "whitewood" on the box box stores signs (as in "2×10 whitewood…"), which is stamped either "Hem-Fir" (meaning it is either hemlock OR some type of 'fir'), "SPF" (meaning either spruce, pine, or fir), or occasionally, rarely, "Douglas Fir". The last is the stuff I wanted, as it is pretty much the same properties of SYP. But the only way to tell if any given store has it is to go there and rummage around in their stacks looking for it. You cant tell what it is through their webpages, and good luck finding anyone at the store who knows anything about it other than they have some "whitewood".

There are about 4 Home Depots, 3 Menards, and one Lowes in a comfortable radius of my house, and in the weeks led up to getting the stock, each time a happened to be in one of them, I would take a gander and their stacks of 2×10s and 2×12s. It was always different, always changing, and rarely would the pieces be Douglas fir. Also, all the stuff was grade 2, and not the clearer grade 1 or "select". So I was pretty depressed at having to make do with crap, or having to chase all over the area looking for the magic boards. I even contacted a big local lumber company that supplies contractors directly, and they said they had no idea where to get SYP or grade 1 Douglas Fir.

Finally, when the day came to get the material, I prepared for a long day of snagging a hopefully clear board or two from one big box, then heading off to the next, sifting through stacks of crap, rise & repeat. My wonderful wife was my helper, and quite the trooper to commit to helping out on what was likely going to be a long, tiring day.

But I was VERY lucky that day. My first stop was the closest Home Depot, and they'd just delivered and placed out fresh stacks of 2×12 Douglas Fir. as in, the WHOLE STACK was douglas fir. was able to collect some pretty nice boards with a minimum of sifting, and was out of there in 1/2 hour. What a relief.

Even better, I checked them for moisture when I got them into the shop, and the wettest one was 13%, with the average around 11%. Lucky, lucky, lucky. I stacked & stickered everything, and started milling the pieces for the legs and stretchers. After those sat overnight, I finished milling them, did the lamenations, and drilled and chiseled the mortises. I had some awesomely dry and straight white oak around, and wanted to make my own pegs. But my poor man's doweling plate (a 3/8" hole drilled through 1/4" steel plate) wasn't really cutting it, so I went with store bought 3/8" red oak dowels.

At this point, I was ready to assemble the base. That's for next time!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*
> 
> I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!
> 
> ...


Wow, looking good! I'll follow along, because who doesn't love a good bench? Love the lived in look of your shop, too.


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## doordude (Mar 26, 2010)

dczward said:


> *Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*
> 
> I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!
> 
> ...


looks like a great start to a nice bench


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## live4ever (Feb 27, 2010)

dczward said:


> *Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*
> 
> I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!
> 
> ...


Awesome! I'm going to be following suit with a DF bench as well. You found some really great-looking construction lumber. The bench gods were smiling down upon thee!


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## murch (Mar 20, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*
> 
> I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!
> 
> ...


Great detail Douglas. I'll be keeping an eye on this as well because I'm in much the same position as you.
I welded up a 1" box-metal frame and bolted a sheet of ply on top just to have some where to stand my lathe.
Now, like you, I want to up-grade.

Best of luck.


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## grfrazee (Jul 17, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*
> 
> I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!
> 
> ...


I ran into the same problem as you. I decided to go with SYP for my bench, and living in the Chicagoland area isn't very conducive to getting SYP. I ended up special ordering it from Menards. Douglas Fir would have been my second choice.

I look forward to seeing your progress. I too read and obtained inspiration from the Schwarz book.


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## rexb (Mar 28, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*
> 
> I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!
> 
> ...


Interesting read, and I learned something new about the stamps on construction lumber at the big box stores. Looking forward to following this blog.


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## airfieldman (Dec 19, 2007)

dczward said:


> *Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*
> 
> I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!
> 
> ...


Quote: "my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!"

If I had started my workbench already, my opening paragraph for the journey would be identical to that, except my current is made with 1×4's and 2×4's. I can almost lift it with one hand! Thanks for sharing this journey of yours…I'll be watching with eagerness…


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

dczward said:


> *Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*
> 
> I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!
> 
> ...


Wonderful What I like most is your choice of material. Well done.


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## staryder (Oct 25, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Getting material, making the legs and stretchers*
> 
> I know there are a lot of Roubo workbench builds posted in the last few years, but I have no apologies for adding another to the pile. Why did I start this? Mainly because my current bench is totally inadequate. It is a "weekend workbench" I've used for a couple of years now, built before I really understood what I wanted or needed. It is made with 4×4 and 2×4 pressure treated legs and stretchers, a laminated MDF top, 2' x 5' in size. It has a face vise that is not flush to the top edge, and the top has an overhang that makes it not flush with the legs. It is too light, and wiggles and scoots when I apply force to something (most anything) I'm working on. I find myself fighting it to get it to hold work, when I'd rather just be fighting my project!
> 
> ...


Great build and a wonderful job documenting it…. Thanks for sharing….


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

*Assembling the base, milling top stock*

With the legs and stretchers all ready, it was time to assemble the base. A dry fit revealed a few adjustments were needed for some of the mortises; a couple weren't deep enough by about 1/8". Some chisel work cleared that up. I then drilled out the holes for the pegs, marked and drilled the drawbore holes in the tenons. I went with about 3/32" of inset on the 3/8" pegs.

Assembly, with Titebond extend as the glue, went well. The pegs went in tight but smooth, after tapering them with a manual pencil sharpener. The joints snugged up tightly, and I was really pleased with the fit of the joints. After letting it cure overnight, I cut off the pegs, did some glue removal and sanding, it looked great. Everything was super square.




























I set that aside, and started on milling up the top material. I rough cut them to 4 1/2", giving me plenty of extra to adjust them down to the final 4". Then the jointing and planing, which was a lot of work. There were 22 4 1/2" x 8' boards to work through. My 6" jointer and 13" planer held up, and several hours later, the were stacked to sit overnight.



















Tomorrow I'll do final dimensioning and hopefully glue up.


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## TheBronzeoakleaf (Jan 9, 2013)

dczward said:


> *Assembling the base, milling top stock*
> 
> With the legs and stretchers all ready, it was time to assemble the base. A dry fit revealed a few adjustments were needed for some of the mortises; a couple weren't deep enough by about 1/8". Some chisel work cleared that up. I then drilled out the holes for the pegs, marked and drilled the drawbore holes in the tenons. I went with about 3/32" of inset on the 3/8" pegs.
> 
> ...


Looks great so far-are you putting the chop on the right?


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## jap (Oct 10, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Assembling the base, milling top stock*
> 
> With the legs and stretchers all ready, it was time to assemble the base. A dry fit revealed a few adjustments were needed for some of the mortises; a couple weren't deep enough by about 1/8". Some chisel work cleared that up. I then drilled out the holes for the pegs, marked and drilled the drawbore holes in the tenons. I went with about 3/32" of inset on the 3/8" pegs.
> 
> ...


looking good


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Assembling the base, milling top stock*
> 
> With the legs and stretchers all ready, it was time to assemble the base. A dry fit revealed a few adjustments were needed for some of the mortises; a couple weren't deep enough by about 1/8". Some chisel work cleared that up. I then drilled out the holes for the pegs, marked and drilled the drawbore holes in the tenons. I went with about 3/32" of inset on the 3/8" pegs.
> 
> ...


Sam, Yes, I'm building it "lefty".


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

*Finishing the top & assembling bench*

All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.

Here's one of the sections in the clamps…










And then the full top…










I left some room in the front section to accommodate the wagon vise, and, after jointing and planing, had to add a 3/4" piece on the back to get back to 24 3/8" width, to match the width of my base. I took care to try and align the grain direction to make flattening the top easier, but there were several pieces that had grain reversal that I couldn't do anything about. I'd also tried to hide any knots inside the glue up, or on the bottom as best I could.

After the top was dry, it was time to take it out of the clamps and see how I did. Not bad, it was very flat within 1/16" - 3/32" showing a slight arch in the middle, consistent over the width. I'd also been able to keep my thickness on target: shooting for a final thickness of 4", I started out rough milling each piece at 4 1/2". After jointing each individual board, I was at just over 4 1/4", and after jointing & planing each section, 4 1/8". After the tight full glue up, I was at 4 1/16", which was a great place to be at the flattening stage.

Here I'm using my #5 with a cambered blade to hog off the worst of the hump. I followed with my #6 & #7, then some #4 smoother plane and a touch of 220 sandpaper…










Flattening went well, and it was onto chopping the mortises for the legs. Some forstner bit and chisel work got the waste out, and only took a few tries to get the fit right. I used my skil saw and a clamped guide to even out the ends. I then proceeded to route out the groove for the sliding deadman, and the grooves around the wagon vise. I also did the drilling for the drawbore pins, with a 1/16 offset there.





































With all that in place, I fit the top, and drove in the pegs. I was using store bought dowels for this, and I wish I'd used a doweling plate and made my own. 3 of 8 pegs broke during the insert, but only after going in 2/3. I was able to chase the broken dowels with another shorter one, and finish the insert. I don't think it will affect the joint, as all 4 joints seemed to pull up nice and tight.



















I was VERY excited to reach this stage, finally. I did some clean up, and got ready to add the vises, end cap, and other fixtures. That's next time!


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## blackcherry (Dec 7, 2007)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Big and Stout oh what fun you must be having this is a beauty of a project…ENJOY!


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## grfrazee (Jul 17, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Well, your leg mortises look much neater than mine, I can tell you that much. I decided against draw-boring them so that I could disassemble and move the bench, but otherwise mine are pretty similar.


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## affyx (Jan 1, 2008)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


great bench! enjoying the series, thanks


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## walden (Nov 11, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


This is great! You'll love using that bench. I have yet to find a task mine can't handle.


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## murch (Mar 20, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Going really well. The finish line is in sight.


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## Willeh (Dec 30, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Did you cut the opening for the wagon vice after the top was glued up, or did you leave that out before hand?


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Beautiful!


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Willeh - I "left it out" during the glue up, and then routed the tracks for the wagon "ears", then screwed in strips to support the wagon. Does that make sense? I could post a pic if you'd like.

Smitty - Thanks!


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## Willeh (Dec 30, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Douglas,

Just to make sure i get what you mean: You left out the slot wide enough for the dog block, routed out the underside for more space and so it would be supported from the top, then added strips to the underside to keep it supported from below?

A pic would be awesome! Thanks


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Hi Willeh, here's some more pix…




























So, as our can see, the wagon block is one piece, cut like an inverted "T", and then I screwed in cleats below. I left them thick to make sure they were strong. Let me know if you have any other questions.


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## Willeh (Dec 30, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Brilliant! Thanks much! Appreciate it


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


looks sweet!


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## Willeh (Dec 30, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing the top & assembling bench*
> 
> All this past week I was able to get an hour or so each night to keep going with gluing up the 4 sub-sections of the top, getting them done by the weekend. Each section was 4 boards, and ended up being about 5 3/4" wide. I decided to do it this way for a few reasons. First, I wanted to be able to run each section over my 6" jointer, and then the planer. Second, by doing the glue up in stages, it made the final full glue up easier to manage.
> 
> ...


Hate to be a pest, but can I ask how long your slot for the wagon vice is? I ordered the vice, but it is taking forever and I will probably get to the glue up of that section this weekend…


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

*Finishing up*

Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.

First, I got to finish and fit the face vise. For that, and for all the "fixtures" (the face vise chop &pin board, the sliding deadman, the end cap, and wagon chop) I used a nice piece of 8/4 ash. I'd never worked with ash before, and I really love how it works. Passing over it with a smoother plane gets it silky smooth.

For the face vise, I went with the Lee Valley screw hardware, as I like its simplicity. I'd already chopped out the mortise to fit the screw mount and pin board, so now I had to finish shaping the chop, fitting the hardware on the chop, and leveling out the top to sit flush with the top. I also drilled and sized the pin board.










I went together well, but the slot in the leg for the pin board was too tight, and I had to spend sometime widening to allow it to slide in and out smoothly. Finally it was all set, and with using a screwdriver as my pin (until I later make one with a store bought handle and piece of 3/8" steel rod), the vise was done.




























Next up was the sliding deadman. Made from that same 8/4 ash, I resawed and planed it to get it down to 1 1/4" thick. I went into place easily, and looks great.










Then it was wagon vise time. If there was one new feature I was most looking forward to in this bench, it was this. The Benchcrafted $300 hardware was out of my budget, so I went with the $29 Lee Valley shoulder vise for the hardware. I wanted to be able to clamp pieces through the wagon hole, so having a screw in that space wasn't going to work. I also wanted to make sure I could easily take the chop out if I needed to replace it. The Lee Valley kit seemed to fit that bill.

So I went with a simple upside-down "T" shape for the chop, with guide strips screwed beneath to hold it in. The end cap was 8/4 ash, and the chop was laminated from the same. Here's the result…

Routing out the mortise for the screw mount in the end cap…










The end cap in place…










And the wagon vise coming together…



















after drilling the dog holes…














































--










So that's it, almost. I still need to chop the 2"x2" mortise for the planing stop, and then I'll be finishing the whole thing with Watco Danish Oil (natural). I also will be adding leather to the inside of the face vise chop, and inside the far wall of the wagon vise. I also have some grammercy holdfasts on order. The only holdfasts I had before were a pair of super crappy blue cast iron ones (I think from Rockler?). One of those cracked months ago, and the one remaining one is too short to do anything useful.

Overall, I am thrilled with the bench. The few times I used the face vise in finishing up these piece, the holding capacity was fantastic, a huge improvement over the Rockler quick release front vise I had before that always racked. And the wagon vise is a thrill, too. I clamped a 18" test piece in between the dogs, and it was rock solid. I love the fact that it is left handed; the days of fighting my old bench just to plane comfortably are over.

I'm happy to answer anyone's questions about the build, but as you can see, I stuck the Schwarz Roubo plan pretty closely. The differences are that mine is only 7'2" long, not 8', left handed, and I used the poor man's vise hardware (but completely sufficient for the task!). I don't regret sticking that closely to Schwarz' plans, as I think it's an awesome design.

Thanks for reading!


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## 2bigfeet (Jan 24, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Great job! Enjoy the hell out of it.


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Looks beautiful. One day I'll make something that nice for myself.


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## grfrazee (Jul 17, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


This looks great. You're making me really jealous that I haven't had shop time in a few weeks to finish my own.


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## Parsimonia (Jan 21, 2013)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


That's a work of art. Form and function.


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Your workbench would make a nice piece of furniture for any house, but I know you've got other plans for it. Your wagon vise really came out nice. I don't have one on my bench so I'm just a little envious. Great project and nice write up as well.


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## murch (Mar 20, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Super job. Well done.


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the kind words everyone. It's funny; while I'm not going to be all self-deprecating and say thing like "aw shucks, it really does suck and is lousy, but thanks anyway", the pictures do really make everything look about 25% better than they do in person. The mortises look straighter, the joints tighter, and all those little places where there is a ding, or dent, or a little chipout on a corner seem to get "smoothed over" in the photos. I've only seriously been woodworking for about two years now, and this is my best effort to date. All told it was three long weekends, with a few hours here and there in the evenings during the weeks between. Total materials were about $300, excluding the only extra tools I needed to get was a $22 2" forstner bit to cut the hole for the wagon vise mount, and a $20 spiral upcut router bit to cut the groove for the deadman. Essential tools were:

6" jointer, 13" planer, table saw, band saw, drill press, router, jointer hand plane, chisels, hand brace with 3/8" & 3/4" auger bits, a few forstner bits.

I guess what I'm saying is; it's NOT as beautiful (or "perfect") as the photos might make it seem, and it's not that hard for someone newer to woodworking to make something like this (or better).

I'll post episode #5 in a few weeks when I finish it, all the leather, and when I put in the shelf.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


That is one fine looking bench Douglas, with a lot of nice features and details. Be Proud!


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Having taken a second look at this blog entry, I'm struck by something. The affordability of the Lee Valley vise hardware, about 90% cheaper than the Bench Crafted hardware, makes this suddenly seem like a much more affordable project!

And that is definitely encouraging.


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## DouginVa (Mar 5, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


I like your bench and the choice of materials. I'm a little torn between building a new workbench with new lumber like you've built and making one from antique timbers. I have a wood supplier near me that salvages wood from old buildings, etc. and the wood is very reasonably priced for salvaged wood. I like the old stuff becuase of the patina and character. What concerns me about new timber, especially in pine, is the weight. Is your bench nice & heavy. Is there any shifting around while hand planing?


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


It's about 300+ lbs. As I described in my part 1, there is construction lumber that is too light and soft, but southern yellow pine or Douglas fir is plenty heavy and rigid. And as far as patina goes, won't most of that go away once you plane and joint it?

That said, I would have loved to use some reclaimed lumber, but I couldn't find any consistent sources at the time, and went with what Schwarz described as a perfectly good solution.


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## Timbo (Aug 21, 2008)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Great bench, I have also enjoyed watching the build. Having finished mine about 2 1/2 years ago I can say using construction lumber is an excellent choice and has held up fine. You will find by next year the top will have moved (twisted) a bit, and will need to be flattened, I flattened mine last winter and need to check it again.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Simply outstanding. And congrats on the wagon vise, looks like you've a winner there, too! Great build, it'll be a fine shop partner for you for years and years!


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Tim - ill keep an eye out for having to re-flatten. I didn't glue the end cap on, and can un-bolt that when it comes time to flatten again. I think that will work.


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## sandhill (Aug 28, 2007)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


You did a fine job man, be proud and enjoy its use.


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## felkadelic (Jun 12, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Douglas, do you have any regrets for not including a crochet?


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Finishing up*
> 
> Since last post, I was able to get some time to finish up almost the whole thing.
> 
> ...


Felk - I haven't missed it. I might not know what I'm missing, but if I ever felt I needed it, it would be simple to add later.


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

*Ok, Now it's done already*

Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.

First up was applying some finish. I went with some Watco Danish oil (natural), and did about three coats, letting it dry for a day in between. I then put a thin application of paste wax to the top to help prevent glue & liquid spills from penetrating, but not too much as I didn't want to make the top slick.

Next up was adding leather to the leg vise chop and the inside of the wagon vise. I just used Gorilla wood glue, and did a little sanding & trimming after letting it dry for a day…



















And then I chopped out the 2"x2" mortise for the planing stop. That wasn't as much work as I'd feared, and by leaving my ash block a little thick, I was able to plane that down to a good fit. It's a little tight now, but I'm sure that will loosen with time. If it gets too loose, I can always just fit another stop block to the mortise.














































While I was doing this, my Gramercy holdfasts arrived. I was thrilled to finally get them, but after trying them out, I was discouraged that they weren't holding very well. I recalled that they suggest roughing up the shaft with some 80 grit sandpaper (around the shaft, not along it), and that helped somewhat, but they still weren't holding as tight as I thought they should. Then I read that for benches 4" or thicker (mines exactly 4"), it is recommended to widen the bottom of the dog holes to 1" for about 3/4 or so. I used a spade bit to try this, and bingo - that was it. One simple tap literally locks the holdfast and work in place now, and a tap on the back frees it. Awesome. I still haven't decided on epoxying leather to the faces of holdfasts or not.










I will add a shelf to the bottom in a few months, but I need to get back to making things. Thanks for reading.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

dczward said:


> *Ok, Now it's done already*
> 
> Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.
> 
> ...


Sure looks good. Wish I had one of this quality.


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## stonedlion (Jan 12, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Ok, Now it's done already*
> 
> Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.
> 
> ...


Nicely done! You and your bench are going to be lifelong friends.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

dczward said:


> *Ok, Now it's done already*
> 
> Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.
> 
> ...


Beautiful. 
I also made a a roubo style bench out of douglas fir about 4 years ago.


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## Timbo (Aug 21, 2008)

dczward said:


> *Ok, Now it's done already*
> 
> Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.
> 
> ...


Nice! The bench turned out very well. Soon you will wonder how you ever did without it. As for the leather pads for the hold fast, I used spray adhesive and the have been holding up fine.


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Ok, Now it's done already*
> 
> Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.
> 
> ...


Not bad for a lefty!

Seriously, that's a really nice bench. Someday I'll have something that nice…


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## jap (Oct 10, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Ok, Now it's done already*
> 
> Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.
> 
> ...


lovely, nice work


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## affyx (Jan 1, 2008)

dczward said:


> *Ok, Now it's done already*
> 
> Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.
> 
> ...


great looking bench congrats!

those gramercy holdfasts are amazing, got to use mine for the first time today


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## iamcliff (Jul 4, 2012)

dczward said:


> *Ok, Now it's done already*
> 
> Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.
> 
> ...


The bench looks stinking sweet. I love the look of a Roubo bench and have wanted one ever since I saw the Benchcrafted one. This version is awesome as well. I will have to look up the book you used.

Interesting series. Thanks for all the details.


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## dczward (May 23, 2011)

dczward said:


> *Ok, Now it's done already*
> 
> Since last entry, I've had time to both apply finishing touches, and get some shop time using the bench, and even put the first few battle scars on it.
> 
> ...


Thanks Cliff! Chris Schwarz's book is really all you need. Your questions will be answered. The best part about it is that instead of telling you "this is how it is, exactly", the book is really a great comparison of trade-offs of different features, and you can pick and choose from what makes sense to you.


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