Project:Roubo Workbench: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 12:01, 18 April 2018

ProjectInfoBox Simple "Roubo" Style Workbench

Status:	nearly done (already usable)
Release Date:	Dec 2017
Initiator:	Lukas
Materials Used:	wood (spruce planks), threaded rods, lock nuts, wood glue
Tools Used:	10 mm spade drill bit, 20 mm Forstner bit, 19 mm auger bit, clamps, planes, chisels, Ryoba
Approx. Cost:	approx. 50 € for the (very cheap) wood; several hours of work

A "Roubo" workbench is a traditional French woodworking bench (Hobelbank) as described by André Roubo in the 18th century. It has many nice features and work holding options so we began building one.

While the following build is largely inspired by the old sketches, many features and construction techniques were chosen based on what was desired and possible at the time.

First Attempt

Progress: nearly done

legs: ~~need to be cut to the desired height~~ left rather long so we have an alternative to the much lower Hobelbank
top: needs even edges and perhaps additional planing
- poor leg joints and cracks have been partially filled with a glue and sawdust mix - could be continued
- holes for holdfasts will be added as needed, the first one was already drilled when the tenons on the legs needed to be cut
vise: installed, matching dog holes and wooden jaws to be added soon

Specs

final plate size: 1800 × 800 × 60 mm
- made of ten 2000 × 80 × 60 mm spruce planks
- 10 mm holes for the rods, outmost planks counterbored with 20 mm Forstner bit to receive nuts
  - counterbore should have been the first hole to drill...
legs (800 × 100 × 80 mm spruce planks) will be connected to each other by a frame at the bottom, perhaps with a storage floor
- the bench may still have to be bolted to the wall for maximum stability, we'll see!

Limitations

At the time of the build, our wood workshop was pretty rudimentary and the ideal solution was rarely an option...

no jointer (and no jointer plane until halfway in)
- the glue bond between the sometimes curvy planks was reinforced by three M8 threaded rods
no F-clamps of sufficient length

Room for Improvements

harder wood
nicer joinery (after some more practice)
...let me know what else!

Gallery

Hover over a photo for more information:

an early draft in SketchUp
detailed draft in SketchUp
unprepared planks
first alignment & rough planing
horizontal drilling "jig"
glue-up, part 1: stacking the benchtop
glue-up, part 2: under pressure!
preparing a leg joint with a Ryoba
chiseling a piece out of a leg joint
legs are optional - once you have a benchtop, use it!
finished leg
transferring the outlines of a leg joint's tenons
Forstner bits are useful...
...for quickly removing material prior to chiseling
chiseling part of a leg joint
test fitting a leg joint: the rubbed-off pencil highlights tight areas
all legs and the horizontal stretchers attached!
finally standing on its own legs - time to plane some more!
diagonal stretchers greatly improved stability
a jointer plane is the proper tool for planing such a large surface
tons of plane shavings covered our wood workshop when the top was about done
preparing the installation of a large woodworking vise...
...by increasing the benchtop's thickness with two additional boards
woodworking vise installed and ready to use!
recycling some bed parts as an additional storage level
looking rather complete - all major steps finished!

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Horizontal drill jig.jpeg|thumb|right|drilling holes for the threaded rods with a simple fixture]]
+{{ProjectInfoBox
+|project title=Simple "Roubo" Style Workbench
+|image=Roubo workbench 1-24.JPG
+|status=nearly done (already usable)
+|date=Dec 2017
+|initiator=[[Lukas]]
+|team=
+|materials=[[wood]] (spruce planks), [[Threaded Rods|threaded rods]],<br>[[Lock Nuts|lock nuts]], [[Wood Glue|wood glue]]
+|tools=10 mm [[Spade Drill Bits|spade drill bit]], 20 mm [[Forstner Bits|Forstner bit]],<br>19 mm [[Auger Bits|auger bit]], [[clamps]], [[planes]], [[chisels]], [[Ryoba]]
+|software=
+|cost=approx. 50 € for the (very cheap) wood;<br>several hours of work
+}}
+A "Roubo" workbench is a traditional French woodworking bench ''(Hobelbank)'' as [https://lostartpress.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/plate11_full.jpg described by André Roubo in the 18th century]. It has many nice features and work holding options so we began building one.
-A "Roubo" workbench seems to be the American version of a traditional woodworking bench ''(Hobelbank)''. It has many nice features and work holding options so we began building one.
+While the following build is largely inspired by the old sketches, many features and construction techniques were chosen based on what was desired and possible at the time.
-== Notes ==
+== First Attempt ==
+'''Progress:''' nearly done
+* legs: <strike>need to be cut to the desired height</strike> left rather long so we have an alternative to the much lower [[Hobelbank]]
+* top: needs even edges and perhaps additional planing
+** poor leg joints and cracks have been partially filled with a glue and sawdust mix - could be continued
+** holes for [[holdfasts]] will be added as needed, the first one was already drilled when the tenons on the legs needed to be cut
+* vise: installed, matching dog holes and wooden jaws to be added soon
+=== Specs ===
 * final plate size: 1800{{x}}800{{x}}60 mm
-** made of ten 2000{{x}}80{{x}}60 mm planks
+** made of ten 2000{{x}}80{{x}}60 mm spruce planks
-** not [[Jointer|jointed]] - glue reinforced by three M8 [[Threaded Rods|threaded rods]]
 ** 10 mm holes for the rods, outmost planks counterbored with 20 mm [[Forstner Bits|Forstner bit]] to receive [[nuts]]
+*** counterbore should have been the first hole to drill...
+* legs (800{{x}}100{{x}}80 mm spruce planks) will be connected to each other by a frame at the bottom, perhaps with a storage floor
+** the bench may still have to be bolted to the wall for maximum stability, we'll see!
+=== Limitations ===
+At the time of the build, our [[Wood Workshop|wood workshop]] was pretty rudimentary and the ideal solution was rarely an option...
+* no [[jointer]] (and no [[Jointer Plane|jointer plane]] until halfway in)
+** the [[Wood Glue|glue]] bond between the sometimes curvy planks was reinforced by three M8 [[Threaded Rods|threaded rods]]
+* no [[F-Clamps|F-clamps]] of sufficient length
+=== Room for Improvements ===
+* harder wood
+* nicer joinery (after some more practice)
+* ''...let me know what else!''
+=== Gallery ===
+Hover over a photo for more information:
+<gallery mode=packed-hover heights=250>
+File:Roubo sketch.PNG|an early draft in [[SketchUp]]
+File:Roubo detailed.PNG|detailed draft in [[SketchUp]]
+File:Roubo workbench 1-01.JPG|unprepared planks
+File:Roubo workbench 1-02.JPG|first alignment & rough [[Planes|planing]]
+File:Roubo workbench 1-03.JPG|horizontal drilling "[[jig]]"
+File:Roubo workbench 1-04.JPG|glue-up, part 1: stacking the benchtop
+File:Roubo workbench 1-05.JPG|glue-up, part 2: under pressure!
+File:Roubo workbench 1-06.JPG|preparing a leg joint with a [[Ryoba]]
+File:Roubo workbench 1-07.JPG|[[Chisels (Woodworking)|chiseling]] a piece out of a leg joint
+File:Roubo workbench 1-08.JPG|legs are optional - once you have a benchtop, use it!
+File:Roubo workbench 1-09.JPG|finished leg
+File:Roubo workbench 1-10.JPG|transferring the outlines of a leg joint's tenons
+File:Roubo workbench 1-11.JPG|[[Forstner Bits|Forstner bits]] are useful...
+File:Roubo workbench 1-12.JPG|...for quickly removing material prior to [[chiseling]]
+File:Roubo workbench 1-13.JPG|chiseling part of a leg joint
+File:Roubo workbench 1-14.JPG|test fitting a leg joint: the rubbed-off pencil highlights tight areas
+File:Roubo workbench 1-15.JPG|all legs and the horizontal stretchers attached!
+File:Roubo workbench 1-16.JPG|finally standing on its own legs - time to [[plane]] some more!
+File:Roubo workbench 1-17.JPG|diagonal stretchers greatly improved stability
+File:Roubo workbench 1-18.JPG|a [[Jointer Plane|jointer plane]] is the proper tool for planing such a large surface
+File:Roubo workbench 1-19.JPG|tons of plane shavings covered our [[Wood Workshop|wood workshop]] when the top was about done
+File:Roubo workbench 1-20.JPG|preparing the installation of a large [[Woodworking Vise|woodworking vise]]...
+File:Roubo workbench 1-21.JPG|...by increasing the benchtop's thickness with two additional boards
+File:Roubo workbench 1-22.JPG|[[Woodworking Vise|woodworking vise]] installed and ready to use!
+File:Roubo workbench 1-23.JPG|recycling some bed parts as an additional storage level
+File:Roubo workbench 1-24.JPG|looking rather complete - all major steps finished!
+</gallery>
+[[Category:Woodworking]]
+[[Category:Workbenches]]