Split Top Roubo Bench Build

[iamnothim]

Stoked!
The leg end assemblies are glued and pegged.
The draw bore is incredibly strong.  A clamp provided no additional glue up benefit.
As always ya learn from the first one.  Marc said in the video to offset the hole in the tenon about 1/16" (1.50mm)
So I did.  I wish I took a picture but my hands were full.  In the each end assembly there are 8 pegs  (see below)
I could only get three to full depth in the first end.  The remaining ones were skew.  Very solid, but skew.

On the second assembly I drilled about 1/32 off center.  That did the trick.  Straight and through to the other side.
Everything came out nice and square and the joint is amazing.

Pegs:  I'm going to see if I can return the Lie Nielsen dowel cutter.  I could not make a decent dowel.  If  I cut the stock very close
there are flat spots.  It's also difficult to keep the stock straight.  My dowels looked like gummy worms.  As such I ran out and purchased some 3/8" cherry dowels. $3 for a 3' stick.  Dowels on Demand has them from a long list of species.  So much for the $55 dowel die.

Cutting the dowels flush.  I used a card scraper under the saw for the first stroke or two.  This eliminates the possibility of the saw touching the workpiece.  I flush the dowels up with a block plane. Then sand.

Sanding:  For years I have used a Yoga Mat to protect the workpiece while sanding or other finish work.  They are inexpensive and work great.  I originally purchased it for Yoga but the residents protested and the city put a ban in place.....  But I digress a yoga mat is great for sanding.  You can lay your sander down right away without having it walk off the table.

What is next???
I need to work on one of the two long rails but that shouldn't take long.  Then I pop the top on. [eek]

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[iamnothim]

This is looking great.

I am jealous as a bench a proper bench has been high on my builds list.

Sadly i am about three entry doors and jams, twelve plantation shutters and one massive pergola away.

Till then i live vicariously through you.

I want to see a lot of these benches built.  If I can do it......
Plus there are some builds using regular doug fir that look amazing.  So there are ways to get a great bench and spend a lot, lot less than I did.

[member=3220]Jim Kirkpatrick[/member] will tell you.... when you clamp some work on that thing and run your hand on the top, there is some real cosmic karma transferance thing going on.  Ya just smile!

So Build One!!!

 

[iamnothim]

[smile]

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[nclemmons]

Fantastic build and thread!  Looks amazing!

How many total hours would you estimate you have in the build?

neil

 

[iamnothim]

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[iamnothim]

I'm embarrassed to make this post, but it is exactly what this thread is all about.  The "journey."  (overused word,  Like "I'll reach out",  sick of that one too.  But I digress)

So I buy this fancy drill press because I need to drill a lot of holes and they have to be nuts on.  Up a couple posts back you see that I assembled the base.  Guess what...

I forgot to drill arguably the most important hole in the build.  The hole for the tail vise lead screw.

I look at the schematic and it says to make a 2 3/4" counter bore 1/2" deep.  No problem I purchased a Rockler router circle template and bushing for this.  Came out perfect.  I go to the BC parts and the lead screw nut is only 2 1/2" dia.  I freak out.  I'm about to call BC then I actually read the directions rather than just the schematic.  It states that it the counter bore is purposely larger for wiggle room.  "Yeah right" that's a lot of wiggle room "gonna look stupid".  I move on to the 1 1/4" through hole for the screw.

I weigh my options.  Take the base to the drill press and support it so it is perpendicular to the quill.  Or, use my handy Rockler forstner bit stabilizer jig and a hand drill.  I went for the jig.  (Bad choice)    The bit could only go 1/2" into the leg.  I figured that was a good starter and I went freehand.  (Bad Choice)

When I dropped in the nut and lead screw I saw, first hand, why the counter bore is larger than the nut.  Further, this hole was nowhere near straight and the screw still hit the edge of the hole and a square showed it to be far from being perpendicular to the leg.

I have a set of Milwaukee forester bits that widen holes.  These bits are not for fine woodworking.  They are for an electrician to slam conduit through a stud.  The good new is they worked.  Bad news..... I have one heck of an ugly hole. Good news, the nut hides the front side.  I have not looked at the back side to see how ugly it really is.

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[rvieceli]

Luke - the good news is that the only wooden part that is doing some work in that arrangement is the part where you attach the nut  [wink]. that looks ok.

If the back side bothers you - you could always router or chisel out a 3/4 inch deep pocket off the back. Drill a proper clearance hole in the correct spot in a 3/4 thick board and then patch the back side with it.

Ron

 

[Tinker]

I'm embarrassed to make this post, but it is exactly what this thread is all about.  The "journey."  (overused word,  Like "I'll reach out",  sick of that one too.  But I digress)

So I buy this fancy drill press because I need to drill a lot of holes and they have to be nuts on.  Up a couple posts back you see that I assembled the base.  Guess what...

I forgot to drill arguably the most important hole in the build.  The hole for the tail vise lead screw.

I look at the schematic and it says to make a 2 3/4" counter bore 1/2" deep.  No problem I purchased a Rockler router circle template and bushing for this.  Came out perfect.  I go to the BC parts and the lead screw nut is only 2 1/2" dia.  I freak out.  I'm about to call BC then I actually read the directions rather than just the schematic.  It states that it the counter bore is purposely larger for wiggle room.  "Yeah right" that's a lot of wiggle room "gonna look stupid".  I move on to the 1 1/4" through hole for the screw.

I weigh my options.  Take the base to the drill press and support it so it is perpendicular to the quill.  Or, use my handy Rockler forstner bit stabilizer jig and a hand drill.  I went for the jig.  (Bad choice)    The bit could only go 1/2" into the leg.  I figured that was a good starter and I went freehand.  (Bad Choice)

When I dropped in the nut and lead screw I saw, first hand, why the counter bore is larger than the nut.  Further, this hole was nowhere near straight and the screw still hit the edge of the hole and a square showed it to be far from being perpendicular to the leg.

I have a set of Milwaukee forester bits that widen holes.  These bits are not for fine woodworking.  They are for an electrician to slam conduit through a stud.  The good new is they worked.  Bad news..... I have one heck of an ugly hole. Good news, the nut hides the front side.  I have not looked at the back side to see how ugly it really is.

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Luke,
i was reading your post as i was sitting here drinking a cup-o-tea with my dear wife.  I hope you will excuse me, but I started laughing so hard i blew tea thru my nose.  Here you have been so absolutely meticulous all thru this project and getting accuracy that a machinist would expect.  And then, at the near end, you go and do something that you could expect me to do.  And took the same progression of steps to do it that i would do.  At least, you read the directions.  For many years, when something would not fit, i just went for a bigger hammer.  I am nearing the end of a trestle table that is full of mistooks.  But, like you with that lead screw, they are mostly hidden by the next step in the construction.  One needs to look very close to see that collar is even slightly off center.  No one but you will ever know the hole is such a mess inside.  AND, i will never tell a soul.  I did not even tell my wife why i blew tea all over my keyboard. 
Tinker

 

[Cheese]

Luke,
I think you're referring to Milwaukee Pathfinder bits.

Like this?

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If so, unfortunately they were designed to be able to cut "around" stuff and usually won't travel in a straight path like the typical forstner bit.

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Great build by the way...I always check in at least once a day. [big grin]

 

[iamnothim]

Luke,
I think you're referring to Milwaukee Pathfinder bits.

Like this?

If so, unfortunately they were designed to be able to cut "around" stuff and usually won't travel in a straight path like the typical forstner bit.

Yup. Those are them.  I selected them because they don't go straight and I could get medieval on the hole.

 

[iamnothim]

Luke,
i was reading your post as i was sitting here drinking a cup-o-tea with my dear wife.  I hope you will excuse me, but I started laughing so hard i blew tea thru my nose.  Here you have been so absolutely meticulous all thru this project and getting accuracy that a machinist would expect.  And then, at the near end, you go and do something that you could expect me to do.  And took the same progression of steps to do it that i would do.  At least, you read the directions.  For many years, when something would not fit, i just went for a bigger hammer.  I am nearing the end of a trestle table that is full of mistooks.  But, like you with that lead screw, they are mostly hidden by the next step in the construction.  One needs to look very close to see that collar is even slightly off center.  No one but you will ever know the hole is such a mess inside.  AND, i will never tell a soul.  I did not even tell my wife why i blew tea all over my keyboard. 
Tinker

Glad I could provide a little amusement.  It was a classic "ham-n-egger move"

 

[iamnothim]

Luke - the good news is that the only wooden part that is doing some work in that arrangement is the part where you attach the nut  [wink]. that looks ok.

If the back side bothers you - you could always router or chisel out a 3/4 inch deep pocket off the back. Drill a proper clearance hole in the correct spot in a 3/4 thick board and then patch the back side with it.

Ron

Ron,

I started making the shelf boards and still haven't looked at the back of the hole.  Nice idea.  You just gave me another one.  I could make a circular flange out of 1/2" material.  Cut a circle, drill the 1 1/4" hole for the screw, and mount it with three counter sunk fasteners.

 

[tbellemare]

  I could make a circular flange out of 1/2" material.  Cut a circle, drill the 1 1/4" hole for the screw, and mount it with three counter sunk fasteners.

That sounds more like a feature, not something unintentional...

If you could use something contrasting, even better. Maybe a washer?

Tom

 

[iamnothim]

I'm going to check the parts, there might be a back flange.  I really should read the directions.

The day ended up better than it started.  The shelf boards are cut and rabbeted ready to tack down.

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[Gene Davis]

As re the dowel cutter and your lack of success, I believe the stock you use for pounding through should be split and not sawn.

A bench like what you are completing is for working wood by hand and for that, you will want some fine wooden planes.  Go on YouTube and search for the long series "Making a double-iron beech try plane."

Then find yourself the required piece of QS beech, a nice old Ward iron or equivalent, and get to work.

 

[iamnothim]

Getting closer.
I put a chamfer on the shelf planks and tacked them down.  I realize debris will collect in the crack but the plan called for them to be 1/16" short for seasonal movement. so adding the chamfer is no big deal.

Now it's a little sanding and I'll shoot some top coats on.

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[tbellemare]

Now, it looks like an Aussie coffee table...

Nice job, Luke!

Tom

 

[bkharman]

Now, it looks like an Aussie coffee table...

Nice job, Luke!

Tom

and with that post... Tom broke the Internet with the 500th post on this thread!!

Enjoy your prize Tom!!

 

[iamnothim]

Now, it looks like an Aussie coffee table...

Nice job, Luke!

Tom

and with that post... Tom broke the Internet with the 500th post on this thread!!

Enjoy your prize Tom!!

With that and 2$, you can get a cup of coffee in some restaurants.

2 coats

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[iamnothim]

As re the dowel cutter and your lack of success, I believe the stock you use for pounding through should be split and not sawn.

A bench like what you are completing is for working wood by hand and for that, you will want some fine wooden planes.  Go on YouTube and search for the long series "Making a double-iron beech try plane."

Then find yourself the required piece of QS beech, a nice old Ward iron or equivalent, and get to work.

I believe I know the first project.  A "proper tool chest" to place on top of the self under the bench.  Wide low drawers made from hardwood with proper joints.