Split Top Roubo Bench Build

[Gene Davis]

With that dozuki and the new bench, practice cutting right to the lines on chunky pieces of scrap hardwood, and keep it up until the cuts are dead on and planar.

Then you are ready for the cuts on the parts of the Nakashima conoid table base.

And you'll need a good file or two.  http://www.japanwoodworker.com/Product/156025/6-Hand-Made-Furniture-Maker's-File.aspx

 

[iamnothim]

With that dozuki and the new bench, practice cutting right to the lines on chunky pieces of scrap hardwood, and keep it up until the cuts are dead on and planar.

Then you are ready for the cuts on the parts of the Nakashima conoid table base.

[member=2952]Gene Davis[/member]
That is my goal and my plan.  Work on scraps with chisels, planes, saws, and draw knifes.
That's certainly a file for the big boys.

Check out this site for more incredible Japanese Tools.  Custom made.

 

[Tinker]

If you've read my "What's wrong with this picture" thread a year ago you know I like a good contest.  So here's a new one.

Once again it's a "Where's Waldo?" type of contest.  Placed within an image posted in the last five pages of this thread is a subtle hidden joke.  Maybe someone saw it and didn't post or not.  Contest..... First one to find it gets a $10 Amazon gift code that I will PM.

Happy hunting.

Tommy B knows the joke and is thusly excluded from the competition.

Luke. I thought you have been joking all along [poke]
Tinker

 

[iamnothim]

My first dovetail. Ever.....
Not good enough for prime time.  And it's only half done.
I'll keep trying but if it's one of those 1 out of 8 tries is good, then I'm going to woosie-boy out and use the famous Mortise & Bolt joint.

Already spent an extra $35 for another chunk of babinga.

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[Tinker]

I have not tried hand DT's yet.  I have done a couple of hand cut mortices for the ends of a rail for the wedges to fit into for a trestle table.  I have watched several on youtube, especially Paul Sellers.  Paul says it doesn't make any difference whether one uses a regular chisel or a morticing chisel.  I see you are using a mortice chisel for your DT's.

I was practicing on several scraps of hard maple before going into the actual project.  I was using a 3/4" bench chisel to cut 3/4" mortices. The problem I was running into with the bench chisel was that once I got deep into the mortice, the sides of the chisel started to jamb against the sides of the mortice.  I have looked in a couple of catalogues (mostly at LV) and notice the mortice chisels are tapered so this does not happen. 

You seem to be using a mortice chisel much narrower than the opening for cutting your DT's.  Of course, DT's present different problems than mortices, but in your (somewhere along the way) practicing, did you find a difference in chopping into the sides between using a bench chisel and a mortice chisel?

I admire your accuracy in cutting your DT's into the maple.  I did all of my practicing on hard maple.  When I made the actual mortices into the stretcher beam, I was chopping into red oak.  What a difference. The oak was a piece of cake compared to the maple.  Your work on the DT's has turned out quite accurate from my POV.
Tinker

 

[Runhard]

Luke,

You should also try using a fret saw to cut out most of the waste. If you do not have one I highly recommend Knew Concepts fret saw. I have the aluminum version, but they also have a titanium version at 2x the cost. Here are a few links to check out, the first two are from Paul-Marcel (Half-Inch Shy). He has the first version of the titanium fret saw, which is no longer available. The last link is ordering information from Highland Woodworking. As you know, no matter what technique you go with, practice, practice, practice...

http://www.halfinchshy.com/2011/09/knew-concepts-fretsaw-review.html


http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/search.aspx?find=Knew+concepts

 

[Gene Davis]

My duztuki has duzt collection.  Yours should too. *cough*

 

[tiralie]

I see you are using a mortice chisel for your DT's.

Tinker, I think Lukes' chisel looks more like a paring chisel to me, or a narrow bench chisel. It's a bit difficult to tell in the photo.
If it is sharpened at 20 degrees, they should never be hit with a mallet.

A stout bench or bevel edged chisel with a shorter blade may be easier to control and better for hogging out all that maple.
Tim

 

[iamnothim]

My duztuki has duzt collection.  Yours should too. *cough*

ROLFAMO!

 

[iamnothim]

Luke,

You should also try using a fret saw to cut out most of the waste. If you do not have one I highly recommend Knew Concepts fret saw. I have the aluminum version, but they also have a titanium version at 2x the cost. Here are a few links to check out, the first two are from Paul-Marcel (Half-Inch Shy). He has the first version of the titanium fret saw, which is no longer available. The last link is ordering information from Highland Woodworking. As you know, no matter what technique you go with, practice, practice, practice...

http://www.halfinchshy.com/2011/09/knew-concepts-fretsaw-review.html


http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/search.aspx?find=Knew+concepts

Got one.  It's a beautiful saw.  But I can't cut a straight line... yet.

 

[iamnothim]

I have not tried hand DT's yet.  I have done a couple of hand cut mortices for the ends of a rail for the wedges to fit into for a trestle table.  I have watched several on youtube, especially Paul Sellers.  Paul says it doesn't make any difference whether one uses a regular chisel or a morticing chisel.  I see you are using a mortice chisel for your DT's.

I need to look up Paul's video.  I've watched several of his mortise clips.

I was practicing on several scraps of hard maple before going into the actual project.  I was using a 3/4" bench chisel to cut 3/4" mortices. The problem I was running into with the bench chisel was that once I got deep into the mortice, the sides of the chisel started to jamb against the sides of the mortice.  I have looked in a couple of catalogues (mostly at LV) and notice the mortice chisels are tapered so this does not happen.

Mine are Robert Sorby.  I like them.  My widest is a paring chisel.  I use that to set the line on the perimeter, then follow up with a 3/4" mortise chisel to remove the waste.

I admire your accuracy in cutting your DT's into the maple.  I did all of my practicing on hard maple.  When I made the actual mortices into the stretcher beam, I was chopping into red oak.  What a difference. The oak was a piece of cake compared to the maple.  Your work on the DT's has turned out quite accurate from my POV.
Tinker

The bench is soft maple.  It's much easier that hard maple or even oak.

 

[Runhard]

Luke,

I wouldn't try to cut to the line with the fret saw, just get it close then use a chisel. You could clamp a straight block of wood to the top of the piece you are working on to help guide your chisel. There are many ways to skin a cat  [eek]

 

[iamnothim]

Tinker, I think Lukes' chisel looks more like a paring chisel to me, or a narrow bench chisel. It's a bit difficult to tell in the photo.
If it is sharpened at 20 degrees, they should never be hit with a mallet.

A stout bench or bevel edged chisel with a shorter blade may be easier to control and better for hogging out all that maple.
Tim

Hey Tim,
Hope all is well.

Here's a screen capture of mark removing the waste.  I thought that went pretty well.  He scribed the perimeter and set the shoulder with one blow.  He said that's the only line that's important and that when removing the waste you can under cut that line and it will not matter.  Mine is 1/8" shoulder is pretty square with one exception.  Also there is only one exposed face.

What got me was the jig saw blade drift.  I also missed the line on one pin and tried to get it back to spec with a chisel.  The went very bad.

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[iamnothim]

Luke,

I wouldn't try to cut to the line with the fret saw, just get it close then use a chisel. You could clamp a straight block of wood to the top of the piece you are working on to help guide your chisel. There are many ways to skin a cat  [eek]

That's a very good idea.
Thanks

 

[iamnothim]

CS Woods in Denver has a nice collection of table-top slab wood in various species.  I am thinking about doing a Nakashima table for our daughter.  Here is a look at my SU modeling for two sizes, one at about 41 x 78, the other at 44 x 98.

Most every metro area has a biz selling table slabs.  It was once just a thing for rustic ranch palaces and ski houses and camps, but now that it is the rage for corporate conference tables, everybody's a slabber.

Nakashima tables have thinner tops than the 2-3/4 thickness done by CS, but they will saw me one a little thicker and I can get it resawn to about 1-1/2, then surface down to flat and smooth.  To get a nice bookmatch with live edges, I will get a thickie, straighline rip one edge to get just past sapwood toward center, then straightline rip down center to yield two widths under 12 inches, and pay a guy with a big old bandsaw to resaw.  Then I will join up again after.

[member=2952]Gene Davis[/member]
Oh, By The Way.
You made the fatal error of posting a picture of this project.
Hence, you are obligated to have a Build Thread.
I can't wait !

 

[tiralie]

What got me was the jig saw blade drift. 

Ah, Ok.

I also missed the line on one pin and tried to get it back to spec with a chisel.  The went very bad.

On pins that large, you can probably clean (square) up the outside on the pin with a shoulder plane or a low angle block plane a lot easier than a chisel.
Tim

 

[iamnothim]

On pins that large, you can probably clean (square) up the outside on the pin with a shoulder plane or a low angle block plane a lot easier than a chisel.
Tim

Tim,
Most of the problem was the inside face of one pin.  I left too much material outside the line and had to try to skinny it up with a chisel.

I know my limitations and I don't like the risk/reward value of trying to make the dovetails.  It's not like it's a hidden drawer box, this is in your face all the time.  I've convinced myself that a block tenon (Option 3) will look better with the contrasting woods because  there is no symmetry to the design element (dovetail), and that it looks odd.

The Benchcrafted vise kit arrives this afternoon.  In the kit are "barrel nuts" for the end cap and leg stretchers.  I ordered a coupe extra and I will use one thru the front laminate tenon in place of the dovetail.  I may swap the bolts for SS hex button heads, although the dark may end up looking best with the babinga.

Thanks for the post,
Luke

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[iamnothim]

Also,

In Marc's videos he use an OF2200.  All I can say is "Woof!"
Me want one!

Thinking of selling the OF 1400 and getting one.

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[iamnothim]

Today's update.

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[iamnothim]

Knobs,

The knobs Benchcrafted sent are cherry after all.  They just aren't seasoned.  I should have known.
Due to a fire with their supplier the knobs no longer look dark like the photos on their web site.
Here's a link with an explanation of the Benchcrafted knob problem.

Since I don't have much UV light in my garage it's going to take years for them to darken.  As such, I have contacted Rogers's Woodturning Service to see if Roger will make some babinga knobs.  He replicated some broken chair legs for a very fair price and turned the volume knob for the amp I built.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

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