Mini Roubo bench build

[Paul Murphy]

Bill, is it possible that your top would flatter if you shimmed under the NE and SW legs of your bench? Perhaps by doing so you wouldn't have to plane as much material to get the top "perfectly" flat.

As others have said you want your top flat, otherwise you transfer that error to your glue-ups such as doors and your thin items that you try to hand-plane.

[Bill Bixby]

FLAWLESS VICTORY!!



This turned out extremely well! I'm going to make a few more and see if I can sell them to recoup the cost.... I could probably get $50-$75 for the set?? Overall this screw cost me about $400 with the lathe, router & drill bits and materials. It was really fun but really time consuming.

Here is the screw jig.



I'm sooo glad I went with the split top! I'm using that area almost exclusively for clamping by straddling the split. Even though the bench isnt complete, its already changing the way that I work. I'm starting to do alot more with hand tools and realizing that most things dont take much longer if at all and screw ups arent as costly.

I still have my problem of the corners not being level and its looking like those areas are getting the most use (of course). I'm going to push that chore out as long as I can.

Next step is to drill holes in the leg to accept the vice screw.

[Jim Matthews]

You need a dead flat assembly table.

You're bench needs to be solid enough to hold the work.
If it's steady, and out of level - so what?

I wouldn't do anything more than put this together and start working for awhile.
Odds are that low corner won't be the only part that moves.

I would build an auxiliary top for assembly, torsion box style if you MUST have a flat surface.
http://www.djmarks.com/stories/djm/t...able_94697.asp

If your bench had a pronounced twist, bow or sag in the middle that would merit some worry.
It's just fine, as is - this is a woodworking tool, not a laser alignment table.

[Bill Bixby]

You need a dead flat assembly table.... this is a woodworking tool, not a laser alignment table.

This seems to sum up my gut feeling about it in addition to the comments about the top continuing to move and need replaning. I'm going to give it a month or two and see what happens...who knows, the top could move in my favor!

[Floyd Mah]

Very nice. The way that I would take care of the slightly low areas is to glue a thin piece of wood there to build it up, and then plane it down to be level with the rest of the top. Over time, as you use the table, you will discover how much work actually takes place over that area and may discover that the small patch is adequate. If you consider the rest of the top, it is already made up from laminated pieces of wood anyway, and you are building a work area, not living room furniture. Also, since part of the maintenance of a workbench is periodic planing, there's no need to start trimming the top until the wood has settled down. I recall building up the top of my bench and planing it down, only to discover overnight that the wood had shifted. I had to cut the top in half and flip one side to get back to being flat (and then another round of planing).

[Bill Bixby]

almost got the screw finished! What kind of finish should I put on it?

[Keith Weber]

Looks good! BTW, where did you buy that aluminum extrusion?

Keith

[Bill Bixby]

Looks good! BTW, where did you buy that aluminum extrusion?

Keith

Its called 80/20 extruded aluminum. They have every size and attachment you can imagine... you can find a retailer here: http://www.8020.net/PostalLookup.asp

or you can get it on ebay if you dont have a local retailer: http://stores.ebay.com/8020incgaragesale

Not exactly cheap but I've replaced table saw, router and jointer fences with it. Makes great jigs.

[Bill Bixby]

Well folks...I think I'm going to call it done. I finished the base with polyurethane...the only thing left is to apply finish the top. I keep seeing recommendations for linseed oil but is there any reason I cant finish it with wipe on poly? I have tons of it and I like it.

[Jim Becker]

Bill, I use BLO on my bench top because it's easily, cheaply and quickly renewable. I don't like a film finish on something that's going to take a beating and get cut like a bench top will.