Beyond the great Atlantick flood
There is a region vast,
A country where no English foot
In former ages past:
A waste and howling wilderness,
Where none inhabited
But hellish fiends, and brutish men
That Devils worshiped.
This region was in darkness plac’t
Far off from heavens light,
Amidst the shaddows of grim death
And of eternal night.
For there the Sun of righteousness
Had never made to shine
The light of his sweet countenance,
And grace which is divine:
Until the time drew nigh wherein
The glorious Lord of hostes
Was pleasd to lead his armies forth
Into those forrein coastes.
At whose approach the darkness sad
Soon vanished away,
And all the shaddows of the night
Were turned to lightsome day.
The dark and dismal western woods
(The Devils den whilere)
Beheld such glorious Gospel-shine,
As none beheld more cleare.
Were sathan had his scepter sway’d
For many generations,
The King of Kings set up his throne
To rule amongst the nations.
— Michael “Mr. Doomsday” Wigglesworth, 1662
“New England Planted, Prospered, Declining, Threatnd, Punished.” -oh well, at least religion and colonialism remain on good terms. Can I ask what the furry thing is in the foreground of the first picture?
My bench brush.
Nice Wigglesworth; even nicer-looking bench! I don’t think you mentioned anywhere — where did you get the vice screw?
The vise screw is from Lake Erie. The metalwork is from Peter Ross.
Chris, did you recess the nut into the leg? And if so by how much?
Thanks
The nut/hub is not recessed into the leg.
Really looks nice Chris-congrats! This had to have been a great experience-one you will never forget.
The Roubo bench you built for that article in Popular Woodworking a few years ago first interested me in woodworking, and this one only furthers my interest. This bench came out looking incredible, and I have really enjoyed following its construction.
That was more than eight years ago that I built that first Roubo — but it seems like yesterday.
Chris, for the lower shelf, did you use pine or oak? Wondering if there might be a future problem with the different rates of expansion and contraction? I want add a lower shelf to my maple bench and have been wondering what kind of wood I should use.
The lower shelf is quartersawn oak. But you can use anything for the shelf as long as you allow for some seasonal expansion and contraction. Don’t worry about differential expansion rates. This is, for the most part, a total MacGuffin.
Absolutely gorgeous bench. I glad THE Bench Guy got to be one of those to build one from that magnificent oak. That was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Just exactly how do you plan to live without a wagon / tail vise, and how long til you mount a Moxon vise in use? Wouldn’t that be insulting to the French? 🙂
Nice build.
Hey Bob,
My 2005 Roubo didn’t have a tail vise at first. I am eager to work this way again and apply some of the things I learned then with some of the things I’ve learned since.
If I absolutely cannot live without one, I’ll use my daughter’s bench…. but I hope to leave this oak bench unaltered.
And the Moxon vise is also in Roubo.
Hi Chris! The vise screw looks like there is a finish on it. What finish are you going with? Or is it just wiped down with MS? Justin
Boiled linseed oil and wax on the threads.
I’m with the others, fantastic looking bench.
Any reason you went with this particular poem? It seems like a strange choice to mark the completion of a French workbench. I hope you don’t have any Native American readers…
Jason,
I don’t always like to be literal.
Consider the contrast in the way that Wigglesworth considers wood and the way we consider it, especially in the case of this workbench.
It’s an important poem, and a window into the mindset of some early settlers.