Category: Workbenches

After I built my French-style workbench using dimensional yellow pine in 2005, I tried to acquire a solid slab of hardwood to make a second bench that would be constructed just like the one shown in A.J. Roubo’s “L’art du Menuisier.”

I contacted several sawyers, who all told me I was crazy. I convinced one sawyer to give it a try, but he stopped returning my calls. This part of the story goes on and on, so I won’t bore you. But let’s just say I kept getting abandoned at the altar with me in a shop apron and holding a bouquet of mortise chisels.

Last night I finally got my wish. Thanks to a fellow woodworker, I now have a slab of poplar that measures 6” x 22” x 130” on my back deck. It’s still kinda wet and has some checks on the bark side, but the heart side is solid and almost completely clear.

If the slab remains stable as I finish drying it, I’m going to make a bench that resembles the beasts in Plate 11 of Roubo’s book. As to vises, I think this might be the one to trick out with a Benchcrafted Glide with the company’s forthcoming Criscross parallel guide. I’m not sure about the end vise. I have a Lie-Nielsen improved tail vise sitting in a box in the basement.

What I don’t have yet is a place to put the bench. I think it would look awesome in the front room of the house, but I should start saving up for the marriage counseling and florist bills starting today.

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. For those of you who don’t read my blog at Popular Woodworking Magazine, you might be interested in this post from yesterday about two changes I’ve made to by 2005 Roubo workbench.

What is the best kind of workbench? It’s simple: Any bench that allows you to easily work on the edges, faces and ends of boards and assemblies. Everything else beyond that is tradition or personal preference.

Those of you who have read my first book, “Workbenches: From Design and Theory to Construction and Use,” might recognize that statement. It’s the core thesis of the book.

I’m repeating it here, five years later, because anytime I teach a workbench class I get asked by readers why I’ve changed my philosophy of constructing workbenches. Why have I abandoned the sliding dovetail joint? Eschewed the wooden spindle? Flushed my thoughts about using pine?

Truth is, I haven’t abandoned or changed a thing about what makes a good bench. Make it solid. Use the best joints you can. Use the cheapest material that is the stiffest and heaviest. Make it as long as your space will allow.

The rest is noise.

So why am I building old-world French workbenches without a sliding dovetail through the top? Because we had to make these benches in five days with limited equipment.

Why did we use French oak for the top instead of Scot’s pine or fir? Because that was what was stacked there when I arrived.

Why are the benches only 2 meters (6’) in length? Because that was the longest size that the students’ shops could handle. Many had to cut their tops down even shorter.

Why didn’t we use a wooden spindle for the face vise? Because we couldn’t find any in Europe that were reasonably priced.

And on and on.

Once you recognize the essence of the problem – the workbench is a 3-dimensional clamping surface – you just need to get there by the best route possible.

— Christopher Schwarz

While visiting North Carolina this week, I visited the shop of blacksmith Peter Ross and saw a few of his dang-amazing full-size Andre Roubo-style holdfasts in the works.

I’ve been using this holdfast every day on my bench at home. It is an incredible piece of iron and a great asset when sawing, mortising or planing on my bench. And, best of all, it makes other holdfasts look like pipe cleaners.

Peter says he’s built about a dozen of these holdfasts since he made mine. And though they take a lot of physical effort to produce, the biggest challenge is in finding the material that is suited for a holdfast of this size.

These holdfasts are more expensive than smaller ones – about $385. But the craftsmanship is outstanding, and they function brilliantly. If you cannot swing the price of a full-on Roubo holdfast, I highly recommend the Joseph Moxon-style ones that Peter makes, which hold better in thick benches than any holdfast I’ve ever used, and they have a low profile. Those are more like $80 each. Read my discussion of them here.

You can reach Peter by phone or by e-mail through his web site: peterrossblacksmith.com/.

— Christopher Schwarz

Smythe disclaimer: You’re still reading these? OK, I paid full price. And shipping.

One of the workbench problems I’ve yet to solve is what you should do if you don’t have a dedicated place to work.

I’ve seen lots of portable, fold-up benches, but none that I thought were worth building. I’ve seen many vintage plans for workbench tops that are supposed to go on top of your kitchen table. But again, none inspired me enough to take up a saw.

Yesterday a reader sent me a link to the photo above. Damn. I don’t have time for this, but I just might have to build that thing and see how it works. It’s just too ingenious (and crazy) not to build.

If you are still a bit confused, the photo is showing the underside of the portable benchtop. The two clamps at the top of the photo attach the rig to a worktable. The whole thing is 1-5/8” thick, 9-5/8” wide and 31” long – smaller than I assumed when I first saw the photo.

Here is why this is clever/crazy enough to build.

1. The face vise. You have two screws and four holes. You can move the screws around to clamp whatever you have at hand. It’s a double-screw, it’s a shoulder vise. It mows the yard.

2. The dog holes. Despite the fact that the holes are deep into the assembly, they are still near an edge. So you could still use fenced planes with this benchtop – a big plus in my book.

3. The wooden wagon vise. That’s just cool.

What are the downsides? My biggest concern is the weight combined with the cantilever. I imagine that you have to clamp this to a pretty stout table or a fixed countertop. Even so, I wouldn’t want to mortise over a portion of this bench that was unsupported.

The example is for sale at this Australian tool auction site. So if you live in Australia and buy it, drop me a note about how it works. The auctioneer’s description says it’s of “Scandinavian origin,” so if you’ve seen one in Europe, drop me a line. I’d love to learn more about this gizmo.

— Christopher Schwarz