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  1. #1
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    Default Bubblegoose's Split top Roubo Styled Workbench

    IMG_3564.jpg


    Hi Guys,

    After seeing all these amazing build logs I just had to get in on the action!

    I have been wanting a solid bench for a while, as my current solution is an old melamine cabinet with a few extra sheets on the top for a bit of strength. While it was working fine for a lot of things, it's lack of structural integrity led to serious swaying when doing any kind of planing or cutting.

    After a lot of consideration, I decided to go with the split top roubo design as a base, and then adapt it to suit my strict requirements, both physical restraints due to machine size, as well as material size.


    It all starts with the wood, and here I am after coming back from my local supplier $200 poorer after buying 800lm's of 65x19 Tassie Oak. This wood wasn't strictly for a workbench, however I got more than I needed for other projects so I would have plenty left over for a bench (or I thought part of a bench at least at the time, my plans changed slightly). It took me an entire afternoon just to unpack it...

    IMG_1575.jpg


    I had no tables large enough, so I had to make another bench. I guess it's more of an assembly table. Simple torsion box style construction with pockets for legs to slide into. I have no pictures of the base, but it was just 2x4 construction, with the stretchers etc lagged together, and then a nice set of castors on the bottom.

    IMG_1930.jpg


    Now I had somewhere to do some glueups. So after some mitre saw action, I had enough lengths to start gluing up. I started with the tops, and I made them 300mm wide as that's the biggest I can plane. After the glueups were done, I built a longer sled for the thicknesser and ran them through to true them up. We will pickup on those later in the build.

    IMG_2422.jpg


    Next came the glueup for all the other parts. The stretchers are made with a (2) + (1/2 1 1/2) + (2) construction (I hope that makes sense, hopefully the pictures that will come later might clear it up). I first glued up each layer, before jointing/ thicknessing, and then I glued the final three layers together. I did the same for the legs, but with a 5 layer code and 2 pieces either end.

    IMG_2475.jpg IMG_2450.jpg IMG_2517.jpg IMG_2442.jpg


    Next came time to size up all the bits, and then give everything a good sand. But ain't nobody got time for sanding... So it was time to move shops and bring in the big guns. Here we are picking back up on that laminated bench top (well one of them anyway).

    IMG_2576.jpg


    Time to cut the tenons! In the build process, I had made each piece a lot longer than was required so i would have the off cuts to make tests with. So with some of the off cuts, I setup the bandsaw to the correct width to cut two sides of the tenons, with some scrap wood I found as a stop block. Each end of each board was run into the bandsaw, before I adjusted the width of the fence to suit the other tenon dimensions and then I ran them all through again on the other edges.

    IMG_2590.jpg


    Next I setup the mitre saw and then cut the outer shoulders ( I think that's what they are called?) of the tenons. The mitresaw I had available didn't have the means to cut the higher side of the shoulders, so I had to resort to cutting those by hand using a dovetail saw. This is what I was left with.

    IMG_2611.jpg


    I only have a picture of the test mortice, but here it is (not the location I went with in the end, but the correct size). So you can use your imagination as to what it would look like with all the legs cut. I used a mortising machine (again, ain't nobody got time for cutting mortises by hand... etc etc). I marked out the top and bottom of the mortise on each leg, and then I setup the machine's front-back axis to one side of the mortise and locked it down. I then cut that one side of every mortise, and just eyeballed it on the marks I made previously. Then, I reset the front-back axis to the other dimension, and then cut all of those. Please excuse how sloppy the test was, it was the first mortise I have ever cut on a hollow chisel mortiser, so easy on!

    IMG_2579.jpg


    Once the mortises were cut, I had to do a bit of planing and chiseling on the tenons to get them to fit (I purposely over sized the tenons as I wanted to ease up on the sizing for a snug fit. But after a bit of work I had completed that task on both long sides of the base. And here is a dry fit.

    IMG_2619.jpg


    I then pulled it apart and thought about the location of the dowels. I decided on the positions, I then used 5 seperate comboo square's (because there was a wall of them and why not just do all the marking in one go haha) that I set to the correct dimensions to mark centre's of the dowel holes. I then centre punched the intersecting lines and cut those on the drill press about 95% of the way down through the tenon slot into the leg. That was done without the stretchers/tenons in place.

    I then did another dry fit, this time clamping it up and doing a glue up rehearsal at the same time (only because I left my TB III at home and only had access to fast dry PVA)... While it was all clamped together, I went and got a smaller drill size (a few mm's), and while referencing off the inner side of the hole I drilled a shallow mark into the tenons. I then took them to the drill press and drilled them the correct size for the dowel, however the holes will be a couple mm's off in alignment which will allow me to pull the joints even tighter when the dowels are hammered home.

    IMG_2646.jpg


    After each side was glued up, I cut the dowels as flush as possible, then had at them with a no.5 and then some sandpaper. I progressed from there onto matching the shorter rails to their mortises, and doing the same process of drilling and dry fitting and drilling and un-fitting and more drilling, and then finally the glue up. This time I had my Titebond III and one of my trusty Rockler glue brushes, which makes gluing mortises SOOOO much easier/ less messy!


    IMG_2655.jpg IMG_2672.jpg



    And so it sat overnight (Last night) to dry.


    More to come.

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  3. #2
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    Default

    Bubblegoose's bespoke Split top Roubo-img_2475-jpg

    Can't have too many clamps

  4. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lappa View Post
    Bubblegoose's bespoke Split top Roubo-img_2475-jpg

    Can't have too many clamps
    Oh how I wish they were mine! I borrowed them from a friend who does work with fibreglass/ carbon fibre/ Kevlar etc, and uses them for some of his moulding work. I still have quite a few clamps, however after a couple of glue ups realised it was going to take weeks of overnight glue ups to get the job done. But at about $18 pop, I can definitely see the value in something like a piano style clamping system!

  5. #4
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    Next came the routing of the mortises in the table tops. I clamped the two tops together with 3 pieces of 65x19 DAR to provide the correct gap size and aligned it on top of the now glued legs. I then was able to mark out from underneath the location of the mortises. I just freehanded it along the lines I made, and then cleaned the corners with a chisel later on. A pattern bit worked well here as I was able to take a shallow pass and be quite accurate, and then just follow that cut with the bearing as I plunged in for each consecutive pass.

    IMG_2679.jpg


    One side completed.

    IMG_2688.jpg


    I then drilled a number of small diameter holes through the stretchers and down into the top. I then removed the tops, and counter sunk the top hole just to stop any possibility of contamination or mushrooming from bumping the stretcher away from the top. I also bored a hole in the under side, in order to accommodate the washer and the hex head. I also drilled a correct sized pilot home in the top to accept the bolt/screw thingy (5/8 x 150mm course thread with a hex head. Lag bolt in the states, not sure what they're called here)

    IMG_2711.jpg

    I then ran the screws in and the top was on. I checked the level of the table with winding sticks and a straight edge, there was just the slightest amount of cupping present, and no twisting. I was then able to trim off the ends with a tracksaw using a speed square (framing square). Annoyingly I was unable to find the clamps to hold the track on from underneath, when you buy a festool tracksaw, do they come with them or are they extra? I'm guessing extras in which case I was searching for nothing! The 55mm depth wasn't enough to get through all the way, so I grabbed a real circular saw and finished the job, making sure to keep a kerf or so away from the original cut. Then I cleaned it up with a flush trim bit in the router.

    IMG_2771.jpg IMG_2961.jpg


    Vice time! I decided to go with a small irwin/record vice to be used as an end vice. I routed out a small pocket in the end of the top, and then a chamfer to accommodate the curve/seam on the inside corner of the vice. I drilled the appropriate holes, and then ran in some double ended fasteners (wood thread on one side, bolt/nut thread on the other side). The vice was then attached. I cut and end cap to act as the inner jaw and then bolted that to the end of the top using some bugle head screws.

    IMG_2743.jpg IMG_2726.jpg IMG_2758.jpg


    I then started on the moxon vice.
    I had thicknessed and glued up two boards of kari the night before to make the movable jaw for the moxon. I began by thickness the newly glued jaw which was perfectly flat on one face. The inner jaw hd a bit of a twist so out with the thicknesser sled and hot glue/shims. After the boards were at the correct thickness, I took them to the saw to rip them to width. Then to the mitre saw to cut them to width and cut a bevel on the outer sides of the moving jaw. I will be cutting another bevel across the back side of the top, however I am going to wait until I have worked out the screw locations, the last thing I want to do is cut the bevel and then realise I made it too aggressive... (I end up just rounding it over with a router anyway).

    IMG_2971.jpg


    Lastly for the day, I sized up a packer for the inner moxon vice jaw. And glued it into place. This will allow the jaw to touch firmly to the frame all the way round.

    IMG_2735.jpg



    Cheers for taking the time to check out my build
    I had taken pictures along the way, however I have an iphone 6+ that has the camera issue with optical stabilisation (It shakes while taking the photo, which is obviously not ideal). And I stupidly didn't check as I went to see which shots were in focus and which weren't. I will just take some staged photos tomorrow, and also some pictures to show what I am describing haha.
    Last edited by bubblegoose; 10th July 2016 at 02:46 PM. Reason: Added Photos

  6. #5
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    Some of the pictures are out of order in terms of the progress of other areas, however I took the photos after in most cases but I have written the process in order.


    Next I measured out the dog holes, centre punched, drilled a pilot hole using a wood block as a guide and then finished with a forstner bit the correct size.

    IMG_2986.jpg


    To ease off the corners I just used a chamfer bit in the router and then smoothed those transitions with sandpaper. And here is the finished result.

    IMG_2874.jpg IMG_2869.jpg


    Now back to that moxon vice.
    I clamped the inner jaw in position, marked and then drilled the pilot holes all the way through into the bench. I used a countersink bit to accept the bugel head. And then drove in the screws.

    IMG_2789.jpg IMG_2798.jpg IMG_2808.jpg IMG_2816.jpg


    Time to cut the holes for the threaded rod (barbell ends). I used the same long drill bit and woodern block to drill a straight pilot hole. And then had at it with a forstner bit.

    IMG_2833.jpg


    The jaw was removed, and the remaining portion of the hole was bored. Next I lined the inner and outer jaw up and used the forstner bit to mark centre and finished the job on the drill press.

    IMG_2853.jpg IMG_2861.jpg

    The threaded rods slide in from the back, and they will have a square block attached to them (with a pin through them) so it stops the rod from rotating however I will do that later. I also rounded over all the corners of the inner and outer jaw with the router so there weren't any sharp edges.

    IMG_2881.jpg


    Those rods stick out a lot! But don't worry, when not in use the wheel can be ran out, and then the whole rod can slide in. If required the whole front jaw can be removed and it can be made even narrower.

    IMG_2899.jpg IMG_2906.jpg IMG_2915.jpg


    They can open quite wide, with a maximum thickness of 180mm and 360mm between the threads. There is also 120mm of clamping real estate either side of the threads.

    IMG_2928.jpg IMG_2935.jpg


    Things that I have left to do (I'm sure I have missed a few things as well!):

    Drill the dog holes in the moxon moving jaw top.
    Complete the blocks and pins for the threaded rods.
    Make the dog's.
    Make the centre tool holder/ stop block.
    Make a second lamination up to go between the lower rails.
    Drill holes for the holedowns in the right leg.
    Drill the holes to allow the storage of the dogs I will make, the other option is I might make a box that will sit under the overhand on the right side of the bench to store them in.
    Sanding everything up to 240.
    Put a finish on everything.
    Suede on the moving jaws.

  7. #6
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    Good job

    Can't quite tell from the photos but do your feet fit under the bottom front rail when standing at the bench?

  8. #7
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    Fabulous job. Lovely bench BUT I think, over time and with use, you may find those rods on the Moxom getting in the way when using the vice.

    Just a thought

  9. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pac man View Post
    Good job

    Can't quite tell from the photos but do your feet fit under the bottom front rail when standing at the bench?
    Thanks for the comment Pac man! You are correct in assuming they wouldn't. As it stands currently it is definitely too small!

    In my home shop (renting), the back wall has soil up about 1/3 of the way, and water gets in and floods the whole floor every once in a while. Water also comes in under the roller door occasionally. So the bench will be raised up another few cm's at least to allow a water barrier. This will also bring it up to an almost the same height as my table saw, as the bench will be used as a secondary out feed table. I am still thinking about what exactly I will use, but it needs to be something that won't suck up moisture!

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lappa View Post
    Fabulous job. Lovely bench BUT I think, over time and with use, you may find those rods on the Moxom getting in the way when using the vice.

    Just a thought
    Thanks for the feedback Lappa and an excellent point!

    I have thought about just that very scenario (today when I was about to boring some holes for the flange!!). I was originally going to put the flange of the rod between the stretcher and the vice jaw, making it permanently out and even further than it currently sits! :\

    I had an idea today on how to solve the problem of them rotating, sticking out so far all the time, as well as keeping the rods straight and true and not sag down. I have drawn up a quick diagram in ms paint to illustrate how its going to work roughly. In real life, there are going to be more holes for more adjustment.

    thingy.jpg


    The left diagram shows the bench and the vice, and the rods going through. The blue dots represent hole locations (although they will run parallel to the benchtop, not side why i drew them vertically). The green square will be a piece of hardwood that is bored out, that has a slot cut in it inline with the rod centre. The pins can be slid out and then put into a different hole, allowing the rod to sit at different positions back from the front of the bench. The slot in the block will be tapered to allow easy alignment and to hold the pin captive as it is drawn in. I was also thinking I might make the final section straight so the pin can move in and out a bit while in the slot after it has found centre.

    I hope that makes sense! haha

  11. #10
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    I have thought about it more, and having the pin vertically wouldn't be a bad idea. I could use a simple wide head nail, and insert and twist to keep vertical. that way it won't fall out when being moved back and forth. And then I can just have a simple single slot below ( that's open) and the nail can sit in that and perform the same function.

    I will think over it a bit more and decide on a solution!

  12. #11
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    I have modeled up my idea in fusion, and am happy with how it came out. I have left out some of the detail (like adding in the pin holes) as I have limited time, I just wanted to get the concept together.
    For ease of creation, the profile of the slot will extend all the way to the top so it can be cut on the bandsaw. That will also allow space or the head of the nail which will sit proud of the top of the rod.


    Looking from the back of the bench towards the front side where the vice is. This is the profile of the block.
    snip 1.PNG


    This is from underneath, showing the tapered alignment area as well as the final captive slot.
    snip 2.jpg


    Side profile
    snip 3.jpg


    Showing the rod in place, and the pin (Nail) shown in blue.
    snip 4.jpg



    I expect I will have the vice set to a small travel to accommodate up to around 35-40mm, as that is what I use most. And I will only move the pins to extend the rod when I want to do thicker material. So reaching under the bench and changing a pin between holes, won't be a burden at all.



    [EDIT] - I have now worked out what I believe is an even better solution (if you haven't figured out already, my mind is constantly churning away problem solving...) , which allows a form of quick release, without needing to remove the pin. I had a second look at the bench just then, and the block above wont work as it won't give me the travel i'm looking for.
    Last edited by bubblegoose; 11th July 2016 at 01:19 PM. Reason: Quick Update

  13. #12
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    Sorry guys for all the text! I guess those who are not interested will just not read it though haha



    ~New moxon vice locking concept~

    The concept is straight forward. Two pieces of wood will run parallel to the Metal rod. The rod will have a single hole drilled to accept a metal pin (most likely a polished nail with a flat head) at it's end, which will be epoxied in place.

    To operate, the rods are moved into rough location and then twisted clockwise in a tightening motion. As the pin turns it will catch in the groove, and the more rotation that is applied the further it will rotate. then when it reaches the top, the rod is pulled back slightly to secure it in place. This stops the rotation of the rod in both the tightening and releasing motions. To move to a different size, simply push on the rod, and the pin will travel down the taper back to the neutral position free from catching to be positioned in another slot.


    Side profile as viewed from the left side of the bench. The blue dot is the pin engaged with the locking system.
    sliding vice concept3.jpg


    View from the bottom. The block on the opposite side of the rod is solid and just used to stop the pin rotation from having too much movement. The blue dot is the nail/pin coming straight down, in the neutral free sliding position.
    sliding vice concept 1.jpg



    There are obviously going to be some factors that need to be overcome.

    Firstly, the friction placed on the rod by the holes they are going through as the weight of the rod is quite substantial. My thoughts on this are either to use a wider gap between the wood blocks, and then place an end cap that suits the distance from the rod to the benchtop. Which will keep the rod centred in the holes and less likely to bind. Or perhaps a small block of UHMW nearest the stretcher that provides downwards pressure on the rod to keep it straight. A bit of wax in the holes may even be enough.

    Secondly the angle in which the tapers are cut at, as in the motion of going from locked to open, the rod needs to be pushed. And it would be good to not need to rotate by hand.

    I anticipate this to be used as said above, only when going from the standard smaller diamater opening of say 25mm max, up to the larger sizes. Which wouldn't happen often. So as long as it works, it doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be super slick and easy to operate in order to serve it's purpose.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  14. #13
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    The end is getting closer!

    It came time to load it back into the car, and take it home.

    IMG_3140.jpg


    I drilled the holes in the rods and drove a nail through, it's a fairly tight friction fit with this nail. However I will need to replace it with something more solid so I didn't glue it in at this stage.

    IMG_3116.jpg


    I printed out a quick template I drew up so I could mock up my design and test it out to see how I liked it. I tried to simplify it as much as possible. I drilled out the holes and then finished the rest of the cut on the bandsaw. This is just using a bit of plywood, but the final design will be cut into some mild steel angle (part of an old bed).

    IMG_3190.jpgIMG_3239.jpg


    I screwed them into place to test it all out. It works as I expected, however I think the designs with the wide opening at the bottom of the entry will be better, as it was difficult to find the holes being so narrow.

    IMG_3232.jpg


    First picture showing how it is at full extension, and then the second showing at a position second from the end. I am going to make a second thinner jaw, which wont have the dog holes, and it will also have a taper to the top. These can be interchanged as needed.
    IMG_3210.jpg IMG_3196.jpg


    The idea of using the metal angle, will be that the portion that sits flush with the underside of the table will sit directly over the top of the rod (as it is thin enough). This will make sure there is no fowling on any of the dog holes, as well as keeping the position of the gap as less obstructed as possible.


    I put it into it's final position. As you can see it still needs to come up a bit more, but that will be achieved by some blocks that will act as a water barrier. I am also planning on rotating the whole setup around, as that will make my bench closer to the "woodworking handtool wall" (you can see in the first photo to the left of the England flag. Don't worry i'm not a pom, my sister just gave me the flag haha). As you can also see, the reason why the bench had to be so short, as it can't extend anymore to the right, as that is where a big lawnmower parks occasionally, and it must be kept clear at all times (part of my agreement in order to be able to use this space).

    IMG_3250.jpg IMG_3263.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images

  15. #14
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    Where did you pick up the rods and handles? Look handy for another project I'm looking into

  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lappa View Post
    Where did you pick up the rods and handles? Look handy for another project I'm looking into
    It's just a barbell that I cut the ends off. I got it new off ebay for around $30 I believe. The acme thread is decent quality even on the cheap ones like this was. And because it's a cheap one the steel is pretty easy to cut.

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