Core77

Ingenious Design of the 18th Century Roubo Workbench Sees Modern-Day Reincarnation

By Rain Noe - August 20, 2012

in Hand Tools

In the 1700s, a French craftsman named Andre Jacob Roubo took the time to record his vast woodworking knowledge, presumably for the benefit of future generations. His resultant work, L'Art du Menuisier (loosely translated, "The Art of the Joiner") was a three-volume set containing over 300 illustration plates.

In 2008 woodworkers Christopher Schwarz and Bjenk Ellefsen of Lost Art Press admirably took on the Herculean task of translating the work into English. It's not a matter of simply plugging text into Google Translator; Roubo refers to extinct tools, and the pre-Metric French measurement system differs from anything we use today. But the first translated piece of the tome, "On tools for cutting and preparing wood," is here.

That initial translation caused a stir in the woodworking community, because it provided explanation and details of Roubo's workbench design—absolutely the most crucial piece of shop equipment in a pre-table-saw era. Modern-day accomplished woodworkers gamely began replicating Roubo's design, as in the drawing below.

[image source]

[image source]

YouTube tutorials went up on the subject, including this staggering 34-part series.

We thought we'd show you something that makes for more manageable viewing: A craftsman named Ryan Van Dyke walking you through the features of his finished Roubo bench (which features the Benchcrafted Tail Vise we wrote about earlier).

Of the multiples we've seen on YouTube, Van Dyke's video is the clearest and best-shot--but he's rendered it unembeddable. Click here to check it out.

The latest development in the Roubo translation occurred just last week. Schwarz's co-conspirator Don Williams reached a milestone and completed the bulk of the work, getting through 94,000 words—or as he puts it, "Three people, four years, five thousand hours."

o

Favorite This
Q
1

Comment

Comments

Anna Weber

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

What a better way to boost your warehouse productivity and safety on the job than by getting a durable industrial workbench. Heavy duty workbenches are made to last. Definitely worth the money you pay. Industrial heavy duty workbenches are a safe investment that yields high returns. Space is not the only thing you get from the industrial workbenches.Beside being space-saviors, heavy duty workbenches provide full protection to the tools and materials stored. The good thing about these heavy duty workbenches is that they require low maintenance and have close-to-none replacement costs. And what's most important, you can upgrade the same with extra shelves if needed. DigitalBuyer is an office products retailer specializing in fireproof file cabinets & safes, office furniture, Industrial Benches Time Recorders, xindustrial materials handling, office equipment, and commercial products. They proudly serve government, education, corporate, and end-users with everyday low prices and personalized service. They provide wide range of work benches- All Purpose Industrial Workbenches: are complete systems designed for the rigors of the factory floor. Select from several sizes of different work surfaces and a wide variety of accessories to design a workstation to fit your particular needs.Electronic Workbenches: are premium workbench systems providing electronic or specialized industrial workers with the furniture to make them productive and comfortable.Technical Workstations: feature anti-static work surfaces, functional construction, and built-in electrical outlets that allow for a variety of applications such as testing equipment and electronic component assembly.Mobile Workbenches: are designed to easily move heavy parts and tools to and from your worksite, helping increase company productivity and organization.Workbench Accessories: include replacement parts, pieces to build a workbench customized to spec, and general accessories for all workbench types. https://www.linkedin.com/company/digitalbuyer-com

!Report as spam