Official defintion of roubo workbench...

[Chris Hachet]

Seems like everyone is calling something of about every style bench a Roubo. What makes a Roubo actually a Roubo?

Chris

[Brian Holcombe]

In art something made 'in the style' of an artist would be something that would hold to their form very accurately. Something 'inspired by' an artist is something were some deviations have been made, or something that only loosely represents it's inspiration.

My bench is 'inspired by' Klausz/Scandi since it deviates so greatly in some areas.

[Doug Ladendorf]

A "Roubo style" workbench would resemble the bench from Plate 11 of Roubo's L'Art du Menuisier. It's a heavy bench with a thick top and legs. From there folks will add leg vises etc to their need.

[Kees Heiden]

One of the defining elements of the Roubo type bench is the legs are flush with the front of the top. And there are no stretchers directly under the top. In other words, the legs are somehow mortised into the top.

[Chris Hachet]

One of the defining elements of the Roubo type bench is the legs are flush with the front of the top. And there are no stretchers directly under the top. In other words, the legs are somehow mortised into the top.

This is how I defined it in my mind. Thanks for clearing this up!

[John Crawford]

I have looked at that drawing many times, but I guess I have never had it nicely enlarged like this to contemplate on screen....

Not trying to hijack, but just for the sake of discussion:

* What is the locked box underneath the right side of the bench?

* I have seen the argument that holdfasts were once much larger and beefier than we use now, with this drawing cited as evidence. I'm not disputing that they once were beefier than now. But, are the tools in this drawing really to scale (it doesn't look that way to me).

[Warren Mickley]

Roubo gives measurements for the holdfast in the text: 18 to 20 inches long, 12 to 14 lignes thick. There are 12 lignes in an inch. Roubo's drawings are generally made to scale, in contrast to many other historic texts.

For the bench Roubo gives these dimensions

Top: 5 or 6 inches thick, 22 inches wide, 6 to 12 feet long, with 9 feet being most common. The top is one piece, heart side up, made of elm or beech, most commonly beech.

Legs 4x6 hardwood, I think he says oak.

Height 30 inches or to suit.

There is a locked drawer under the bench for personal tools owned by the worker, each worker having his own bench. I think he says that planes and chisels are issued to each worker and stay with the bench, some tools are shared (like the ones on the wall).
.

[Noah Wagener]

the smooth plane looks to be longer in front of the blade like a Japanese plane. What is the second biggest plane, a longer smoother? It looks like a Krenov. What is the thing with a v notch in the front left leg? Why is the mallet oval? How did you saw tenons and dovetails on this bench?

[Thomas Schneider]

What is directly under the top on the front and rear left legs? "d" in the picture.

[ken hatch]

The bottom of the planing stop.

[Noah Wagener]

but the planing stop is labeled c.

[Derek Cohen]

Seems like everyone is calling something of about every style bench a Roubo. What makes a Roubo actually a Roubo?

Hi Chris

I would go along with others who described a modern Roubo bench as "in the style of ..". The elements that that taken from the original are, principally, a thick top which is connected directly to the base without stretchers, that is, via mortice and tenon joinery. This may be a blind mortice or, as in the picture, a through dovetail. The high mass of the top is sufficient to prevent movement, as are the thick sections that make up the base. In short, we have come to define a Roubo as a over-built bench. Secondary features include the coplanar legs and sides.

I am not sure where vises fit in. Moxon, Roubo (both mid-late 1700s) and Felebien (mid-late 1600s) all document similar benches, with Moxon and Roubo the use of a double screw face vise. I do not know what Felebien used. Perhaps Warren can offer something here.

A "Roubo style" workbench would resemble the bench from Plate 11 of Roubo's L'Art du Menuisier. It's a heavy bench with a thick top and legs. From there folks will add leg vises etc to their need.

Hi Doug

Thanks for the great picture.

My eye immediately is grabbed by the planes and their handles/knobs, with a view to the ergonomics involved. The rear-leaning knobs suggest that a thumb was hooked underneath, which would suggest that they aided forward drive. The rear handles are not much help in that area, since they encourage downforce behind the bed. Seeing this only on the long planes, perhaps they were used for lifting the plane at the end of a stroke? Any thoughts all?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Winton Applegate]

It's simple numbers. It can be expressed as : Roubo = < Klausz
Or
Roubo = rough carpentry bench
Klausz = fine cabinet making bench

[ken hatch]

Winton's trolling again :-).

I'll join...If I remember correctly, and correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the French and the English in some way or another managed to make furniture that was OK.

BTW, I will admit Winton's bench is prettier than mine.

ken

[george wilson]

The front "knobs" were sculpted into snail shell shapes on the planes shown in the Roubo picture above. I made a boxwood plane that has that type knob on the front. Here it is if you want to copy it. The knob is octagonal everywhere. It twists toward the right because I am left handed. This is to give a more secure purchase to the right hand. This plane has a continental style rear grip. Note how the lines of the front grip are echoed on the rear one,even though it is of different form. This plane was made a long time ago(1970),and for some reason,I used a Roman style bar to hold the wedge. I was very new at the museum,and just getting used to working in 18th. C. styles. It has a lignum vitae sole. I mixed styles (and periods) here quite a bit.

Note that on Roubo's short planes,there are no knobs. I took some license here. I just wanted to make that snail shell knob for fun.

I gave the plane to the chief architect when he retired,so do not have it any more.