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Thread: The Roman Workbench - Tell Me What You Thunk

  1. #16
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    Was unable to find that video....is there a better link somewhere?

    Never mind..I found it..already had seen it...
    Last edited by steven c newman; 10-19-2017 at 9:15 PM.

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Waldron View Post
    If you want removable legs for storage, I have one word for you, Stan: sliding dovetails!

    A pair of trestles affixed to the top with sliding dovetails would give decent service; being low, they may be effective without a stretcher, but one could be added with not too much complexity for added stability if needed. Solves a couple of your "cons."
    Thanks, James.

    A double-tapered sliding dovetail makes perfect sense.

    I suspect a diagonal stretcher (maybe 2) would be wise unless I make the piece connected to the legs and fitting into the sliding dovetail very large.

    Stan

  3. #18
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    Schwarz seems to be following a relatively natural progression in his writting. Certainly it can be argued that he is going to extreme lengths. I actually took a course from him at Higland Woodworking. The class was on making a more basic sawhorse, consisting of a 4" thick piece of poplar with four red 8/4" oak legs. I took the course as a way to learn to add legs to Windsor chair seats, which use basically the same technique. The class was done as research for another book Schwarz was writting "The Anarchists Design Book". The sawhorse built in his class was the first item built in "The Anarchists Design Book".

    Schwarz had just published Pete Galbert's book "Chairmaker's Notebook" which I think got Schwarz interested in a little different set of hand tools and design criteria. Chairmakers have a different set of clamping needs. These needs are based on a more "primitive" set of hand tools, such as axes, adzes, draw knives, scorps.....than may be used to make "modern" furniture and cabinets. Much of Schwarz's writting in the last few years revolves around more "basic" ways and designs to make furniture.

    Chair makers often work on lower benches, which may have advantages when,chopping, carving, using drawknives or spokeshaves. The shavehorse, for instance, is a low bench with a single vise that is designed to hold a large variety of "oddly" shaped pieces, like round tappered chair spindles. Some of these "rougher" tools may damage the holding vise or work table/bench. There is typically less emphasis on making level surfaces in this work.

    If taken in the context of using the different hand tools used to make this simpler style of furniture that may or may not have any flat surfaces requiring hand planes, the older simpler bench makes more sense to me. The Roman Workbench seems to me to explore devices for using a different tool set.
    Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 10-20-2017 at 1:14 PM.

  4. #19
    Speaking of Mr. Schwartz: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/w...ttle-bit-roman
    And here's a video that was shared years ago showing some principles--like the butt clamp. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...Pk-KC17uH1fG1L

    As a Chinese guy, it's sorta nice to see this stuff.

  5. #20
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    I'm currently building a low bench for my bowl-carving work. Hopefully the work-holding will evolve to also support the shaping of seat blanks.
    After carving the first 20 bowls we'll see if I have opinions to share.
    AKA - "The human termite"

  6. #21
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    Chuck & Matt show examples of: carving, whittling, splitting, butt clamping.....Older hand tool techniques which Schwarz has been interested in, in more recent years. One of the benches Matt shows us looks like an early version of a shavehorse designed to speed up the process of clamping & unclamping of pieces that may need work on more surfaces and more curved vs flat surfaces. Working a bowl or spoon may be considered closer to carving than planing or joinery, as may be the case in much of Windsor/Welsh chair construction. Maybe the "Roman Workbench" is more a tool for a traditional bodger than a cabinet maker or joiner? Roy Underhill did a Woodrights Shop episode with Schwarz on the Roman Workbench: pbs.org>search Roman Workbench, and you can find it.

    Like Chuck one of my new projects explores making an axe/adze carving bench from a red oak log and four mortised legs, similar to but larger than the sawbenches in Schwarz's Anarchist Design book but a little smaller than his Roman Workbench.
    Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 10-21-2017 at 9:40 AM.

  7. #22
    Show pictures!

    This may sound funny, but I think it'd be a nice/special gift to do in an "anywhere" (bedroom, backyard, on the porch) sense.
    I think Robin Wood has a photo of his setup?

  8. #23
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    E03D90EE-1605-4D35-90D4-81D53FD86A0D.jpg886B7AF3-6B8C-460D-9528-76EF02C631A9.jpg
    The dog (Haka) is standing on a log that I recently split. I am working on two flat sides so I can add mortised legs. I want a place to chop objects with axe or adze..... A stump works but if the work takes a while it is nice to sit to work. The shave horse is a rebuild of a kit I bought. I added the dumbhead, wood rest and redesigned the foot pedal arrangement. I was trying to make all the pieces of the vise/clamp easy to replace. Getting the balance so that the vise releases immediately when foot tension is removed is the challenge. Still working on the balance and a quicker adjustment system for the head height.

    Matt, my wife and sister love that little saw bench. It gets used as a stool, step to reach into cabinets....I plan to make a longer version of it too.
    Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 10-28-2017 at 2:40 PM.

  9. #24
    I'm late to the party, but nice work.

    Is it just a biggish stool with four mortised legs?

  10. #25
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    Matt,
    The idea was to make two sawbenches, to hold work for sawing. Mine get used often for a variety of other things too though, including a stool. The legs were made from 8/4 red oak, tapered. The mortises in the top are made with a LV tapered reamer. The leg tenons are made with with a Veritas Tapered Tenon Cutter.
    Last edited by Mike Holbrook; 12-04-2017 at 1:01 AM.

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