Roubo Build #5: Testing my Glueup capabilities, and a fun vise handle discovery.
I began breaking down my boards into bunches based on their rough width, thickness, and general flatness. I tried not to put 2 boards with any kind of imperfection in their flatness together, preferring to separate them by at least 2 straight boards. There was some very very mild curvature after the planing work, but nothing that was not easily pinched out using just the strength in my hands.
Since I have no assembly table, I prepared my old bench with some rollers for extension (its only about 58″ long!) and gave it a nice non-stick surface via the cheapest economy size wax paper in the supermarket.
I decided to test out my clamping capabilities on the 7 foot stretchers (each will be cut down for 1 long stretcher 61″ , and one short 19″ stretcher.)
Looks good so far, but I did realize I’d probably like at least 2 more of those jet parallel clamps before I do the 8 footers. Since I didn’t go buy a bunch of lumber, I think I can probably justify 2 or 4 of them.
I think I’m probably going to glue up most of the sections 1 day at a time. This will both remind me to go slow, and also allow me to use every short clamp in sight. I do have 2 footers, but I’ve discovered that trying to use clamps that are too long can sometimes backfire.
That first glueup went fast, and I had some extra ‘loud time’ before I hit the quiet hour (8PM). Quiet hour is when I commit to stop making noise, as I live in a converted to condos 2 family house, and I live on the 2nd floor, but my shop is in the basement, right under my neighbor.
I decided there was maybe too much power tooling going on so far, so I decided to make my vise handle by hand. And no, I’m leaving the lathe out of it.
Since my bench is currently acting as my assembly table, I laid the board that will eventually get doubled up and turned into my bench vise flat, and clamped a stop block on it. Then I grabbed a roughly 4/4 square oversized offcut, rough cut 18 inches off with a handsaw, and went neander.
One or two passes with the jack both jointed it flat enough, and gave me a semi-smooth side to work with. I switched over to a low angle block, tight mouth, and smoothed out anything that didn’t feel good.
Then I just started chamfering all over. My theory on this is, I want something I can grab, that feels comfortable, but still has enough imperfections I can get a good grip. I have a turned handle on my rockler face vise on my old bench, and I don’t really get anything out of it. Sometimes its too smooth to grip when I’ve been sweating it out on the hand tools.
I just went at it until it _felt_ comfortable, and then I stopped. Since I didn’t feel like donning the sanding gear, I just rubbed it on the rough board’s side until it got all burnished up.
Once I get the vise installed, I’ll probably drill a small hole, put a little dowel through, and sand the dowel ends smooth. I may not even glue them in!
And since you love the photos, a gratituitous handplane money shot!
I may not bother to post daily progress on the big-chunk-glue-ups. So it may be a few days before you see anything else!
