this is the most mainland/germany video of woodworking by hand that I see in RU-vid until now. Just a frame saw to cut the wood and for joinery and here we are 100% mainland europe. :))
Another beautiful piece. I am always impressed with your work and it gives me a great appreciation for how things were built 200 years ago. You are a true craftsman. Can I ask how many hours do you think it took to build this piece? Thanks for sharing. You did a great job!
@@BRFineWoodworking My wife has nudged me to video some of my work. It is similar to the format of this video with work and no talking. Boy, does it add time. Also, ideally, I'd rotate my bench for better video but I refuse to. Keeping a blog by taking photos is likely what I will keep doing. Just wanted to try one video (iPhone 13 in 4K at 30 FPS on tripod) to see what it was like. As much as I love woodworking, I don' t think I am passionate enough to film all of it. I am very glad that you do.
Well, so here's the thing. I click on a title about scrap lumber. In the opening scene, I quickly learn that Bob and I have an entirely different definition of 'scrap'.
Absolutely gorgeous heirloom quality work! Surprised not to see your Roubo saw for the cut at 2:20…. Any reason you chose a regular rip saw for that cut? Love your work. Hope to see more from you in 2022!
No need for the Roubo saw because after the table saw there was only about 2” left to saw out in the middle. So a 4 1/2 PPI rip saw works fine. The Roubo saw is really only needed when the cut gets over 6-8”.
Came here looking for this comment. I too wondered as to the sort of striking knife. ...now I want one. Thank you both for the question and the answer!
I do prefer tongue & groove. I think it stays flatter than shiplap but that might be more conjecture than experience as I’ve done way more T&G than shiplap. But I have planes dedicated to making tongue & groove joints (even though I didn’t use them here just to show an alternative method with more basic planes). The match plane makes planing tongue and groove joints just as fast, if not faster, than making shiplap. Also, tongue and groove planes reference off the show face for both halves of the joint. Shiplap requires working to a gauge line, even with a fenced rabbet plane with a depth gauge because one rabbet has to be planed on the back side. If the boards aren’t all exactly the same thickness, different settings are required for the back rabbet for each board. With T&G planes, since they reference from the show face, even boards of differing thicknesses will all align on the face side with no additional figuring or effort. The difference in thickness will always be pushed to the back.
WOW!! Wonderful craftsmanship sir!! I really like the plane shelf design. The innovative idea of laying your long planes horizontally instead of vertical, like I have seen so many other craftsman do, is genius. Way to be thinking outside the box. Well done sir!!!
Nice build! Any plans for an innovative saw bench or for adding some of these projects to your virtual school? I’ve been thinking of a split top saw bench that has break down parts; tusk tenons maybe, but also thinking such would get wobbly loose over time. By the way too, I still think your contribution to hand made marking and panel gauges with the pentagon beam forced into the triangular tension along the opposing plane is one of the most brilliant ideas to come about in hand made woodworking tools that I can remember. Happy New Year
My saw benches are always really simple affairs as they tend to get abused. So nothing innovative on that front. I do have more “Foundations” courses planned. Possibly later this year.
Bob, I absolutely love the format of this video. I have been watching you for a while now and really appreciate the highly detailed explanations you have given in many of your videos, but sometimes I just want to see a guy like you build something beautiful as well as functional. Don't get me wrong, again I'll say I really enjoy the detailed explanations that you have given in previous videos, but this was like eating dessert after a great meal. I sat back and enjoyed every minute of it, while still picking up a few things along the way. A prime example is the pins first technique you used here. I have never thought about this before, but pins first seem a lot easier and in the end create a better fit. I absolutely loved the minimal use of power tools to accomplish the resawing and planing tasks. This is exactly how I prefer to do things as well. Sure we would all love to resaw and plane 6 inch thick timbers, but honestly, my time in the shop is limited and sometimes I just need to get things done. Sadly, one of the first things that popped into my mind was I hope he doesn't get grief for the minimal use of these power tools, but this is the internet. I have to say your use of them was well-thought-out and satisfying to watch. I never understood why your channel is under 20k subscribers as you have been more than willing to share a lot of really rich content. But in the age of instant gratification, I feel like if you were to make more videos in this format, your subscriber base will grow exponentially. Sorry for the long-winded post, but I just wanted to tell you how much I really enjoyed this format as a complement to the instructional gems you have been making for years. Thank you again, Happy New Year to you and your family.
Awesome content. Great to see you back in full effect. The shop looks great, you look great and the skills are always on point. Can you tell us about your wood planes? Always remember your vintage tools. Are those E.C.E planes?
Thanks! The wooden planes are probably from the 1960s or 1970s. The sliding dovetail plane and fillester plane are probably a bit newer than that. They are all made by Ulmia in Germany.
Bob, This is my second watching of this and I know I’ve listened to it at least one additional time 🤣. I notice very plainly in the beginning when you’re milling up the timber to re-saw that your work seems to be really high up for what you’re doing and that you’re twisting your upper body considerably instead of being able to be over and using legs. I know the thickness of the timber and the height of that jointer (what is it 26” or 30” long) raise the work markedly…. The reason I ask; and I think we’ve discussed this to some degree before: bench height. I know there’s no perfect height and it’s greatly dependent upon the user height, to what degree the person is primarily a hand tool -vs- power tool -vs- hybrid tool woodworker. Also it really comes down to personal feelings, but I’m sure too, that I could maybe benefit quite a bit from a lower bench, but really wouldn’t know it until I maybe built a full project on one or worked with one for a while. I don’t know if anyone in my area who’s considerably shorter/has a lower bench for me to do a bunch of milling on. I ask this because as I’ve told you I’m in the process of building a new bench (split top Roubo with the far side of the bench set up with a Nicholson/English style apron and the near side with a leg vise, mortised planing stop and wagon vise) since my current bench is wholly inadequate with regard to mass, workholding, and size. Again, I know it’s a personal thing. I have severe spine issues in lumbar and cervical from my injuries I sustained the same time I had my TBI as I’ve shared with you before and the pain that comes from doing work out in front of you that falls in between an actual bend and above my belt line really hampers how long I can work in that say 45°-60° range out over a bench/counter/etc…. (Washing dishes/folding clothes and the like is miserable). I do have a fine bench top moxon vise that also has a moderate table attached to the back of the rear jaw that I built about two years ago. It works great for dovetail, chisel, joinery, carving because it raises it up closer to me and prevents that partial bending at the waist that brings such discomfort. Not to mention it’s great for sawing those half-blinds. My concern is that if I bring this bench up higher to accommodate comfort, that I’ll be trading away an awful lot of leverage and also introducing body mechanics when planing that don’t just impact efficiency, but also introduce mechanics that will feed the pain. I hope I’m making sense. I’ve considered building a small separate high bench just for joinery (like Shannon Rogers has) and have the space since I’ve finally sold my table saw. I’m hybrid in that I also have a lunchbox thicknesser and a band saw, but those are the only electrons spent on timber in my shop and my typical building ranges from small boxes to medium carcasses like end tables, chests, coffee tables, buffets, and stick chair/perches. Have you ever worked on a much lower bench that gave you the thought that ‘hey, this would be a nice height for planing, carcass construction, etc’ but just never pulled the trigger on it because you’re trying to meet in the middle on high and low work? I guess I could cut some length off this current bench I have while building this one to try it out; since building a 400 LV bench certainly constitutes building an entire project. That way I can always cut some off the one I’m building now (though that goes messing with the clearances I’ve planned for the shelf on the stretchers). Also, I guess even if I build it lower that I can still explore building a joinery bench if I’m unhappy with the height of the current moxon benchtop table. I’m not a indecisive person, but for some reason I feel like I’m over thinking this. Thoughts 💭 ?
First, let me say thank you again for your service. I'm sure I've said it before, but it's not possible to thank our service men and women enough for the sacrifices that they've made to provide us with the freedom to do what we do. So thank you! In terms of bench height, I've used many. I'm 5'5" to 5'6" depending on the day. I have built and used benches from 30-36" tall. They're all a compromise. Higher is better for more detailed work. Lower is better for planing and mortising. The bench I'm using in this video is 32" tall. But as you noted, the board I'm planing is almost 4" thick, and the wooden plane is 3" tall. That puts my hands about 39" above the floor. That's really high for me. But, this situation is not normal. I'm not usually planing 4" thick boards, and using a Stanley style plane would have placed my hands 3" lower. Lower benches are certainly more comfortable to plane at, to a point. My English style bench is 30" tall. Planing at that bench feels a bit easier to me. BUT, I mostly used wooden planes at that bench when it was my primary bench. At the French style bench I mostly use now, I use more metal planes. So the difference is really negligible as my hands are in about the same position when using metal planes at the 32" tall bench as when using wooden planes at the 30" tall bench. I actually find the reach across the bench causes more discomfort than the height. Planing narrower stock places the stock right next to you so bench height isn't really an issue. But when planing wide stock, it makes a huge difference. With a lower bench, I bend more at the hips to plane wide stuff on the other side of the bench. There's a bit more strain on my lower back, but there's less strain on my shoulders. With a taller bench, I stand taller, but I have to reach more when planing wider stock. This puts a lot more stress on the upper back and shoulders. I definitely prefer a lower bench for planing wider stock, but it doesn't work out that way for everyone. On the other hand, the 32" tall bench is much better for joinery, except mortising by hand. Having the work higher means less bending over, and less strain on the lower back. But for mortising, I prefer lower as a lower bench allows me to relax my traps and shoulders more. So all of this is to say that there isn't going to be a perfect solution. Every bench height is a compromise. The challenge is to identify what the bench will be used for the most. If you err on the high side (and I recommend that you do as a lot of people really don't like lower benches), you can always trim an inch or two off the legs if it ends up being too high. But if it's too low, you have to rig up some kind of risers to raise it, and that's more work and less elegant than cutting an inch or two off the bottom of the legs. Also, since you have a bench top thicknesser, I'm guessing you'll be using that for most of the stock prep. Planing the first side isn't as much physical work as planing to thickness, so you can get away with a higher bench if you're just going to plane one side and then put it through the thicknesser. The other thing to consider is sitting to cut your joinery. I do this ALL THE TIME. I will saw my dovetails standing at the vise, but then sit down on my saw bench/shop stool to chop them out. Sitting is a HUGE back saver for this kind of work for me. I'd recommend trying it as long as sitting doesn't cause issues for you (it does for some folks). If you can sit while chopping and cleaning out joinery, it may avoid the need for a separate joinery bench.
Bob, fantastic video! What a combination of techniques (masterfully executed) this project produced. A joy to watch. Your sawing technique on the early crosscut was like a master class. Using the maximum length of the saw, letting the saw cut as you smoothly guide it along its journey. I miss working with you, buddy. Thanks for the video.
First off beautiful job. However, one question I noticed the sides and shelves look approximately ten inches wide. And you have them attached with dados and dovetail joinery. Aren’t you concerned that overtime, since wood is a porous material that expansion and shrinkage will definitely occur. And splits will happen? Just curious what you think.
I’m not concerned at all. The expansion and contraction of the sides and shelves will occur in the same direction so they will move together and be perfectly fine. This is also kiln dried white pine which is one of the most stable woods you can use.
Thank you! I did not make it. It’s an antique English striking knife from the late 1800s. If you Google Smith’s Key, you can find an old catalog of Sheffield England tool designs that has striking knives illustrated. You can still find them on the antique tools market, especially in England. A bit more rare in the US (I ordered mine from a British old tool dealer years ago). Any decent blacksmith can make them. You can even buy them in the Prentis Store in Colonial Williamsburg.
Welcome back, Bob. I used to watch you religiously several (many?) years ago before you changed direction. I always enjoyed your content and learned a lot!
Hi Mr Rozaieski:) Just wanted to thank you for your videos! They're so inspiring and extremely educational. I love the saw till in the background. I might try attempt making that one day:)
Thanks for sharing. I've been saving my money to buy a bandsaw so I can rethickness easier. For what I do, I don't think I will need a table saw. After that I will see if/when to get the Dewalt planar - hoping the bandsaw will be enough..
Bandsaw should suffice. I only used the table saw because my resaw blade for my bandsaw was broken. Otherwise I’d have used the bandsaw. I really don’t use my table saw except for sheet goods. Once all of my kitchen cabinets are done I may even get rid of it as it’s not that useful to me for solid wood projects.
The planer is a great time saver. It’s not so useful for flattening the first face, but if you have a whole bunch of boards that have to be the same thickness, it’s a great addition to the [mostly] hand tool shop. In fact, if I had to pick only two power tools, they’d be the planer and bandsaw, in that order.
@@BRFineWoodworking Thanks for the feedback. How bad is the snipe on the Dewalt? As a hand tool woodworker, I will be doing the final smoothing with a hand plane. I just don't know how deep it is and if this is a theoretical or real problem?
Mostly non-existent unless the board is really long and heavy. But even then, by supporting the weight with your hands during infeed and outfeed it can be avoided. Snipe happens when only one roller is engaged at the start or end of the cut. So just lift up on the board slightly during infeed until the second roller is engaged and on outfeed until the end of the board is past the cutterhead and snipe can be pretty much completely avoided. Skewing the board through the machine helps too.
Really enjoyed this format, though as others have said your more instructional videos have taught me an immense amount. As inexperienced but non beginner woodworker this was really motivating and a pleasure to watch. Thanks Bob.
Good stuff as always. I was caught a bit off guard by the power tools, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit as I get older the idea of power tools for some of the grunt work is growing on me more and more. No judgement on my part for you using power tools, I've always felt they have a place and even though I've used mine less and less, I do still have mine and will break them out when needed.
Depends on the board’s thickness. If the board is thick enough that the planer won’t push out the cup, then the two edges just need to be straight from end to end and coplanar (no twist when checked with winding sticks). When I’m using this method, I hand plane the cupped face only and once the outer edges are straight from end to end (no bow) and coplanar (no twist), I send it through the thickness planer, referencing off the side I just planed. Once the crowned side is flat, I flip the board and finish the cupped side in the planer. If the board is too thin to do this (less than a full 1” thick typically) and the pressure of the feed rollers would just push the cup out, then I’ll go ahead and completely hand plane the first face (usually the crowned face as putting the cup down is more stable on the workbench) totally flat (as checked with my straight edge/winding sticks). Then I’ll do the final thickness if with the planer. I couldn’t give you a number. I’ve never measured and I’m not sure it would even matter as every board is different. A 4/4 white pine board will flex much more than a 4/4 white oak board. So you really have to make a judgment call based on the board you are working with. But I can completely flatten the first face of a typical board with a hand plane almost as fast as most people can do it with a jointer. So if I’m not sure, I’ll just spend the extra two or three minutes and hand plane the entire face flat as if I was doing it all by hand. The first face is quick and easy if you choose your lumber wisely. The real effort is in removing significant thickness.
Agree, the pins are easier to track the line when cutting. Tails cut first can waver slightly from layout, being cut on an angle, without affecting cutting pins, which are cut vertical.
Maybe strange to you. But it’s not uncommon. Just not commonly taught that way by today’s most prolific writers/teachers. However, pins first is common in continental Europe. It’s the way I’ve done it for at least 20 years. If you ask Frank Klausz, pins first is the correct way to do it 😁.
Tails first is only easier if that’s the way you learned and practiced. If you learn and practice pins first then pins first is easier. Just like anything in woodworking there’s no one right way or easier way. It’s all about practice, practice, practice, no matter which way you do it.
I really think in case work (especially where the joints strength is in the vertical), that it’s an easier method. If anything it’s a good place to practice/try cutting pins first; easier to do than small boxes/drawers for someone looking to try pins first. Give it a try in your next carcass. Plus too, the visual appeal of end grain pins in a carcass is always nice feature.
@@BRFineWoodworking I also do pins first, and I also find it easy. I think UK/Us has good marketing tools, but in mainland EU, today, in Germany, they teach you to cut pins first. :)
