12/10/2015

OK, I realise this will not be the most exciting post in the history of woodwork blogging, but seeing that my site is in the first place a way for me to document my journey for myself you will have to bear with me. This will however be the not so grand finale to a riveting series of posts on building a second Roubo-style bench. As per the title of these posts it will be used as a permanent sharpening station during it’s first life and hopefully become a workbench in a second life once my shop gets extended. I plan to add a holdfast type “twin screw vise” as a face vise at that stage.

As you can see in the pictures below I used Without (Cape Holly or Ilex mitis) for the shelve boards. They all received tong and groove treatment with my Lie-Nielsen no. 48 T&G plane.

As you can see here it is a beautiful wood species.

The shelve boards were nailed into position with finishing nails. I did not used to like the idea of using nails for proper woodworking, but Christopher Schwarz has convinced me that there is historical evidence for the use of nails for specific tasks. In this particular case I thought that the nails will allow the boards to move with the changes in ambient humidity and having such small heads make them almost invisible. As you can see, I left two gaps to allow for wood movement, which also doubles up as convenient slots to get rid of debris when cleaning the shelve.

In these pictures you can see my sharpening station taking shape. Now I can simply walk over and sharpen what ever needs a razor edge. Up until now, I always used to procrastinate for too long before sharpening, because it meant that I had to set up the station first, sharpen and then pack it away.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.