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Below you will find a SolidWorks “live model” for the Roubo-style Workbench I built for the Autumn 2005 issue. This nifty drawing was prepared by Louis Bois , a reader, mechanical draughtsman and all-around interesting fellow.
You can open this file using a free little program from SolidWorks that you can download for both Mac and Windows machines. With the program, you can open up these two drawing files and examine the project in extraordinary detail. Even if you have never used a CAD program, you’ll find this program a cinch to use.
When you open up the file you’ll see the assembled workbench floating in space , this is what we call a “live model.” Using the tools at the top of the window, you can rotate this project in every direction to see all sides of it in its assembled form. You can pull individual parts off and rotate those around to look at all the joinery by zooming in and out. You can strike measurements, look at cross-sections (do check out the dowels , Louis even drew all the dowels).
You can see exactly how the sliding deadman works with the groove in the benchtop and the bevels on the stretcher. In short, this file should answer almost any question you would have about assembling the workbench.
Thanks to Louis again for this excellent service to the readers of this magazine and weblog. And he says there are more drawings to come.
Roubo Bench Assembly-2.EASM.zip (2.28 MB)
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Just an alert, that SolidWorks now supports the creation of 3D pdf’s which can be read by Acrobat v8. This is OS independent!
Chris
Alot of good ideas on the Roubo that I’m gonna apply to my 1st bench.Especially the thick top.Thank you Chris and Lois.
Now you’re really gonna get me to boot Windows…;-)
Seriously, was reading the issue with your Roubo bench in it a night or two ago. Interesting use of the crochet with a holdfast for cutting dovetails, didn’t look like a bad option as I pondered upon it once again.
The simplicity of the Roubo bench is certainly attractive, and you designed the bench in a similar fashion so a lot of folks can build it without many tools.
I’m off on another path for my bench, but the Roubo might be a good option to build with my son (for him).