Louis Bois is the man responsible for drafting our meticulously-crafted Split-Top Roubo prints. Louis is not only an incredible CAD technician, but he's also got a great sense of design, and a great sense of humor. I can't count how many emails I exchanged with Louis while developing our plans, but it was as much work as pleasure. On one occasion we had a long discussion debating the merits of honing compounds. Louis seems to prefer stropping on dried yak dung moistened with bullfrog spit, while I'm a champion of the fermented bile paste of the Thompson's lesser swallowtail cactus weevil. We found that in actual use the yak dung was better. Thankfully, our Mongolian contact Batukhan Elbegdorj has broadband in his yurt. And the dollar is pretty strong against the togrog these days. We can get a 55-gallon drum of stropping compound for 38 cents, with free Super-Saver shipping!
It was inevitable that Louis ended up with one of our Benchmaker's Packages. After all, Louis knows the ins and outs of this bench like the back of his hand. So when Louis emailed me about his bench project, I sat up in my chair and started rubbing my hands together. Oh, did I mention that Louis is French? And his last name means "wood"? Yeah, I think he's more than qualified.
Louis calls this bench the "Benapfloubson". Which means, "Louis' bench" in Tlingit. Actually, I have no idea what it means. Maybe Louis can chime in here and let us know.
All I know is, I want one. In my living room. Or my office. This thing is just plain cool.
The top of the bench is only 48" long, about 17" wide and about 2.5" thick. What a perfect size for in-house use! The next bench craze has begun! Thank you Louis!
I think we are going to see a wave of small benches in the next year or two. Glad to see that the Benchcrafted hardware will work well on these.
ReplyDeletejameel,
ReplyDeleteIt appears to be a contraciton of benchcrfafted, holtzfappel (sp?), roubo, and nicholson.
^^^ Give the man a cigar! I kind of assumed it was obvious, though I've made the mistake of "assuming" in the past, which got me into BIG trouble. :-o
ReplyDeleteThe build is well underway. The legs are glued up and the top is about half way along. The chop is ready for fitting and the roller guides are finished. I'd forgotten how much fun this bench building business can be! I'm building this bench for my 6-yr old son as he's expressed interest in joining me in my shop endeavours.
I'll keep you updated on progress as major steps are completed. I can't wait to install those vises!!!
Cheers,
Louis
ps...I think I may have found a better honing compound...stay tuned...