Directions To Wyatt Childs Inc.

If you Google Wyatt Childs Inc. it will show you 1598 Johnstonville Rd, but the location of the pin will be incorrect. Below is what you'll see on Google Maps. Do not use this driveway.


You'll need to travel a bit further (about 3/4 mile) to the east to reach the entrance to Wyatt Child's facility. The triangular drive is where you'll want to enter. Look for the pond directly across from the drive. It's clearly visible from the road.



Follow the road to the cluster of buildings past Bo's house to the right. The first large brick building is the shop we'll be using, seen below. You can park anywhere along the edge, just keep your vehicle out of the main traffic lane.

Four Weeks to Go

We're buttoning up the last details for the FORP 3 here at Benchcrafted and at Wyatt Childs. We hope you're getting as excited as us!

In the coming weeks we'll ask that you email us directly if you have any last minute questions about the build. Send those to info@benchcrafted.com.

Classic Leg Vise Instructions

In preparation for the build, please download and read the installtion instruction for the Classic Leg Vise, available here.

Thanks!

ALERT! We still need your pictures....

Update! We've only heard from about six of you on this. Please take a picture and email it to us. It doesn't have to be perfect. Just stand up against a wall in your house and have another human take the picture. Use your phone, or a real camera. Again doesn't have to be perfect. But we do need your picture to make the special memento you'll receive during the build. Thanks!

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We're cooking up something special for this FORP. But to make it work, we need a picture of your face. (Don't worry, we'll keep it to ourselves.)

Here's the details:

The picture should be exactly like your passport photo. That is, straight on, head and shoulders only, white or light background with even light.

Do NOT take a selfie with your phone. Have someone take the picture for you (its okay to use your phone) Find a bright room in your house and stand against a white or light colored wall.

Glasses on or off, up to you. But try to take the picture so the lenses don't have reflections or glare from a light source. We want to see your eyes.

Without revealing too much of what we're up to, try to bias your expression towards the sober, serious side, without looking angry or disgruntled. Goofy grins would look a little odd for what we're doing. It's okay for Walt, but not for this.

Please send the digital picture via email to info@benchcrafted.com

FORP Lodging

https://gastateparks.org/IndianSprings 

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=XYvFFpN2DRr 
The Cottages at Indian Springs State Park near Barnesville.

Bo Childs just tipped us off to a nice place for lodging during FORP 3. He mentioned that rates are very reasonable, and that participants could double or triple up per cottage to save a few bucks. Feel free to comment below and share info if some of you want to share.

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https://goo.gl/maps/1WnvnVDLPpt9EFAD9
Antebellum Oaks B+B

Some have stayed here at past FORPs.

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Forsyth, GA

Forsyth is the same distance to Wyatt Child's as Barnesville. Being right on 75 means lots more hotel options.

We need your picture!

We're cooking up something special for this FORP. But to make it work, we need a picture of your face. (Don't worry, we'll keep it to ourselves.)

Here's the details:

The picture should be exactly like your passport photo. That is, straight on, head and shoulders only, white or light background with even light.

Do NOT take a selfie with your phone. Have someone take the picture for you (its okay to use your phone) Find a bright room in your house and stand against a white or light colored wall.

Glasses on or off, up to you. But try to take the picture so the lenses don't have reflections or glare from a light source. We want to see your eyes.

Without revealing too much of what we're up to, try to bias your expression towards the sober, serious side, without looking angry or disgruntled. Goofy grins would look a little odd for what we're doing. It's okay for Walt, but not for this.

Please send the digital picture via email to info@benchcrafted.com

The FORP 3 Tool List

             

The tools you'll need to bring to FORP III are not great in number. Most of the hand work will entail refining the joinery that we rough out with the big machinery. If you think that means little handwork, think again. You will sweat and bleed to create your Plate 11 bench. But we will sweat and bleed together, so what fun it will be!

To be the most efficient, we will form work groups and work on different parts of the bench as teams. The first couple days will be the most active and physically demanding, when we're milling the tops and base components, feeding the machines and roughing out the joints. Then we'll get down to the hand work, like joint layout and fitting, each in our individual work spaces. I'll list the hand tools required for each step of the process below.

Since you'll make the final decisions on how your bench gets built, you are free to use whatever methods and techniques are comfortable for you. We're not going to force you to cut your leg tenons on the bandsaw if you want to cut them by hand. Just keep in mind that our goal here is to get as much done as possible. If you want zen time, save that for furniture projects back home. Production methods will be utilized and will greatly speed the grunt work. But if you're into hand tools only, more power to you (sorry for that.) The point being, your bench, your call.

Roughing out the tops
Before the build we'll be at Wyatt Childs doing prep work and getting the tops ready for milling. It will take several days to saw the tops and leg stock on the band mill. When you arrive, the tops will already be sawn to rough width and length, ready to face joint and thickness on the Oliver Straitoplane the first morning of the build.

Milling the tops
After the tops are milled to final thickness, depending on how the edges came off the band mill, we'll be jointing the edges on the big Northfield jointer, or simply by hand back at your work area.

Hand Tools:
- Jack plane set up with a cambered blade for quicker material removal.
- Jointer plane, #7 or #8 size
- Pair of stout saw benches/horses for working on your top. Repeat, STOUT. Repeat again, STOUT! Here's a free article on how to build a proper one. Build a pair now, and bring them with you. At past builds, we've seen participants use heavy metal sawhorses with good results, but they must be the heaviest ones you can find with a wide footprint and a low stance.

Preparing the top

Hand Tools:
- Jointer plane for making the long edges perfectly square to the top and parallel to each other. This is imperative to laying out a precise double dovetail mortise and tenon.
- Large try square, or even a framing square for laying out the length of your top
- 12" Combo square. Good for laying out the double tenons and transferring these marks from the tops of the legs to the top, and then carrying the lines around to  the opposite face
- Bevel gauge
- small pocket square for general use (your 6" combo square)
- Marking knife (not a really thin one for fancy dovetails)
- The big timber frame circular saw you see below will be available for cutting your top to length.

The Base
Once the tops are nearing final dimensions, we will build the base to match the width of the top. That means accurate layout on your rails, since all our tops will be different widths. Legs will be milled from 16/4 stock and will finish out around 3-3/4" x 6". The base rails will be milled from 8/4 stock. Roubo called for 2" stock here, so we'll shoot for close to that. These elements are here mostly to support a shelf and help a little with making the base rigid. We'll mill this material using the same machines as for the top. Tenons will be cut using machines, or by hand if you wish. Mortises will be cut with the hollow chisel mortiser or by hand if you like. We don't encourage the use of routers at FORP because they are annoying as hell. The joints will be drawbored together. But before we assemble the base permanently, we'll need to consider the base to top joinery. The Roubo twin tenon and dovetail must be cut precisely on each leg before the base is finally assembled. Keep in mind that this joint is permanent, and you'll have to take your bench home in one giant assembly if you assemble your bench with this joint at the build. Yes, you can probably drive the top off the legs if you don't glue it, but we don't want to help you! We'll cut the cheeks and dovetails of this joint on the 36" bandsaw. Shoulders and the waste in the middle will be a combo of bandsaw and hand tools. If you wish to use handtools entirely for your bench joinery, feel free to.

Hand Tools:
- Large shoulder plane (to adjust shoulders)
- Rabbeting block plane if you have one for planing cheeks (large shoulder plane will work too)
- Hand saws if you want to cut rail tenons by hand as follows: A carcase saw for the shoulders, and a larger rip backsaw for ripping cheeks. Really big ripping backsaw or back saw then hand saw if you're cutting the leg-to-top tenons by hand.
- 1/2" chisel for detail work, 3/4" and 1" robust chisel for chopping mortise waste, plus one large and long paring chisel, 1-1/2" or so for general use and paring out the leg mortises in the top. If you have one with a ferrule on the end, like a Japanese chisel, it will hold up better. You'll be doing some major whacking. Bring mortise chisels if you want to chop by hand.
- Drawbore pegs: we will have 5/8" stock at the build for the joints. Bring 5/8" bradpoint drills and a corded drill, or brace and bit if you prefer.
- 20 oz. or bigger hammer for driving pegs. We like to use the Crucible Tool Lump Hammer or small sledge.
- Big mallet or chisel hammer for driving chisels.

Base to Top
Joining the base to the top with the Roubo twin tenon and dovetail will occupy a good portion of time. To layout the joint, we'll assemble the bases dry (just held together with clamps--Wyatt Childs has long clamps we can use for this), flip the tops upside down on saw benches, then scribe the locations of the twin tenons onto the underside of the bench. To cut the joints we have a few options. For the comparatively easy to cut front dovetail, we recommend sawing the dovetail by hand with a carcase saw, kerf in between and bang out the waste. Clean up with a shoulder plane or router plane.

The rear through tenon is probably the most time consuming part of the build. The most practical way to cut this mortise is to drill out most the waste, chop the ends square and pare the walls.Get a Wood Owl bit for this. 1" size. (http://www.popularwoodworking.com/workbenches/schwarz-workbenches/woodowl-bits-eat-oak-for-lunch) If someone has a timber framer's chain mortiser, bring it!

Hand Tools:
- Large try square for joint layout or a 12" combo square.
- Bevel square/gauge for the dovetails
- Powerful corded drill for driving the 1" bit. We like this one.
- Mortise chisels, or large firmer chisels. Long paring chisel.

Leg Vise
We'll use the drill press to hog out most the waste for the Crisscross, then clean up with chisels. Holes for the vise screw and mounting pins will likewise get done on the drill press. Please read through the Classic Leg Vise installation instructions thoroughly before the build.
https://www.benchcrafted.com/download-files/Classic_Leg_Vise_Instructions-BC0119.pdf

A bit and brace, or long 3/8" twist bit will we be needed for extending the 3/8" mounting pin holes in the leg and chop after starting them on the drill press. We'll have large bits at the build for drilling the larger holes in the chop and leg for the Classic Leg Vise.

AccessoriesThe shelf, oil cup, drawer and tool rack are all pretty basic. No need to elaborate on these. Most of the stock for these we'll harvest from offcuts to make the most of this precious wood.

Here are all the tools listed above:

Jack plane
Jointer
Pair of stout saw benches/horses.
Large try square, or even a framing square
12" Combo square.
Small pocket square for general use (a 6" or 4" combo square)
Marking knife (not a really thin one for fancy dovetails)
Large shoulder plane
Rabbeting block plane
Router plane
Carcase saw
Larger rip backsaw
Really big ripping backsaw or hand (panel)
1/2", 3/4" and 1" robust chisels
1-1/2" chisel with long robust handle
16 oz. or bigger hammer for driving pegs.
Crucible Tool Lump Hammer or small sledge
Big mallet / hammer for driving chisels

Bevel square/gauge for the dovetails
Powerful corded drill for driving the 1" bit. We like this one

And here are some more general tools and items:

6" pocket rule
Pencils: carpenters, and fine point.
12' tape measure
Knife style marking gauge
Winding sticks
Pair of dividers
Smooth plane
Block plane
Birdcage awl
Flush cut saw
Your sharpening kit
Paraffin wax to lube your plane soles

Gloves. We like the kind with the fingers dipped in rubber. They shouldn't be loose.

Proper clothing. Wear what you'd wear to do heavy yard work. It might be chilly in the mornings. It might be hot too. We don't recommend shorts because you'll be in close contact with splintery wood and heavy timbers. Jeans would be a good choice for their protective quality, especially early in the week when lots of moving of heavy workpieces takes place. Bring plenty of t-shirts too. You'll likely trash one every day.

Sweat bands or bandanas if its hot.

Good, grippy soled shoes with robust uppers. Steel toe if you're worried about dropping heavy things on your toes.

Further reading: 
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/product/workbenches-revised-edition-from-design-theory-to-construction-use/
Chapter 8 of this book by Chris Schwarz (The Ancient Roubo) pretty much describes the build and how best to tackle each process. This will also help you refine your own personal tool list.

Getting your tools to Barnesville:

We recommend driving to the build with your tools, so you can haul your bench back at the end of the week. But shipping tools down (and back home) is also an option. Wyatt Childs will assist with shipping your crate of tools and bench back to your shop after the build. If you're shipping, you'll need to allow extra time to pack your wares at the end of the week.

Here's the address to ship your tools to:

Wyatt Childs Inc.
1598 Johnstonville Rd, 
Barnesville, GA 30204

Feel free to ask questions in the comments section.

Bench Height--please comment

Since the length and width of our benches will be determined by the slabs themselves, the only variable will be bench height.

For a person of average stature (say, 5'11"), a height of 34" is a good place to start if you're unsure of your favorite bench height. One rule of thumb is to let your arm hang straight to the floor and measure up to the point where your pinky finger joins your hand. For reference, I'm 6'1" with average length arms. My measurement is 34", but my main bench at home is 36" tall. My French Oak bench from FORP I is 34" high. I like both benches. So there is no hard and fast number. If you use your bench for rigorous stock prep you'll want a lower height. If it's more for joinery, final fitting, smooth planing, a little taller is nice.

Please comment below with your preferred bench height. If you don't comment, we'll assume your bench will be 34" high.

Bench Label Proof

Exciting progress today. Wesley Tanner has finished up the first proof for the FORP 3 bench labels. Please read the text carefully and make sure your name is correct. If it's not, comment below. 

Each builder will receive two copies of the label. If you've never seen Wesley's work before, you will be blown away. These are gorgeous. 

Reminder: Labels

Please respond to the previous post if you haven't already.  And to all who have, thanks!

Personalized Labels--Your response required

With all 20 participants fully enrolled in FORP 3 we can move onto the more interested aspects of the project. Exciting!

Like at previous builds, letterpress printer Wesley Tanner has agreed to design and hand print personalized letterpress labels to adhere to your bench. These are so sweet. The best paper and inks, and they will include your name boldly presented at the top of your individual label, plus the names of all the participants and enthusiasts and other details of the build. Imagine 250 years from now when these benches are "discovered" and people brag about them on the woodoworking forums.

We need to get rolling on printing these, so please respond immediately in the comment section below by typing exactly your name as you'd like to see it on the label. Do not make any other comments, simply type your name. You'll see my name as the first comment. Use this as the model for typing your name. Please don't add any other comments.

Coming soon: a detailed post on the tool list.

Welcome to FORP 3

Welcome all participants to the French Oak Roubo Project 3!

We'll be using this blog as the primary communication between the organizers and the participants. You'l want to subscribe to the blog, so when we post updates you'll be notified. It's not a private blog, but we ask that you not share the address. The information presented here is for participants only. If you need to contact us privately for any reason, feel free to email us. Otherwise you can use the comments section below each post. 

Until we make a few posts about FORP 3, here's a couple links to read up on past events. 

Benchcrafted on FORP I and II This is everything we've written about the event.

LAP on FORP Everything French Oak related by Chris Schwarz over on the Lost Art Press blog.

Happy scrolling!