Musings

2017 Workshop – Make a Nested Set of Brass Roubo Squares

As I finally move forward with a strategy for monthly summer workshops at The Barn it should come as no surprise that they will increasingly reflect my growing interest in toolmaking and hence metal working.  I expect to host at least one toolmaking/metalworking event each summer from now on (2018’s schedule will include dovetail saw making). Certainly this will be the case for the gathering of like-minded souls when we try to make a ripple molding cutter next May wherein virtually all of the work will be in metal or HDPA.  The theme continues with the workshop “Make a Nested Set of Brass Roubo Squares” June 16-18, 2017.

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Not only are these tools elegantly beautiful, they are particularly functional as the shoe at the base of the beam increases their utility immensely in my experience.  Here are two of these style squares I made many years ago.  The fact that they can be stood up on the flat or “catch” the edge of something being measured is very appealing to me.

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The set we will be making in this workshop will be more similar to Roubo’s representation in the engraving above than the ivory or walnut versions in my photo. With each student fabricating a set of squares from a 12″ x 8″ piece of brass stock, I expect that we can derive five or six nestled squares.

The main point of the workshop will be about sawing and silver soldering of heavy brass stock (.100″ or thereabouts) and in this I will be joined by my long time family friend Lydia Fast who will be showing and demonstrating and teaching silver soldering of the beam to the shoe.  She will be using torches commonly found in the workshop (and local hardware stores) and I will be leading the exercise to fabricate for each of you a fireproof bench-top brazing station which you will take with you at the end of the weekend.

The tuition for the workshop will be $400, and I’m working out the materials-and-supplies fee but that will reflect the direct costs of the brass, the silver solder, and the torches (you will take the torches home with you).

If this workshop interest you, contact me here.