Lego Roubo

For my birthday, my Mom sent me a box of Legos she had kept in storage from my childhood. This is what I built with them - a Roubo Workbench. Thanks, Mom!

Andre Jacob Roubo was a French cabinetmaker and author in the 1700s. We recognize Roubo today for two things: his writings and his workbench. His encyclopedic treaties on woodworking have recently been resurrected by Chris Schwarz of Lost Art Press. Schwarz has singlehandledly revived the "Roubo Bench", depicted above in Plate 11 from L'Art du Menuisier (Art of the Joiner), for modern times. The Roubo-style workbench has become the "new" standard for the modern woodworker due to its simplicity, heft, timeless aesthetics, and superior functionality.