Calling André Roubo

I mentioned in my last post that I was considering building a Roubo book stand. After considerable thought, I decided to abandon that idea and go with something a bit different. Imagine, if you will, André Roubo showing up in the 21st-century. Like most self-respecting individuals of this century, I’m sure he would have a cell phone. So, with this in mind, I thought I’d try my hand at a Roubo-esque cell phone stand.

Starting with a 3″ x 7″ piece of 3/4″ white pine, I laid out a few measurements, to locate a three-knuckle knuckle joint, to establish the depth of the shelf, and to add a bit of decoration.

Next up, I drilled 1/16″ diameter holes at the four corners of the middle knuckle.

Using a fret saw, I joined the drilled holes, vertically.

With a chisel, I started removing waste from around the knuckles, alternating top to bottom across the face of the workpiece.

The piece was flipped over and the process repeated.

With the knuckles formed, I then resawed the piece down the centerline, making sure to stop at the knuckle tangents.

After using a knife to slice through the knuckle tangents one more time, the stand separated nicely.

With just a trifle bit of clean-up, I trimmed the shelf, front leg, and added the decorations.

A 1/2″ wide recess was cut into the shelf to allow for a charging cord.

I just love how this stand folds up when not in use. I sure hope I made André Roubo smile!