My lords, ladies and gentlemen, after much ado, I present the Ambidextrous Grizz-ubo Workbench. (A Roubo inspired workbench with four Grizzly vises)
The Ambidextrous Grizz-ubo Workbench.
The tree that was used to make this bench, was felled in October 2012. It was sawn into lumber and stacked to dry the same day.
I first started work on the bench by milling the lumber on March 8, 2014. The bench was finished on April 17, 2015.
I wanted to take some pictures of the finished bench, so I put it on moving dollies and managed to get it out onto the driveway.
I’m pleased with the overall design and proportions of the various elements.
Ignore the giant mess in the background.
The sapele “pin striping” adds some character to the benchtop.
This side is technically the front, and the side I’ll most often work from.
I love the wavy grain in the sapele.
OK, who want’s to lift this back into my shop?
The oak drawbore pegs have darkened up nicely with the finish and add an interesting visual element.
I bought two Veritas planing stops and a vise rack stop from Lee Valley.
Some Veritas goodies that I bought to outfit the bench.
Some Stats:
I thought I would pull some interesting statistics from my blog over the past year. If I restrict my search to only posts concerning the workbench build (and not including this post), here are the numbers:
- Total number of posts – 62
- Total number of images – 1,058
- Words written – 69,694 (wow… that’s a novel)
- Time spent building the bench – 1 year, 1 month, and 9 days.
- Tools broken – 1 (and I really liked that router)
- Tools lost – 1 (I still can’t find that stanley folding knife)
- Dog holes drilled – 84 (132, if you count the holes in the deadmen)
- Christopher Schwarz’ workbench rules broken – all of them.
More Gratuitous Images:
Here are some more photos showing some of the details of the bench.
The wedged through tenons.
The tail vise mating up with the dovetailed breadboard end.
The wavy grain in the Sapele edge.
The sliding deadman with V-notch that rides on the stretcher.
The re-finished Grizzly H7788 vise hardware.
A Lee Valley Vise Rack Stop.
After the bench’s glamour shots, I put it back on the moving dollies and wrestled it back into the workshop. So here it sits in its final home:
I moved the workbench back into the shop.
I feel as though I should mark the bench some how with a makers mark. I don’t have a brand yet. A small brass plate engraved with name and dates made might be a good thing to add (so long as I install it somewhere inconspicuous). I’ll have to look into where I could get one made.
Ready for 100 years of service?
Thank-You’s:
I would like to thank all of you who have commented on my posts over the past year and shared your thoughts, suggestions, and opinions. Many of them have made me reconsider ideas that I was planning and several of them sent me in wholly new directions. My bench, and my skill set are undoubtedly better off for your assistance.
Where Next:
Well, I really want to set up my dust collection system properly with rigid ducting; I have some bench planes that still need restoring; And, I still need to make a shooting board and bench hook for the bench. Also, the kids want a tree house and the wife wants a chicken coop. So much for making furniture!
Stay tuned.
– Jonathan White
Impressive to say the least. I’ve enjoyed watching this unfold over the passing months. Other than the four vises, I like the gas shocks you used on the lower tray the best.
Thanks Ralph.
Hi Jonathan
That is an absolute work of art. Well done! I especially like the dovetailed breadboard ends and the Sapele’s grain. It is top notch.
Cheers
Gerhard
Hi Gerhard,
Thanks. I got very lucky when I stumbled onto that board of Sapele on sale! I think it really dresses up the bench nicely.
Jonathan
Jonathan
After you start using that bench and find your way to a few more fixtures to use with it you will never look back. On rare occasions you will wish for a big twin screw or a tail vice but that will pass. You will find yourself grinning every time you just step over to another work spot instead of taking down your set up to clean up one little sliver. The details and the wood selection on your bench is the best looking I have seen.
Jim
James,
Thanks for your kind words. If I decide I need a twin screw, I’ll build a moxon vise, but I want to try using the bench without it first. That’s one more item to store and if I can make do without it, I’d like to.
Jonathan
Jonathan, your bench is the most stunning to be found anywhere on the web, and your detailed posts the most informative. Thanks for all the time and care you have put into them, and enjoy your new tool for years to come. Regards, Larry
Larry,
Wow, I don’t know what to say. Thanks.
Jonathan
Whew! Man, that turned out nice. You could make a chicken coop on that bench. 😉
Marilyn,
You’ve seen how I overbuild things, you really think the chicken palace (I mean coop) will fit on the bench? 🙂 Thanks for your comments. Where did all our nice weather go?
Jonathan
Wow, great work, Jonathon. That’s a labor of love and a work of art. I’ve enjoyed keeping up with your progress these past months. Here’s to hoping that bench sees a lot of use and abuse over the next several years. Cheers!
Thank you.
That is absolutely awesome! Words fail me.
Thanks Goatboy!
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