Thread: Wooden leg vise.

Hi Matti

I suspect that there is a thread or two or three here that is about vises, but not necessarily about building a leg vise. So here are links to the building of mine, below:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...onmybench.html

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...OhSoclose.html

There are more article about the bench I built at this link (scan down to "The building of a bench"): Shop Made Tools





There is also a couple of accessories for a leg vise:

The AYS chain adjuster: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...nAdjuster.html

The Parallel Guide Guide: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...uideGuide.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

Matti, on the 13th of june 2014 IanW started a thread on how to make a traditional tail vise, using threaded timber screws, also in he last two issues of Australian wood review he as written articles on making wooden threaded nuts and wooden screws, worth a read if that's the way you are heading.
Cheers.

Yep, here's the link to the tail-vise thread, lj. It's not what you want, exactly, but you might want to think about including one at some stage - once you've used one, you'll never want to be without it.

As Huon said, AWR has just published a couple of articles on making wooden screws and nuts, so if 'traditional' is what you want, then using a wooden screw is about as traditional as you can get.

Wooden screws are probably not for everyone, & making your own may seem a bit daunting when you first look at them (I certainly thought so!). But when you get stuck in, it's really very basic, & requires very little gear. Access to a wood lathe is pretty much essential, & a drill-press & some large Forstner bits are highly desirable, but you can do those bits by hand - the old-timers did! If made reasonably well, wood threads are both functional & durable. I have a wooden screw in my tail vise that's a bit over 30 years young & shows no sign of wear at all.

My first attempt at making the 'primitive' tap for the AWR article was a success, to my surprise, as I thought I'd have to fiddle about much more to get it working. Once you have tapped a good 'nut' you can proceed to making the simple router jig to cut the screw thread. The screws I made for the article & as a demo at the last woodshow all turned out very well, though I guess I should confess I've been mucking about with wooden threads for more than 30 years, so I have picked up a few clues. The main thing to watch is that you have a loose (but not sloppy!) fit of the screw in the nut, or seasonal movement of the wood will cause you grief. One big advantage of the 'primitive' tap is that it's quite easy to set it up & take a few more light passes with the cutter advanced a bit more, if it's too tight, something I can't do with the metal taps I've got.....

Cheers,

And I hope AWR asks Ian to do an article or three on making wooden tail vises and leg vises with lot's of photos and his considered dimensions. Hmmm what about videos?
LOL.

I used a cheap vice screw from Carpeted, but McJing have similar ones at good prices. I used the X-link parallel guide from Len Hovarter - see this link
https://www.hovartercustomvise.com/p...ors-mechanism/

It's much less expensive than the Benchcrafted scissors, and has been plenty stiff enough, and seems easier to install. Far more convenient than a pin board guide.

This link has very detailed instructions on how to make the vice and install the parallel guide.
https://www.hovartercustomvise.com/w...Directions.pdf

Mine worked out really well, you can see it in my bench renovation post here
New bench? NO - a renovation!

Hi Matti

If you have not already discovered it, then I highly commend Derek's website to you. [Post #2 above]



Cheeers

Graeme

Originally Posted by HUON

And I hope AWR asks Ian to do an article or three on making wooden tail vises and leg vises with lot's of photos and his considered dimensions. Hmmm what about videos?
LOL.

Huon, last time I talked to the editor, they weren't that keen on workbench-related topics for some reason. Must admit, that surprised me, because judging by the responses on the Forum, you blokes can never seem to get enough when it comes to benches! Even those who've done complicated builds themselves seem to remain interested, and ready to add to any discussion with suggestions of what works for them & what doesn't. I think what has changed most since I started to take woodworking seriously is the sheer amount of information available now. Even a casual search of the interweb will turn up loads of stuff, in written or video form; I guess the problem is to know what to take on board! You are spoilt for choice, not only for bench designs, but for the hardware you might use on the vises and joints. Coupled with a tendency to over-think what is actually needed, I reckon it all gets more complicated than necessary.

Something I have learned, from participating in the Forum and being involved to various extents with others' bench-builds is that a workbench is definitely a form of self-expression, and no two are quite alike. Benches are made according to the depth of your wallet, the materil available, the work you intend to do on it, the time available to you, and your perceived skill-level. You don't have to be a woodworking wonder to build a very good & practical bench. Most people with basic woodworking skills are more than capable of making an excellent bench, either on their own or with a bit of friendly guidance. It's like any other job, plan it as best you can and take it step by step and it all comes together in the end.

When I saw the 'classic' European bench design (which was by Tage Frid in one of the first FWW mags) I thought that was the ultimate bench, and desperately wanted one. But I also thought it was beyond my abilities, and so it took a while (& seeing Frank Klausz's a few years later) before I summoned the courage to start. I had a very limited toolkit, and a very restricted budget, but managed to get there, & that bench has served me extremely well for more than 30 years now. The good news is that it wasn't half as difficult as I expected. I guess a design which evolved over time & has remained much the same for a couple of centuries must have something going for it!

The one feature of my bench that I do get a bit evangelical about is the tail-vise. I keep blathering on about their superiority over the 'travelling dog" (aka 'wagon vise') concept, but I think only those who've used both believe me. For sure, a wagon vise is far better than having nothing, if you regularly hand-plane boards, and beats the heck out of the silly holdfasts that have become such a fashion statement of late. And before you rip into me for that statement, I do occasionally use holdfasts where they are the most appropriate holding device, just not where other holding methods will do a better & more convenient job, & certainly not for planing boards!

I have a bit of a similar attitude to leg vises. They are (or should be) a very simple solution to work-holding - appropriate where you have limited facilities or hardware. Tarting them up with all sorts of extra gizmos like scissor-stays, chain-driven bottom supports, etc., seems to me like trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear. A more conventional screw-vise has advantages that a leg vise can't match, imo.

Anyways, I'm more than happy to help anyone through building either a tail vise or what I reckon is a very practical (for a woodworker) home-made front vise. Dimensions are not important, per se, because benches vary in size & you make tail-vises, in particular, to suit. The only 'specification' that's important, as far as I'm concerned, is that you have a convenient amount of travel. My rule of thumb is that your tail vise or wagon vise travel should be about twice the distance between bench dogs. With wagon vises, you only have a single dog, but with a tail vise, you should include at least three, spaced at half the distance between those on the bench row. When I built my bench, I didn't think that part through properly, and spaced the dogs in the vise the same as on the bench. After 20 years of excessive winding back & forth, I pulled it apart & spaced them 'properly' - it makes a huge difference & means you can switch between boards of different lengths with minimal winding. That's about the best tip I can offer a newbie starting a bench-build!

So apologies for yet another over-long reply, but you probably get the impression I won't be doing any vise-build articles in the near future. There are quite a few WIPs or at least fairly well detailed posts in the bench & vises sticky threads that will give you good ideas & basic processes, and plenty of folks here who have done their own builds and can offer advice if you hit a tricky spot, so whenever you have a question, just fire away. Probably best to start new threads for specific questions, that way, they are much easier for others to find later.....

Cheers,

Thanks, Ian

Far from being ..... yet another over-long reply ..... it was yet another insightful analysis which, in my opinion, bolstered with a few photos might be the framework of a useful article in AWR or FWW. Do editors read the Forum!

For thirty years I used a pair of Zyllis vices on a flush panel door (the bench!) sitting on a pair of saw horses. It worked. Jigs were commonly made by screwing battens directly onto the bench surface. Who cared about screw holes, saw cuts, etc. Just get another door for $10.

Now I am thinking about a real bench!


Cheers

Graeme

Hi all
I bought one of these
https://www.carbatec.com.au/clamping...places-ctv-514
Then used a piece of spotted gum (It was supposed to be a new step tread on my outdoor stairs, but after cleaning up it looked too nice)
And put it on my bench.
I use a one meter long tapered offcut on the floor so it clamps roughly square to the leg
Make Leg Vise Hardware for Your Workbench With No Guide
It works pretty well
When clamping thicker timber I use one of these
Vise Rack Stop - Lee Valley Tools

Sorry I can't upload a photo at moment of the completed leg vice, will try at home tonight
Pedro

20160705_124814.jpg
There we go, helps to sign in.
Hope this is useful
Pedro

I searched the forums for a manufacturer of wooden vise screws, of the model Derek is using in his bench, but could not find any.
I have build a bench here in the US, Moravian with wood vise (https://www.lakeerietoolworks.com/collections/all). I am bringing it back with me to Australia, but it will not be used as a bench. So I may have to build another one. Can one buy a similar vise in Oz?

Originally Posted by kungsleden

I searched the forums for a manufacturer of wooden vise screws, of the model Derek is using in his bench, but could not find any.
I have build a bench here in the US, Moravian with wood vise (https://www.lakeerietoolworks.com/collections/all). I am bringing it back with me to Australia, but it will not be used as a bench. So I may have to build another one. Can one buy a similar vise in Oz?

kungsleden, yes, you can buy a wooden vise screw from Henry Eckert.

I suppose if you really must have a wooden screw and you are desperately short of time you could justify what to me is an absurd price to pay for something that is not that difficult to make with fairly basic tools. I described a way of making large wooden nuts & screws which doesn't require any elaborate gear, in Australian Wood Review (issues 92 & 93) if you are interested in giving it a go......

Cheers,

Originally Posted by kungsleden

I searched the forums for a manufacturer of wooden vise screws, of the model Derek is using in his bench, but could not find any.
I have build a bench here in the US, Moravian with wood vise (https://www.lakeerietoolworks.com/collections/all). I am bringing it back with me to Australia, but it will not be used as a bench. So I may have to build another one. Can one buy a similar vise in Oz?

You know, if I were building again, I'd use a steel screw for the leg vise. I would not change from a leg vise - the depth of work holding and ease of use is second-to-none. However, the wooden screw I have is a looser fit than I like in the nut, and this causes it to rack (a reason I devised the "parallel guide guide". I expect better from Lake Erie, who have a very good reputation. The racking may not be a factor with these. Mine was a no-name maker - the screw was a gift from an American friend.

The need is for the screw, whether metal or wood, to have low tpi - say, 2 per inch, 3 at the most. This makes for less turning to open or close. In metal, the Benchcrafted screws are still the standard to aim for.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thank you guys!
I agree the 420$ tag for the screw is excessive. The "build a workbench" class I took here, at Underhill's school, had a 400 US$ cost for material, which included the vise and all other timber. More than reasonable you ask me.
I do indeed want to stay with a wooden vise if I build a new bench. I bought the 2 AWR issues and hopefully can build the screw and bolt.