Workbench Vises - all the different ones in the same thread - contributions please

[rustynail]

Mark,
Your thread was a long one, but well put. I think I may have been a little hasty in condemning the leg vise and not allowing for the more modern designs that have brought them kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
The ones we were using were old and basic. As for racking, they were so worn they were beyond equal. The screw and handle were so low you near had to stand on your head every time you wanted to use it, let alone the pin that was about six inches from the floor.
It would probably do me the world of good to have a go on a more modern version, but I don't think I could bring myself to touch it

[FenceFurniture]

Excellent first post Mark, thanks for that, and welcome to the forum. Exactly the kind of info required from existing users.

Pics, description and workings of your pinless leg vise would be a great addition to this thread.

Cheers
Brett

[Bushmiller]

Pics, description and workings of your pinless leg vise would be a great addition to this thread.

Cheers
Brett

Mark

I agree with Brett. Now you have whetted our appetites, I think it is only fair you should put us out of our misery and tell us what it is .

Regards
Paul

[Chrism3]

I bought one of these for my workbench - there are photos on my thread here:
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f213/w...54/index4.html

The parts came extremely well packaged, good thing too because its heavy all up. All parts are made to a high quality and finish.
The instructions were quite detailed, and for the most part easy to follow. I did have a few email conversations with Len Hovarter to clarify some things, and he responded overnight. He also incorporated my suggestions for clarifications to the instructions.
For the most part, you install this with the benchtop upside down - easier for me because of my split bench top design. It makes it easier to get things accurate.
I found the hardest part was to rout and drill the front jaw holes accurately so as to ensure that the springs on the vice shafts do not bind.

I was actually confused by an otherwise very good video posted by some one called The Dusty Developer, showing the full installation process. The vice can be installed with the handles tightening either clockwise or anticlockwise. Dusty showed how to fit them one way, but his finished installation showed them turning the other way - he must have either made a mistake or changed his mind without admitting it on the video.

I chose this over the Veritas twin screw which was the suggested vise for my bench because while I wanted a wide jaw, I didn't want to screw in and out. This vise slides in and out on two shafts when the vise is in the unlocked position. You put the work piece in, slide the vice in and then lock it with either handle, both handles being connected by an iron bar sliding underneath the table. With a wide jaw you do have to make sure you are pulling it out centrally, or else it will tend to jam to one side, like a drawer. But that's way better than having to wind in and out with a screw vise. I chose 18" between the shafts, but you can choose up to 24". The jaw comes out a long way - I think at least 300mm.

I haven't yet had reason to change my mind about the purchase. While expensive, it was a once in a retirement purchase to go with my new once in a retirement bench. Apart from not have to screw it in and out, another benefit is that there is no oil needed on the shafts, so nothing to foul the workpiece.

[FenceFurniture]

Great stuff Chris, thank you. Again, the important detail for would be purchasers.

[FenceFurniture]

IanW & Chris:
Chris, your end vise has given me an idea for a shoulder vise, but using a Hovarter Face Vise, and maybe it was the split top design that also brought this thought on.

If you installed a HFV as an end vise:

• have the back half of the bench a little shorter (be it split or not)
• with the twin rods going into the front half
• the face of the vise would cover the whole end, so that the back half wouldn't have any rods in the way
• voila - a shoulder vise, and QR at that!
• you could add a short Acme screw to the unsupported end of the face later, if it became necessary

Again, I would want to replace the large hubs with nice squat wheels (sans handle, because you don't need the speed), and I'm pretty sure that Ian and his nether bits would be with me there.

Edit: You could have the Shoulder Vise on the front of the bench, at one end (say the right), and a Leg Vise at the other, with a Sliding Deadman in between.........

[artme]

G'day and welcome Mark.

A very thoughtful post.

I have an old leg vice that my father scavenged from somewhere years ago.
It has something missing but at least I have a long square threaded screw
and I can use that to make a more modern version. I await your further posts!


FF: had a good look at my Dawn. The screw thread is definitely not an Acme.
It is a buttress thread and I think this may be part of the reason for the
thread jumping problem. Still have to remove the darn thing and work on it.

[IanW]

IanW & Chris:
Chris, your end vise has given me an idea for a shoulder vise, but using a Hovarter Face Vise, and maybe it was the split top design that also brought this thought on.

If you installed a HFV as an end vise:

• have the back half of the bench a little shorter (be it split or not)
• with the twin rods going into the front half
• the face of the vise would cover the whole end, so that the back half wouldn't have any rods in the way
• voila - a shoulder vise, and QR at that!
• you could add a short Acme screw to the unsupported end of the face later, if it became necessary

Again, I would want to replace the large hubs with nice squat wheels (sans handle, because you don't need the speed), and I'm pretty sure that Ian and his nether bits would be with me there.

I'm afraid you've lost me Brett - sorry. I need a sketch or a diaagram to visualise this clearly, I think......

In general, I like the idea of these twin-screw front vises, which allow you to hold a wide board vertically as well as fulfill the other functions of a front vise. But I was always put off by the necessity for winding two screws at once, which can sometimes be a bit of a test if you already have one hand holding the piece you are trying to clamp up. Both the Hovarter the Veritas have solved that problem (at a price) by being able to be tightened by one screw. However, the twin-screw 'Moxon' style vise I made to hold wide boards has the added advantage of lifting the job up a little higher where my chronologically-challenged eyes can see the lines....

I'm glad I built my bench 30 years ago - there are too many choices, these days!
Cheers,

[FenceFurniture]

Yes I'll do that Ian.

[NCArcher]

I can see what you are getting at Brett but I think it is a very expensive way to get a tail vice. Something else to think about. One of the things I don't like about my tail vice set up is the fact that the movable dog is detached from the bench. Your workpiece has to span that gap between the vice and the bench. The wagon vice and the HNT offering are contained within the bench surface, if that makes sense.

[FenceFurniture]

Yes I see what you mean about spanning the gap Tony. I wasn't thinking so much as a Tail Vise, but as a Shoulder Vise, and hence the edit. I believe I'll be using an HNT TV (have one and like it, will probably go for the longer one in the next GB - May).

[IanW]

I can see what you are getting at Brett but I think it is a very expensive way to get a tail vice. Something else to think about. One of the things I don't like about my tail vice set up is the fact that the movable dog is detached from the bench. Your workpiece has to span that gap between the vice and the bench. The wagon vice and the HNT offering are contained within the bench surface, if that makes sense.

You are right, NC., that gap can be a real nuisance when planing thin stock as it likes to bow away from the plane over any gap. All you can do is keep the gap to a minimum by choosing which dog you bring into play on the vise. I sometimes work around the problem by simply using a dog as a bench-stop, & not using the vise, but that isn't always satisfactory. In extreme cases, I use a backing board.

Fortunately, the problem doesn't arise very often in general cabinetry, and the other advantages of a tail vise over travelling dogs outweigh this problem by a huge nargin, but if you are an instrument maker who regularly planes thin stock, it could be a major consideration. This nicely illustrates the point that we need to choose our tools according to what we make.....

Cheers,

[FenceFurniture]

Rightio, this isn't what I meant originally, but these things happen.



In drawing that up, I realised that the Shoulder Vise is really a Leg Vise turned 90 deg...... so maybe that additional face and thread wouldn't be necessary.

What I originally had in mind was to have the Shoulder Vise on the end of the bench, with the top half of the bench about150mm shorter on the SV end.

[FenceFurniture]

This pic from Chrism3's build shows a virtual Shoulder Vise in the position that I was originally referring to. I changed the position to the front of the bench in that diagram for two reasons: to work in conjunction with the Leg Vise and Deadman, and when used solo so thatwider pieces would still have some support from the bench edge.

[FenceFurniture]

Chris, do you get thread jumping with your Groz (same as mine)?