Thread: Tail vice retrofit

Hi Ryan,

That is a true piece of craftsmanship. It has inspired me to pull the finger out and get making my new bench. Can you tell me what finish you used on your bench, it looks too good to work on.

Cheers,

Peter.

Originally Posted by DPB

Ryan, I agree with Wongo's comments.

I would like to know a little more about your woodworking journey. (Perhaps you have covered this already in other threads, but a re-cap would be appreciated.) Are you entirely self-taught, or are you learning from a master crafts-person? Are you serving, or did you serve a formal apprenticeship? Where do you intend to go with this passion?

I know from family members, one who is a firefighter in Portland Org. and the other in West Vancouver BC, that firefighters are fortunate to get a lot of time off work. So I imagine that you decided to pursue this woodworking to fill the available time.

You comment that you have a "lot of nice expensive tools". It's unusually for one who goes the "lots of tools" route to also be interested in traditional joinery. Congratulations on your high standard of craftsmanship.

Thanks Don!

I started ww 2 years ago when we moved to bellingham from New Mexico. we needed a lot of furniture and I told swmbo "let's just buy some tools and i'll make the furniture". bieng a very good hearted wife she agreed. Alas we could have bought a whole house full of furniture for the price of my shop fitout, but i'm not sorry. It's a great hobby that has given me a new found respect for nature, and i'm home if my family needs me.
no apprentiship or anything. I read a lot of books and am a huge fan of the library. i have taken two timberframing classes that both changed the way i'll do woodwork forever.
I hope to start my own timberframing company soon like this one:

http://www.eastwindinc.com/

yeah, bieng a firefighter is great. lots of family and recreation time.

now i feel like a jackass for talking about myself so much. i think i'll visit major panic's website now to remind myself what real craftsmanship looks like and deflate my swolen head.

Originally Posted by knucklehead

I'm interested in the dogs that you made.
Do you use different height dogs or can you get the same one to sit higher or lower as neededTo remove the dogs do you pull them up or push them right through the bench?? i.e does the brass tensioner allow them to move up and down or does it capture and only allow the dog to go deeper into the bench?

Thanks dude! I just have the two dogs (and one german shepherd). you can push them up or pull them down through the holes and they stay at the height you put them. what you think is brass is really a piece of hard maple screwed to the purpleheart that keeps them at the height you set them at.

btw, for the people that didn't see it, here's the original bench thread:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=10631

-Ryan

Originally Posted by zenwood

I hesitate to offer suggestions for 'improvement', but here's a thought. What about the idea of aligning the fixed jaw with a leg of the bench: either on the clamping face or the side face, to improve the stability of pieces clamped vertically (see diagrams).

Yeah, the design in your pictures would be ideal. the vise screw length and the fact that it was a retrofit however negated proper design like that.

Originally Posted by peter

Hi Ryan,

That is a true piece of craftsmanship. It has inspired me to pull the finger out and get making my new bench. Can you tell me what finish you used on your bench, it looks too good to work on.

Cheers,

Peter.

Thanks Peter! the finish is waterlox. check out the review in the latest FWW. cheers
-Ryan

Ryan

I noticed this post quickly yesterday and thought what king of madman would build a bench out of Maple till I realised on second reading it was you and not another Aussie.
Bloody beautiful bench mate can I have it

Ross

Originally Posted by Different

Ryan

I noticed this post quickly yesterday and thought what king of madman would build a bench out of Maple till I realised on second reading it was you and not another Aussie.
Bloody beautiful bench mate can I have it

Ross

Oui Ross,

You can take a hike mate!!

Your about 5th inline........ & I'm first!!!!!

for all traditional bench'ers this is a great page:

http://pages.friendlycity.net/~krucker/Bench/

and he details his end vise construction here:

http://pages.friendlycity.net/~kruck...ch/EndVise.htm

a great free resource. thanks Keith!