Thread: Improving my Moxon dovetailing vise

thanks for the article derek. I am about to embark on a jewellry box (approx 300x300x1500) for the wife and didnt want to use the incra or gifkins wanted to do this by (gasp) hand. So with 40 sets of drawers all dovetailed not to mention the carcase I was looking for an easier setup this moxon vice should do the job well

Hi Derek,

Nice handles. And much easier on the hands for sure. Another improvement to a great bench accessory. Well done.

Must make one of those one day. I bet Fubar beats me to it though.

Cheers
Pops

Fubar, that is one seriously big jewellry box

Ha! For once I pre-empted you, Derek!

The screws I used on mine (which I made after seeing your post) were really made for bar clamps, & the short bars were for clearance when used in that role. However, they work well enough, & certainly make it much easier to twirl those screws in & out, and easier on the wrists when tightening. Can't figure out why it took me so long to make this terrific accessory, but your initial post was what goaded me into action, & I've thanked you for it many times this year!

My vise also needs some modification. I made the platform too narrow at around 80mm. It's fine when locked down through the dog holes with two bolts, but that takes a few minutes to set up & undo, & being the lazy coot I am, I tend to just clamp it the bench dogs, which is ok, but if I really lean on it as when cleaning out socketed dovetails in hard wood, it wants to tip. I'm thinking a wider base should solve that problem, so as soon as I get the necessary round tuit, I'll get mine sorted, too........

Cheers,

Hey Ian, I like that!!

Great minds think alike. But your screws are prettier.

This is a fantastic tool. Has it changed the way you use your bench?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

.... Has it changed the way you use your bench? ...

Derek, I would describe it as greatly enhancing the bench - I still use the rest of it much the same as before, particularly the tail vise, which gets far & away the most use on my setup. But this addition is such a boon when it comes to doing anything on the ends of wide boards. Being able to hold them firmly (& flat!) & presented the right way to operate on them is better than good.

I designed the vise to be held to the bench by two bolts which match a couple of dog hoes (which is how it's being held in the pic above). That holds the vise very firmly, but it takes several minutes of fiddling to set up. You may be more organised than I, but I find myself having to take it off & put it back a few times when working on a carcase. So I tried just clamping it between dogs, which is fine for many operations, but as I said, it's not quite solid enough in some situations.

So mark II will have a wider base, & be a little wider between the screws (I want to be able to fit a comfortable 600mm between them). But the current one is working well enough that there is little incentive to spend the time making another. It will probably happen the day I want to dovetail boards wider than this one can take...

Cheers, & thanks again for posting your first attempt - it finally got me off my butt, after thinking about it for 20-something years...