Thread: Home-built vises Part 1

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Hi Matt

Have a look at this ..

Maguire Pin Less Leg Vice - YouTube

Regards from Perth

Derek

Jeez, thank you! I knew I'd seen it somewhere.

Ian, you'd have to admit.. it's pretty bloody tidy.

I think I can be cleared of charges of over engineering based on my piece-of-rubber-and-stick-vice effort.

Here is some more information on linear bearing system for a leg vice:

Roubo Workbench Leg Vise Alternative – Linear Bearings | The Wood Whisperer

A lot of good info on contruction & sources for material in the posts below the article.

I would not be too concerned about issues with the bearing clogging - linear bearings are used on a variety of woodwoking machinery with little maintenance required - an example many will probably have in their worksops is on their sliding mitre saw. A bearing on a vcie will be far less exposed to dust thatn the sliding mechanism of the saw. Ball race bearings will often have seals and shaft wipers anyway; and if you are really worried, use a solid surface linear bearing, which is amost imperveous to contaimination.

Here is another "pinless" design - very simple:

http://www.lllars.com/the_workshop/r...ench/index.php

and video of same:

simple roubo pinless leg vise - YouTube

Yeah, thats super. So simple. That's my new favourite. I like that it looks old school too.

I am so impressed by Matt Armstrong's linear bearing leg vise that I've taken his original description, edited it, rearranged it and followed up his parts list with prices and so on. I did this so that I could really understand how to make one myself. The pdf attachment here (7 A4 pages) is the result. It is sort of like a build manual.

Armstrong linear bearing leg vise.pdf

The upshot is that it requires parts from a couple of US mail order suppliers, but the parts aren't expensive (don't know about the shipping costs). The only metalwork involved is to turn down the threaded rod end for a machine handwheel, and cross-drilling of the rod and the handwheel for a rollpin to fasten them together. Also, the acme thread nut has to be given a couple of spot welds onto a flange. Pretty straightforward.

Personally, I see the projecting handle on the machine handwheel presents a danger of painfully striking your leg while you move around the bench. Alternatives would be a Kipp cast-iron handwheel without handle (a bit like a pressure valve handwheel) or use a modern-style Kipp machine handwheel with a fold-away grip. Kipp has a distributor in Heidelberg West in Melbourne, North East Industrial Supplies P/L

For those who lack machine tools, but want to turn down Acme threaded rod, Matt Armstrong has just the low tech solution for you!



and

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Hi Matt

Have a look at this ..

Maguire Pin Less Leg Vice - YouTube

Regards from Perth

Derek

Damn!!

I've just been sourcing parts on ebay for a linear bearing and shaft. I thought it was my own concept, but clearly the subliminal mind works better than the real one . Thank you to yourself and Berlin for making me aware.

I would like to ask a question as to whether it is necessary/ preferable to have two "guide" shafts (and associated lineal bearings) with the upper shaft just above the threaded shaft? Any thoughts?

Regards
Paul

After watching the Maguire video where the guy lugs in a great hunk of timber and cautiously lowers it onto the screw ... I wondered if it wasn't worth having a pegboard - like a deadman but next to the leg vice - so you could have a safer rest than the actual thread.
Your upper guide might help in that way ... might suffer too.
Cheers,
Paul

Having the glued up top for my bench well underway your thread is timely Ian!

It was a massive tussle to decide which way to go and in the end I purchased the new Lie Nielsen Tail vice. I came into a little bit of cash so I took the plunge, my reasoning was mainly centred around " I am time poor" and I want the damn project finished!!! lol! So I took the path of least resisdance!

Secretly though I do think the the traditional tail vice would suit the look of my bench better being the Neanderthal Lord of the Rings beast its going to be!

I am still going the route of the face vice ala Klausz and am looking into a wooden screw to compliment the original look I am after.

great info!

Cheers

Bryan

Default Workbench Vice

Hi Guys,

Not posted in this forum before!

It was suggested by Bett that I copy this post from its original place to here. So I hope that it comes out Ok.
At the moment I am in a Mediatheaque in Bezier Southern France. I am here on Holiday. I am also struggling with a French keyboard and rubbish WiFi connections.

I recently built a workbench and decided that I would need a vice to hold my work. Having looked around and discovered how expensive these things are, I elected to design and build my own. Having designed the bench I thought it would be a good idea to make the vice part of the bench itself.

The vice is made from a plank of red hardwood that I was given. The vice is 18" long and each jaw 1&3/4" by 8". The screw is 25mm x 2.0 threaded stud bar, machined at one end to 3/4" diameter and drilled for a T bar handle. The supporting plate is a length of 1/4" thick stainless steel that I had laying about. The 1/2" guide rods are also stainless steel threaded at one end M10 and through holes drilled in them to take a tommy bar. This was done so the guide rod could be tightened into the threaded holes in the support plate. There is a thrust washer on the inside that bears against the shoulder on the screw shaft. The outside thrust is taken by the support plate.

The attached photos show the various components and part of the bench.

Regards:
BaronJ
22 June 2013.

Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails dscf0247.jpg dscf0246.jpg dscf0244.jpg dscf0243.jpg dscf0242.jpg

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Originally Posted by BaronJ

Default Workbench Vice

Hi Guys,

Not posted in this forum before!

It was suggested by Bett that I copy this post from its original place to here. So I hope that it comes out Ok.
At the moment I am in a Mediatheaque in Bezier Southern France. I am here on Holiday. I am also struggling with a French keyboard and rubbish WiFi connections.

I recently built a workbench and decided that I would need a vice to hold my work. Having looked around and discovered how expensive these things are, I elected to design and build my own. Having designed the bench I thought it would be a good idea to make the vice part of the bench itself.

The vice is made from a plank of red hardwood that I was given. The vice is 18" long and each jaw 1&3/4" by 8". The screw is 25mm x 2.0 threaded stud bar, machined at one end to 3/4" diameter and drilled for a T bar handle. The supporting plate is a length of 1/4" thick stainless steel that I had laying about. The 1/2" guide rods are also stainless steel threaded at one end M10 and through holes drilled in them to take a tommy bar. This was done so the guide rod could be tightened into the threaded holes in the support plate. There is a thrust washer on the inside that bears against the shoulder on the screw shaft. The outside thrust is taken by the support plate.

The attached photos show the various components and part of the bench.

Regards:
BaronJ
22 June 2013.

Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails dscf0247.jpg dscf0246.jpg dscf0244.jpg dscf0243.jpg dscf0242.jpg

dscf0241.jpg dscf0248.jpg dscf0245.jpg dscf0249.jpg dscf0250.jpg

It ssems that the photos did not come through !

BaronJ
Now back home )

An excellent demonstration of metalworking skills in the service of woodwork, BJ!

Originally Posted by Gunnaduit

An excellent demonstration of metalworking skills in the service of woodwork, BJ!

Thanks )

I keep promising to take some more photos !

BaronJ

Not really a vice but definitely useful and a snap to make and works like a bought one... well so far, I gave it to Bushmiller to punish alongside his Gramercy holdfasts so we'll know soon enough if it stands up. First impressions are good. It's made of spotty which lives for punishment and has a bit of spring .

The particular hole it's being demonstrated in is a bit over large but it works just fine. I might make sibsequent models with a flatter angle more like the Gramercy and I'd refine the top part, it is heftier than it probably needs to be.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1381666013.858767.jpg

Thank you Matt. The holdfast was totally unexpected and most interesting. I think you are probably right about a slightly sallower angle. I might do some experiments along the same theme when I get a moment. They work best in pairs so at the very least one more is on the blocks .

What readers can't quite see is that behind the holdfast is the most beautiful little plane mallet that Matt made up from tulip wood with a spotted gum handle. One hammer face has a brass plate and the handle is held in place with really nice tulip wedges. as cute as a mallet gets .

I hope Matt is posting details of this elsewhere .

Regards
Paul