My version of the Moxon Vise


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Although the benchcrafted moxon vise looks really nice, I figured I could work something out on my own. I made this moxon vise out of 2 pipe clamps, and a 30" metal bar cut in half. The opening between the bars are 21" (hopefully that is a good length. I just took a guess) and the vise has a max opening of 6" which should be more than wide enough for any stock thickness I need to hold. 

 

I made the vise out of scrap wood laying around. A 8/4" piece of poplar for the back. 2 pieces of 4/4" ash for the front. and a piece of 6/4 maple for the base that I clamp the vise down with. 

 

A total price was about $34 for the 2 clamps and the piece of bar.

 

I used it today using my newer (I got around Thanksgiving and haven't had much of a chance to use) low angle smooth plane, and I am in with this.  My only complaint is that I didn't have the right size drill bit for the bars, and made them a little to big. Made the vise a little "floppy" but it works well none the less.

 

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I built a prototype Moxon-like vise a couple of years ago for cutting dovetails on wide panels. I made the vise to hold a vertical board and/or a horizontal board for the various operations. I initially made the vise out of 2x4 lumber with the intention of rebuilding it in maple. After using it for a chest of drawers and a couple of dressers, I decided the 2x4's were good enough. I also built a smaller version for dovetailing the drawers. In this case I added alignment stops to align the side and front/back for marking the pins after the tails were cut.

 

The is the vise holding a board for sawing

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With the top clamp installed it can hold a board flat for chopping blind pins

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This is a detail of the clamp mechanism. I used 5/16" threaded rod with 'T' nuts. The springs hold the clamp open

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    Hey Pat, how did you fix the clamps to the rear, or are they free and you have to move them each time you clamp something up?  There are no predrilled holes in pony clamps!  However, Rockler sells a set of clamps that are similar that have 2 predrilled holes that would allow the clutch end to remain fixed on the fixed part of the vise.

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Richard, they arnt attached to the back. I thought about drilling a hole to screw it in place, but decided to try it and see how it worked first. Honestly, once it's set for whatever thickness wood u are working with (usually 3/4) u can just loosen one handle a turn, pull the board out and put the new one in without adjusting anything.

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Richard, they arnt attached to the back. I thought about drilling a hole to screw it in place, but decided to try it and see how it worked first. Honestly, once it's set for whatever thickness wood u are working with (usually 3/4) u can just loosen one handle a turn, pull the board out and put the new one in without adjusting anything.

I liked your plan so much, I went out to the shop and built one !  Since I had the Rockler clamps, and the clutch end has screw holes, I just screwed them to the back.... no flopping around.  I'm going to have to get some shorter pipe this week, but it works perfectly as is.  My "chinese" bench has 5/8 dog holes, so I brought two bolts through the bench and bolted the base to the table. No clamping, and removing is simple, loosen the nut, bolt drops into the drawer below.   Pic's later today!    Here's the pic's!  Since then, I've hit it with a dose of WDO, since the humidity here in Tennessee in the summer is unbearable.   Thank's Pat for the inspiration!

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I also got the cam clamps from Rockler. http://www.rockler.com/cam-clamp   I used the 5/16" size and bought them when they were on sale at $4.99 a pair.

 

I didn't mention it before, but I cut off the threaded rod and super-glued it into the bushing in the cam clamp. When I spin the clamp, the rod turns and tightens up against the 'T' nut on the back or bottom of the main block.

 

Other Mike M

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Richard, I am glad you made one too! Have you used it yet? It works really well for me!

Actually, I did, I milled some fiddleback maple today and threw a good size chunk in my new vise, and hit it with my #5 and smoothed it out with the #4... The vise worked perfectly!   Again, Thank's for the inspiration!

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