Benchcrafted shaker bench questions


ColinF

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ok, I need a solid workbench. While the Roubo is nice, the shaker style bench looks like it would meet my needs for storage and being a solid bench. My question is about omitting the vises. I do plan to do some handwork, but I don't see myself surface or edge jointing long boards, what I'm thinking of doing is replacing the leg vise with a veritas twin screw which I think would be more practical for me over the leg vise. So how difficult will it be to work around this working from the benchcrafted plans?

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Collin, when I built my bench a year or two ago, I found a Jorgensen 4x10 vise on CL and really like it. I'm sure there are bigger and better but I'm too inexperienced to know!

I don't know that I need bigger, definitely not better cause the benchcrafted stuff looks like it's pretty much top of the line, I just think a twin screw would serve me better than a leg vise Did you build one of the benchcrafted benches coop?

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What are the reasons you are looking at the twin-screw vise?

And, do you need it to be on the face of the bench?

well, it doesn't have to be a twin screw, but the veritas twin screw looks like a really nice one. Basically I'm looking to do my joinery by hand for the most part, but most all of my milling and squaring will be done with machinery. No, it doesn't have to be on the face, but I still like the idea of the benchcrafted end vise. 

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If for joinery purposes, I'd suggest the Bench Crafted Moxon over the Twin Screw.

The reason I asked about the tail side, is you could use the Twin screw as a tail vise if you didn't want to use the BC tail.

My reasoning. The handles of the twin-screw will get in the way of your drawers when you need something out of them. And you don't need a lot of holding power if only using the vise for joinery.

Another thought, if you are mostly a power tool user you may want to avoid the typical bench height recommendations and make your bench taller. You don't need the leverage that hand tool users prefer, and having your bench higher for joinery purposes will be nice so you aren't stooping. Unless you prefer to sit in a chair when cutting dovetails and such.

 

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All I'll contribute is that switching to the twin screw or Moxon doesn't add any benefit over the BC leg vise except it will save you some money.  The BC will do everything the other two will do only more conveniently and you'll still have the ability to work the edges of long boards if the need ever arises...and over the course of your life, it surely will.  Also, the Moxon is designed as a joinery vise, obviously, and you'll get the most out of it by having it up much higher than standard bench height.  A Moxon is best on a dedicated joinery bench, or as an accessory to your regular bench...either way it's intended to be higher up and I don't see the value in using it in lieu of your leg vise.

Ultimately, I see no reason to deviate from the BC plans at all unless you're on a really tight budget...and anyone who embarks on a BC bench build should NOT be on a budget.  It's like buying a Cadillac but telling them you'll just take hubcaps instead of alloys and cloth instead of leather.  Makes no sense.  Do it or don't do it.  Mediocrity sucks. :)

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All I'll contribute is that switching to the twin screw or Moxon doesn't add any benefit over the BC leg vise except it will save you some money.  The BC will do everything the other two will do only more conveniently and you'll still have the ability to work the edges of long boards if the need ever arises...and over the course of your life, it surely will.  Also, the Moxon is designed as a joinery vise, obviously, and you'll get the most out of it by having it up much higher than standard bench height.  A Moxon is best on a dedicated joinery bench, or as an accessory to your regular bench...either way it's intended to be higher up and I don't see the value in using it in lieu of your leg vise.

Ultimately, I see no reason to deviate from the BC plans at all unless you're on a really tight budget...and anyone who embarks on a BC bench build should NOT be on a budget.  It's like buying a Cadillac but telling them you'll just take hubcaps instead of alloys and cloth instead of leather.  Makes no sense.  Do it or don't do it.  Mediocrity sucks. :)

Yeah I know. Ok, I'll just stick with the bc hardware when I get this project going. Y'all are a bad influence... :lol:

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Alright gentlemen, listen up. I cleaned the whole freakin' house while trying to keep a 2 year old from killing the dog (I know, I should have let him Eric!) and licking electrical outlets while the wife was at work. So she was quite pleased with me when she got home, so I brought up the subject of the bench and how you could buy the hardware and vises in a single shot, she balked at the price, so I said or you can buy them separately, which would be less of a hit for much less, she said well you'll have to wait until after Christmas. So I'm like, that's cool, it's to cold to do much of anything until spring anyway. I have officially been given permission, at least in my opinion I have:D

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Alright gentlemen, listen up. I cleaned the whole freakin' house while trying to keep a 2 year old from killing the dog (I know, I should have let him Eric!) and licking electrical outlets while the wife was at work. So she was quite pleased with me when she got home, so I brought up the subject of the bench and how you could buy the hardware and vises in a single shot, she balked at the price, so I said or you can buy them separately, which would be less of a hit for much less, she said well you'll have to wait until after Christmas. So I'm like, that's cool, it's to cold to do much of anything until spring anyway. I have officially been given permission, at least in my opinion I have:D

I would take that as " honey, do you want to use cash, credit card or check" ?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just found out my hardware shipped out today. I am getting the criss-cross leg vise and wagon vise with the moxon vise set and a magblock. Super pumped!!! Thanks for the thread.

what does shipping look like? That whole thing about them billing you when it ships scares the crap out of me... I don't like expensive surprises!

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I don't have a standard sized bench. I built what is considered a Shaker styled joinery bench with the Moxon hardware on the front. It has 28" between the screws. I on several occasions have clamped a board in place edge jointed on that bench. It's a little high but it still works well for boards under 4'. I always break down my parts in their rough dimensions before I do any surface prep. 

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I don't have a standard sized bench. I built what is considered a Shaker styled joinery bench with the Moxon hardware on the front. It has 28" between the screws. I on several occasions have clamped a board in place edge jointed on that bench. It's a little high but it still works well for boards under 4'. I always break down my parts in their rough dimensions before I do any surface prep. 

DSC03036.thumb.jpg.6289eed5641567295fcca69281c957dc.jpg

DSC03040.thumb.jpg.4f019ecfaa98d914f036eafa06d91939.jpg

DSC03042.thumb.jpg.a9470d47cff4f3a9f6a14031dc0341d5.jpg

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That's really cool. How stable is it for planing? I've been wanting to build something for a bench, but about the biggest I could go is 4 feet. Something like yours would certainly beat planing on a work mate with sand bags, like I do now.

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