Robby W Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 I am thinking about building a new top for my workbench. The vertical grain Douglas Fir top I built years ago has done yeoman's duty for me, but I want to upgrade the vises and I want to do it before I retire and money becomes harder to come by. My current top is a 2 3/4" thick slab and has a pair of vises on the front. The main face vise is a 10" Record vise which I really like. I love that I can back the vise out a bit using the screw, or I can use the release lever with my index finger for larger moves. I don't like quick release vises that release with a 1/4 turn. You can't back them out that little bit to get the next piece in. The second vise is a Wilton that has that defect, which is why it was demoted to the second vise. I mounted it there so my grandson could play while I was working on the other end. And that brings me to my dilemma. I am a hybrid woodworker, using both power and hand tools. I don't dovetail with a jig anymore, but any other joint is usually made with a combination of machine and hand tools. I have been thinking about replacing the front vise with a twin screw vise, such as the Lie-Nielsen twin screw vise, but I really like my Record vise for general use. The twin screw will definitely be best for dovetailing and joinery work, but I am not sure I like it for an everyday vise. I will be attending the Lie-Nielsen tool event at Palomar College this Saturday morning and hope to try out their vises. I was on the Tools for Working Wood website the other night and stumbled on their Moxon vise kit and a light came on. I could keep my Record vise and use a Moxon for joinery work. One big advance that I see is it would be higher up and help my poor, aching back. So that defines my choices: Twin screw vise or Record and Moxon combination? I am hoping to hear your experiences, pro and con, for either setup. (How come I keep typing vice instead of vise.......?!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Bussy Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 1 hour ago, Robby W said: I was on the Tools for Working Wood website the other night and stumbled on their Moxon vise kit That looks a lot like one I've seen somewhere else ... can't remember where. Should be easy enough to make a pseudo-Moxon that uses a couple of bar/pipe clams and see if it fits in your flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby W Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 The Tools for Working Wood had one set of hardware. I am also thinking about the Benchcrafted set. It is about double the price. Heck, I may just buy the parts and make my own set. I can get the acme threaded rod and handwheels from McMaster Carr and drill them on my lathe. I do like the way Tools for Working Wood made the body of the vise - nice design details there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Bussy Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 16 minutes ago, Robby W said: I can get the acme threaded rod and handwheels from McMaster Carr and drill them on my lathe. I may be missing something - what would need to be drilled? I've been unable to find handwheels which look appropriate, have a link by chance? ETA: Found one. Now I see why drilling is needed: http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/06915060 I don't know who around here can drill and thread that for me. ETA again: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?213114-A-method-for-making-Moxon-handwheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby W Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 You can by their handwheels both drilled and undrilled: http://www.mcmaster.com/#hand-wheels/=10sngai If I drill the hand wheel to match the outside diameter of the threaded rod, I can pin the hand wheel in place. Then again, I can just buy the Benchcrafted set from the git-go. Your reminding me of pipe clamps made me think of veneer press screws. They are inexpensive and will a little playing, would work well. Hummm..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Bussy Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 2 minutes ago, Robby W said: Your reminding me of pipe clamps made me think of veneer press screws. They are inexpensive and will a little playing, would work well. Hummm..... I was just coming back to share that! http://www.rockler.com/9-press-screw http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=31138 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 This might save you money and time and you could well have everything right there in the shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby W Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Thanks, Richard. It looks like that is your main vise. Any thoughts on an iron face vise and Moxon combo vs. a twin screw face?vise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 I've another small vise on the bench end.... As for those others, I'm a way old school guy, that happens to be old as well... and I sorta stick to basics... Been using vises like these for more years than most of you've been alive. Guess, I'll just go on doing what works for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 I spent 3 hours this morning building a Roubo style leg vise out of 1" vise screw and 3x8 construction lumber and it's already operational. Of course it's not half the smooth a BC vise is, but does a great job at clamping wood. Tomorrow I'll be making the parallel guide and the shaping of the chop and call it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 On 1/22/2016 at 2:39 PM, Lee Bussy said: I was just coming back to share that! http://www.rockler.com/9-press-screw http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=31138 http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=41664&cat=1,41659 That looks like it would be a good basis for a variety of vises 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Bussy Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 1 hour ago, ponderingturtle said: http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=41664&cat=1,41659 That looks like it would be a good basis for a variety of vises Excellent find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 31 minutes ago, Lee Bussy said: Excellent find! This looks like it would work well on a wagon vise http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=31134&cat=1,41659 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 5 hours ago, Lee Bussy said: Excellent find! If you're going to use it, be warned that the picture on LV shows the ACME nut pointing in the wrong direction... I know one guy who actually made a huge hole to fit that nut inside the leg... BTW I used a similar screw for my vise. Not exactly the same though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 12 hours ago, Immortan D said: If you're going to use it, be warned that the picture on LV shows the ACME nut pointing in the wrong direction... I know one guy who actually made a huge hole to fit that nut inside the leg... BTW I used a similar screw for my vise. Not exactly the same though. It is the right dirrection for being used as a tail vice, which is what it is being sold for. Hmm I wonder if you could run sleeve bushings on it to give support for the vice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 2 hours ago, ponderingturtle said: It is the right dirrection for being used as a tail vice, which is what it is being sold for. Hmm I wonder if you could run sleeve bushings on it to give support for the vice. You're right, I thought the screw was going to be used for a leg vise, my bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponderingturtle Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 13 minutes ago, Immortan D said: You're right, I thought the screw was going to be used for a leg vise, my bad. Oh I think it is perfect for a leg vice and you would want to turn the nut around, but that isn't what it is being sold as. The only products Lee Valley sells that are shown as being for leg vices are the Lake Eire Toolworks wooden ones. Just weirdnesses on how they are marketing the screws on their website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 25 minutes ago, ponderingturtle said: Oh I think it is perfect for a leg vice and you would want to turn the nut around, but that isn't what it is being sold as. The only products Lee Valley sells that are shown as being for leg vices are the Lake Eire Toolworks wooden ones. Just weirdnesses on how they are marketing the screws on their website. The only problem I see with that LV screw for a leg vise is the cardan: only two screws and cannot be inlaid in the chop. All the weight of the chop and the screw must be supported by the ACME nut and the cardan, the screw MUST NOT touch wood. This is the screw I used, with an exterior cardan inlaid in the chop: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewalnutguy Posted January 26, 2016 Report Share Posted January 26, 2016 Just finished a new bench on which I've mounted a Veritas twin screw vice and I'm getting to really enjoy the function of the new vice. I included a second set of 3/8" rods set between the two screws to prevent material held vertically in the vice from touching the screws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Bussy Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 On 1/22/2016 at 3:58 PM, RichardA said: This might save you money and time and you could well have everything right there in the shop! Okay on second thought ... how do you release both clamps at the same time and slide them out? It looks like you'd need three hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 You hold your workpiece with one hand, you release each screw with the other hand, where's the problem? Rocket science it's not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Bussy Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 4 minutes ago, RichardA said: You hold your workpiece with one hand, you release each screw with the other hand, where's the problem? Rocket science it's not! I'm talking about the lever thingies ... how do you slide both of them out at the same time? You need to press the lever to slide them right? How do you press both at the same time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 ... and if the moving jaw board isn't fastened to the clamp heads, you can slide each pipe out independantly. I saw a rig in one of hte wood mags a while back, where a guy build a bench with a vice like this mounted on the end. His solution for "quick release" involved some cams, pulleys, cable, and a foot pedal. But it was pretty slick! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Bussy Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 Just now, wtnhighlander said: ... and if the moving jaw board isn't fastened to the clamp heads, you can slide each pipe out independantly. I saw a rig in one of hte wood mags a while back, where a guy build a bench with a vice like this mounted on the end. His solution for "quick release" involved some cams, pulleys, cable, and a foot pedal. But it was pretty slick! Doh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted January 27, 2016 Report Share Posted January 27, 2016 I'm just an old guy, and wonder why you "need" to "slide" both at the same time! If you take the pressure off the work piece, you can set it down on something like a bench, or a stool, or toss it in a corner, then you can slide it any way you want to... You seem to be going out of your way to make things difficult for yourself, and the rest of us... Common sense, doesn't seem to be all that common any more! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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