For the last bench build because it was designed to break down and be portable I decided to use a wood screw leg vise. I'm not sure what the weight difference is but it is considerable and the leg vise is easy to break down into parts. It was a no brainer.
I ordered the screw from Lake Erie Toolworks. The premium kit is $250 USD. Here it is installed on the Moravian Bench:
This wood screw has totally changed my opinion of leg vises. The fad part still holds but the fussy, fiddly and lack of holding power are no longer operative. Two things, it is fast, to go from holding a 4/4 board to one that is 12/4 is as fast as the QR if not faster and holding is unbelievable. I whacked the hell out of the board in the vise with a mallet and it did not budge a mm. Not that I would do it but I believe I could chop a deep mortise in the vise, it holds that well.
The only problem now is I've been eyeing the main bench with the thought of retro-fitting a wood screw leg vise. There ain't no way that I can see to do it with less work than building a whole new bench and this bench is close to perfect as it sets. But damn it would be nice if it had as good a vise as my portable bench.
See you guys on down the road,
ken
Hi Ken.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a dilemma. If it is just as much work building a new bench as it is retrofitting, I think that I might go for building a new one. But you better make a table for mrs Bubba first to avoid getting into trouble :-)
Brgds
Jonas
Jonas,
DeleteWhat I expect will happen is the portable bench will end up staying in the Motorhome and I will build a shop sized Moravian bench for its current place in the shop. Like Candide, the best of all possible worlds ;-).
ken
I have inherited the wooden screw and nut from my great gran father's bench. The pitch is about 12 mm while on my QR vise it is about 6.35 mm. So I have to turn nearly twice as much if I don't use the QR feature. Half of the time it needs an extra back half turn for the nut to engage.
ReplyDeleteTo add to your dilemma, Richard Maguire uses another vise model on his English bench:
https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/woodworking-face-vice/
Sylvain
Sylvain,
DeleteIf I were making an English bench his would be the one. For a Moravian bench I believe a leg vise will work better. I've watched Richard use his bench and vise and his approach and mine are close...it's a tool, not a work of art.
Have you installed and used the wood screw in either type vise?
ken
The wood screw is waiting better days in house basement.
ReplyDeleteYour split Roubo with an added apron has now some English blood.
Sylvain
Sylvain,
ReplyDeleteYeah, I call it my cross channel bench or my French/English bench. I like the simplicity of the French bench and the holding options of the English. This one is the best of both worlds.
ken