Leg Vise vs Front Vise

[Jeff Skory]

Like a lot of others I am planning on building my first workbench. And like a lot of others I have spent way too much time researching it to death. But I am finally getting ready to take the plunge. I have one questions left:

How many of you use a leg vise rather than a front vise? And if so do you like it better and why. And for those of you who have used it but don't like it - why?

[David Gendron]

Good evening Jeff, I use a leg vise on my bench and realy like it. I also use a quick realese vise on the end vise position and don't like it that much.

So to start with the leg vise, I like it first because it's realy ease to make and semple in opperation! Second it's realy strong and can put a lot of presure to your piece! Third, i like the fact that you can hold long pieces with some kind of wide clamping suface.

So as for the quick realese vise, nothing is good about them! Or the one I have anyway!

On my next bench, I will still have a leg vise and would consider a twin screw vise from veritas at the end vise position or a wagon vise like the one sold by Bench Craft.

an other thing I would do, is make the leg vise with a wooden screw, so less chances of maring the wood!

I think that is it for my input!
Here some picture.

[Jim Koepke]

Since my bench is more of a starter bench to help me decide what is wanted in a bench before building one, it only has the vices it came with.

One thought that has come to mind is to have a multi-sided bench. That is one side will be set up with a leg vice and a floating vice while the other side is set up with a more standard vice. Have also thought of having a wagon vice on one end and a vice similar to what I have now or a twin screw vice on the other end. Most likely my shop will eventually have more than one bench.

jim

[Eric Brown]

If you get his "Workbench" book and follow his basic rules, you can't go too far wrong. That being said, the type of work you wish to do has a lot to do with your workholding choices. His angled leg vice looks like it might be better than the staight type for some tasks. For some jobs a vice is not really needed at all. Determine your use first, then get the hardware, then build the bench. Then modify to suit as you go along.

Enjoy the ride. Eric

[Eric Hartunian]

I built a Shaker style bench, with a leg vise and tail vise. J don't care for the tail vise much, but the leg vise is great. My only regret is that mine is rather narrow at 6". I also use a wood screw for mine.
Eric

[David Keller NC]

Jeff - I've previously had a bench with a leg vise (sold it a few years ago - the offer was too good to refuse). My current bench has a high-quality quick-release in the face vise position.

The leg vise is superior for jointing the edge of long boards. In my opinion it's not as good as a quick-release, twin-screw or shoulder vise for dovetailing larger pieces such as case sides, blanket chests, etc...

From the standpoint of simplicity of installation, my opinion is that a high-quality quick release is easiest, followed by a leg vise, which are both easier than a twin screw and (much lower down) a shoulder vise. A tail vise, whether shop made or from a manufactured hardware kit is the biggest PITA - I doubt I'll ever make another after completing the third one last fall.

What I'd say about a quick release is that it's a major mistake to save a few dollars and get one of the off-shore lever-type clones. They suck, and badly. I've had a Shop-Fox brand and an Anant. Both were uniformly poor in machining, slop, and the tendency of the lever to release (and let go of what you're clamping) at the worst possible moment. Instead, do yourself a favor and spend the extra $70 for Jorgensen eccentric-screw quick release if you go the quick release route. It's probably one of the last of the made in America ones available that's manufactured in high volumes and can be purchased at a reasonable price. Failing that, look for an antique at an MWTCA meet or from a dealer.

[Jim Koepke]

For some jobs a vice is not really needed at all. Determine your use first, then get the hardware, then build the bench. Then modify to suit as you go along.

For some tasks, one vice or the other is taken off my bench. Usually for planing long boards. Often a stop is clamped on the end for this. If there is enough room to get to the back side of the bench, a stop is held in the tail vice.

Often a vice is very helpful, sometimes it just gets in the way. To me, being able to have a side of the bench unfettered by a vice is a plus.

jim

[David Gendron]

For me, a lot of the time I have my bench in the midle of the place so I can use all side to adjust to the work I'm doing and as Jim K. said having a side of the banch free of vice is a good thing!

[Russ Hauser]

I built this bench many years ago specifically to build some acoustical guitars. I made the leg vise wide to hold the bookmatched front and back pieces while they were being joined. It also was handy for some of the other operations. The other end of the bench had a double screw type end vise I constructed using two short pipe clamps. I also made the face of the vise flexible to accomodate the tapered body and rounded back of the guitar. There was also a rotating pattern maker's vise with a pivoting jaw to hold the guitar neck. The bench holds many of the jigs, fixtures and tools I had to make or buy to build the guitars.

The odd shape of the top at the visible end allowed easy clamping.

My present work bench has an Emmert vise on the front right hand end. If I were to build another workbench, I might have a leg vise on it. I really miss that vise sometimes.

Russ

[Jeff Skory]

If you get his "Workbench" book and follow his basic rules, you can't go too far wrong. That being said, the type of work you wish to do has a lot to do with your workholding choices. His angled leg vice looks like it might be better than the staight type for some tasks. For some jobs a vice is not really needed at all. Determine your use first, then get the hardware, then build the bench. Then modify to suit as you go along.

Enjoy the ride. Eric

Eric - I just finished Schwartz's book. That is one reason I am asking people or their opinions on leg vises. They had never really entered my mind as something I would want on my bench. And I am pretty sure I am going to go with a Veritas double screw vise across the back side.

My thinking is that with the double-screw vise at the far end and two or more sets of dogholes I can clamp just about any board down flat. And the fact that the opening in the double-screw vise can be up to 24" wide means I should be able to hold most boards for cutting. (I think - I've never actually worked on a real bench with vises)

So given that - I think the other major holding job I need to think about is longer boards. And this is one of those things where a leg vise would come in handy. So maybe this is the route to go.....I'll make a decision by the weekend.

[Richard Francis]

Scott Landis has had a rough deal in the whole Schwarz as messiah scenario.
Look at his (superior) book - fewer jokes, fewer half-baked 'solutions'.
The Tarule Roubo is my ideal - an honest bench and aeons away from the mcmansion pretensions of end vise ghetto.
Altho' I would give Jameel credit for recognizing Richard Maguire and his benches in his recent post.

[Eric Brown]

I have about six workbench books. I like em all. The Landis book has more and different styles of benches but does not teach the core info as well as Schwarz.
Did I follow Schwartz to the letter with my bench? No.
I have telescoping legs, twinscrew tailvice, Tucker in the front position, aprons, maple/walnut top, castors, etc.
What I did follow were his basic principles. I have leveling feet so it doesn't move on the castors. The top is rock steady at all heights. I can work on all four sides and can clamp most anything. My conclusion?
I could work on any bench that fits Schwartz's rules, just that some would be easier for me than others. I can't say that for all the benches in the other books.

If interested, here is my bench.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ght=eric+brown

Eric

[Daniel Kennedy]

Eric - I just finished Schwartz's book. That is one reason I am asking people or their opinions on leg vises. They had never really entered my mind as something I would want on my bench. And I am pretty sure I am going to go with a Veritas double screw vise across the back side.

My thinking is that with the double-screw vise at the far end and two or more sets of dogholes I can clamp just about any board down flat. And the fact that the opening in the double-screw vise can be up to 24" wide means I should be able to hold most boards for cutting. (I think - I've never actually worked on a real bench with vises)

So given that - I think the other major holding job I need to think about is longer boards. And this is one of those things where a leg vise would come in handy. So maybe this is the route to go.....I'll make a decision by the weekend.

I put the leg vise on my bench that I recently completed. I am very happy that I did. It was not expensive, it was easy to install, it has tremendous clamping power, and it is easy to use. I can't say enough about it. I have the Veritas twin screw on the end. All through construction and before I had this complete I thougt that I would be using the twin screw for everything. It turns out that the leg vise (I actually installed two) gets used for the majority of my work. I give the leg vise my highest recommendation.

[David Gendron]

Daniel, do you have a few pics of your finished bench? if yes, it would be cool to have a look!

[Daniel Kennedy]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=105734

Sorry for my lack of photography skills.