Which of these screws for leg vise?

[Marko Milisavljevic]

While planning my Roubo build, I narrowed it down to these 3 candidates for leg vise screw:

$36.50 Lee Valley
$69.99 Woodcraft
$85 Lie-Nielsen

It is impossible to determine from their websites why LV screw is so much less expensive. I wish to have smooth leg vise action (will also use Benchcrafted rollers). I might attempt a mod to replace the handle with a cast iron hand wheel a la Benchcrafted at some point in future (such as this one - don't know if it is possible to get it to mate to screw). With all this in mind, is there any reason to not get LV screw?

[Joe A Faulkner]

I'm strongly considering spending a few more dollars for a wooden 2 1/4" diameter screw and nut when I get around to building my bench. Matt Evans here at the Creek sells them. You could try to contact him via a PM or go to ebay and search on Solid Maple 2 1/4 inch wooden vise screw and nut.

I've read where some who have gone the metal screw route wish they had popped down a few extra bucks for large diameter wooden screw. One advantage is the speed at which the vise opens and closes is much faster. Good luck with your build!

[Jack Curtis]

Here's a sample section of Matt Evans' threads on ebay. George, I'd be interested in knowing if these satisfy your requirements for a good screw.

Thanks,
Jack

ViseThreads.jpg

[Chris Griggs]

If I did it again, I'd get one of the 2TPI wood screws from Lake Erie Toolworks or else where. I have the metal one from LV. It works quite well, but more speed would be nice.

[Bryan Schwerer]

I too have the metal one from lee valley and it works well enough. Can't comment on the others

[alan seredick]

I am using 3 of the tail-vise screws from lee valley on my current bench (stationary leg vise, sliding leg vise, wagon vise). They operate as smoothly as I would expect, and I have 3" thick x 7" wide by 23" long douglas fir chops hanging from 2 of them without any additional support. I imagine adding the benchcrafted rollers would make the action even smoother.

[Simon Frez-Albrecht]

I have the LV on my bench, and it works well enough to satisfy me. It's not super fast, but most of the time I'm repeating cuts on similar dimension stock so it only takes a couple of turns to release and then lock a new piece in. Someday I'd love to have a benchcrafted leg vise setup, watching it spin open and close so effortlessly makes me envious.

[Jim Leslie]

I incorporated this same LV one in a tail vise configuration an awful long time ago. It has served me well, and while I also find it not super fast, I'm not in much of a rush these days anyway.

[Marko Milisavljevic]

I incorporated this same LV one in a tail vise configuration an awful long time ago. It has served me well, and while I also find it not super fast, I'm not in much of a rush these days anyway.

Interesting that everyone has LV screw. From photos, it looks like Woodcraft screw may be 30-50% faster.

[Jim Koepke]

I do not own any of these, but my first thought on the price difference is the different ways they are made.

The LN looks to have a nut welded to a plate. There page also say the threads are rolled. None of the others mention how the threads are formed.

The LV looks to have a heavier garter.

The WC has metric measures but may be a slightly heavier shaft.

That leads me to thinking that the other difference may be where they are made.

jtk

[Gary Curtis]

Dieter Schmid in Germany sells a 28mm (1 1/8") diameter steel acme thread screw for leg and shoulder vises.
Of course this can't compare, speedwise, with a 2.5" wood screw, but wood hardware can give you trouble in the humid summer and dry winter. Here's a link to Dieter's store:

http://www.fine-tools.com/spindel.htm

[Mike Holbrook]

I should have run this thread before I ordered the LV screw for my bench yesterday. Since LV is offering free shipping right now you could save even more $. I wasn't even sold on needing a leg vise, assuming I have a crochet, so I went the economy route. I thought I would put my money into Benchcrafted hardware for my Moxon vise. I figure the two screws on a Moxon have the potential to slow me down more than a faster screw on a leg vise.

[James Owen]

.....

The WC has metric measures but may be a slightly heavier shaft.

That leads me to thinking that the other difference may be where they are made.

jtk

The $70 Woodcraft screw is German-made, so the US$/Euro exchange rate and German labor costs account for at least some of the price difference....

[Zach England]

I am really re-considering my leg vise and I am thinking I will order a wood screw. Any reason not to? Humidity is not a concern for me--my basement is constant year round.

[Mike Holbrook]

Zach, check out the workbench made by Patrick Edwards on WoodTreks under workbench heading. He marries a european & a Roubo style bench. He has very nice wood screws that he bought. According to the text he bought his "historic" leg vise from Michael Dunbar, nice wood screw. The leg vise is toward the end of the video if you don't want to watch it all, although I think the whole video is great. BigWoodVise, use without capitals for the web site, makes some very nice wood vise screws. I think they use to make screws for Benchcrafted.

My main problem with wood screws is a simple matter of length. The good ones I have seen all seem to be relatively short. I imagine making a long wood screw adds orders of magnitude to the difficulty. I would like to be able to put cabinet drawers in my twin screw, single screw or Moxon vise.