I plan to call Len at Hovarter today about one of his vises. I have my copy of the Benchcfated Split-Top Roubo plans to work with, so I have an idea where I might can mount vises. If some have not seen the Hovarter it is like a twin screw quick release that runs on metal rods, not threaded. It looks like a regular twin screw except one can make it with a single "screw". The handle that normally would turn a screw works a cam that locks as well as firms the outside jaw against the work piece.
I have seen a few posts where people have recycled quick release vises on new benches by extending a new outer jaw block out toward the center of the bench. The section of the new jaw block that extends out past the quick release mechanism serves to hold wider pieces of wood for edge work, much as the inside side of a leg vise does. Since I will be making my outside jaw for the Hovarter vise, I intend to ask Len if there is any reason I can't make a little extra room for wide pieces on the side of my Hovarter's jaw. I had been planing to mount a leg vise on my Roubo, but if I can replace it with a Hovarter with the same ability I might use another type vise instead of the leg vise.
I am interested in having the quickest most versatile vise system I can. I discovered that Veritas is making two new, improved, quick release vises, one for front and one for tail mounting. I believe the front vise could actually be used as a tail or end vise too. I am thinking that a combination of one of the two Veritas vises with the Hovarter and a sliding deadman would give me a very versatile and fast vise system. The Veritas tail vise is fairly unique in that it is designed to move the entire outside edge of one corner of the bench in & out as opposed to simply moving a single dog around like many other tail or wagon vises. The feature of this tail vise that seems unique to me is there is space to addd several dog holes on both the top and side of the vise jaw/block, allowing it to clamp items either on the top or side of the bench. This vise started me wondering if the side clamping ability might be a way to handle cabinet door & drawer pieces for edge work that tend to be larger?
Actually I have seen drawings of Veritas face vises mounted on the end of a bench with a dog in the end of the vice jaw so it too can be used to clamp larger pieces to the side of the bench like the tail vise. This may appeal to me even more as a quick release vise on the end of my bench could serve several other functions as well. The Benchcrafted Split-Top Roubo plan has a 87" top, about 7' when I would like an 8' bench. A Hovarter or Veritas Quick Release "face vise" mounted on the end of the bench could extend the bench length another 12 inches or more, on an as needed basis. A longer vise on the end of the bench with dogs or a raised board could clamp large pieces to the top of the Roubo or simply serve as a movable work stop.
The idea of a quick release, single screw face vise which could clamp pieces to the side of the bench, combined with a full end width ( or close) quick release vise sounds like a very versatile combination to me. I might be able to accomplish all these goals with a big Hovater as the face vise and a Veritas Quick Release "face vise" mounted as the end vise. I might even prefer to have the Hovarter as the end vise as it opens wider and might be less in the way and more accessible there based on the way I plan to place the bench in my shop ( center of the room).
The main question is can I really replace a leg vise with a "face" vise with extended block? Hovarter makes a leg vise version of their vise but it looks a little complicated to mount and a big vise on the end of the bench, covering the whole leg seems like it might be in the way. The whole issue is made more interesting by the idea of placing a dog in the end of a full width, quick release end vise, giving this vise side clamping capability too.