Leg vise question

[Tim Null]

George, I love your posts!

You are right on the button. However you hold the wood, just hold it and make something........

Now don't get me wrong, I love reading the theoretical discussions as much as the next guy. It is like Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory (a theoretical physicist who belittles the engineer who actually makes things but ONLY has a Masters degree and is not a PhD......LOL!). He just thinks of how things work, but never actually does anything of practical value.

But I do agree that it is helpful to think out the design of something like a leg vice before you take the time to make it. I am in the process of making mine for my Roubo bench and am using a wooden screw and rollers from Benchcrafted similar to Dereks build.

As always, very entertaining. Go forth and make sawdust!

[Mike Siemsen]

I too wondered how the St. Peter's Cross worked in a leg vise so I made one from wood as a prototype. It works great. Because the cross supports the outer leg as well as moves it in and out there is little to no load on the screw. To adjust the vise so the jaws close at the top first I just put a wedge in the track, works great. The vise has been on the bench for a few years and works fine. The problem I see with most vises is overclamping, all vises wrack to some degee. Learn to use what you have but don't be afraid to experiment. Just don't talk it to death.

garter and studs 005.jpg
As you can see in the photo the jaws are open falrly wide and the fulcrum is still as high as a typical leg vise that uses a pin.

[george wilson]

Actually,Tim,I like SOME of the discussions too,but they can go on forever. I scored in the 98th. percentile on a national physics test when I was a senior in high school. I did that not because I was good at math(I wasn't!),but I had a good grip on how pulleys and levers worked. Some of the pulley info I learned while in Alaska. I spent a few Summers hauling 3/4" steel cable,and making up complicated multiple cable arrangements. We had a 4 cylinder stump puller I helped a neighbor logger make.He used an old Willys engine from a Willy's car(which was a terrible looking junker!) But,the stumps were huge,some 12' in diameter. Much too large for the stump puller to handle without a lot of multiplication of pulling power,even after we blasted the big stumps into 3 or 4 chunks.

Other ways I've learned about levers were from helping to move heavy objects like large boulders. I also have moved lathes weighing 8000# with simple means. 3000# just doesn't count any more! Most of my personal machine tools are in that category. I remember when I was very concerned about moving 550# lathes. That was a long time ago.

Of course,I took physics in college,but there is nothing like actual experience to see that it stays in your head.

Mike,congratulations on your vise. I hope it continues to work accurately. Looks like a nice job.

[Jerome Hanby]

Finally got home where I could see you pictures. Thanks for posting. Any chance you have some more pictures of the details?

I too wondered how the St. Peter's Cross worked in a leg vise so I made one from wood as a prototype. It works great. Because the cross supports the outer leg as well as moves it in and out there is little to no load on the screw. To adjust the vise so the jaws close at the top first I just put a wedge in the track, works great. The vise has been on the bench for a few years and works fine. The problem I see with most vises is overclamping, all vises wrack to some degee. Learn to use what you have but don't be afraid to experiment. Just don't talk it to death.

garter and studs 005.jpg
As you can see in the photo the jaws are open falrly wide and the fulcrum is still as high as a typical leg vise that uses a pin.

[Mike Siemsen]

garter and studs 007.jpggarter and studs 006.jpg
that's all I have.

[Jerome Hanby]

Thanks for posting that Mike. Is there something that keeps the bottom legs of the cross in their groves or does the geometry of the situation keep them in their slots?