Borg wood Scandi/hybrid vise request.

[John McBride]

Hello Creekers!
My bench is FINALLY in production!

I'll post a separate thread with all the "deets" (details) later, but I am in need of a bit of help.

Initially, I had settled on using LV large front vises for both my front and end vises. Since the Borg timber was inexpensive enough, I figured that I could stretch the budget and spring for them.

While I may still do that, I was wondering if anyone had used just the bench screws they also sell to fabricate either a front vise or end vise? NOT a shoulder vise or traditional tail vise, but the simple front and end vises.

If you have, could I ask you to post some pictures of how you designed the framework of the vises?

Also, how are they to use day to day? Any regrets? Any advice on their construction?

Any help here, pics, drawings, links to other's designs would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Madcap

EDIT: To clarify.
What I am looking for are folks who used the simple bench screws as a foundation to fabricate shop made versions of the LV Large Front Vise. Sorry, I'm not sure I was all that clear in my initial post.

[Bill Baethke]

I am finishing up my bench, as well. I used two LV tail vise screws to make a twin screw end vise. For less than 80 bucks in hardware, I feel like I was able to make a very effective end vise. The chain drives are nice, but this has an old school feel to it that I like quite a bit, and it was much cheaper. The chop is laminated hard maple and beech. The screws are 16" on center, and the chop is 28" wide, which is the full width of the bench.
end vise2 resize.jpgIMAG5311.jpg
I still have not screwed anything down, as I am still working on the front vise, etc. I hope this gives you an idea of what you are thinking of.

[John McBride]

I am finishing up my bench, as well. I used two LV tail vise screws to make a twin screw end vise. For less than 80 bucks in hardware, I feel like I was able to make a very effective end vise. The chain drives are nice, but this has an old school feel to it that I like quite a bit, and it was much cheaper. The chop is laminated hard maple and beech. The screws are 16" on center, and the chop is 28" wide, which is the full width of the bench.
end vise2 resize.jpgIMAG5311.jpg
I still have not screwed anything down, as I am still working on the front vise, etc. I hope this gives you an idea of what you are thinking of.

YES BILL! Exactly what I was hoping for. Those were the bench screws I was looking at too. I am trying to figure out how to just buy the Acme threaded screw/but/T-assembly from LV or wherever, and fabricate the rest of the vise out of wood.....just exactly as you did. While the twin screw design is interesting, I was thinking I may just use the one screw for the end vise. Thanks Bill for the pics and ideas....

[Bill Baethke]

It is pretty straightforward to do this. One benefit that two screws provides is that it allows clamping of slightly non-square stock. A single screw would rack pretty badly, too. I think the quality of the parts is fairly good, though. I looked at a few Moxon vise components, but while they were more elegant, the capacity was too slim. I didnt mortise in the nut on mine, which would have gave me a couple of more inches of capacity. I am glad that helped.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Another option is to order wooden screws and nuts and fabricate the rest. http://www.thetraditionalcarpenter.com/Blog/?page_id=2

[John McBride]

This is another avenue I was considering. Just liked the inexpensive bench screws that LV has and it got me thinking of how to build a vise(s) around them.

[John McBride]

I like the twin vise set up the more I look at yours Bill.....definitely something to consider I think. Any chance of seeing the underside set up too?

[Reinis Kanders]

These type vises are slow though. My secondary bench has Veritas twin screw and even with the chain it is slow.
Maybe I am just too used to my QR steel main vise and I do a lot of stuff in the vise.
I think wood screw would be much faster.

[Jim Koepke]

These type vises are slow though. My secondary bench has Veritas twin screw and even with the chain it is slow.
Maybe I am just too used to my QR steel main vise and I do a lot of stuff in the vise.
I think wood screw would be much faster.

I have never had a Quick Release vise so the opening and closing speed of a vise hasn't annoyed me. Most of the time for me it is just a few turns of the handle. Most of the time my work isn't changing size from one piece to the next. It is usually a bunch of pieces with the same setting repeated.

A vise racking is kind of like back lash on a bench plane adjuster. There are ways to live with it and compensate for it. The double screw vise does seem like a sweet solution.

jtk

[Reinis Kanders]

I have never had a Quick Release vise so the opening and closing speed of a vise hasn't annoyed me. Most of the time for me it is just a few turns of the handle. Most of the time my work isn't changing size from one piece to the next. It is usually a bunch of pieces with the same setting repeated.

jtk

It probably does come down to the style of work and one adapts the style to match the tools. On my QR I like to be in and out. I also like when the back jaw is not flush with the front apron, just works better for me.

[Bill Baethke]

I will try to get a pic of the underside tonight, John. I have always liked the wooden screw set ups, but the cost is quite a bit higher. For the LV screws, you will need a 1 1/8 bit (screw is 1 1/16 o.d.). To mortise in the end nut piece, it will require a bigger bit, maybe 1 3/4. That nut is not a true cylindrical shape- it is tapered slightly, more like a slight cone shape (1 3/4 - 1 5/8). My leg assembly was already complete when I decided to go the twin screw route, and using the drill press was not an option- which is why I just reversed the nut and flush mounted it. It is critical that the both holes are bored square and true for the vise to operate smoothly. The capacity of mine was reduced to about 11 inches because I had to go through a thick leg rail. This will make sense once I get a pic of the back side of the set up.

[Richard Line]

I'm wondering how the twin screw vice works if you also use it to clamp between bench dogs. I would think the racking would become a pain. even using filler blocks to control the racking would become bothersome to me. That concern led me to a single screw vice for my end vise, with the vice's screw lined up on the dog holes.

[James Pallas]

There is a very good write up on the "benchblog" it is primarily about building a bench but contains excellent parts about building up vises with standard vise hardware. He used face vises for both face and end positions and set the bench up right hand on one side and left hand on the other.
Jim

[Jim Matthews]

I've always admired Paul Miller's clever take on this,
no metal required.

[John McBride]

Guys, thank you all for your responses. Very much appreciated.

Bill, thank you for taking some time to snap a few pics. That would be awesome. I hear you on the wood screw issue. I wish I had the funds for some fine hardware. I keep wavering between LV's standard and large front vises, and just buying three of their tail vise screws and building a front/face vise with one, and a twin screw end vise like yours.....maybe a combo of the two? I dunno, still a lot to ponder before I pull the trigger.