Moxon vise hardware for leg vise

[Andrey Kharitonkin]

I'm getting close to installing vice on my first hand tools bench. My initial idea was to use Moxon vise hardware from Benchcrafted as front vise (like removable Moxon vise but instead mounted in bench top apron) and as leg vise (same hardware but mounted vertically along the leg). This way I'd hope to achieve three possible configurations of the front of my bench:

• Moxon vise horizontally in the apron to hold long pieces vertically, like for sawing tenons or dovetails. And holding narrow boards horizontally for planing edges.
• Moxon vise as leg vise and walking deadman for holding wide boards horizontally for planing edges and holding doors for planing edges.
• Without any vise as English style workbench with holdfasts in apron, legs and walking deadman for holding anything really.

Transition between all three styles seems quite easy for me, doing it as a hobby. By unwinding wheels and unscrewing one nut behind the apron. I could even use the same vise chop for horizontal and vertical mode, provided distance between axles is the same. And in vertical or leg vise mode I can be creative and make second axle to be adjustable stop instead of usual pin board.

I've seen twin screw vise in vertical orientation somewhere. But nobody seemed to have vertical Moxon vise idea yet. Cheap as one set of Moxon vise hardware and easily removable. Plus can be used for bench top Moxon vise. Only pluses

The only thing that made me think of abandoning this idea is that I found source of cheap metal vise screws in my area. That could lead to "standard" leg vise and bench top Moxon vise. Is my initial idea totally crazy?..

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Good day Andre,

It would work, but my thought is that the moxon vise would be limited to how far it opens, and also the twin screw would be more difficult than a standard leg vise with a preacher or x-member. The moxon vise screws I have seen were fairly expensive- not saving much money in the long run. Another thought is that the Moxon vise is made to clamp BETWEEN the screws, and you would be clamping outside the screws with a leg vise.

[Andrey Kharitonkin]

Yes, it will be limited to how far it opens... I think I would not need it bigger than thickness of any piece most of the time. Like 2" far in most cases. But I might think wrong, ofc.

As for preacher construction, I have idea of mounting moxon vise hardware this way:
moxon leg vise.png

Mounted in 2" thick "leg apron", kind of. Leg apron on the right side there. And nut is used to set the distance close to the thickness of piece to hold.