Leg vise location

[Pat Barry]

Seeing the picture of Leonardo's bench that Stanley posted in another thread got me thinking about positioning of a leg vise. Most pictures I see have the leg vise located on the left front leg of the bench. I have a screw from LV and was planning to do just that sometime soon. Now seeing the option presented in the Leonardo bench, I am rethinking this. One reason is that the left front leg position seems kind of backward (to me) anyway, since I think using it to hold material for crosscutting or ripping is backward for a right hander since the left side of the vise is the side with less restrictions for sawing. Having the leg vise on the right side of the bench thus seems more useful for that purpose since the cutoff / waste can hang past the end of the bench thus being better for sawing. Why is the left front leg position the preferred location? Everyone can't be left handed, right? What am I missing? Do you all use the left front leg for your leg vise location?

[Prashun Patel]

I have a leg vise on the left, Pat.

I see your point. In addition to being able to saw effectively, I would find carving and shaving operations easier from the right. But that's because I have things on both sides of my bench and can't access the ends as easily. If I had 360 deg clearance, this might not be an issue for me.

The only downside for me would be that I like to plane right to left when possible, so I like having the vise to be able to hold a planing stop for wider things.

When I read yr question, my 1st thought was that I'd lose the tail vise. But (assuming it is or can be made ambidextrous) I think having the tail vise on left side could work just fine.

[Andrey Kharitonkin]

1. What I see here is that there is no overhang on the side with the vice, not at the front leg.

2. I think this is equivalent to double screw tail vice, because you can clamp all the way down. Double screw would be even better. That is provided there is no overhang on the side and it is flush with the legs.

3. By tilting the chop forward it is easy to incline bench dog in the vice to better grip the board between the dogs on the worktop.

Interestingly enough, my first workbench that I'm finishing now has all sides flush with the top. It is slightly over 5' long.



I was even thinking of making there rails for the walking deadman but vice interfere a bit.

[Bill Houghton]

Face vises are often* used to hold boards for planing the edges - either jointing or profiling. For that use, the face vise should be on the side you'll be planing toward. If you plane from the vise toward the free end of the board, you'll set up vibration that will only increase as you reach the end of the board.

I'm left-handed, so my face vise is on the right. I've learned that, when using fenced planes (e.g., a rabbet plane) designed for right-handed folks, I can't just put the board in the face vise, because of this issue.

The Schwarz and others would argue that heavy sawing should be done on a sawbench anyhow; and light/small sawing done on a bench hook, on the top of the bench, where the presence/absence of a face vise won't make much difference.
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*Perhaps even mostly, in traditional practice.

[Jim Koepke]

...
One reason is that the left front leg position seems kind of backward (to me) anyway, since I think using it to hold material for crosscutting or ripping is backward for a right hander since the left side of the vise is the side with less restrictions for sawing. Having the leg vise on the right side of the bench thus seems more useful for that purpose since the cutoff / waste can hang past the end of the bench thus being better for sawing. Why is the left front leg position the preferred location? Everyone can't be left handed, right? What am I missing? Do you all use the left front leg for your leg vise location?

If you are sawing with your right hand, having the board being crosscut hanging out the left end of the bench allows your left hand to support the cut off at the end of the cut.

I tend to use my tail vise, bench hooks and saw benches for crosscutting more than my face vise.

jtk

[Jim Ritter]

I have twin leg vises. One on each side.
Jim

[Andrey Kharitonkin]

I have twin leg vises. One on each side.
Jim

On the left and the right side of the front? Any shortcomings about your configuration?

I've seen variation on this, with second leg vice on the walking deadman.

[Pat Barry]

If you are sawing with your right hand, having the board being crosscut hanging out the left end of the bench allows your left hand to support the cut off at the end of the cut.
jtk

Of course that makes a lot of sense, but for me it just feels very awkward that way. I like having the off cut to my right, even if it means I need to reach across to hold it with my left hand. Maybe it's the way I learned as a boy hand cutting everything - left knee on the board, right hand sawing. That carried forward to now. Even using my skills I do it the same way.

Is there a problem with the leg vise on the right other than preference?

[Pat Barry]

Face vises are often* used to hold boards for planing the edges - either jointing or profiling. For that use, the face vise should be on the side you'll be planing toward. If you plane from the vise toward the free end of the board, you'll set up vibration that will only increase as you reach the end of the board

Interesting thought Bill. I had not considered this before. Might have to experiment with some clamps. Til now all that work is done by clamping the board to the edge of the bench from below so I have always needed two or more clamps to hold the boards anyway.

[Curt Putnam]

This question bugged the heck out of me for several years. Finally did enough reading and asking questions that I am content with these answers.
1) Right handers want the leg vise at the left end of the bench for edge planing and other such operations.
2) A tail/end vise is used for holding a board for face planing among other things
3) Sawing is usually done at a saw bench or with bench hooks
4) The older ways have their own view of the world, their own rhythms, and their own, very good reasons.

For my upcoming (3 yrs in that status) bench, I will have leg vise on the left leg. I will have a split top and two end vises which will facilitate right handed cut off sawing.

[Jim Ritter]

Here is a pic of my bench Andrey. Both vises are on the front and in the pic they are doing what I wanted them for.
No real down side except the expense of two screw assemblies. The one on the left is the preferred vise and is set up with a chain to keep the jaw parallel. The one on the right is the auxiliary and is set up to use the traditional pin in the parallel beam. If I needed to clamp a door or something that would interfere with the right vise I just unscrew it and remove it, simple, with nothing left in the way. I think I've only removed it once in 4 years, but I've used both vise sin tandem often.



Jim

[Jim Koepke]

Is there a problem with the leg vise on the right other than preference?

For left hand planing it is fine. In my experience as long as there is some support at the far end a left end face vise is okay for left hand planing. I do not see why there would be any difference with a right hand mounted face vise/leg vise for right hand planing.

The problem with having a tail vise mounted on the right end for left hand planing is pushing against the vise can cause the dog at the opposite end to become disengaged and the work can move. Usually a bit of care and practice can ameliorate this. It is also possible to place something against the inside of the work to prevent it from moving across the bench.

jtk

[Andrey Kharitonkin]

Thanks Jim! Now it is clear to me, with the door example! :-)

I was thinking about chain thing that you make but then decided to try linear bearings. Basically, for the same reason that you don't have it on the right vice. I can always remove it if I need to without fuss (not sure when or why yet). So, your experience is quite interesting in this regard.