Twin Screw Vice

[Chris Hachet]

So, I have been enjoying the presence of one of my sons friends "Brian" in my wood shop, Brian is building guitars from scratch using largely neanderthal methods. We have been sharing my small Roubo bench and I am thinking of finally building a second bench so we can work together more easily.

Brian loves the Benchcrafted Traditional leg vise we have on my Roubo, but thought we might try a twin screw vice for the other bench. The more I think about this idea, the more I like it.

Thinking Holtzapffel style bench with maybe two Lake Erie Tool works wood screws...Lie Nielson seems to make a nice twin screw vice also....

So my question is, how do twins crew owners here like their vice? Schwartz changed his twin screw to a leg vice.

Also, is buying 12/4 lumber from a lumber yard a bad idea for a bench top if I want fewer laminations?

Thanks!

Chris

[Prashun Patel]

If you can find it dried, and don't mind heaving heavy wood, then go for it. But I have had a devil of a time finding stable 12/4 that is a) dry, b) doesn't cost and arm and a leg, c) isn't pithy or close-to-pithy. YMMV.

[Chris Hachet]

If you can find it dried, and don't mind heaving heavy wood, then go for it. But I have had a devil of a time finding stable 12/4 that is a) dry, b) doesn't cost and arm and a leg, c) isn't pithy or close-to-pithy. YMMV.

I am going to try Yoder lumber in Northern Ohio when I am ready to start. If anyone has experience buying 12/4 from a good source in the mid west, please speak up...

[Dave Anderson NH]

I love my twin screw vise which has wooden screws. I made sure I had 24.5" between the threads. This allows me to dovetail even the widest carcass in the vise. Because the threads are so coarse it opens and closes quite quickly and you learn pretty fast how to spin both screws at once.

[Chris Hachet]

I love my twin screw vise which has wooden screws. I made sure I had 24.5" between the threads. This allows me to dovetail even the widest carcass in the vise. Because the threads are so coarse it opens and closes quite quickly and you learn pretty fast how to spin both screws at once.

This is pretty much what I was looking for....!

The ability to dovetail wide carcass sides is high on my list.

[David Sloan]

I have had the Veritas twin screw vice for a very long time. It is a great vice but as I recall it was a lot more difficult to install on my large home made bench than i expected. It is very solid and very well constructed.

[Rob Luter]

I have the Veritas twin screw as well. It works great.

[paul cottingham]

I just made a twin screw that resembles Dave Andersons, except mine uses metal screws and is removable. Made it in an afternoon. Use it all the time. It is a little sloppy, but the utility more than makes up for that. The main reason I didn't use wooden screws was cost. My family lives on a tight pension. Of course, if I was as clever as St Roy....

That sort of design could easily be used as a permanent install on a bench.

[Chris Hachet]

I have the Veritas twin screw as well. It works great.

....also glad someone else here works on a slightly shorter bench....

[Rob Luter]

....also glad someone else here works on a slightly shorter bench....

I'd love an eight footer, but I have space constraints in my small basement shop area. It works just fine at 60" long.

[Chris Hachet]

I'd love an eight footer, but I have space constraints in my small basement shop area. It works just fine at 60" long.

My small Roubo is slightly over sixty inches also. It is an ideal size for my small work shop.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I have the Lie Nielsen twin screw, and I'm sorry to say it's not yet installed, but what I like about theirs is that it has one handle, and the other screw is let in to the vise chop. Now I am not knocking the Veritas vise, which is clearly a high quality tool, but what I don't like about that one is when you spin one handle, the other one comes around and you have to beware that it doesn't hit you. I'm sure you can just leave one handle off the Veritas. Another reason I like the LN is everything gets morticed into the chop for a nice, clean look. Of course there is also the quality, and this thing is just insanely well-built and solid.

There is another option out there- the Hovarter vise, which works off a gear that activates a compression mechanism to hold the item in place. What I like about it is that you don't have the oily screws getting in the way- just a clean smooth bar. The gears are hidden under the bench. The only reason, and I mean the ONLY reason I did not choose that vise is that it doesn't clamp well if you place your dog holes on the outer edge, away from the two sliding mechanisms. No vise clamps best that way, but it's an especial problem for the way a Hovarter vise clamps. I chose the Lie-Nielsen because placing the dog holes an inch or two outside the screws won't be too much issue. It may rack (in theory) but it will still hold. That being said, the cool thing about the Hovarter vise is that you slide the jaws shut, give about 1/4 turn or so, and it clamps. Turn the other way and it unclamps and the jaws slide open.

[Chris Hachet]

I have the Lie Nielsen twin screw, and I'm sorry to say it's not yet installed, but what I like about theirs is that it has one handle, and the other screw is let in to the vise chop. Now I am not knocking the Veritas vise, which is clearly a high quality tool, but what I don't like about that one is when you spin one handle, the other one comes around and you have to beware that it doesn't hit you. I'm sure you can just leave one handle off the Veritas. Another reason I like the LN is everything gets morticed into the chop for a nice, clean look. Of course there is also the quality, and this thing is just insanely well-built and solid.

There is another option out there- the Hovarter vise, which works off a gear that activates a compression mechanism to hold the item in place. What I like about it is that you don't have the oily screws getting in the way- just a clean smooth bar. The gears are hidden under the bench. The only reason, and I mean the ONLY reason I did not choose that vise is that it doesn't clamp well if you place your dog holes on the outer edge, away from the two sliding mechanisms. No vise clamps best that way, but it's an especial problem for the way a Hovarter vise clamps. I chose the Lie-Nielsen because placing the dog holes an inch or two outside the screws won't be too much issue. It may rack (in theory) but it will still hold. That being said, the cool thing about the Hovarter vise is that you slide the jaws shut, give about 1/4 turn or so, and it clamps. Turn the other way and it unclamps and the jaws slide open.

I strongly considered the Hovarter with the last bench I built. I did not know that about the Hovarter vise...thanks for letting me know...

I am very, very happy with every L-N item I use in my shop.

[steven c newman]

Hochstettler Lumber is about 5 miles to the north of me...corner of 68 and 113.....Amish Hardwood Dealer.. we could check Levi's stock while you are here Saturday....might be better than Yoder's?

[Chris Hachet]

I think we should do just that. I need some Maple anyways.....