A FanBoy Post

[kenneth hatch]

Over the years I've used many different types of vises and my opinion has been it makes no never mind, just go with what you have they all work pretty much the same. I can't say that anymore, the BenchCrafted metal screw with their crisscross takes bench vises to another level. I just finished changing out a wood screw vise with a guide to a BC metal with crisscross and it's day and night.

ken

[Cameron Wood]

Thanks. I just spent 45 minutes looking at Benchcrafted's stuff.

Doubt I'll actually upgrade my kludged bench, but that leg vice looks pretty awesome!

[James Jayko]

If you love a leg vise, I've certainly not found a better one than Benchcrafted.

[Matthew Eason]

I have the Benchcrafted Leg and Tail vises on my bench. They're wonderful.

[Monte Milanuk]

If you love a leg vise, I've certainly not found a better one than Benchcrafted.

So... what all else have you tried, as far as leg vise hardware?

[Mike Brady]

Why restrict the discussion to just leg vises? Vises such as the Lie-Nielsen twin screw allow both greatly improved holding of wide work-pieces, as well as unincumbered space between the vise and the floor.

[Tony Shea]

I debated what to use on my bench build and ultimately went with a Lake Erie wood screw leg vise hardware. While I really like my vise, I do regret no paying the extra $ on the Benchcrafted. As far as I can tell, the Benchcrafted is the best leg vise hardware in existence. But if the price is out of reach I do recommend the Lake Erie Wood Screw Leg Vise hardware. Now I'm looking at the BC wagon/tail vise hardware to install on an existing workbench top. I currently use a face vise and really don't care for it as tail vise. doesn't offer any support and racks terribly when using dog holes close to the edge.

[Jim Koepke]

I currently use a face vise and really don't care for it as tail vise. doesn't offer any support and racks terribly when using dog holes close to the edge.

Tony, not sure if this will work for your racking problem > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?183743

It might need a change in design to fit your vise.

Something like this may give better support > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?261911

Again, it may need some redesign to work in your situation.

jtk

[Justin Gregersen]

Ive got a benchcrafted leg and tail vise I'm in the process of building into my current roubo-ish bench build. Looking forward to it, Im tired of working off a folding table

[Robert P Davis]

I have the equivalent of the Lake Erie wooden screw on my Roubo bench leg vise and the Benchcrafted tail vise. Benchcrafted came out with their leg vise hardware just after I bought the wooden screw, while I was still building the bench, and I considered switching to it. If they'd had the crisscross at the time, I would've gone that way for sure.

But I stuck with the wooden screw and the parallel guide as planned. I've now used the bench for more than ten years. I don't mind bending down to insert the pin in the parallel. The leg vise is usually used with one of the first three holes, not traveling in and out very far. I don't think I've ever felt the need to spin it all the way in or out, though the ads that do that with the crisscross are very fun. The leg vise is perfect when I need to plane a long, wide panel, and I use the sliding deadman to support the near end. I also use it when I'm planing drawer sides. That said, I've been surprised to discover that I use the tail vise 98% of the time a vise is in use. Anytime I can trap a board between dogs, that's what I want to do. I even use the opening of the tail vise to hold work vertically.

I might use the leg vise more if I hadn't built a small auxiliary dovetailing bench to raise the work for sawing and chopping the dovetails more comfortably. The vise on the auxiliary bench, which sits on top of the Roubo, gets used a lot.

I'd be completely lost without the tail vise. It's fantastic. That and holddowns do most of the holding on my bench.

[Matthew Eason]

I would like to see your auxiliary bench.

I have the equivalent of the Lake Erie wooden screw on my Roubo bench leg vise and the Benchcrafted tail vise. Benchcrafted came out with their leg vise hardware just after I bought the wooden screw, while I was still building the bench, and I considered switching to it. If they'd had the crisscross at the time, I would've gone that way for sure.

But I stuck with the wooden screw and the parallel guide as planned. I've now used the bench for more than ten years. I don't mind bending down to insert the pin in the parallel. The leg vise is usually used with one of the first three holes, not traveling in and out very far. I don't think I've ever felt the need to spin it all the way in or out, though the ads that do that with the crisscross are very fun. The leg vise is perfect when I need to plane a long, wide panel, and I use the sliding deadman to support the near end. I also use it when I'm planing drawer sides. That said, I've been surprised to discover that I use the tail vise 98% of the time a vise is in use. Anytime I can trap a board between dogs, that's what I want to do. I even use the opening of the tail vise to hold work vertically.

I might use the leg vise more if I hadn't built a small auxiliary dovetailing bench to raise the work for sawing and chopping the dovetails more comfortably. The vise on the auxiliary bench, which sits on top of the Roubo, gets used a lot.

I'd be completely lost without the tail vise. It's fantastic. That and holddowns do most of the holding on my bench.

[Robert P Davis]

4292.jpg4293.jpg4294.jpg4295.jpg4296.jpg

Here's the benchtop auxiliary dovetailing bench I was referring to in my last post. It's overbuilt (of course) out of 8/4 ash. If I knew how much I was going to use it, especially the front vise, I would've used a twin-screw vise with chain drive, like the Veritas. But in actual use when cutting the tails on a drawer side, for example, the thickness of the sides is uniform, so once you've got it parallel, you're just opening one screw slightly to remove the work and put another one in.

I clamp the auxiliary bench to the Roubo benchtop by pinching it between dogs or clamping it down with F-clamps. If I'm working on the end of a long board, I align the auxiliary bench with the front of the Roubo so I can clamp the work lower down for stability, but that's rarely necessary.

I place bench dogs at various locations on the auxiliary benchtop to keep the work from moving back when I'm chopping in from the front. I clamp work down on the auxiliary benchtop with either holddowns or F-clamps around the perimeter, or both.

I made my Roubo at the right height for planing material between dogs, which makes it very low for dovetailing. The auxiliary raises the work nine inches, minimum, which makes it more comfortable and easier to see. It's basically a Moxon vise with a little table behind it. The main downside is it's heavy and has to be moved off the benchtop when I need the space.

The one thing I've never done with it is trap work between the vise front dog holes and the main bench dog holes. The only thing I'd change is the vise mechanism.