Workbench question on vise?

[James K Peterson]

I'm been working on a proper workbench, modeled after the Schwart's Hotzbench . I've got the top pretty flat now (after much hand planing and even more sweat, lol). The legs are ready to be joined up now and I'm ready to mount them to the top, but I also need to fit my vises to the top now (while it is still upside down). I've decided on using a large record 53 copy (anant 10-1/2) on the face and a smaller Wilton (handed down to me from my grandfather) as the end vise (instead of the twin screw on the face).

My question is how should I mound the Anant to the face in order to keep the rear jaw flush with edge? I was thinking of chopping out a mortis to fit the rear jaw and let the edge of the bench be the vise face. But maybe it would be better to just mortise in the rear face flush with edge and have the vise's metal rear jaw exposed and flush to the edge of the bench.

Stealth gloat: I bought a new LV BU jack I can't believe how sweet this plane is!!! I though my old Stanley's were pretty darn nice, but this plane works and works really well I couldn't even get tearout working against the grain. I can see a LV BU smoother in my future

Thanks
James

[glenn bradley]

You can see how I pocketed my current QR one here. My new LV vise will have a rear jaw "add-on" below the bench flush with the edge per their instructions.

[James K Peterson]

Your vise looks great. I think I'm following what you did (in the thread you showed), but my vise has a rear jaw (pic below). I'm not sure if you mean you would want me to mortise in the rear jaw to have it flush with the edge or not?

Thanks
James

[glenn bradley]

I had the advantage of having an apron (frame?) all the way around my top. This meant I could route the back of the frame to accept the rear jaw. This makes the front edge of the top act as the rear jaw. If you plan no frame around your top you might consider a front apron to bury the jaw in.

Vise-001.jpg Vise-002.jpg

You can just see a bit of blue painter's tape in the third pic where the jaw enters the slot I made for it. It's a little tricky as the jaw faces lean in toward each other a few degrees.

Vise-003.jpg

I don't think you want the metal surface exposed for clamping wood. The alternative is a rear jaw that stands proud. I had a setup like this previously and never really did like it but that's just my .02.

[Hank Knight]

Here's what I did:





The bench top is mortised to accept the rear steel jaw of the vise behind the strip of 3/4" maple that is my edge strip or apron for the bench top. A separate piece of the apron serves as the rear face of the vise and it's flush with the rest of the apron on the front of the bench. It's attached to the bench top with screws; it's not attached to the vise. It's removeable and replaceable. Its important to mount the vise so the steel vise face in contact with the maple face to keep the maple from flexing when pressure is applied to it.

I hope this makes sense. It's hard to describe, but the photos should help.

Hank

[Joel Goodman]

I believe FWW had an article about this and they suggested filling the space between the back of the apron (rear of which is relieved to accept the rear face of the vise -- if that's clear) with bondo so as to get good contact between the rear face of the vice and the apron (which will act as the rear face when the workbench is complete). I think the rear face of the vice was waxed to keep the bondo from bonding to it. The bondo helps with dealing with the toe in on the back face. Perhaps someone remembers what issue it was.

[Hank Knight]

Joel,

I remember that issue of FWW. I don't think it was published until afer I finished my bench. At any rate, I didn't go the bondo route and I worried a little about it. I've been using my bench for three years with no problems at all with my vise. The bondo may be a good idea, but from my experience, it's not necessary.

Hank

[Frank Mutchler]

Hank, who manufactured your vise?

[David Keller NC]

James - I just finished a "Schwarz" bench, using some of the principles in his book (specifically, no apron to allow easy bench-top clamping, and front legs flush with the front of the bench). I chose the Jorgensen quick-release vice in the face position because I think the quick-release mechanism is a better and sturdier design than the Anant (it also US-made, which is important to me).

However, what to do with the inside jaw is the same issue with either the Record, Anant, or Jorgensen vice. In my case, I mortised the front of the top to accept the rear jaw so that the metal surface is flush with the front of the bench. I thin glued a thin piece of leather onto both the metal portion and the wooden front of the bench to extend out and match the wooden vice chop I installed on the outside jaw. The advantage to doing this is that the leather will compress when the vice is cinched down, is rougher and holds better than the wood of the bench (maple), and still gives support along the entire front of the bench.

[Ken Garlock]

Hank, I did what you did with the exception that I mounted the rear jaw recessed in the bench top and dropped it down 1/2" under the top surface. Then continued the 2"x7" apron over the rear jaw to make a continuous apron the entire length of the bench. Otherwise, I mounted the vise under the top using the "shims" as you did. My front jaw is a 2" thick by 15" long piece of maple.

[Hank Knight]

Hank, who manufactured your vise?

It's a Record. I was lucky enough to get one of the last ones Lee Valley had.

Hank

[Hank Knight]

I thin glued a thin piece of leather onto both the metal portion and the wooden front of the bench to extend out and match the wooden vice chop I installed on the outside jaw. The advantage to doing this is that the leather will compress when the vice is cinched down, is rougher and holds better than the wood of the bench (maple), and still gives support along the entire front of the bench.

David,

Since I made the original post showing photos of my vise mount, I glued some 14 oz vegetable tanned leather to both the front and rear faces of my vise. You're right; it really improves the grip. One of the advantages of having a removeable rear wooden vise face is that it made the job real easy. I simply unscrewed it, planed it down the thickness of the leather, glued the leather on and screwed it back on the bench. The rear vise face is still flush with the front of the bench. Actually it's about 1/32nd proud with the leather, but as you pointed out, the leather compresses nicely when you tighten down on your workpiece.

Hank

[Bruce Page]

Just curious, what is the working advantage to having the rear jaw face flush with the bench top edge? I mounted my Jorgensen's back jaw directly on the bench edge and haven’t had a problem with it. In fact, there have been times when the gap between the work piece and the bench top was an advantage.

I’m not being critical – Hank’s solution is very elegant, I just wonder why it is necessary.

[Alan DuBoff]

Just curious, what is the working advantage to having the rear jaw face flush with the bench top edge?

One of the main advantages is to have the front edge of the bench flush, so that if you secure a board in the front vise to hand plane the edge, for instance, you can also secure the board to the bench, either with a holdfast, or a bar clamp across the bench. The front edge will keep the board straight also, providing the bench is flat along the front.

If you secure a long board in your vise as-is, you will only be clamping it at the vise jaws and the board will simply move all around while trying to hand plane it, as the vise will rack like crazy with a long board on it. You could inset your rear jaw into the front edge pretty easily if you wanted.

[Hank Knight]

Bruce,

I don't know that mounting your vise with the rear jaw flush with the front of the bench top is necessary, it's just a matter of personal preference. The vise on my old bench was mounted like yours, with the rear jaw proud of the bench top, and it served me well for many years. When I built this bench, I decided to mount it flush for the reasons Alan said: the bench top stabalizes long stock clamped in the vise, for edge planing for example. I can clamp long stock in my vise and directly to my bench top without having to use a spacer like I did with my old set-up. I've used it for three years ands I like it better than my old arrangement. But the differences are subtle and I really believe the set-up depends on your personal preference, with one no better or worse than the other.

Hank