Need Advice on Retrofitting Leg Vise to Non-Roubo Style Workbench

[Hasin Haroon]

I will be building mine with a the same vise screw, was considering an oak dowel but maybe I should reconsider!

[Chris Hachet]

Thanks for all your informative replies folks. It's often painful to watch the Oilers, woodworking heals those wounds.

I have another question regarding the leg vise on the bench. I am building my bench out of yellow pine, mostly to save costs. I plan a maple board at the front, and dovetail that in to a mahogany end cap however. I was planning on leaving the front board a bit deeper than the rest of the bench, (3.5" vs 3"), and rabbeting the front legs to fit this apron/board. The vice chop will be oak or maple.

Mark's point got me thinking about the stresses from the leg vise (see the attached drawing). Would the forces result in the maple board/apron being pulled apart from the rest of the top eventually if I build it the way I outlined above? If so, I will just make the front board equal in depth to the rest.

Thanks in advance!Attachment 332887

I don't think that it would. And I would actually prefer a bench of SYP in some ways to a hardwood bench. I have had both. Planning on adding another bench to my work shop early next year....and I will be using pine to build it.