Bench Vise - to Mortise or not to Mortise?

[Scot Ferraro]

Hi everyone,

I have been building a maple bench -- the top and legs, etc... are all complete and I am ready to work on installing the vises. I am planning on a twin-screw for the face vise and a Jorgensen quick-release for an end vise. My top is 3 5/8 inch thick hard-maple (it has been flattened). My question is on the end vise -- if I install it to the bottom, the top of the cast-iron jaws are going to be 1 1/2 inches below the top of the wood. Should I mortise the rear jaw into the top and then apply leather or something to the faces? Or, should I install with the rear jaw against the top and then install an apron with a mortise to cover the jaw and screw that across the width (kind of like the FW article from a few years ago)? Should I also route out a square section to accomodate the bottom of the vise and move the jaws closer to the top? Maybe it does not even matter. I am going to install a chop on the front jaw roughly 13 - 14 inches long by 4 inches wide and I can make the chop wide enough to plane down so that it is level with the top (regardless of where the iron jaws end up being mounted). Obviously not mortising anything and building a wood apron would be the easiest install, but would it work well?

So, what would you do? BTW, the bench is based on the Holtzapffel design.

Thanks!

Scot

[glenn bradley]

I mortised the apron to keep my options open. Glad I did now as I am upgrading the vise AND the apron material.

[Tom Cross]

Attached is how I mounted a 7" Lee Valley quick release vise to a 3" maple top. The metal vise face is 5/8" below the wood top and works great. The URLs below show pictures:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=105215
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=105213

[Jim Eller]

Here is what I did. No need for leather. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=109871

I mortised the rear face into the face plate. I loose about an inch of jaw opening but it really doesn't matter for me. I didn't want to mess with the bench top. I can replace the face plate as needed.

Thanks,
Jim

[Scot Ferraro]

Thanks for your replies -- appreciate the photos, Tom. My design is close to yours, but a little shorter bench top. I cannot believe how heavy this thing is -- hard to move it around the shop while working on it!

[Scot Ferraro]

Thanks, Jim...that is what I was thinking. Did you bolt or screw the apron this to your top, or just use the two holes in the vise to secure it?

Scot

[Jim Eller]

Scott,

I used four lag screws. One to the left of the vise face and three to the right of the vise face. I suppose the apron didn't have to be that long, but I thought the appearance was better if not really functional.

If you go back to the link in my previous post, I think there is a picture there.


Thanks,
Jim