David Barnett
... for such tasks, sometimes a screw or that which works similarly is a sound choice. Point is, I still believe the joiner's bench to be superior and more versatile, and simple alternatives exist when not using a vise to allow me to choose, like Tom, not to drive screws into my maple top. If someone tells me that a screw is more versatile than a vise, should supplant my vise, then I'm going to think they're full of beans.

By the way, I've also fixtured thin and oddly-shaped challenging wood with pitch, glue, shellac, wax and I don't even recall what else. I'm not against improvised holding methods and devices when they're needed. But for holding darned near everything but thin stock, there's nothing as versatile as vises and holdfasts, in my opinion (we really shouldn't have to say in my opinion). Again, others are welcome to disagree, but I'm not going to respect that, just tolerate it.