Bob Hackett
First let me say that the craftsmanship and thought you displayed on this project is second to none and an inspiration. I also like that you are willing to show the dings and dents and their fixes as these reflect the reality that most of us live yet few of us see online. Fine stuff all the way around,thank you for this.

I still don`t understand why this vise was designed like it is. I can`t see why a supposedly premium product (I`m assuming it came with an equally premium price)would be designed so it exerts destructive forces toward weakness instead of strength in a bench. The rather unsightly bolts thru the end cap that are required to hold this design together could have been completely eliminated with a more thoughtful design.
I`m not even going to ask why those required bolts are anchored into end grain. It just doesn`t make sense to me,can someone explain the rational behind why they did it this way?