Utilitarian Moxon vise.

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise.

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

Cool.....but what are you building? Inquiring minds want to know.

T.

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise.

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Now that is the level of sophistication I would be willing to copy.

1 what are the holes above and below the threaded rod for?

2. Why is the back jaw higher than the front jaw?

3. Most critically, on the rail being used to transfer the tails, will you describe construction of the "jig" used to support the end of the rail away from the vise, in particular the complex assembly below the tee block......

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise.

roger lance

Virgil.....In the shop, utility is primary.....and it looks like that moxon will hunt very well.....thanks for sharing.

I noticed that your bench might have a Shaker style base......would you mind showing more of what you built there?.......this type bench is a personal favorite.

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise. *LINK*

Virgil Johnson

Here is shot of the bench. It has gained a lot of patina since then.


http://www.woodcentral.com/shots/shot2.shtml

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise.

Virgil Johnson

1 what are the holes above and below the threaded rod for?

Optional design holes.I was going to use linear bearings for the front jaw to move on but it moves easy enough on the threaded rod.

2. Why is the back jaw higher than the front jaw?

Had to walk out and check..They are the same height.

3. Most critically, on the rail being used to transfer the tails, will you describe construction of the "jig" used to support the end of the rail away from the vise, in particular the complex assembly below the tee block......

Yes indeed a complex jig and construction method. Kind of a pick-up stick method. The chest side is way taller than the vise and T block so's I had to improvise.

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise.

Virgil Johnson

A tall chest of drawers. The plans are in Robert Sondays book Shaker Style Wood Projects. Kelly Mehler made the piece in the book.

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise.

Don Goodwin

Are you sure that you haven't invented a new game? Bench top Jenga?

I've been thinking of building a Moxon and like yours.

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise.

Jim in Oakville

Love that piece, be sure to post pics please!

Take care, Jim

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise. (added some clamps)

Virgil Johnson

Guess where I got this idea? (Thanks Derek) Its black Friday here in the states so I got up early got in line to get the Woodcraft and Lowes Moxon vise clamp kit. T track from Woodcraft and 2 Irwin C clamps from Lowes. Both items are slightly modified.

Looking good .. working great! 

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise. (added some clamps)

roger lance

I've also joined the hold-down movement......

Clamps unnecessary,and, the last straw!

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

First, the last......when I hit send I am going to the shop and make one of these. I have had it reading about every one else's. I have procrastinated way too long. I have 16 drawers coming up.

It will not be pretty. It will accommodate a drawer up to 9". It will raise the work 6" where it will be easier to saw(its primary benefit). The back will have a replaceable strip on top and serve as a depth stop on the back side of the dovetail when sawing.

It will not have, or need clamps. It is trivial to hold the tail board in place. What is not trivial, especially on a not so tall drawer, is to be sure the tail board is exactly perpendicular to the pin board(bottoms are in same plane). If not, the drawer won't sit flat on its runners. The place to enhance one of these vices is to develop a means of assuring this alignment before marking. Some sort of fence perpendicular to the vice face is needed.

Maybe clamps are necessary

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

A fence could be clamped perpendicular to the vice and the pin and tail board indexed against it. I'll probably just screw a fence on to the back jaw.

Re: Clamps unnecessary,and, the last straw!

roger lance

I (and others) await your version of a Moxon with all the trivial features eliminated......

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise. (added some clamps)

Michael van pelt

Roger

Source for the round hand wheels ? Size? Thanks.

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise. (added some clamps)

roger lance

They are from BenchCrafted......it's their Moxon vise hardware kit.

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise. (added some clamps)

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

That's a good looking Moxon vise, Roger!

Did you rout the sliding dovetail for the hold down, or is it track (unclear from Oz)?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Clamps unnecessary,and, the last straw!

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

Good for you Bill. Finally coming into the 18c

I am very curious how you will secure the board without a clamp. Looking forward to this

Regards from Perth

Derek

answer?

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

The answer is so obvious I wonder if we are talking about the same need.

Pin board in vice; tail board held in registration over the pin board to enable transfer of tail profile to pin board.

I have seen many do this operation and all simply push down on the tail board with one hand and mark with the other. I have never had any problem holding these boards in registration while marking. The downward force on the tail board is substantial compared to the piddly force from the marking knife that could move the boards out of registration.

I'm all for training wheels if they help getting started. Some could find clamps useful for this operation or think they could need clamps for this operation. I predict the clamps will become vestigial after a few drawers are made.

The place to add an enhancement is some sort of fence to quickly positioning and assure the base of these two boards are in the same plane when marking.

Re: Utilitarian Moxon vise. (added some clamps)

roger lance

I routed a t-slot.

Re: answer?

roger lance

I tend to agree with you that you can simply hold a small drawer tail board with one hand while marking the pin board.

But what about a larger board?.....something that approaches a blanket chest side for example......different game isn't it......if that moves, we have a problem.

Sometimes it's nice to have a third hand.

Re: answer?

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

The answer is so obvious I wonder if we are talking about the same need.

Pin board in vice; tail board held in registration over the pin board to enable transfer of tail profile to pin board.

I have seen many do this operation and all simply push down on the tail board with one hand and mark with the other. I have never had any problem holding these boards in registration while marking.

Try doing that with slim ("London") dovetails. I can't. Bet you can't.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: answer?

Virgil Johnson

I'm all for training wheels if they help getting started. Some could find clamps useful for this operation or think they could need clamps for this operation. I predict the clamps will become vestigial after a few drawers are made.

Discussions like this are fun. 8 drawers later and these clamps ain't going nowhere. As for considering these training wheels would not a fence as you describe be the same thing? Cut your dovetails at a right angle to the bottom edge and use them to align. The crappiest joints I cut on this project (there are a few) are not out of square enough to be noticeable. If this last cup of morning coffee washes down my pride I may post a pic.

The measure of success

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

Will the dovetails hold the drawer together for 200 years? An investigation of Period antiques will reveal that this requirement is easy to meet. There is so much redundancy in the joint that the occasional gap is irrelevant and overcuts just mean the maker was more worried about getting the drawer done than making a statement. The only thing to feel inadequate about is how long it took to make the drawer (compared to 1780).

I have a first hand account of drawer making in a British shop where the daily quota was 6 drawers per day.