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Mobile Carving Bench, Pattern Maker's Vise

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Mobile Carving Bench, Pattern Maker's Vise

#1

Mobile Carving Bench, Pattern Maker's Vise

William Duffield

I recently acquired aa Oliver pattern maker's vise, and am trying to choose the best way to mount it for optimum functionality. One idea I am contemplating is to build a relatively small, mobile carving bench, using a Noden Adjust-a-Bench base and caster kit. However, the vise is very large, very heavy, and requires a lot of clearance underneath for the vise screw and tilt and rotate controls. I have found very little in the way of photos, instructions or plans on the internet by anyone who has successfully done this except by cantilevering the vise off one end of a very long, quite massive, and not very mobile bench. Any ideas?

Re: Mobile Carving Bench, Pattern Maker's Vise

#2

Re: Mobile Carving Bench, Pattern Maker's Vise

Dick Coers

I don’t see any problems with your original plan. You just need an adequate foot print. I built a little secondary bench and I use it more than my big bench. The top is 14 1/2” wide, the trestle feet are 18”. No tripping problems after more than 20 years.

Re: Mobile Carving Bench, Pattern Maker's Vise

#3

Workmutt no longer enough? (teasing)


Re: Mobile Carving Bench, Pattern Maker's Vise

#4

Re: Workmutt no longer enough? (teasing)

William Duffield

Vises (no matter which way you spell them*) are like clamps: You never have enough. I am still working on adding a Zyliss, a VersaVise, and an etau to my arsenal.

The WorkMutt is an amalgam of bench, vise and clamp, but right now I don't have room to use it in the shop. I do use it under my bench-on-bench and under my mini-lathe for demonstrations at woodworking guilds, woodworking shows, Lie-Niesen events, craft fairs, etc.

Recently, I did find a U-Tuber** who had put a box-base with casters under a Work-Mate. This idea is intriguing, but is going to require some more thought and experimentation.

* Where did they hide the smiley-face with the evil grin and horns?

** Now, I need a Mr. Potato Head emoticon.

Re: Mobile Carving Bench, Pattern Maker's Vise

#5

Re: Mobile Carving Bench, Pattern Maker's Vise

William Duffield

I've been thinking about this a lot more. I agree the problems with footprint, size, mass, tripability and tipability are more or less easily addressed.

There is another set of design issues dealing with tool storage and display, etc., and I will keep looking for ideas for those.

The third, and I now realize is the biggest, issue, is vise and height adjustment interoperability. I have to get some pictures or drawings to illustrate this fully. Stay tuned.

👍 This page answered my questions

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