New Record Vise
The thread about Record getting out of the vise business finally moved me to purchase one. Been making do for 13 years w/clever use of clamps & whatnot, figured that this was finally the excuse (but honey, it will be collectible....).
Anyhow, Lee Valley was the only place I could still find them... Got the big honking 53e, which is even bigger in person than in the picture - what a soul-satisfying mass of metal.....
I'm in the process of mounting it. I'm guessing the deal is to get it as close to a corner as feasible. What I'm wondering, although it is a little too late now since I already did some surgery, is how far beneath the top of the bench should the tops of the jaws be? I rather arbitrarily chose 1/4", since that puts the dog in the down position a smidge below the bench top. The wood pads will be flush w/benchtop.
What kind/thickness of wood do people favor for jaw lining? Hard maple seems like it might mar softer woods, but might stand up to a lot of abuse (I have a disturbing tendency to do mechanical work on my bench during bicycling season).
Anyhow, I haven't used it yet, since mounting is not complete, but it sure is a nice looking piece piece of metal.
Jay