Workbench LV twin screw vise

Re: Workbench LV twin screw vise

Wiley Horne--Glendora CA

>Hi Mike,

Just a construction note on the 16-7/8" versus 24" on-center spread of the Twin Screw vise. As a preliminary, by removing links from the bicycle chain, you can set the screws just about any distance apart up to 16-7/8" or 24".

But here's what I wanted to say. Each of those screws is passing through a large nut, which has a 3" wide flange. These nuts are let into the rear jaw, so in planning the installation, you will have to figure out how much room you have between posts to fit the vise into. The total width of the vise assembly is the center-to-center spread of the screws, plus 1-1/2" additional on either side of the screw centerlines, to accommodate the nuts. So getting down to cases, if you want to mount the screws 16-7/8" apart OC, you will need a bare minimum distance of 16-7/8" + 3" = 19-7/8", say 20" of clearspan between the inside faces of the posts that are holding the bench up.

If you want to mount the screws 24" apart OC, you will need 27+" of clearspan between the inside faces of the posts. That would work out to be a very wide bench.

I would suggest, in planning that end vise, to start by drawing the bench to scale in side view (looking in from the end), showing the top and the supporting structure underneath, and you'll be able to figure out how much latitude you have in placing the vise screws. Ultimately, you will probably end up designing the bench around the vises, so it's never too early to start making sketches and figuring out where the key constraints are going to be in your particular situation.

Wiley

Re: Workbench LV twin screw vise

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>If your top is 23", I see no need to get the 24" center vice. After all only the chain is longer. As far as a 7" face vice, I guess it depends on what you need your bench (and vice) to do. Will it fit your needs? That's all that matters. Good luck!

Re: Workbench LV twin screw vise

William Duffield on the Cohansey

>I think the wider vise also has longer cast aluminum chain cover.

LV bench legs

Bill Leffingwell,Hot springs Va

>I built a new bench about 5 years ago and used the LV legs.I used 2 2x8 oak boards for stretchers and built a heavy oak tray on top of it.It is a handy place to store power hand tools,also could be used for sand bags if the bench needed more weight.I have been very happy with setup.It is alot faster than building a base and the cost is little more than the the cost of a hardwood base materials.I'm very pleased with the legs.

Re: LV bench legs

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>Bill pretty much described my experience, though my tray holds big planes. I love these legs and also use them on a lathe bench I built.

Don't skip on using massive stretchers, though some of the soft woods will actually have better compression characteristics than hardwoods. I suggest making the stretchers into an enclosed box (just plywood covers will do, though you can get fancy about this). Then you can fill the box with DRY sand. It will lower the center of gravity slightly, and will surpress the ringing sound that can occur from the tension rod vibrating from blows transmitted down from the top. If you don't want to go the box or sand route, then fitting some hard rubber wedges betweent the stretchers and the tension rod will also dampen the vibrations and resulting "bonk".

Aesthetically I think they make for a very classy looking bench. Functionally they are very rigid and with good stretchers, make for a very stable bench. Practically, they take far less time to install than making up a wooden base.

Re: Workbench LV twin screw vise

Adam Cherubini, NJ

>Regardless of the design of your bench or vise system, here's what I think:

The widest carass I've ever built is approx 20" wide. Working the old fashioned way as I do, its likley that's one or two wide boards.

Being able to clamp an 18-20" wide board in a twin screw vise is a serious advantage. A little cup can be clamped out, and it makes marking and sawing dovetails much easier.

I'm at a loss to provide sensible recommendations. I agree that a 30" wide bench is excessive and brings its own problems. We see big twin screw face vises, both left and right side, on period benches, but I'm not sure how convenient it would be to remove that vise in particular, and what you'd do for a tail vise then.

When we look at period benches (well, all of us but Scott Landis) we see several features in common. Their benches were long, probably 9'. 18th century rarely had tail vises. Flush aprons, or flush front legs, drilled for pegs or holdfasts (undoubtedly for jointing) are common. A hook or "crochet" was most typical in lieu of a face vise. A single planing stop and a few holdfast holes were strategically located on the tops.

A few holdfasts, a few clamps, and a little ingenuity, make it difficult to find a task these benches can't do well. As we increasingly depart from the traditional set-ups, one can only wonder if we aren't losing something.

Okay, I talked myself into it: Maybe you should think about putting that vise, max width, in your preferred face vise position. Just make sure you leave provisions for edge jointing. Maybe a wide drilled continuous apron ala Williamsburg (Peter Nicholoson's 1812 bench). I wonder if you could get an extra set of nuts from Rob Lee? Then you could move that puppy. Hmmm,

Just thinking out loud here,

Adam

Between the posts?

Tony Shaftel

>Maybe I misunderstand but need the posts be so close to the end of the bench that they interfere with the vise?

Recently I asked LV about this and received this response, which may or may not be helpful:

"Thank you for your inquiry. We have measured our own Veritas Workbench with Twin-Screw Vise (05G12.21) and can provide the following information.

"In our case the jaw liners are 2" each and the skirt is 1-1/2". In our scenario the screws extend 11" under the table. We installed our table legs 12" back from the skirt at both ends of our large bench slab and it is very stable.

"In our case, our jaws and skirt add up to 5-1/2" with 11" of screw extending for a total screw length of 17 - �"."

Good point

Wiley Horne--Glendora CA

>Tony,

You're right. I am making the assumption that the posts will not be placed a foot inboard of the rear jaw of the vise. So what I said is not necessarily the case.

However. I am a strong believer in direct support all along the front edge of the bench, so that there is 'deep mass' all along that edge, and that's where I'm coming from. You've done a good service in pointing out that that's not the only choice that can be made, based on LV's own testimony.

Wiley