Vise for semi-portable workbench

Re: Vise for semi-portable workbench

Darrell in Oakville

>I have a semi-portable workbench that used to have my first lathe mounted on it. The base is home center 2-by stock with threaded rod holding it together. The top is a 14 X 48 inch hunk of 8/4 pine. I didn't bother with anything heavier because the bench had to be light enough for me to move it around by myself. To make up for being so light I have 50 pounds of sand in platic containers. These sit in the bottom of the base and work quite well stabilizing the bench. When I'm working outside I have two dog stakes that screw into the ground and ratchet tie-down straps that hook to the ends of the bench. This holds everything down really well, and no need to carry all those buckets of sand...

But you were asking about a vise. I used an old leg vise I bought at auction for $2. An iron screw and a mystery-wood jaw (never cleaned it up enough to identify the wood). The leg vise provides lots of clamping capacity for very little weight. Don't discount this style of vise.

I also bored some holdfast holes in the bench top, and put a planing stop at the far end.

Darrell

Wood Hoarder, Blade Sharpener, and Occasional Tool User

Re: Vise for semi-portable workbench

Dan Moening in Sacramento

>Alice Frampton (aka ALF) built a "mini bench" that has intrigued me since I first saw it.

She utilized hand cut, threaded screws:

http://www.cornishworkshop.co.uk/benchraiser.html

I think it's a great idea that I plan to make for myself. To date I've purchased the thread box, and have assembled the wood...

Re: Vise for semi-portable workbench

Greg B�tit, Vergennes VT

>I agree that a leg vise seems to be just the ticket for a portable bench. One side of the vise can be one of the legs.

Or the whole vise could be fastened to the bench with hefty carriage bolts and wing nuts. I've been toying with this idea for bringing chairmaking demonstrations on the road- only I'd be fastening the leg vise to the end of an overbuilt shaving horse.

greg

Re: Vise for semi-portable workbench

Ernie Miller

>it is going to come dow to what you are going to use the bench for. I think the best bprotable bench I have see was just a simple beam on legs with dog holes and some hold fast's. if you will be cutting alot of DT's you could use some simple clamps Like kevin or I added to our bench you can look down at the threads over the last couple weeks for pictures. if you need a more traditional vice I would consider a leg vice just for weight and a board jack. There are more questions than answers to your question.

Yes, and add a crochet on the other end.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Re: Vise for semi-portable workbench

Doug Littlejohn

>Once I saw this bench, I decided it would be a great first bench for me. It can be moved around, at least much easier than a full size bench.

However, it is large enough to be able to do some serious hand tool work. I figured it would be a great first serious project that would serve me well in the years ahead and give me some good hand tool experience.

This weekend I finished the legs and feet. I have the top all laminated up ( I went way over board here and it is 4 inches thick, I may have to counter bore from the back to give the holdfasts about 2-1/2 so they will grip). I have sawed the DT lines on one end and have to saw the others and then chop and pare to fit the legs. Then I can dry fit that all together and get the final dimensions for the strectcher.

Anyway, I though I would share this idea with this thread as I was so struck as to the usefullness of this small bench.

BTW - I am using this project to be a complete neander. Sawing through 4 inches of maple is not easy, but all the chopping for the DTs and the mortises in the feet ahs been fun.

When I am done, I will post. meanwhile, here is the link.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=38637

Don't add a vise; Instead...

Patrick Gibbons, Houston, TX

>If you look in the ShopNotes, no. 30 (November, 1996), pp.16-23, you will see an article on building a small but sturdy bench that is ideal for small spaces and would probably work for portability. It has two built-in vises that are integral to the bench. One works on the same principal as a blacksmith's vise and the other is the same as what is found on a shopmate. I've been meaning to build it myself since 1996 and now that I have two young boys it makes even more sense to do so. It's worth a look if only for ideas.

Cool little bench, thanks for sharing!

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>

Re: Don't add a vise; Instead...

Paul Erickson

>Any idea where I can get a copy of that article? Can't seem to find one locally.

cheers, Paul

Re: Don't add a vise; Instead... *LINK*

Patrick Gibbons, Houston, TX

>Take a look at the plans that ShopNotes has for sale. They have this bench and many others, including a portable one. Hope this helps.


ShopNotes Bench Plans

Re: Vise for semi-portable workbench

Tom in Central PA

>Thanks for the info you�ve given � it�s very helpful!

Ernie Miller asks what I will be using the bench for. I�ll have to give a longish answer to that. I�m an intermediate or beginning woodworker. I retired from the faculty at Penn State Univ. and from running a small business. Currently, I do everything from kitchen cabinets to pencil boxes for gifts. I was all set to retreat to the shop for the foreseeable future, but my wife is much younger (just 55) and healthier than me, and she is ready for a new adventure. She is a finalist for a job at a religious community elsewhere in Pennsylvania. That community has a woodshop with the major tools, so I won�t need a big shop. But there is a limit to how much community I need, and I�d like to have a place to work where I�d be alone, with nobody around who uses chisels for something other than wood. If that job doesn�t work out, we�ll be looking for other adventures. At home I have a workshop in the basement, but I�d like to be able to do fussy work, especially handwork, in a room with a real window. So I�m thinking about something quite flexible, and able to be knocked down and stored easily.

I�m thinking about making something intermediate between my overbuilt construction-lumber bench and my Workmate, with a top perhaps 24 x 36 or 24 x 42. I�m planning to have a variety of ways to hold work, including round dog holes, a front vise, possibly a �wagon vise� like that discussed by Chris Schwarz�s Woodworking blog and on this forum (and in the new ShopNotes magazine), and something along the lines of what Ernie, Todd O and Kevin use for dovetails. Grizzly sells a 24 x 36 x 1.75 laminated maple top for a very reasonable price, and I might use that.

I have thought about a bench-top bench like the one in a fairly recent FWW or the one of ALF�s that Dan Moening in Sacramento mentions, to put on top of my semi-portable bench. This would get the dovetails up to where my old eyes see better.

I�m intrigued by Jr. Strasil�s bench, but it, like the bench mentioned by Darrell in Oakville, seem too narrow (front to back) for some of what I want to do.

The small workbench from ShopNotes #30, mentioned by Patrick Gibbons, has intrigued me, and I�m considering something about that size, but the #30 bench doesn�t seem to lend itself to being knocked down for storage. Also, I�ll be keeping my Workmate, so I don�t especially need more of that sort of clamping.

Thanks again for all the help. I�ll post more when I finish something.

Re: Don't add a vise; Instead...

Paul Erickson

>Thanks very much.