Lee Valley tail vise?

Re: Lee Valley tail vise?

Rob Lee

>Hi George -

It looks like January for that one... castings are all on order.

It will be a different style of tail vise (from current models anyway)...

There will be a quick release, and the vise will be bi-directional (ACME threads) - so it can apply force opening or closing.

Also - can be configured for right- or left-handed mounting...

Cheers -

Rob

Thanks Rob! (NM)

GAB

>

Re: Lee Valley tail vise?

ThomD

>And I hope it will allow dogs or something similar it's full length. I bought the original one and ended up not using it because, if I remember, it significantly reduced the useable length of the bench, which isn't a big problem on an 8 footer like mine, but even then I had a reason for making it 8'. I'm glad the concept is back again, it had a lot of good in it.

Re: Lee Valley tail vise?

JimZ

>Rob, I have one of your previous tail vices (the one with the quick release) which I haven't mounted yet. It seems like a wonderful vice, but was only available briefly. Was there an operational problem, or a manufacturing/marketing problem? I hope to install the vice soon, but, if there's a known problem with this one, I'll hold off for one of the new ones. Thanks, Jim

Re: Lee Valley tail vise?

ThomD

>The thing that stopped me from mounting it on one of my benches was that there weren't any dog holes except right at the jaw, if I recall. So if you have say a 7' bench, and install this vise you end up with effective clamping room of only 5.5'. Since a lot of folks don't have unlimited bench space that is a pretty big restriction, particularly on benches that are shorter than 7' to start with. I was planing on putting it on a Frid bench that was 5 feet, and 3.5 feet just wasn't enought for me.

The convenience of having an automatically adjustible mouth in the tail vise wasn't enough for me. The main thing I use thay vise for is stuff like tenons, and resawing where one doesn't open it up all that much, though it can be nice for drawers, but the Tucker vise I have is a catch-all for that size of stuff.

Tucker vise

Wiley Horne--So. Calif.

>Thom,

Could you give us a brief tutorial on the Tucker vise, and why it's good. My friend Konrad swears by his, but i can't visualize what all that capability does for you. Is the main thing that it's a great big industrial strength vise, or does the ability to rotate do a lot for you also?

Thanks, Wiley

Tucker vise availability *LINK*

Scott in Montana

>This may not be important, but the Tucker style vise is no longer available from Lee Valley.

But here's the link to Lee Valley's page.

Scott


Tucker vise

Re: Tucker vise - My dirty secret.

ThomD

>I suppose one could break it down into how it functions when used for squarish work, and how it functions when used for carving. I don't use it for the latter, because while I do a certain amount of curvy stuff, guitars, paddles, boats, etc... I try to never put anything curvy into the jaws (some of these things have flat bits I do clamp), or anything dirty. I have tried to maintain the quality of the cork faces as pristine as possible. I mention this because the rotational features are probably great and apparent for free form work, but I largely use mine for the squarish stuff.

Let's call propeller like motion "rotations", and movements that raise or lower the vise's lower edge relative to the upper edge "tilts"

I tend to use the rotation/tilt feature in 4 ways:

- I rotate the vise 90 deg to the right so I have a jaw that is either higher above the work surface to use, or to grab a piece that simply fits into this orientation better. Imagine you are doing dovetails (or tenons), you can put your drawer side in where it will get (?) 6"x13" of total contact in the jaws, and the upper edge will be 4-6" higher for support above the bench level, which reduces stooping, and cutting into the bench. Compare that to any 3 bar vise fixed in horizontal, you get only a few inches of purchase from the side.

- I tilt the jaw 90 degrees up from the bench so the jaw is parallel to the floor, this could be combined with a rotation of the vise to orient the jaw north-south, east west. In this position it holds some stuff really well, like a guitar neck, that I want to hold but work on out from the bench and in a flat orientation. But where I find this tilt most useful is it allows me to attach workboards to the bench to do detail work on marquetry or soundboards that need to be quickly and firmly attached to the bench, yet I have the whole bench free to work on also. Like a kitchen with a good work triangle, except in this case a work "L". In a production setting, or when working on different projects at the same time (guilty), you can swap in or out these specialty workboards as the work flows.

- I do partial tilts of the vise while holding say, a seat bottom. This allows me to use a brace with a level jig, and drill angles with the accuracy of a drill press, yet using the kinds of bits one prefers for chairs. I have a drill press but in 20-30 years of owning it I never tilted the table because it was pinned dead nuts, and I liked to know it was always where I wanted it for a square hole.

- I also use the rotation feature if I want to hold something like dovetails at an angle so the cuts fall straight down. I rarely do that, but it can be convenient.

Mostly it is just an excellent vise. I probably do 90% of any work that is of the right size for it, in the vise. The workbench attached to it is pretty secondary. I started fly tying 35 years ago, and have had flies in commercials etc... I prize a vise that is parallel, holds with the most grip with the least force. A good measure is can you hold something in the vise, tie on it (or saw etc...), yet move the piece to a new position without having to loosen or tighten the piece. That is a good vise. The T does that because of the clean geometry, and the parallel working mechanism, and the cork faces. Or it can do it with the rotation feature. It is a cut above any other woodworking vises.

I like the Tucker, but my bias is towards wooden vises, but the Tucker is largely superior to them. If you get a Tucker you will find ways in which it is indispensable, immediately. If you are considering any woodworking purchase in that ballpark, buy a Tucker

with that money first.

If you are already set up with benches and vises, the margin of improvement in a Tucker will be smaller. The main thing is to have a vise and other workholding. At the other extreme you can do a lot of stuff with stops and all that jazz, or special fixtures. This is where a Tucker shines. The guy who feels a vise is just too much trouble, and he might want to go the Roubo route, etc... That guy could also reach for a plainly better vise.

One thing about the tucker is that it is somewhat aside from the bench, not organic to it. I have wondered at times whether the real hot set-up would be to pedestal mount the Tucker, and not use it in conjunction with the bench at all, but as a satellite to it. I probably won't bother to experiment with it since it is built into my bench. I have pattern maker knock off that I might try that with.

OK my dirty secret. I am a guy who has difficulty keeping surfaces clear. Good news is I don't normally put stuff on the Tucker, and 90% of the time, it is all the workholding I need.

Re: Tucker vise availability

ThomD

>All the more reason to buy one now!! Uhh...

Re: Tucker vise *LINK*

Phil Smith

>My understanding was that the Tucker vise was modern relatively inexpensive patternmaker's vise. There is a good site with a type study for the Emmert Patternmaker's. See link below.

CS Machinery sell a modern copy of th Emmert vise called the Hopewell Vise, but they are pricey.

http://pa.local.yahoo.biz/csmachinery/services.html


The Iron Hand

Re: Tucker vise

ThomD

>"My understanding was that the Tucker vise was modern relatively inexpensive patternmaker's vise."

It is obviously influenced by the Emmert, but I would guess they didn't have pattern makers as a priciple market. It has several important features the Emmert lacks, like the flush mounting, rotation, and quick release. All in all it is more at home in the sophisticated environment of a cabinetmaker, rather than an industrial setting. Sorta like the difference between the Beismeyer fence and the alloy models that followed from Delta and others. Something one buys for others to use, VS. something one buys for oneself.

Re: Lee Valley tail vise?

Rob Lee

>Hi Jim -

If I remember that one correctly (quick release version), that was an issue with a munufacturer, and not one of quality. I'd be glad to buy it back from you, should you wish to wait and see the quick release vise we have coming just after Christmas, and decide to go for that one...

Cheers -

Rob

Re: Tucker vise - My dirty secret.

Rob Lee

>Wow -

What a great wrire-up! Can you please post it several years ago, when we were stil able to make the vise?

Thanks....

Rob

;)

Re: Tucker vise - My dirty secret.

ThomD

>I know, finaly I am thinking here is a product I can add a review for, and of course it turns out to be discontinued. :(

One vise - many virtues

Alex Grigoriev

>

Rob/Thom--Tucker ?'s

Kevin Adams

>Rob--

I was fortunate enough to get what I believe was the "last" Tucker. After I read that they were being discontinued, I emailed customer service to ask if they didn't by chance have one laying around somewhere. A few weeks went by and not hearing anything, I gave up. Then one day I came home from work and my wife told me there was an odd message on the answering machine...someone from LV about somebody named "Tucker". Well, the rest was history as they say--thanks to your excellent CS folks!

Here are my questions: I'm finally getting around to mounting it on a bench and am back and forth as to whether to put it on the front or use it as an end vice. The quick release function makes it an ideal candidate as an end vice where I would have full access to all its rotational features, but also be able to use it to clamp boards between dogs. What are your thoughts? In addition, my bench is a slab top with no end cap--will the Tucker mount securely enough in the end grain or should I reinforce the end with a cap so I am screwing it into face grain? I'd rather keep it simple with the slab and no cap if I can.

Thanks for your great service and any advice on the above.

Kevin

I have an Emmert clone as an end vise

Alan DuBoff

>I have an Emmert clone on the end of my bench, and I use it all the time. I couldn't think of not having it there, it just makes sense to me. The tucker is nicer for that spot as it has quick release, but still, I don't find the Emmert clone to be any problems at all.

I think it depends on how you work, and without knowing I really can't say that it would work for you or not.

I often work off the front right corner of my bench, with work that is not flat. Great for handle making, and other carving type work.

I have a twin-screw on the front of the bench.

Re: Rob/Thom--Tucker ?'s

Rob Lee

>Hi Kevin -

I'll defer to Thom on preference observations, as mine's still in the box too...

I can say that I have never heard or an issue with mounting it either way!

Cheers -

Rob

Thanks, Alan (and Rob)...

Kevin Adams

>I am thinking exactly the same, twin screw in front and Tucker on the end. I have both vices already and they are going on a L-N Charlesworth-style bench. The reason I ask is because the Tucker does not have the metal plate inset in the top of the bench. I haven't fully studied the directions yet, but the Tucker simply screws in to the face of the bench, so I was wondering if screwing a 50lb vice into end grain would give enough holding strength. Of course, it does have a bracket that mounts underneath the bench as well, but I am still wondering if it would be better to put a cap on the end of my bench slab.

I need to study the direction further. I'm sure there are many others who have mounted it as an end vice, so perhaps I'll run a separate thread to see if anyone has done so into the end grain of the top with no reinforcement.

Thanks again.

Kevin

Re: Thanks, Alan (and Rob)...

Alan DuBoff

>I can't imagine there being a problem, as the Tucker is lighter than the Emmert clone. I didn't inset mine completely in the end, because it functions for little value if you do. Most people inset the rear jaw into the bench when they are going to use it as a face vice, so that the rear jaw is flush with the bench and in turn can hold a board flat, say for planing.

However, when placed on the end of the bench, the vise doesn't serve that purpose.

The Tucker is a fairly easy installation in comparison to the Emmert clone in the sense of how much material needs to be removed to get it installed.

Of all the benches from LN, the Charlesworth bench seems to be the best design, IMO. Bob Lang's bench is similar, twin-screw on the front, quick release on the end, and 2 slabs for the top.

Cheers,

Alan

Re: Thanks, Alan (and Rob)...

Kevin Adams

>Alan, thanks again for the input and encouragement.

I agree about the Charlesworth bench. I think it's a great value when you get right down to it. I am actually doing a variation of Bob Lang's bench in that I had them set the slabs up flush with the legs and I asked them to leave out the sliding tool well. I will build sliding tool boxes like Bob did as I think that's a great design (although Jameel's new set-up is even better IMHO--that's for the next bench!).

I am also going to put the twin screw on the front (although mine is the L-N version, their first 24" between centers model they made--very sweet and simple to install), and the Tucker on the end.

Take care,

Kevin

Charlesworth bench is a decent value!

Alan DuBoff

>RE: Charlesworth bench value

I agree, although the Roubo bench they offer looks like a better bench all around, you will have better vises on a bench that is just about as functional, at about half the price. I'm not very crazy about the vise setup on the Roubo benches with a single leg vise, and the wagon vise seems like a marginally useful vise for me. The pattern maker's vise is great on the end.

One of the things I point out to people that comment on it being in an odd position at the end of the bench, is that...when I was building my bench I was studying various benches that folks had built, and I realized that Sam Maloof used his Emmert on the end of his bench, to work non-flat work. Having the handle on the right side for a right handed person makes sense to me, it is very natural to operate. It is one of the most useful vises I have (since it's a tool, maybe I should call it a vice?;-), and is invaluable to do saw handles. I have also used it as a poor man's stitching horse by skewing the jaws and turning it on end, works ok to stitch small pieces of leather.

I also adapted a wheel to my Emmert clone, let me see if I have a picture that I can add to this post. Yes, found one.

You can also see I added 1/4" thick leather (16oz) to the jaws. I think the Tucker has cork, though, so you probably won't need to do that.

I saw Jameel is offering his latest Roubo with a single leg vise for $3200 (the one he's taking to WIA), not a bad deal consider the quality of the bench. Someone could get a really nice bench there.

I do like having the twin-screw on the front of mine, but I must admit that I think the double leg vise is the bee's knees, that is really a slick setup, and can handle just about any size piece of work.

Of all the benches LN offers, the Charlesworth bench is the best value, IMO, for what you get. The fact that it has a flush front on it makes it look very usable. The Roubo even more so, but at almost 3x the price, well...:-/

Cheers,

Alan

Re: Tucker/Emmert vise *LINK*

Pam Niedermayer, Austin, TX

>Say, how do you Tucker/Emmert users think the vise below stands up? Or the LV carver's bench (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=31153&cat=1,41637 )?

Pam


StewMac Ultimate vise

Re: Tucker/Emmert vise

Marv

>Pam,

Thanks for the post...

Looks like a very versitile vise, also the guitar repair vise. Talk about easy mounting to your bench. The adjustable floor stand is a great idea too. Someone has been doing some thinking outside the box.

I think I'll buy the guitar repair vise. Only $136. And I can pick it up without the use of a forklift.

Marv