Scot Ferraro
08-30-2009, 1:33 PM
Hi everyone,
I have been building a maple bench -- the top and legs, etc... are all complete and I am ready to work on installing the vises. I am planning on a twin-screw for the face vise and a Jorgensen quick-release for an end vise. My top is 3 5/8 inch thick hard-maple (it has been flattened). My question is on the end vise -- if I install it to the bottom, the top of the cast-iron jaws are going to be 1 1/2 inches below the top of the wood. Should I mortise the rear jaw into the top and then apply leather or something to the faces? Or, should I install with the rear jaw against the top and then install an apron with a mortise to cover the jaw and screw that across the width (kind of like the FW article from a few years ago)? Should I also route out a square section to accomodate the bottom of the vise and move the jaws closer to the top? Maybe it does not even matter. I am going to install a chop on the front jaw roughly 13 - 14 inches long by 4 inches wide and I can make the chop wide enough to plane down so that it is level with the top (regardless of where the iron jaws end up being mounted). Obviously not mortising anything and building a wood apron would be the easiest install, but would it work well?
So, what would you do? BTW, the bench is based on the Holtzapffel design.
Thanks!
Scot
I have been building a maple bench -- the top and legs, etc... are all complete and I am ready to work on installing the vises. I am planning on a twin-screw for the face vise and a Jorgensen quick-release for an end vise. My top is 3 5/8 inch thick hard-maple (it has been flattened). My question is on the end vise -- if I install it to the bottom, the top of the cast-iron jaws are going to be 1 1/2 inches below the top of the wood. Should I mortise the rear jaw into the top and then apply leather or something to the faces? Or, should I install with the rear jaw against the top and then install an apron with a mortise to cover the jaw and screw that across the width (kind of like the FW article from a few years ago)? Should I also route out a square section to accomodate the bottom of the vise and move the jaws closer to the top? Maybe it does not even matter. I am going to install a chop on the front jaw roughly 13 - 14 inches long by 4 inches wide and I can make the chop wide enough to plane down so that it is level with the top (regardless of where the iron jaws end up being mounted). Obviously not mortising anything and building a wood apron would be the easiest install, but would it work well?
So, what would you do? BTW, the bench is based on the Holtzapffel design.
Thanks!
Scot