Need Vise Advice

[Brad Holst]

I finally am getting around to finishing my first workbench and need advice on vises. I have a vintage Littletown vise that I picked up at a garage sale 10 years ago but am debating whether to buy a quick release vise such as this one from LV: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=54873&cat=1,41659,41661&ap=1

To install the Littletown I would probably rout into the side of the bench top to inset the back jaw plate and then cover with the apron (or skirt or border or whatever you call it). I think this would make this an irreversible setup. Here are a couple pics:
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo71/Sprucely/Workbench/IMG_0013_1.jpg

http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo71/Sprucely/Workbench/IMG_0001_1.jpg

In general, what are the pros and cons of the Littletown type of vise with metal jaws versus the "other" type? I think I am going to have quite a few questions on the setup of the bench...if you have ANY recommendations on any bench setup issue, I would like to hear it.

[Ron Petley]

Put new woos on both sides of the vice and you will be good to go.

[glenn bradley]

I have a couple QR vises on my bench and a couple LV non-QR under it waiting to go on. I do use the QR feature now and again but I purposely deprived myself of it as a test and did not miss it much. I primarily use my vises to operate dogs but do use them for direct gripping when mortising. Either operation only requires a few spins of the handle. I would be tempted to bury the rear jaw of your used vise and put a front jaw on it that will hold dogs and rock on.

[Jim Koepke]

If for some reason in the future, an upgrade was wanted, just turn the bench 180° and put the new vice on the new face.

With some new wood on the moving face and the bench skirt as the fixed face, this looks like it will be a good vice.

Have fun,

jim

[Ken Garlock]

Hello Brad, and welcome to the creek. Do jump in and wade around often.:)

Last year I built a bench from scratch. I had a Record 53 ED vise on hand that I had bought about 4 years earlier. My solution was to flip the top over with the good side down. I then got out the De Walt router and cut a mortise that would make the rear jaw of the vise fit flush with the side of the top. In the case of the the Record vise, I had to shim the under-mount to make the top edge of the vise flush with the bench top. The vise is hung in place with four lag bolts. I then applied a 2" thick apron around all four sides of the bench using glued spines.

If I were you, I would take some time and clean up the Littletown vise. It looks to be a solidly made vise, so go ahead and use it. I have the quick release on the Record vise, and I find that I seldom use it.

See thread http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=95115 for a couple pictures of the finished bench. (scroll down the page,a little over half, until you find my pictures.)

[RickT Harding]

Is the plan for this to be the one vise on the bench? I just installed my QR vise on the end of mine and mortised it into the end. One note, you want to make sure you ship it so the top of the vise is a bit below the top of the bench. It'll give you more depth, but also gives you room the flatten the bench over time without having to move the vise.

This chop is an old one and the bench it a little bit above it. I think I have 1.5" above the vise.

Here's a pic of my vise in the bench in progress:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8YQqLnYnmJ8/SqMa_-1d_2I/AAAAAAAA1M4/aFjI6WhXo3M/s400/IMG_2276.JPG

Rest of the bench pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/deuce868/Workbench

[Dennis Ryan]

Good looking bench. I am a little jealous!

On the topic of quick vs non quick release vises. I have used Record vises (and the Anant ones that use the same molds) and although they are excellent vises in every other way, I find the quick release action cumbersome, especially when the threads get dirty. I happen to own a Jorgensen QR vise, and I think it is excellent. The recent May/June FWW has a review of vices, including the Anant (Record), Jorgensen, and LV.

Dennis

[Tony Zaffuto]

I would go with the vintage Littlestown. Clean it up a bit, coat of new paint and new wood and you're golden! Use it as your front vise. Then, if you need to spend some cash, pick up one of the smaller LV QR for the shoulder.

[Brad Holst]

Thanks for all the replies and the welcome advice. Y'all have sold me on using the old Littletown vise. Besides the visual argument, the need to flatten the bench top is another good reason for not flushing the rear jaw with the bench top...I didn't think of that.

Regarding one question, this is the only vise planned so far, but I would like add some kind of end vise.

For the front and rear aprons (aside from the face of the rear vise jaw), I am debating on how tall/deep to make them. Do most folks make them the thickness of the bench top for easier clamping? I was thinking of just doing that then flaring them towards the ends to match the taller end aprons...Pros and cons?

[RickT Harding]

Actually, the way I'm doing mine is to have a large 16" tall front apron. This way I can pop it with holes for work holding up/down across the thing. You lose the clamp attachment method, but I can't see the need once everything it put together. It's kind of like the first bench made in Chris Schwartz's workbenches book.