Workbench vise thumbscrew detail

[Mark Singer]

With all the recent intrest by members in handtools, I have been getting several bench questions. I quess it is in several of the photos. A good bench is the most important tool in the shop. It is your best friend and helper and I would try to buy or make a good one that will serve you for many years. You end up using it far more than any tool in the shop. Get one that is substanial enough for both big and small projects. My front vise has an unusual feature. There is a large tumbscrew that bears against the back jaw allowing pressure to be concentrated on the workpiece on the other side. For years I would just add a piece of wood to the other side, but you sometimes need 3 hands! This is a good idea and keeps work from shifting. I also added some fine sandpaper (peel and stick) to the jaws.

[Jim Becker]

I missed this little detail on my visit, Mark. What a great idea--the juggling you elude to is real when trying to hold the workpiece, crank the crank and hold the spacer block on the other side. While you can make lipped blocks for "standard" thicknesses of material, more and more projects use the "plane it until it looks nice" method of thicknessing, resulting in sizes that just don't work well with pre-configured spacers. I wonder how much trouble it would be to retrofit something like this?? :D

[Mark Singer]

Jim.

I am sure it could be done. I have never seen one before even on the high end Ulmia. I would get a metal shop to make a thick plate that is threaded and mortise it a litle passed flush with the jaw face. Then drill a hole on the oter face for the allthread. The plate and allthread should be welded, since only the thumbscrew turns. And yeah...you must come back there is more stuff I didn't share ...you know, so you would need a reason:D