Matt Evans
09-30-2010, 12:15 AM
I threw a twin screw vise together when setting up my new dining roo. . .I mean. . shop. . .
I figured that I might as well make it bolt to the bench since I had some small wooden threaded bolts. That would have been a good idea, but there needs to be one (at least) coming up from the bottom into the vice. As is it tends to rock a little. This might not be a problem for people who used larger stock on theirs, but I used what was on hand, so the cleat is only 7/8" thick, maybe a bit shy of that.
Aside from that the vise works great. I love the versatility I get from it.
A few design notes. . . The way I built it I can rack the jaws a lot and still have it hold. It will rack in any direction at least 7 degrees, much more side to side. I can't say that I did this entirely on purpose, but that was the result.
I drilled the holes for a larger size threaded rod, then realized that
A. I didn't have any that size, and
B. I can't make any that size until I get my lathe set up again or build a router jig.
So, I simply made square nuts for the back and rigged the screws to pass through. As I was doing so I noticed the benefits of the slop (racking), so I drilled the holed for the screws hubs at a slight angle, giving a degree of eccentricity to accentuate the racking. Now I can hold angled pieces with no trouble at all, whether it is horizontal or vertical.
Of course, once the lather is set up, I plan on turning the right sized dowels for the holes I drilled, and making it properly, but am thinking that I may make the hole in the front chop oval to give me that very handy angle clamping with no jigs.
A few pictures of the vice, and vice versatility. . .
I figured that I might as well make it bolt to the bench since I had some small wooden threaded bolts. That would have been a good idea, but there needs to be one (at least) coming up from the bottom into the vice. As is it tends to rock a little. This might not be a problem for people who used larger stock on theirs, but I used what was on hand, so the cleat is only 7/8" thick, maybe a bit shy of that.
Aside from that the vise works great. I love the versatility I get from it.
A few design notes. . . The way I built it I can rack the jaws a lot and still have it hold. It will rack in any direction at least 7 degrees, much more side to side. I can't say that I did this entirely on purpose, but that was the result.
I drilled the holes for a larger size threaded rod, then realized that
A. I didn't have any that size, and
B. I can't make any that size until I get my lathe set up again or build a router jig.
So, I simply made square nuts for the back and rigged the screws to pass through. As I was doing so I noticed the benefits of the slop (racking), so I drilled the holed for the screws hubs at a slight angle, giving a degree of eccentricity to accentuate the racking. Now I can hold angled pieces with no trouble at all, whether it is horizontal or vertical.
Of course, once the lather is set up, I plan on turning the right sized dowels for the holes I drilled, and making it properly, but am thinking that I may make the hole in the front chop oval to give me that very handy angle clamping with no jigs.
A few pictures of the vice, and vice versatility. . .