Veritas® Quick-Release Sliding Tail Vise?

[Dan Karachio]

Sorry if this is already covered (I did search), but has anyone else see this? Better yet, does someone have one? I think it's pretty clever. I'm guessing some might think this is cheating and avoiding paying ones dues..., but instead of concentrating only on "easy to install" it has other design ideas - primarily quick release for a tail vice and the two position positive stop. Good for Veritas - always thinking and applying clever design. I think one may be in my future!

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=65746&cat=1,41659

http://www.leevalley.com/US/images/item/Woodworking/Clamps/05g3001s8.jpg

[David Weaver]

Looks functional and quick to install. I don't see any cheating there, especially if you feel like it would fit your work style.

There was a discussion about it here and everywhere else a few weeks ago (months?). Haven't seen any scuttle from anyone who got one, though.

I like the way it looks, especially with the sensible install.

[Andrae Covington]

Link (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=146930) to thread discussing it about a month ago.

[Hank Knight]

Dan,

Konrad Sauer has an interesting write up with photos of the new vise on his blog http://sauerandsteiner.blogspot.com/ (scroll down to avoid the plane porn).

Hank

[Dhananjay Nayakankuppam]

Short version. Got one and installed it. Installation was fairly straightforward and it works fine. It's a luxury for me after working without vises for a long time.

Long version. It is designed for benches that are banded by an apron in the front and it requires a chunk of real estate on the bottom of the bench without interference from the legs etc. I had a bench with a pretty thin maple top (a little over 1.5") - far from perfect perfect but I got it cheap. The top sat on angle iron legs with the front legs recessed a bit from the front end. Not the most stable of benches by any stretch of imagination but it has let me get work done. I drilled some 3/4" holes and put in some planing stops and holdfasts and got on with it. The biggest drawback was the difficulty working boards on edge. I'd been thinking of kludging a solution for the working on edge problem by extending the top a bit and making a couple of extra legs flush with that edge that could also accommodate a deadman.

When I read about this vise, it seemed like a perfect confluence of the stars. I needed to build out the front edge of my existing bench to get enough uninterrupted real estate for the vise, which also allowed me to make my vise chop with square dogholes and cut a bunch of square dogholes in the new apron I made for the bench. I also made a couple of legs flush with the new apron and installed a deadman. So, I have this weird 6 legged mongrel beast, a sort of spider mated with a water buffalo creature. As odd as a clockwork orange, but it works.

Once all of that was done, the installation of the vise was very straightforward. The instructions are clear but it is worth going over them a couple of times, especially if your bench thickness is different from what is there in the instructions etc. My apron thickness was different from that in the figure and I messed up the counter boring once - basically, it's straightforward but there is scope for making a hash of things if you're tired/not paying attention.

I've been using the vise for a couple of weeks or so now. It is very cleverly designed. I like the square dogholes and having them near the front edge of the bench where I think they belong. Having dogholes in the front of the bench apron allows lots of clamping possibilities for working stuff on edge. Compared to my old setup, the following activities have become much, much easier - sawing tenons, planing edges of boards especially wide ones, sawing dovetails, using a plow plane, using any fenced plane. It is actually working well enough that I think I may not need a leg vise/front vise.

The vise is solid, the quick release feature is nice, installation is straightforward. It is well thought out. Will it sag in the future? I don't know - I've only had it a couple of weeks but I am pleased with it. Let me know if you would like more details....

Cheers, DJ

[Tony Zaffuto]

It is on my "buy" list! I need to replace the top on my bench one of these days and when I do, that vise will be purchased.

I have an apron on the front of my bench and I like the use of it, so adding that vise will fit right in.

[Mike Zilis]

I got to play with this vise today at the Lee Vally/Veritas booth at WIA. I had a feeling when it was originally announced that it would be a good fit for me but after actually laying hands on it, there's no doubt. Two things really jump out at you; it's rock solid and the action is super smooth. I will hopefully be ordering one soon.

-Mike

[Tony Shea]

I also have been eyeballing this thing for a month or so. It is at the top of my list of tools to buy, before any other tool. It really will fit my needs well and be a good fit for my already built bench that does not have a tail vise. I really run into situations where a tail vise would accomplish a task better than any other option. I while back I bought a Veritas bench pup to act as a small tail vise temporarily. But now that this thing has come about I really have no more excuses why I don't have one. Chalk this tool up as some more incredible inovations over at Lee Valley.