Wagon Vise finally works properly

[Bob Jones]

Note - if you want a wagon vise, buy the benchcrafted. I have not used one, but they come highly recommended and it will save you some time. Anyway, I built my own and I finally have it tuned up right.
I easily had it working ok, but every time I tightened it up it lifted the board off the bench about 1/16in. That made planning difficult. It was aggrivating. The two things that really made it work properly was making the moving block sit a bit under the height of the work bench. This way when I tighten it up, it lifts a bit but not above the benchtop. 2 - angle the faces of the dogs. This really helped. Anyway, here are some pictures.

It is pretty nice, I think. I used the LV tail vise screw, so the handle does not move in and out. The trick to this was having a piece of 3in angle iron and getting the holes drilled in it. I had a machinist help me with it. The design is pretty much straight out of the Wookbench book by Landis (I think). It has a green cover. Post questions if you have any.

[Bob Jones]

a few more pictures.

[Steve LaFara]

Nice job! I'm curious what allows the wood parts to raise up when tightening? It would seem that unless there is some slack where the metal angle slides between the bench top bottom and the steel rails, there's no way for it to move verticaly.

Oh and it looks like all of you pictures are backwards! :)

[Bob Jones]

Steve, that would be right except there is some clearance between the steel and the bench. If there is no clearance then the thing binds up too easily. Also, the steel on the bottom flexes a tiny amount when I tighten everyting up. All of that was cleared up with the two adjustments I mentioned before.

The whole thing took alot of tinkering. I probably disassembled the whole thing 50 times trying to get everything lined up right. It was worth it in the end. I was just planing against battens, which worked ok. Planing with the wagon vise is much better because nothing moves around on me at all.

[Jay Maiers]

Nice work Bob. I'm still in the planning stages for my first bench, and a wagon vise is one of the things on my wish list. Actually, a Veritas Twin Screw Vise is on my wish list, but a DIY wagon vise is on my "can afford and will do" list :rolleyes:

Anyhow, I'm guessing my install will be a little easier due to the construction style of my bench and the fact that it' not a retrofit. Your pictures, however, give me an alternate way of doing things, and at least a couple more points to think about.

Thanks for the post!
Jay M

[Jim Koepke]

Nice bench and thanks for the information. My bench build will get here one day. I like the wagon vise, but also like the face vice on my current tail end. Maybe both can be on the same bench.


Oh and it looks like all of you pictures are backwards!

Not if you are left handed.

jtk

[Johnny Kleso]

I would say your metal track under the bench needs to be upgraded..

I would use 3 metal plates of a 1/4" or more

You will want a shim between two of those so it slides easy

177764

[Bob Jones]

Not if you are left handed.

Being left handed is usually a bit of a challenge! That is one reason I love this bench because it is mine. Of course being a lefty keeps me from being too tempted to buy the new LN shooting plane. :)