Derek Cohen
02-06-2011, 10:08 AM
Joseph Moxon's twin-screw vise has been on my To Do/Must Have list ever since Chris Schwarz published his model and demonstrated its value as a dovetail vise in his column.
Chris' Moxon vise ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/1a.jpg
Link: http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/Declaring+Victory+With+The+Doublescrew+Vise.aspx
It kept getting put aside, partly because it required making wooden screws, which I had not done before. I went so far as ordering a kit to make 1 1/2" diameter screws, and then it languished in a drawer for several months. Incidentally, I bought this from my local Carba-tec store. It looks the generic Chinese tap and die set.
It is not as though I could not use a vise such as this. In fact I needed this weeks ago when I began building a couple of military chests with many dovetails (carcases and drawers).
Inspiration came a few days ago I received an email from LN (Australia) asking me to be a co-presenter at their first workshop in Perth. This will involve dovetailing, so I decided to get off my butt and make a Moxon dovetail vise. At least I would have flash equipment ... :)
My thanks to Chris for his recent (December) article in Pop Wood.
What I have come up with has a little variation, not much, but enough to make this an exceptionally useful tool.
I built the screws out of some nondescript hardwood that I have no name for (but looks like a gum). It was all I had that was thick enough. Fortunately it all went well - it turned well, and did not chip when making the threads.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/1.jpg
The screws are set 520mm (20 1/2") apart, but the total base is 840mm (33") long and 105mm (4 1/8") deep. The face is 110mm (4 1/4") high.
What's different?
The first item is that I have added "ears" to the sides of the base.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/2.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/3.jpg
These make it easier to clamp to the bench top (than attaching it at the upper side of the vise, per se).
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/4.jpg
There is also a 75mm (3") wide rear support, which could be used with a holddown.
Of course the vise is simply to hold a board at a comfortable height for sawing. It does this very well. I was surprised how well the bare wooden faces hold the board. I was planning to add chamois leather, but this does not appear necessary.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/5.jpg
Now in the background you can see what looks like a wooden "I-beam". It is ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/6.jpg
This was also just scrap, but turned out 370mm (14 1/2") long and 90mm (3 1/2") deep. It is sized to be 1/2" taller than the vise.
320 grit beltsander belt is attached on both sides. This provides anti-slip.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/7.jpg
Stop using that handplan to rest the boards when transferring tails to pins! Use this rest instead ...
Raise the Pin Board 1/2" higher that the edge of the vise.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/8.jpg
... and add the Tail Board.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/9.jpg
But wait ... there is more!
Chris' Moxon vise ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/1a.jpg
Link: http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/Declaring+Victory+With+The+Doublescrew+Vise.aspx
It kept getting put aside, partly because it required making wooden screws, which I had not done before. I went so far as ordering a kit to make 1 1/2" diameter screws, and then it languished in a drawer for several months. Incidentally, I bought this from my local Carba-tec store. It looks the generic Chinese tap and die set.
It is not as though I could not use a vise such as this. In fact I needed this weeks ago when I began building a couple of military chests with many dovetails (carcases and drawers).
Inspiration came a few days ago I received an email from LN (Australia) asking me to be a co-presenter at their first workshop in Perth. This will involve dovetailing, so I decided to get off my butt and make a Moxon dovetail vise. At least I would have flash equipment ... :)
My thanks to Chris for his recent (December) article in Pop Wood.
What I have come up with has a little variation, not much, but enough to make this an exceptionally useful tool.
I built the screws out of some nondescript hardwood that I have no name for (but looks like a gum). It was all I had that was thick enough. Fortunately it all went well - it turned well, and did not chip when making the threads.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/1.jpg
The screws are set 520mm (20 1/2") apart, but the total base is 840mm (33") long and 105mm (4 1/8") deep. The face is 110mm (4 1/4") high.
What's different?
The first item is that I have added "ears" to the sides of the base.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/2.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/3.jpg
These make it easier to clamp to the bench top (than attaching it at the upper side of the vise, per se).
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/4.jpg
There is also a 75mm (3") wide rear support, which could be used with a holddown.
Of course the vise is simply to hold a board at a comfortable height for sawing. It does this very well. I was surprised how well the bare wooden faces hold the board. I was planning to add chamois leather, but this does not appear necessary.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/5.jpg
Now in the background you can see what looks like a wooden "I-beam". It is ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/6.jpg
This was also just scrap, but turned out 370mm (14 1/2") long and 90mm (3 1/2") deep. It is sized to be 1/2" taller than the vise.
320 grit beltsander belt is attached on both sides. This provides anti-slip.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/7.jpg
Stop using that handplan to rest the boards when transferring tails to pins! Use this rest instead ...
Raise the Pin Board 1/2" higher that the edge of the vise.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/8.jpg
... and add the Tail Board.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Workbench%20and%20Workshop/Moxon%20dovetail%20vise/9.jpg
But wait ... there is more!