Wood for a leg vice: will SYP work?

[Jay Maiers]

I guess the thread title says it all. Is SYP a reasonable choice for a leg vice? I've got a hunk or two hanging around and would prefer to use it instead of buying additional material, but I'll go shopping if the SYP is a bad choice.

While we're on the subject, what type of wood should I use for the pin block at the bottom?

[Jim Matthews]

If you use a single block of Southern Yellow Pine for the vise, it's unlikely to remain flat and true over the life of your bench.

If you resaw, and flip one of the boards so that the grain in each piece opposes the other, it will be immensely strong against deflection.
The end grain would meet in a "Vee" if the boards are rift sawn. If you already have quartersawn SYP, turn one board to orient the grain 90 degrees to the other.

I would use the densest hardwood on hand or a metal plate for the pin block. It's operates in tension if I understand the mechanics of the clamp.

Perhaps an inquiry to the benchcrafted or hovarter boffins would be helpful - they've done this many times.

[Don Dorn]

I'm sure there are many people who have used one longer than me, but I recommend more of a hardwood. Mine is 2" hard maple and and when clamping down one something, I can still see the slightest of bow. Mine is set so the thread is 9" below the top of the chop and that has worked out pretty well. As to the pin material - I'm not sure that really matters as all it does is prevent the bottom from moving inward so the top of the chop stays parallel. The further the distance from the parallel guide to the screw means less pressure on it to keep it parallel. Mine is nothing more than a walnut dowel and it has worked well for a long time.

[Chris Griggs]

I used 8/4 soft maple for the chop on mine and also used soft maple for the parallel guide. I think I completed my bench about a 9 mos ago and everything has worked brilliantly so far. SYP might work, even though it's soft, its also pretty dense and tough. Still I go with a hardwood just to be safe. It would be a pain to need to make a 2nd chop if the SYP didn't work.

[Bill Houghton]

My grandfather's leg vise used Douglas fir, and it served him well for probably more than 30 years. I'm not familiar with Southern Yaller Pine, so don't know how the stability compares to Douglas fir.

How difficult will it be to remake it if it doesn't work out? If the answer is "not difficult," give it a shot.

As to the parallel guide, if you're speaking of the parallel guide itself, I'd use a tough hardwood - oak or the like. Grandpa's vise used a spike (large nail, about a 60d) for the pin through the guide, and it worked out well.

[Jay Maiers]

Thanks guys. I've never used a leg vise, so this is uncharted territory for me. I'm not even sure I'll like it, but I'd reckon it's easier to plan for it at the beginning than retrofit later. I'll give the SYP a try since I've got the wood, and redo it if I like the function but find the wood too soft.The second part of that question was about the parallel guide (thanks for the correct terminology). Oak sounds like a good choice.

[Wes Grass]

Hardness and stiffness are 2 different things. According to 'The Chart', SYP is stiffer than any of the common hardwoods except for Yellow Birch and Hickory. So I'd think it's probably about as ideal a material as you're going to find.

[Wilbur Pan]

You'll be fine with SYP for the leg vice chop.

For the pin block, choose a wood that will be resistant to deforming the holes that the pin sits in. Luckily, from my experience with my leg vise, that wood doesn't need to be super hard. I used some cherry for the pin block, and an oak dowel for the pin.

One thing I would also suggest is to glue a scrap piece of leather or suede to the inside of the top part of the leg vise chop. Your gripping power will go up immensely.

[Andrae Covington]

Thanks guys. I've never used a leg vise, so this is uncharted territory for me. I'm not even sure I'll like it, but I'd reckon it's easier to plan for it at the beginning than retrofit later. I'll give the SYP a try since I've got the wood, and redo it if I like the function but find the wood too soft.The second part of that question was about the parallel guide (thanks for the correct terminology). Oak sounds like a good choice.

I agree with giving the SYP a try. It might even suffice for the parallel guide as well. I used white oak for both, and a steel rod for the pin. I imagine a hardwood dowel works fine.

[john brenton]

My 36" twin screw vise chop is syp and it works great. I did as the postetr said above about ripping a single piece and getting the v motion going on. It's 3" thick, but that doesnt bother me at all. SYP is a very strong wood, and its easy to work. If only it wasnt so dang ugly...