Twin Screw Vise capacity

[Mike Holbrook]

I am struggling with what vises to place on a new bench project and where to mount them. I have plans to make a fair number of cabinets in the next year or two and would like my bench to be optimized for these duties. I saw a Havarter vise video demonstration in which drawers are easily clamped in the 12.5" x 24" opening between the "screws". This got me concerned about the very small opening in the Moxon type vises I had been considering. I am now thinking about a chain driven twin screw by Veritas or Lie-Nielsen or the Havater to gain additional vise capacity. It occurred to me to make a post here to ask if fellow members feel a larger capacity vise would be of significant value for holding larger pieces like drawers.

My current plan is to build a Split Top Roubo with a leg vise and dead man on one side. I have purchased Veritas Wonder Dogs, Round Bench Dogs & Muzzles, Surface Clamp, Hold Down, 2 Gramercy Hold Fasts. I am thinking about placing a Havarter or TS Chain Vise on one end or the other side of this bench. My bench will be in the middle of my shop, clear on either side, not against a wall. My shop is under ground with no windows to place the bench under. I envision the leg vise as my edge working vise. The split top and various Veritas Dogs will handle surface work. A Twin Screw vise would be left with handling dovetails and other end grain work.

[Jim Koepke]

I am struggling with what vises to place on a new bench project and where to mount them.

Fortunately my limited funds have kept me from having to endure that struggle. Though I would like some different vises.

I also think you have almost answered your own question by musing on the idea of having a leg vise on one side and the twin screw on another.

If your cabinet work will have you working wider, glued up panels, a twin screw tail vise with dog holes could actually be advantageous.

I have thought of a twin screw because of my habit of trying to save fire wood by turning it to something worth not burning. Though my ability to hold it in the vises on my bench is getting better.

jtk

[Curt Putnam]

Assuming one bench with two vises, I think we agree on a leg vise as the face vise. If you can afford it, either the Hovarter or the Benchcrafted vises sound wonderful. For the tail vise, a twin screw makes a lot of sense, especially at 24". I think someone said the Hovarter does quick release. If so, that would be wonderful. The kind of clamping function provided by a wagon vise is used an awful lot. But clamping 24" panels works better with a 24" twin screw. An LV tail vise combined with about 18" of twin screw would be a really interesting combination. I will probably do leg plus a metal QR vise with as big a chop as I can get on it - just for cost reasons. Reasonably fast, has reasonable capacity and the large chop will help with clamping panels. I will still have a Moxon-ish vise that I can put up top and thereby save my arthritic back from further damage. I'm also toying with the idea of combining the QR with the LV tail vise or Benchcrafted Wagon if I can scratch up the bread.

[Mike Holbrook]

Jim,
I sent Hovarter (I think that is the actual spelling) a note asking about mounting the vise and how exactly the mechanism works. I'm not sure if there will be enough width in the half sized top panels of a split-top for the "clamp shafts" vs screws. Although I might be able to make a section in the split top so it would not be in the way of the clamp shafts. I do not find the length of the clamp shafts listed in the instructions or how far they extend up under the bottom of the bench where they connect.

There are I believe issues with any way one of these twin screws or clamp shafts attach to the bench. The Veritas screws apparently are seated in a rear jaw set in the bench, which may introduce the possibility of the movable jaw sagging. Veritas also places their chain on the exterior of the outside vise adding considerable width to that jaw but leaving room to place dog holes in the top of the jaws.

The Lie-Nielsen vise screws are attached to large nut assemblies under the top of the bench, reducing the opening capacity of their vise but probably simplifying and reinforcing the attachment of their vise. LN puts their chain assembly inside the outside jaw of the vise, which leaves no place for dog holes but reduces the thickness of the jaw.

The Hovarter vise attaches under the bench top more like the L-N screws but uses a bar & gear mechanism to lock their two clamp shafts since there are no screw threads on their shafts. It looks like the only way to move the jaws is to slide the outside jaw in & out on the clamp shafts by hand, which does make the thing quick. I'm just not sure what if any functionality one looses since there are no screw threads. The thing that is escaping me is how this vise clamps work. Although I see no dog holes in the tops of the Hovarter outside jaws I do not see a reason this could not be done.

I have never felt the need for a tail vise so I am not particularly concerned about whether I have dog holes in the outside jaw of a twin screw/clamp vise. I think the split-top bench and Veritas Wonder Dogs... will provide all the ability I need to hold work for surface work. So if there is a way to mount the Hovarter on one side of my bench as Jim says I may have a workable plan. My main interest in a bench end twin screw was more to provide additional length/work support to my bench which I don't think is a feature which will provide much real benefit. I like the LN vise too because it looks like it is the easiest to install and it is available with an outside jaw already made to hold the chain mechanism so there is less work to get it operational. I am not as happy with it's smaller jaw capacity or the higher cost for the vise with chain jaw.

[Zach England]

I have been struggling with the same question for months and finally decided on a wood-screw leg vise as the face vise and a Veritas twin-screw as an end vise (which I just ordered--no turning back now).

I am starting to think there needs to be a sub-forum just for vises.

[john brenton]

I don't have a chain driven vise, but two screws 24" apart, with a total chop length of 36". I love it. Very handy.