Anti-Rack Spacer Stack

[Jim Koepke]

For those with vises that rack here is an idea that may help.

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It is a stack of 4 spacers that can make up any thickness from 1/8" to 1-7/8" in steps of 1/8".

It shouldn't be difficult to adapt this for other vise styles.

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It is easiest to lay out the spacers and drill the hole before cutting to dimension.

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When cutting the steps check that the smaller spacers will fit freely in the step before cutting to final dimension.

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I used a 3/8" dowel with a larger dowel glued to the thinest spacer for added strength. The end cap has an interference fit on the dowel without glue.

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To accommodate more sizes a separate 1/16" spacer and a 1"X2" block is also useful.

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DOH! It is likely most may have figured this out, but I forgot to mention the spacers are 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 & 1" thick.

Also there is a step on the 1" spacer for added strength.

jtk

[Brent VanFossen]

I like it. The steps are a nice design feature so you can leave the shims all connected without interference.

[James Owen]

Cool, practical idea, and nicely done!!

Thanks for posting this.

[Bill Houghton]

Very nice. I've seen similar designs that use a stack of 1/8" masonite strips, bolted up, like yours, into a "book". That design works by laying the unused strips on top of the bench or vise jaw, to keep the assembly from falling to the floor.

[Jim Koepke]

Very nice. I've seen similar designs that use a stack of 1/8" masonite strips, bolted up, like yours, into a "book". That design works by laying the unused strips on top of the bench or vise jaw, to keep the assembly from falling to the floor.

I have used those. A few of their short fallings caused me to come up with a different way to do the same thing.

Often I will have a small piece in the vise to be planed and the spacer stack would get in the way.

There have also been too many times when I have had to bend over to pick up a book of spacers. My back can get sore from too much of that.

There were a few trials and errors before coming up with the final design. This design keeps all of the spacers including the unused ones below the top of my vise jaws. It only uses four spacers. The two auxiliary spacers allow the making of stacks in increments of 1/16" up to 3-15/16". My vise can only hold about 4".

jtk

[Jerome Hanby]

Reminds me of a set of feeler gauges...of course that may be because I have a set sitting on my computer desk atm...

[Jim Belair]

I like it Jim. Much improved over the stack of 1/8 stock that needs three hands to set and secure in the vise.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Took me a second to figure out the idea of the steps, but once it "clicked", I really like this idea.

I'm assuming the notches fit over the guide rails on the vise? Does that keep them from falling out as you open/close the vise?

[Jim Koepke]

I'm assuming the notches fit over the guide rails on the vise? Does that keep them from falling out as you open/close the vise?

You are correct.

I had written up about three pages on this and about 15 pictures but distilled it down for submission to a publication's Tips & Tricks section.

There should be enough here for people to make one fulfilling their own needs.

jtk

[Garrett Ellis]

you should've patented it!

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=69605&cat=51&ap=1

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Lee Valley's is a manufactured variant of a pretty common design - there's been "shop tips" versions of that design for as long as I can remember, generally using whatever thin material was at hand.

The real ingenious part of Jim's design is the cut-away nature that allow you to use the least amount of leaves and still get pretty much any width (it occurs to me this is almost like binary) as well as keep the unused leaves below the work surface, while still staying put when the vise is opened due the cut outs that fit it over the guide bars.

that said, I need another spacer stack, and at 12 bucks, that LV one almost seems worth it just to not have to sit around making another boring shop thing.

[Sean Hughto]

I use a thin piece of wood with a rare earth magnet the size of a nickel let into it, then take a cut off of whatever I'm working with a screw in a steel screw. Works very well. Saw it in an article by Rob Pocoro in PWW - he may have seen it who knows where?

[Jim Koepke]

as well as keep the unused leaves below the work surface, while still staying put when the vise is opened due the cut outs that fit it over the guide bars.

One of my problems with the spacer stack like the one LV has is the leaves above the surface of the vise and bench. I would often run a plane into the unused shims. Also they would often end up on the floor when the vise was opened.

jtk

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

yeah, one of these days I have to try my hand at your design of spacer stack - I think proper bench dogs are higher on the list though. I'm wondering if I can make your design work with the closer-spaced screws of my jorgensen vise. I guess I'll find out!

couldn't quite figure out what Sean was describing - had to look up the article; it was in the November 2007 issue of PW, an article on bench improvements. If you do a google search, the magazine shows up on the "Scribd" site - I'm not really sure why.

Basically, what Sean is describing (for folks like me who have trouble understanding descriptions) the magnet is screwed in a small piece of wood that straddles the gap between the bench top and the the vise chop. The small blocks of wood hang off this magnet because of the screw, keeping them from falling out of the way. Looks almost like a "t" in use. Still have the issue with something over the top of the bench, but because the piece that holds the magnet can be pretty thin, it's probably not too much of an issue, as it's most likely shorter than whatever's protruding out of the vise.

[Sean Hughto]

Here's a diagram.

[Jim Koepke]

Here is an update on a problem that happened when I snagged the stack while using just the 1/8" spacer.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?212156-Trouble-With-the-Stack

jtk

[Simon MacGowen]

Chris Gochnour came up with a simple vise wedge (Best tip - Method of Work, August 13 FW) that has a lid to keep the wedge from falling while allowing it to cater for different thicknesses of stock to be clamped in the vise:

http://www.finewoodworking.com/workshop/tip/wedge-keeps-vise-from-racking.aspx (you can get the idea from the picture)

I made mine with full lids (Chris' is a half-lid design) and they can't be simpler - Just a wedge with a lid glued or nailed to the top. The wedge and lid can be of any size/thickness to suit your kind of work.

Simon

[Jim Koepke]

Simon,

Thanks, I don't think that is one I have seen. There are many ways to accomplish the same thing. I used to just use the first small scrap from the stock I was working and cut a U in one end so it could straddle the guide rod in the unused end of the vise. Made a few stacks with thin strips.

One thing that came about from my preferences over time was to make them so they didn't protrude above the bench top.

For a while I was using a combination of two wedges. Sliding them together increases the thickness and sliding apart decreases the thickness. Keeping them from falling to the floor was the hard part. Also the fat end of one wedge would always be in the vise requiring multiple combinations.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

Now there is a video:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?241400-Anti-Rack-Spacer-Stack-the-Video

Whoopie!

jtk