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View Full Version : Leg vise, Twin screw vise and chisel rack



Matt Evans
01-01-2015, 8:57 AM
I am forever making benches. This bench is in the finishing stages at the moment, but is already a work horse in my shop.

It has a wide twin screw vise on one side and a leg vise with a St. Andrews cross mechanism rather than a pin board style parallel guide.

I have made lots of leg vises, but only one with a St Andrews Cross mechanism. (and that was one I bought the hardware for) I wanted to have a go at it, so a simple piece of flat stock, a drill bit or two and a grinder later and it was all finished.

The mechanism works great. I would recommend making your own to anyone with a grinder. (although I will say that Benchcrafted makes a heck of a hardware kit, and you can't go wrong with theirs)

The chisel racks are handy. I had an older one I made a while ago, but someone asked me about chisel racks a few months back, so I made a few more. These hang on a french cleat strip, and easily remove to sit on my bench when I need them. The long strip in the middle is perfect for holding awls, dividers and squares.

Malcolm Schweizer
01-01-2015, 9:02 AM
Well done! So is the cross mechanism pinned and slides in a slotted groove?

Matt Evans
01-01-2015, 9:07 AM
Thanks!
The cross mechanism is pinned at the top. A dado has been milled in the chop and leg. The bottom simply floats inside the dado.

Steve Voigt
01-05-2015, 11:56 PM
That's impressive, Matt. Benchcrafted is nice, but expensive…good to see someone rolling his own.

Chris Hachet
01-07-2015, 7:28 AM
Or to those of us with Benchcrafted hardware building a second bench.....would be nice to have the second bench be different. Nice work!

Love the look of wood vise screws!

Chris