I need a third vise

[Marko Milisavljevic]

I have a bench with leg vise and wagon vise, made from Benchcrafted split top roubo plans. It is a nice bench in most respects (and my first bench), but one thing that I miss very frequently is ability to clamp things so they would protrude perpendicular to the bench (and usually horizontal). To clarify what I mean, this is what you could do if you had a metal tail vise, or front vise that was flush with end of bench, or scandiavian tail vise. It would help with crosscutting, or with holding an object for spookeshave or drawknife work without having to twist your body to get into proper stance for work, with bench in the way.

Much of time time, I can just clamp the object to the bench top and let it protrude over it, but this is often inconvenient and annoyingly slow to reposition the object. I am considering installing a metal tail vise next to the wagon vise. I'd also possibly go for a portable device like http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?p=31144 except that one won't clamp to a 4" top. I could also use a handscrew, clamp the item, and put the handscrew into the leg vise so that the item is protruding toward me - again slow to reposition the item. Any other suggestions?

[Jim Koepke]

If there is access all around your bench a second face vise at the end opposite to you leg vise might be a solution.

A wagon vise appealed to me for a long time. After a while it seemed to be more limiting than what my current set up allows. It all depends on how one does their work and the work they do.

jtk

[Curt Putnam]

When I asked about something similar some years ago the answer was to use a saw bench. Doesn't work for me. My answer will be a split top bench with two end vises whose chops will extend to the bench ends. That way I can get left, right or center. The center approach providing support for both sides of the cut.

[Tom Vanzant]

Moxon vise clamped to the bench when you need it.

[Marko Milisavljevic]

When crosscutting something very small with a backsaw, bench hook is fine. Medium-size items that require longer and more energetic strokes often result in gouged workbench top. For this I prefer holding in a vise of the kind I'm seeking. The only time I'm interested in a saw bench is for large boards / rough lumber - but those are also very effectively dealt with using leg vise.

[Marko Milisavljevic]

Moxon vise clamped to the bench when you need it.

I'm trying to hold the item so it would protrude away from bench horizontally or at low angle. I've considered the moxon. With moxon this would only be possible if it was flush with bench end, letting the item protrude to side of it, and I think it would be fairly awkward to use this way (I have a moxon bench-on-bench vise).

[Mike Holbrook]

I use a Shaving Horse for drawknife and spokeshave work. I know there are some who prefer doing this work on a bench vise, but I have never been able to picture how one would clamp and unclamp items as quickly and securely as I can using a Shave Horse. The sliding seat on my Shave Horses frame allows me to position my body closer or further from my work. The head of the Shave Horse allows me to adjust the height of the piece..

[Marko Milisavljevic]

I too would prefer a shaving horse - of course - but in a 10x12' shop clamping is restricted to bench's top.

[bridger berdel]

maybe a holdfast?

[Mike Holbrook]

Marko you might check out the simple Shaving Horse design Country Workshops sells. They are made of 2x4s and break down into pieces. My shave horse just gets pulled out of a closet when I need it. I may set it up in the shop, garage or just outside where I can just leave the shavings on the ground. There are a couple pieces that are a little tricky to make but most of it is just bolted together 2x4s and a wood seat, or wood seat with padding & or leather...

[Tom M King]

That's one reason I like full width tail vises: http://historic-house-restoration.com/images/windows3_018.JPG

[Marko Milisavljevic]

Making a handscrew with one long leg would solve most of repositioning hassle, at least for items that are small enough that handscrew can hold them:

https://newbritainboy.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/handscrew-holding-device/

[James Pallas]

I may be sounding like a Paul Sellers advocate since I just replied to another post about one of his instructional so but he does have a good one about his method of using bar clamps in a front vise to do some of the work you are proposing. I have used some of his suggestions at times by using a clamp or hand screw in the front vise and it works well. A shaving horse would work much better for that type of work where you are continually having to move the work but for a crosscut it works very well.
Jim

[Reinis Kanders]

Lee Valley portable vise is pretty useless. Screw's tpi is too high, almost like a C clamp, but more annoying.

[Chuck Nickerson]

You need to make a vise that drops into the wagon vise opening. tightening the wagon vise holds it in place.
It might be possible to design one where tightening the wagon vise also tightens the added vise, but that sounds Rube Goldberg-ish.

[Marko Milisavljevic]

Funny you should say that, cause this is what I was playing with last night. Works great for spokeshaving an odd item, but not to hold medium-size items for cross-cutting - I don't think enough vibration could be dialed out without much sturdier setup.

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[Jeremiah Chamberlin]

what about a shop made appliance? You have a very nice vice in the Benchcrafted items. make two book end shaped pieces with tennons on the bottom that would go into a bench dog hole and onto your wagon vise. Then when you tighten the wagon vise it would close the "bookends". The stationary bookend could be anchored with a holdfast.

(crude 15s sketch)

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[Jim McGee]

BenchCrafted is selling hardware to make a mitered jack vice. you could modify that vice to have rectangular chops to hold work.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Or make a Moxon that can be held perpendicular to the bench with hold fasts. Though I like Jeremiah's portable vise jaws approach.

[Jim Matthews]

The Etaux clamp would fill the bill.

I suppose you could do much the same with a handscrew.
I prefer a simple batten in the middle of my bench for crosscutting.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/workbenches/schwarz-workbenches/meet-the-etaux-from-old-salem%E2%80%99s-shop

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[Brian Holcombe]

You could also use a big wooden clamp in your face vise.

I use my tail vise like this, but if the piece is too large for that then I will use a set of holdfasts.