Alternate vise for planing

[Phil Mueller]

I've been searching around for an alternate to an end vise to hold work for surface planing. The Veritas surface vise and wonder pup would be useful, but in both cases extend 3/4" above the work surface...not helpful if planing 3/4" or thinner stock. Or am I missing something?
Im planning on building a sort of planing bench that will hinge up against a wall, and would prefer not to have an end vise.
Thanks,
Phil

[Zach Dillinger]

If your bench top is flat or at least reasonably so, you can simply make a thin birds mouth with a mouth wide enough to hold the width of the board. Holdfast the birds mouth down to the bench and plane away. You might have a little trouble if planning across the grain but with the grain it will hold solidly.

[Bill White]

Yep! The batten (bird mouth) and hold fast will work just fine. Zach nailed it.
Bill

[Jim Koepke]

For surface planing my most often used method is a board at the end of my bench. If this isn't enough, then a batten running parallel to the work to keep it from moving sideways is usually all that is needed.

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Here my #6s are set up with one doing the preliminary work and the second doing the smoothing with the end stop clamped to the bench.

There is also the dog and bird's mouth method. In this the work has one end held by a planing stop. The tail end has a thin board with a 90º birds mouth cut in it holding the corner away from the worker. This piece is held by a holdfast. This is especially quick for working small pieces of the same size as it is easy to lift the piece out and insert another.

I couldn't locate the recent thread on this. Maybe someone else has it saved.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I use a planing stop like this.

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[Robert Hazelwood]

One thing I enjoy about my improvised plywood bench is that I don't mind screwing things to it. For planing stops I just cut a length of 1/4" thick x 1-1/2" wide hardwood and screw it down where necessary with #8 screws (countersunk). This makes it easy to secure just about anything in any direction (if you place a stop on each side of the piece), which is nice when you want to do cross-grain or diagonal planing. And there are no clamps or holdfasts in the way of the plane.

If you don't want to screw into your bench top, then the end board like Jim mentions is nice for most planing tasks. I plan to add one to my bench by installing hanger bolts into the end of the bench and using a board with slotted holes to adjust the depth or retract the board without fiddling with clamps.

If you have holdfasts, this is another way to hold things: http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/the-holdfast-and-the-batten-video/

[Dave Anderson NH]

If you have dog holes make a stop thinner than the pieces you expect to plane and tenon it to a wooden dog. I have several including one which goes all the way across my bench top and fits into a dog hole on each side of the bench. Lee Valley also makes an aluminum version of this which is adjustable and only about a quarter of an inch thick.

[Phil Mueller]

Ok, I have to admit to having to search birds mouth batten.
I knew I'd get a bunch of great suggestions...thanks all!
FYI, I'm still a bit in the design stage, but looking at a 3/4" ply or MDF top within a 2x4 frame and 1x grid underneath. Probably 18-20" wide by 7-8' long. Two rows of dog holes. I'll add another 3/4 layer underneath where the dog holes run.
All your suggestions should work well.

[Prashun Patel]

I love this method. I haven't perfected it yet; my hold fasts dont seem to hold as fast as they should. But it's the holy grail for me. I have a tail vise but I find it bows the piece if it's held too tightly.

In fact, I love a simple planing stop when the piece is close to flat and only requires long-grain passes.

[Jim Koepke]

If you have holdfasts, this is another way to hold things: http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/...-batten-video/

Thanks Robert, that is the method I was trying to find. It is a workable method of holding work.

jtk

[glenn bradley]

I use a dog or a stop that is lower than my material is thick. If you need to grip and something like the Wonder Pup is too tall, adapt and overcome.

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[Roy Lindberry]

Yep! The batten (bird mouth) and hold fast will work just fine. Zach nailed it.
Bill

Here is a video of how this works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNrof3cd1cA

[Archie England]

Here is a video of how this works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNrof3cd1cA


Great link! Thanks

[ken hatch]

I don't think this link has been posted, if it has please forgive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvhn-PAfEW4

It's Mike Siemsen of the Naked Woodworker. I've used most of the work holding he shows at one time or another. Good info in the video.

ken

[ken hatch]

Just wanted to add: My current bench is an English/French hybrid with no tail, wagon, or other end vise. Using many of the techniques shown in the Siemsen video I've never missed having one.

ken

[Phil Mueller]

Prashun, liking this method too. Not sure my bench top will end up thick enough for fast holds. Found a few alternates at Lee Valley you're probably already aware of.