Have vise; now to determine workbench style?

[Jon Endres]

Not sure if this should be here or in Neanderthal area but.... I have just acquired a nice Record 53E vise and a Record 146 holdfast, in anticipation of building a workbench to use them. I also have a very nice restored Brodhead-Garrett 500x vise, which I would also like to use. Problem is, I see so many bench designs with Benchcrafted-style face vises and twin-screw tail vises and nearly nothing with these old-school steel vises that populated woodworking classrooms when I was a kid. I won't be doing a whole lot of hand tool work, but it will be enough to want a decent bench. Any of you guys have a bench that uses one of these old vises (or even a patternmaker's vise like an Emmert) and would share pictures of your setup? I'm afraid I can only picture what I used to use in school - a 4' square slab of 3" thick maple butcherblock with a vise on each corner and a row of dog holes for each one. Sitting on a stained and dented metal cabinet.

[Richard Coers]

This is my bench with an Abernathy face vise.
444446

[mike stenson]

It'd probably get some more traction with the neanderthals, but I'm still convinced most venture elsewhere too :)

Really, IMO the vise positions are what they are because of usability, not type. That is, you'd still plunk your cast iron vises at the same corners, just shift em around to clear the leg. Personally, with wanting to use those vises, I'd use the Record as the face vise and the Brodhead-Garret as the end vise. Mostly because the 500x is, I believe, a 7" vise so you can mount it closer to the corner, which would be more convenient. When I made my current bench, I was all excited to have a full width end vise.. well, now it's just a pain for how I use the bench.

[Jim Becker]

I had to look up what those vices look like, but honestly, you can incorporate that type of vice into almost any form of surface that suits your particular woodworking activities. Benches are "personal". VIce location is also personal. I like mine at the front left end on my primary bench and have it on the end-end on my guitar bench. That's what works for me with the kind of things I use them for. (I'm not a heavy hand-tool user) I use dogs quite a bit to keep material from shifting and use a substantial grid accordingly.

I'd have to think hard about that particular type of holdfast, however. I use and love holdfasts that I can move around to appropriate dog holes at-will. (mine are Gramercy) That Record, based on a photo I was able to find, is probably best in a stationary position because of it appearing to be threaded. But if that photo I found wasn't accurate, I apologize.

[Tony Shea]

My vote would be for a Roubo style bench. Similar to the Benchcrafted versions. I use a Roubo style bench but do want to change the top out. I installed a face vise in the tail vise location as I was making the top on a budget. I laminated doug fir 4x4's for the top and this has worked ok. The base is 4x5 maple legs with 8/4+ stretchers as I had that kicking around. My goal is to keep the base as it's plenty beefy enough and laminate maple to end up with a 4"+ thick split top. My biggest upgrade will be a wagon vise. I dislike the face vise in the tail vise location as it racks too much when I need to use the front row of dog holes. I also will be doing square dogs. I currently have round dogs and don't care for those either. I personally think the Roubo style bench fits my needs perfectly.

[Jon Endres]

The Record holdfast is notched to mesh with a mounting ring recessed into the bench top. So yes, it pretty much has to be stationary, but that's not really much of a concern to me.

[Harvey Miller]

The Tom Caspar torsion box workbench is a fairly easy build:

Original model:
http://www.workbenchdesign.net/bench1.html

Version 2
https://www.popularwoodworking.com/projects/toms-torsion-box-workbench/

[Jim Matthews]

The Record holdfast is notched to mesh with a mounting ring recessed into the bench top. So yes, it pretty much has to be stationary, but that's not really much of a concern to me.

The amount of clearance required under the whole is substantial. The shaft of the holdfast will be at an eccentric angle - so the circle of interference beneath the bench will be larger.

Use through and through metal work screws with nuts and locate to hold the collar in place. Cranking the holdfast can pull out mounting screws.

I set the collar deep enough that it is below the work surface. It's just a casting, but it will mar any board slid over it.