What do you get when you cross a cast iron vise with a leg vise?

[Randy Klein]

After reading Chris Schwarz's new book on Workbenches, I got inspired to try out a leg vise. I didn't have a vise screw to use, but did have one of those run-of-the-mill cast iron vises that was doing a pathetic job in the tail vise position.

So I crossed the two and added it to my soon-to-replaced-by-a-Roubo-style workbench. And this is what I got. I must say, I really like the leg vise. I got some more to do with it though.

You'll notice that in the closed position (4th pic), it's not flush. This is, of course, due to the angle the cast iron vise has to ensure it's top engages first. Now that it is on it's side, that angle doesn't work for me. I'll have to plane down the board to match that angle.

But the benefits over the traditional style is that there is no screw in the middle to impede a tall board from being clamped floor to bench top, as shown in the last picture.

This benefit is at the expense of not being able to clamp a tall board on the left side of the vise. But I'm not sure how often you would do that.

Please, any thoughts, suggestions, criticisms, let me have it. This was just scrap wood and a few hours, so nothing will hurt me.

[Bill Houghton]

I've been experimenting with a bench vise like the one you've mounted sideways there, and am about ready to remove it and put my grandfather's leg vise back on the bench. One of the reasons I like leg vises is just what you're pictured there: the ability to clamp wide or long pieces in the vise. Conventional cast iron vises don't do that well at all.

Interesting experiment, and a creative idea. Let us know how it works out as you play with it.

[Jim Dunn]

Randy I think you may have hit on a real good idea. I too want to incorporate a leg vice into my workbench. This just may be a good way to try out the leg vice idea before I take the plunge.

[Tom Sontag]

Another cheaper way to try out a leg vise is the pipe clamp idea is the Latest Popular WWg magazine tips section.

[Dave Anderson NH]

A great idea Randy. One of the best things is that you already had the vise so the price was right. All vises of every type have limitations so you sacrificed some things and gained others.

[harry strasil]

The only modification I would suggest would be a 2 by or 1 by with a sawn stepped end to lay on the floor to slide in between the long outer vise jaw and the table leg that could be easily positioned with your foot to help with spring from clamping material on the upper side of the vise. It would also help with the possibility of putting undo side pressure on the vise slides.

respectfully

jr.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Interesting idea Randy.

[Randy Klein]

The major upgrade was I planed the vise to fit flush with the bench top. I used calipers to draw the angle on the end, then using a planer sled, I shimmed the board so that line was now parallel to the sled. Ran the sled through the planer a few times until I got to the line. Now, the vise is parallel with the bench, at least width wise. I don't have a pic of this though, so you'll have to believe me...

To answer a prior question, I haven't built the pivot point yet, but the first picture shows how you can imitate one by using a similar size piece at the bottom as the one you are clamping.

The second pic shows the problem I'm trying to solve. The solid core door that I have as a top has a bevel, probably for important door reasons. The door was about 36" wide and had planned on cutting it down to 24" anyways. So I decided to cut the opposite side, then rotate the top so the new-non bevel cut will be used against the leg vise.

The third pic shows how successful I was. The bevel is still there, but less so (darn circular saw, I made sure it was square). I think I'm approaching the diminishing returns limit since I don't want to spend any money yet.

I'm may try to glue some leather to both the vise and leg and see if the leather takes up the gap caused by the bevel.

I still need to make a real pivot point for the bottom. But that will probably be my last fix. Anymore messing around and I might as well just build the new bench.

[frank shic]

randy, that's a stroke of genius! i had a lee valley leg vise that i sold after it spent many months uninstalled but i still have a regular woodworker's bench vise that has been sitting around in storage after removing it from it's prior bench. thanks for sharing. :D

[Randy Klein]

Thanks Frank. I did some additional tweaking tonight. I'm almost done.

In my initial attempts to align the bench leg with the top (the leg protruded a tad), I had taken a block plane to the upper part of the leg. This, of course, made the rest of the leg un-flat (is that a word?). This was causing the jaw to contact the bottom 4/5ths of the leg (or pivot point) before the top.

So I took off the vise flipped the bench on its side and used a #7 to bring the rest of the leg in line (pine is so easy to plane). Now the jaw and the leg meet everywhere at the same time.

I still have that silly bevel problem on the bench top. I considered gluing some thin shims on and then planing down, but the bevel was very slight. And since I was planning on adding some leather, I figured it may fill the gap and I'm going to add double leather on the bevel portion.

So I pulled out the leather and got ready to glue them on. But I didn't want the leather permanently attached to this jaw, since it was only a prototype. And being cheap, I didn't want to buy more leather for the real thing. So I used some thin double stick tape, but ran out before I got it all on...

So tomorrow I'll finish taping on the leather and hopefully start on the parallel guide.

As for how it works with the few test pieces I've fiddled with - I think this setup may be a keeper. Even in my nonchalant method of throwing it together, it has incredible holding power. And since it's clamping directly against a leg (and not the edge of the top as it was in the tail position), it makes a very solid connection.

I was never planning on using this for real, just wanted a cheap and dirty way to try a leg vise. But when I build my new bench, this is the way I'm going. I may try a different cast iron vise though, because I don't like mine.

[John Schreiber]

That is a really creative idea Randy. I think it's got a lot going for it compared with a regular leg vise. Keep us informed.

[Bob Easton]

That's a neat use of what you have on hand. Scottish ancestry?

A leg vise is usually nothing more than a screw and a nut. I'm wondering if you can get a bit more clamping flexibility out of this experiment.

Can the parallel guides be removed? Can you strip the vise down to nothing more than a screw and a nut?

[Randy Klein]

That's a neat use of what you have on hand. Scottish ancestry?

A leg vise is usually nothing more than a screw and a nut. I'm wondering if you can get a bit more clamping flexibility out of this experiment.

Can the parallel guides be removed? Can you strip the vise down to nothing more than a screw and a nut?

I have since moved on from this vice when I built my new bench. I went for a twin screw over the leg vise.

But when I was using this, it worked really well.

I don't know about stripping it down though. I've never tried.