Workbench build - end vise decision

[Joe Vannucci]

I'm about to start building a Roubo hybrid style bench, and I can't figure out what to do about the end vise.

Quick overview: 2' x 7' top, 4" thick. 5x5 legs, mortise and tenon joinery, no upper stretchers. Material is all laminated doug fir, if that matters. I'll be using a combination of face vise, sliding deadman, planing stop, holdfasts, and dogs for the workholding. The adjustable dog would ideally be in a wagon vise, but I'm not sure I have the skills to do the installation of end cap, etc.

I'm leaning to a simple quick release vise on the right side front corner, with a dog in the jaw. This would seem to work great, if I wanted my dogs centered on the width of that vise (so maybe 6" back from the edge of the top). But I really would prefer the dog holes about 2" back from the edge. I'm concerned the constant racking won't be good. A simple anti-rack spacer block isn't as feasible as it is on a face vise, because jaw opening will vary from zero to around 4" (dogs will be on approx 4" centers).

Ideas? Convince me how easy a wagon vise would be? LOL...


(I just realized this is my first post here. So "hello!" )

[David Eisenhauer]

For whatever it is worth to you, Benchcrafted sells Ruobo bench plans with the details to install their wagon-type end vise. Have you picked out the particular hardware that you want to use? I definitely agree with the 2" from the edge spacing for the dog holes as opposed to 6" and that would seem to put one side of your QR face vise hanging out in space to interrupt that side of the bench. More importantly, if it were mine, it would hook my hip each and every time I went past it. "Hello" back. Welcome to the forum and thanks for starting a bench build thread because we like bench builds.

[Joe Vannucci]

Well, I just lost a nice reply because my login timed out. Arrgh.

Short answer is, yes, thank you, I've seen the Benchcrafted stuff, as well as a few others. Not sure whose hardware I'm buying yet. The leg vise may well just be a generic vise screw from Lee Valley (and a pin board).

The question of end vise has been resolved. Just writing it out, explaining my situation, made me realize I already knew what to do. Funny how that works. It'll be a wagon vise, and the end cap that I was getting hung up on will be fairly simple. 1x1" tongue-groove secured with lag screws. No glue, and the counterbored holes in the cap will be slightly oversize to allow for seasonal movement.

This will allow me to run the dogs near the front edge, which I wanted.

It's a bit soon to call this a build thread. My shop is unheated, and there are only another couple weeks before it shuts down until late March. It's not too cold to work yet, but soon overnight temps will be too low to do glue-ups. I certainly don't need a delaminating bench top! I have most of the details worked out, now I just need to actually acquire the hardware bits. Good thing I have all winter, because the one thing left to decide is square vs round

[David Eisenhauer]

Glad that it is all coming together plan wise. I voted for square and don't regret it. I realize that round pretty much does whatever square does, plus gives the advantage of having additional holdfast holes for use, but I like my square dogs. I did go to the trouble of glueing suede leather scraps to the faces of my square dogs as well as all vise chops.

[Ted Phillips]

I purchased the Veritas Quick-release Sliding Tail Vise for my bench and have been very happy with it. I went with round dog holes (using the holdfast logic...) instead of the square ones. Well crafted and very sturdy vise. Highly recommended.

[Joe Vannucci]

Thanks, Ted. I hadn't seen that product. I was aware of (and leery of) the Veritas Inset Vise, but this one's new to me. Seems much easier to install than something like the Benchcrafted.