Time To Eat Crow

[ken hatch]

For years I've had a thing about tail vises, end vises, wagon vises, for that matter anything that hangs off or works from the right end of my right handed bench. I've thought they were not worth the time or money to install. That there were better ways to do the same job from a cost/benefit/complexity view.

Here comes the crow and I must say with a helping fava beans it may be quite tasty. Will Meyers has come up with a wagon vise designed for his benches but usable on almost any bench. From its looks, it looks to address most of my concerns about wagon vises. I've ordered one, it should arrive next week. I've a BC Classic screw and a 14" crisscross on a shelf, once the wagon vise hardware arrives I'll start sourcing wood for a base and slab. I expect this build will have a 7' to 8' slab, other than that just a standard Moravian bench but with a metal vise screw, crisscross, and a wagon vise.

Then come the real question: Which of the current benches gets kicked off the island?

ken

[Andrew Seemann]

At this point, you might as well go full over to the dark side and experience the joys of a shoulder vise.

[ken hatch]

At this point, you might as well go full over to the dark side and experience the joys of a shoulder vise.

Andrew,

LOL, it ain't gonna happen . Can you figure out a way to do a shoulder vise with slanted legs, boggles my mind.

ken

[Mike Manning]

No pics or link to an ad for the new vise? Congrats! You certainly seem excited plus an excuse to build another bench. ;0)

[Jim Koepke]

Will Meyers has come up with a wagon vise designed for his benches but usable on almost any bench. From its looks, it looks to address most of my concerns about wagon vises.

Do you have a link to his wagon vise?

My tail vise is used all the time. At one time a wagon vise seemed like it might be a good idea. Over time it seemed limited compared to the simple vise that is currently my tail vise.

jtk

[ken hatch]

A link to Will Myers blog:

https://eclecticmechanicals.com/2019/11/11/moravian-tail-vises-available/

ken

[ken hatch]

Do you have a link to his wagon vise?

My tail vise is used all the time. At one time a wagon vise seemed like it might be a good idea. Over time it seemed limited compared to the simple vise that is currently my tail vise.

jtk

Mike,

Busted, but my story is because it is mostly an excuse to use the BC Classic screw and 14" crisscross I've stored and a little "Oh boy a new bench build" .

ken

ken

[Christopher Charles]

Poor crow.

Chris

[Christopher Charles]

I will say that is a clever and elegant design. Too bad about the round dog hole though

[Steve Southwood]

Will has had that vise out for some time now. There was a post on the old WKTools site that spec'ed out the parts if you want to build your own.

[James Pallas]

Ken, I believe I have figured out a way for a tail vise. I’ve had the hard maple for nearly 2 years now to build the pictured bench modeled here. Health crap has curtailed my shop work at present. I still plan to build. My plan is to have both rear legs splayed. The left front angled with a leg vise. The right front leg vertical. The leg tenons will be secured the regular way and the vertical leg will be secured with folding wedges through the tenon from the front and rear.
Jim
PS sorry about the photos. Loosing my touch. I like tail vises. Had one for years. Sold the bench in a move. Been bemoaning that decision for many years.

[William Fretwell]

The shoulder vise won’t care if the legs are slanted.

[ken hatch]

I will say that is a clever and elegant design. Too bad about the round dog hole though

Chris,

I know it looks strange but I expect it will function about the same as square.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken, I believe I have figured out a way for a tail vise. I’ve had the hard maple for nearly 2 years now to build the pictured bench modeled here. Health crap has curtailed my shop work at present. I still plan to build. My plan is to have both rear legs splayed. The left front angled with a leg vise. The right front leg vertical. The leg tenons will be secured the regular way and the vertical leg will be secured with folding wedges through the tenon from the front and rear.
Jim
PS sorry about the photos. Loosing my touch. I like tail vises. Had one for years. Sold the bench in a move. Been bemoaning that decision for many years.

James,

Photos are fine, I love the way you "model" your builds. The bench looks like it will work and looks build-able. Hope the health issues go away, so far I've been lucky mine have been either short term or I've been able to work around. Getting old sucks.

ken

[ken hatch]

Will has had that vise out for some time now. There was a post on the old WKTools site that spec'ed out the parts if you want to build your own.

Steve,

It could be I just want to build a new bench and the wagon vise is a good excuse . I remember looking at his install a few years ago and it didn't blow my skirt, not sure the difference.

ken