Who to use to put the screws to it.

Want some opinions reviews and experience for a shop tool I am waffling on if I want or need. I am looking into getting a woodworkers vise. One that is a flush mount to the top of the work bench and has the ability to use dogs to allow for clamping large items on the bench top. Not looking to dump a ton of coin on a professional model but don't want a no name cheapie that strips out the 3rd time I use it and have a $20 paper weight.

 

I'll put up my thoughts. I don't have one, mostly because I don't have the space to dedicate for gluing up.

I use the Kreg jig system for edge board joining. I'll use pipe clamps or quick clamps till they are snug. I like their portability if I have cabinet work to do. Pipe or quick clamps can be set up and the piece moved off to the side to free up the bench.

I would use dogs if I had larger stock to hold for hand planing or routing, but I don't do that frequently.

Vises can get pretty spendy quickly. Larger tool supply companies have plenty to choose from with reviews. Let us know what you come up with.

 

I am still planning and open to suggestions. I am thinking on a mobile work bench. I think I am going to put the vise on the short side so I can use the length of the bench for clamping with dogs. Also thinking about making the bench top out of 2 by material two layers deep then topped with a 1/2" plywood top. Probably go 72" x 40" for the top. Not sure on if I want to go with 2 or 4 wheels. I will need to start sketching plans so you can see my maniacal ideas.

 

The little slide-up dogs built into iron vises, even expensive ones, are just a tiny bit better than totally useless. Flex and slop in the vise mechanism, especially on cheap models, tends to allow the outer jaw to deflect downwards, angling the steel dog back so that it only contacts the bottom edge of the workpiece, which tends to lift the work off the bench surface. It's very easy for the work to pop free entirely.

The shop that I help to manage has a couple of decent old American-made vises of this type, a bunch of cheap Chinese knockoffs, and one vintage English-made Record vise that would be worth at least a couple hundred dollars even though it's probably 30 or 40 years old. The Record has one big advantage in that its outer jaw tilts inward at the top, so that the jaws only become parallel after a significant load is applied. That has the potential to partially counteract that tendency for work to pop up and out when using the dogs, but it's still nothing like a traditional cabinetmaker's bench with a long tail vise built into the top. I've built a couple of those, and they are profoundly more functional.

Problematic. The 2x material will expand and contract significantly with seasonal humidity changes, but the plywood will be much more stable. If it's all tied tightly together then it won't stay flat; the top will tend to become concave in the humid summer and convex in the dry winter.

 

google wood workers benches, I have seen some great plans and they already figured out all the problem areas. Also need some weight to it or you will push it all over the shop when working on it. The "bench" I work on is also a 24 drawer wooden cabinet with a 1 inch thick masonite top that weighs probably 1000 lbs and it will move a little when you start to really crank on stuff.

 

The strip where the dog holes are should be a pretty dense hardwood like hard maple or beech. The dogs will wear out the plywood around the holes with the pressure from clamping. The dogs are pretty snug in the holes to prevent them from moving and causing problems like Jon1270 mentioned.

 

Pretty sure bogydave put up some pics of one he built. Extremely nice and well made.
I built the fairly simple one from the "New Yankee Workshop" many years ago, and even with the strip and dogs made of Oak, they wear. It'll take a while, unless you're working on it production style. Don't remember where I got the vise.

 

I was interested to see what is out there these days ,so , I did some searching and research, found vises that seem to be pretty good .
What I have is a 10" Record ,Lever Quick-Release, to bad they don't make records any more , It doesn't have a pop up dog ,I faced it with 2" sugar maple ,drilled 3 holes across the top where I insert 3/4" maple dowels flat on one side .
Edit : I could probable sell it for over twice the $100 I paid for it


From my research I found these vises do have , Vise jaws that are equipped with a "toe-in" feature - when fully closed the jaws meet only at the top to provide even clamping on the whole depth of the workpiece. except for the cheaper ones at Grizzly .
As far as the twist quick release vises, I have read they can be a PITA , but don't know myself never used one.
I looked at mostly 7" vises cuz you wanted inexpensive one .
Best price with shipping and ,If I was looking for a 7" new vise ,I would buy the Shop Fox D4327 from amazon, very best price I found. http://www.amazon.com/Shop-Fox-D4327-7-Inch-Release/dp/B00BHSPI24/ref=pd_sbs_328_6?ie=UTF8&dpID=41koZ+tSvDL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=1M5FXD54M2P3083QKZC8

Other option is a good ol used one off EBay

My second pick: The Yost also order from HD
http://www.amazon.com/Yost-M7WW-Rapid-Acting-Working/dp/B00SIQ1DLS/ref=pd_sbs_328_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=41fSfL-znpL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=1CRCFDNZEWRECPBNT4RM

My third pick:
This Groz 7" Quick Release has good reviews , bad thing is pop up dog is plastic , It could be replaced with steel
Buy Groz 7" Quick Release Woodworking Vise with Quick Adjustment Trigger at Woodcraft.com


Grizzly has some cheaper ones for like $35 , not somthing I would buy though .
Shop Tools and Machinery at Grizzly.com

LeeVally has twist release type Quick-Release Steel Bench Vises - Lee Valley Tools (Oops fixed)

Some other Info
Woodworking Tools | Woodworking Supplies
http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/pdf/basicbuilt/Hardworking_Vises.pdf
All About Vises
Bench Vises - Fine Woodworking How-To

Your opinions my differ

 

I don't think I ever saw the one he built, but I know he has one of these bad boys, Veritas Twin-Screw Vise on the end of his bench

 

Lots of great info there HD.

 

I installed one of those on a friend's bench several years ago, and didn't like it. It suffered from extra complexity, in a tool that should be dead-simple, and whatever advantage it might've occasionally offered, it wasn't enough to make up the difference. My friend redesigned his bench and sold that vise a few years later.

 

I here ya, just cuz it's more complected and costs more doesn't necessarily mean it's better

 

I like that Lee Valley tries to serve the small-shop woodworker with innovative, well-made tools. They're a little like Stanley used to be 50 years or more ago, when they were making all those little specialty gadgets that have become collectible. Sometimes I think they're trying too hard to be clever, but Stanley probably suffered the same fault at times.

 

I like the marking gauge I have, it's much better than pin type
Veritas® Wheel Marking Gauges - Lee Valley Tools

 

Agreed, I have two of those. The first one was missing the O-ring that provides a little resistance so the head doesn't slip along the shaft too easily. They sent me a replacement gauge and told me to keep the first.

 

BTW, the pin type can be made to perform a lot better if you sharpen it like a chisel, with a flat bevel one one side instead of a pencil point sort of shape. Face the bevel away from the head, and the curve will help pull the gauge tight against the work.

 

Yeah, I was going to do that to one of the other ones I have but I got the wheel deal, don't even look at the other ones anymore.

 

Thanks for the tips n ideas! Keep them comin.

 

Here's a mobile bench I made several years ago, nothing fancy but it works for what I do.