Finally got a chance to finish making my twin screw vise for my Nicholson Bench and got it installed today. I'm pretty excited to get it done as I've been dealing with health issues the last couple months and haven't been up to any woodworking. It was good to get back to it. The bench had been sitting untouched since around December.
The bench is made of southern yellow pine and the vise chop out of a thick slab of red oak I had lying around the shop. The vise screws are inch and a half dowels that I threaded with a Beall wood threading kit. They work well, and I like the idea of wooden screws vs. metal. Just a traditionalist thing. No garters on the screws. I don't think I'll need them. I'll just manually pull out the vise chop after unscrewing the screws a few turns. And I can remove the vise entirely if it gets in the way of stock prep on the bench top.
I still have a little work to do on the bench. I want to drill holes in the front apron and a few in the top for hold fast. And I want to add a wooden bench stop at the left end. Hopefully soon. The tools on the bench in the photos have nothing particular to do with the construction of the bench, but the bench just looked so empty without anything on it. And I just can't resist pictures of tool porn. ;)
Jamie Bacon
5 comments:
I've been looking at the whole Leg vs. Twin Screw vise thing for awhile now, and really love that you put it on the Nicholson. So cool. How do you like the deep front apron?
Hey Paul. Thanks for the kind words. I love the deep front apron, other than the fact that I added a shelf to the bench last night and it doesn't leave much room to see what's under there. I've been very happy with the wide twin screw vise, although if I had it to do over again, I'd make it portable, ala the one Chris Schwarz has been touting by Moxon. http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/Joseph+Moxons+Doublescrew+Vise.aspxI would then put a crotchet on the left end and use that in conjuntion with holdfast in the apron holes to edge joint things without having to mess with clamping the board, like Bob Rozaieski did on his Nicholson. http://www.logancabinetshoppe.com/1/post/2010/05/episode-23-workbench-work-holding.html Then I'd have the portable twin screw for dovetailing and such when neede. I've thought about trying this crotchet on the opposite corner of the bench (the back right if you're standing at the front), just to see how I like it. I'll post the results if I get around to it.
I started back at the beginning of your blog for a re-read! Very timely too as just today is Moxon Vice day. Or at least I'm starting on it today while the maple is still green enough to turn down the screws. They'll have to dry oval and be turned again before threading.
Nice post!
Very cool. What kind of threading system do you use? What size/thread count will they be?
Thank you for shharing this
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