Bench vise design question

[Derrick]

If you only had two of the large bench vise screws and designing your own vise. Would you make a twin screw for the end of the bench and buy a cheaper HF vise for the side,or split up the screws, and make a side and end single screw vise? Just looking for thoughts.

[just4funsies]

I think it would depend on the kind of work pieces you think you'll be using most. I can see advantages to both configurations. And many people use those clamps not just for direct clamping, but to clamp large pieces across the top of the bench using bench dogs. If you have two rows of dog holes on the top, it might make sense to have two screws on the end, so they're independant.

It may also be possible to get extra threaded bushings for the screws you have, so you could mill and set up several alternate locations on the bench, and move the screws around to suit the job.

[final_t]

My two cents

If you only had two of the large bench vise screws and designing your own vise. Would you make a twin screw for the end of the bench and buy a cheaper HF vise for the side,or split up the screws, and make a side and end single screw vise? Just looking for thoughts.

For your tail vise with two screws, are you going to gang them together with a chain (like Lee Valley's model) or leave them seperate so you can pivot as needed or turn both cranks at the same time (and hold the workpiece with your third hand... )

It also depends on what you're using as the source items. I'm not clear if you're using two of something like this:


Or like this:


If the first, you're going to have a hard time using two at once on a same tail without a chain drive turning both a the same time. If the second, then sure, go for it.

Personally, I have the first one in a tail vice and it works fine. So if you have two of 'em I'd use one for the tail and once for the front vice.

[Derrick]

What I have is a beefed up version of the second one. However adding a chain drive is not out of the question either. I guess I am really wondering if a twin screw vise really makes that much difference for most projects. I just don't understand the benefit. Thanks for the replies.

[final_t]

What I have is a beefed up version of the second one. However adding a chain drive is not out of the question either. I guess I am really wondering if a twin screw vise really makes that much difference for most projects. I just don't understand the benefit. Thanks for the replies.

Racking & leverage. With two screws linked via a chain, you're not going rack the vice as much if at all. This totally depends on the width of your vise - above say 16" you will have a problem racking (my tail vise is 25"), but this can be worked around with a stepped spacer board.

A good resource is The Workbench Book (Scott Landis, Tauton press, isbn 1561582700) and also http://www.workbenchdesign.net, among other books & sites.

Take pics and post'em if you make your own chain drive, sure others (and me) want to see how you did it so we can steal learn from it!

[LarryG]

I guess I am really wondering if a twin screw vise really makes that much difference for most projects. I just don't understand the benefit.

Do you mean the benfit of the twin-screw vise, or of linking the two screws with a chain?

If the former, the only real advantage I see is capacity: a twin-screw typically has wider jaws than a singleton. Useful when working with longer workpieces (say, a table leg), or when working on a wide panel that requires using the bench dog holes along both sides of the bench. Like just4 said, I think it really depends on your needs.

If the latter, what final_t said.

I'm currently moving into the Advanced Jaw-Scratching phase of a twin-screw. I want the two screws linked by chain, and so far it's looking like the cost of the Veritas is not as bad as it first seems. By the time I bought two screws of comparable quality, figured out the chain drive, and fashioned a cover plate for the chain, I'm not sure the money I'd save would be worth the hassle of trying to roll my own.