Sunday, October 3, 2010

Woodworking Vise

I finally got around to installing a wood working vise on my workbench. I had already planned for a vise for the bench when I first made it, but I needed K's help to get it mounted on the table top since it was so heavy. I actually took off the top and flipped over in order to install it and then needed K to help me put the top back into place..

The vise is a Jorgensen 41012 Woodworking Vise which was bigger then I expected but fortunately fit perfectly in the 10" overhang that I had on the bench. My table top was exactly 1/2" short of the minimal thickness needed so I had to use a 1/2" plywood scrap underneath the top for the vise to mount against. Since I don't have a saw, I had to ask my friend, KH, at work to cut the pieces to size which I then sanded a little to get everything flushed. Installing the vise isn't difficult but the provided template to help cut the holes were actually a little bit off so we had to make some adjustments while we were mounting it.

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There are three things left that I'd like to do to the bench: 1) install bench dog holes, 2) put a couple of wood blocks in the jaws of the vise and 2) apply a finish to the frame.

5 comments:

  1. I just bought the same vise and have a similar setup for my bench top, two 3/4" pieces of plywood glued and screwed together.

    An unanticipated problem when I got the vise in the mail yesterday was that it requires you to screw the back jaw plate into the sides of the plywood. Did you have any problems with splintering the plywood or strength issues given the weight of the vise? I also noticed in the picture you have a piece of plywood scrap behind the back jaw plate. Is that to alleviate the above mentioned potential problems?

    Thanks,
    Brian

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  2. Yes, I put in the plywood scrap because I was concerned about the strength/weight if I screwed directly into the sides of the plywood and between the two layers. With the scrap for the backplate I've not had any problems with the vise and it has been holding up fine.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the info!

      So you used plywood for the backplate or just a stock wood scrap as it appears to be a wood scrap from the side grain in your pictures.

      Can you tell me what size thickness you used for the wood and if you used longer screws than what was provided in the box?

      Thanks,
      Brian

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  3. I'll have to check the thickness but I think it was a 1/2" ply that I had lying around and I just used the screws that came with the vise.

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