I have almost completed this bench, one year and three months of on and off weekends. Anyhow, I was totally taken aback when the twin screws of the main vise were squarely lined up with the top cross-member of the base!! I installed everything according to plan, purchased the Veritas Twin Screw Vise called for, and wham …!! I had to drill two clearance holes in the crosspiece. What did I possibly do wrong? The photo is of the open vise … any ideas?
Replies
"What did I possibly do wrong?"
Sometimes a plan comes together despite our best efforts to get in the way. ;-)
Looks great. Ship it to my place, and I'll test it for you at no charge. ;-)
Ralph, thanks for the return mail .... I can ship the bench but it weighs over 900 pounds, might be expensive!
--Louis
I guess that means I'll need
I guess that means I'll need to do a really really good job of testing it. That might take longer. ;-)
Work on it with pride, Louis.
I made that bench a couple years ago and had the same surprise - so I drilled a couple of holes and all was fine. As I recall, some other person on Knots had the same experience. I just worked from the magazine article, so I don't know if he mentioned the need for holes in his book.
You did a really great job - looks beautiful. I tried the dovetails, but gave up and did a simpler joint.
David
LS's bench is basically the
LS's bench is basically the same bench base I made about 15 years ago so the only plans were the one's I worked out on a notepad before I started. I also use what I refer to as a "whale-back" under the top between both top end stretchers to cut the weight of the top in half with underneath support to help pervent any sag from weight that could occur over time. It also will stiffen the base so there is no rack before the top is added. My top is on with gravity and 4 bullet headed 1" dowel in top of the legs that corespond to 4 holes drilled in the bottom of the top that fit over the dowels in the top of the legs.
My bench is only 26" wide as I don't like a wide bench personally. But.. due to that I had to cut holes for the screws of a twin not only in the back jaw but thought the legs to accomodate the screw width. Bottom line is you do what you have to do make it work. And then if it works just rejoice briefly and move on. :>)
Would the problem have been resolved if you had made the bench top longer? I only ask b/c I have built the base and need to dust off the plans and get going on the top sometime soon (like in 17 years when my daughter goes to college). What would you have done diffferently to resolve the issue in retrospect?
Thanks,
Randy
Randy, thanks for the reply. Bot, I guess I was not alone with this issue! You think though that Fine Woodworking mag would have mentioned it at least in the article about Lon's bench. What would I do differently, well you could make the top longer, although this would put a lot of bench over thin air, not good. Then again what's up with Veritas making the twin screws so long anyhow ... how often will you have to open that monster that far ... they certainly could make those screws 4 inches shorter without a problem. I had to drill the holes after the base was made, horizontally, so keeping a horizontal line meant careful, slow drilling with a extra long Fortsner bit. Now it looks like I have to enlarge the holes a bit because they are not EXACTLY on the same axis as the screws, and I made them just 1/4" wider in diameter than the screws (that's just 1/8" clearance all around). My friends and the missus wonder if I will ever really work on it .. you bet I will! Here's a couple more photos. Thanks again guys.
You're probably asking the OP
You're probably asking the OP but.. the screws on a Veritas twin are around 17" long. You minus the thickness of the front and rear jaw and that would have to the amount of over-hang to avoid cutting a clearance hole.
In my case I didn't want that much over-hang and realized in advance since I was not working with someone else's plan that a hole would have to be cut to allow the screw to clear through. Cutting a 1 3/4" hole in a 4" thick leg is not a problem before all the strechers have been added and glued to the legs. Even then.. still easy enough but you want get one quite as clean so you just cut a little over-size.
BTW.. for any that might question why the screws are so long... I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Here are 3 working reasons I am over-joyed they are long as the extra lenght has proved handy on the battle line.
(1).. I had to make my bench 6" long as I really wanted a 7' but.. the constant extra lenght between the vise end of bench and the front of my TS left a too cramped space in front of the TS which was not to my liking as far as movement comfort. But.. if I open up the jaw fully on the twin screw I now have 7' of support on the table with the top of front jaw actting as a supporting extension on the rare occasions I need it.
(2).. As you become very active in the shop.. you will find situations you will need the extra width of the jaw opening to clamp as you can clamp between the screws. Since I added a twin screw I rarely use either of my two font vises as the twin is very versatile.
(3).. Opening fully comes in handy if you are cutting something wide as an opening on stock with my trusty Bosch barrel grip jig saw. Here is a picture where I laid an ososoleces trapezoid top over the opening after I had squared the 4 corners of an intended rectanglur hole on my industrial mortiser. I clamped the top over the open front jaw and the rear jaw an edge of table. At that point the top was secure and I go at it with my jig saw as the blade moved freely in the opening below the top. BTW.. if you ever do this.. throw a rag over the screws to keep the sawdust of the cut out of the threads.
So.. bigger is better IMO as I have found uses for big. The picture below is the results of what I did clamped vertical so you can see the results.. whatever that means. ha.. ha...
Yep, if a fella (or, gal) is gonna have a vice, it might as well be a big one. ;-)
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