How important is it that the business end of the shoulder vise on a traditional Eurpoean workbench be able to swivel?
I purchased a shoulder vise screw from Lee Valley without realizing that the tip merely rotates. It does not swivel.
Tage Frid (whose bench I am building) suggests that the ability to swivel makes the shoulder vise versatile as it is then able to hold irregularly shaped work. I don’t necessarily work with irregularly shaped work, but who knows where I might go in the future if I have a shoulder vise capable of holding the piece firmly.
Lee Valley is willing to refund, but I don’t know of another source for a “swiveling” shoulder vise.
Your thoughts?
Monte
Replies
I bought the vise-screw that is pictured on the website, and it does swivel to some degree. Its never going to do what a patternmakers vise does, but I havnt seen it as a problem.
You can get it to swivel by making the connection to the shoe a little loose. I did this with mine, and it really improves the clamping power, since the faces of the vise don't need to be parallel.
Just a few degrees of play (5-10°)is all you need for most uses.
Umberto Eco, The Island of the Day Before
Thanks for the suggestion to leave the connection a little loose in order to obtain a few degrees of angle. I'm not sure how often I would need to clamp irregular work, but I suppose that could make a wedge to assist if the angle is severe.
Judging from the two responses I've received, I assume that a swiveling version of the vise is probably no longer commercially available so I will keep what I have and make it work.
Monte
I purchased a shoulder vise screw from Lee Valley without realizing that the tip merely rotates. It does not swivel.
Forgive this old man.. However, as I see it.. There is a modified ball and socket on the end of the screw. Whatever hunk of wood that is attached to the end should be able to go almost anyplace. OK, so if it is not restricted from doing so. Or do you mean the limit of the ball and socket movement?
I guess I'm not sure what you mean by swivel as far as using the screw you have.
Edited 3/11/2008 7:06 pm by WillGeorge
No forgiveness necessary. I should have been more forthcoming in my description.
The end of the screw is not really a ball and socket. It could be described as a blunt, flat end, sort of like a thick washer at the end of the screw. The "slotted socket" slides over the "washer" and although there is a little give, it definitely does not swivel.
The best analogy that I can think of at the moment is a doorknob. Some doorknobs are round and quite spherical in shape, which is like a ball over which a socket will swivel. Other doorknobs are round but flattened...more pancake-like than bulbous. Now picture a doorknob that is absolutely flat with 90 degree shoulders. This is my shoulder vise screw.
Hope this helps.
Monte
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