Maybe not the right forum category…
I’m putting a leg vice on a new workbench (SYP). I’m looking for any and all input on the wood to use for the chop. It’ll be 8 inches wide give or take. I’ve got SYP that I can use, but it’ll be pithy in the center.
I could rip a couple or three straight grained sticks and glue up the chop, that likely would be better than a pithy board.
From an esthetic point of view, (right, esthetics on a workbench… you can tell I’ve been reading too many workbench books,) I’d like to go with something for the chop that will contrast. I’ve easy access to hard maple, ash, white oak… even cherry or walnut, and probably could score a Maple or oak board wide enough and nice enough I wouldn’t have to rip and glue. But then there’s no dynamic contrast in color.
Would the “contrasting” walnut (I think cherry a bit much,) be stout enough for the chop?
Go with maple and stain it a bit darker than the pine?
Other somewhat common hardwoods I should consider that wouldn’t break the bank that might yield a nice contrast but still provide the strength needed in a chop?
If I slice the pine and glue up, will a strip/piece of walnut or even maybe the cherry sandwiched between pine verticals work (swelling/shrinking differences over time)? I guess I’m thinking if I have to laminate pine, I might gain some good looks from dropping a contrasting wood in between.
Any and all input appreciated.
Replies
Hmm.
Difficult.
My workbench is pine and ply and works just fine for me. Cheap too. My vice is pine too, though the jaws are 45mm thick and that works well too.
Most benches seem to be Beech or Maple and that harder wood also seems to work.
The vice does not really need to exert a vast amount of force as it is a large area, so there is massive friction. Built right a vice will grip well without excessive pressure so the material you make it from is probably not that significant.
Doubtless there will be debate!
Any of those choices are fine. Choose the one you like best.
I would definitely line the jaws with something. I've used a variety of materials, such as suede. Crubber is the best thing I've found.
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I just finished building a benchtop bench out of SYP and used Oak for the vise chops. The bench was finished with one coat of natural Danish Oil but the chops have no finish. To me, they look too light and sort of pink and I've been debating about wiping some oil on them to darken them up a bit. Yes, I'm a designer and aesthetics are important to me. I did line the chop with Crupper, which is a nice addition.
Does not matter, harder will last longer, have used maple, oak, fur, plywood and MDF. Chops are replaceable, glue up is just fine, chops protect the project to be held.
I do like to leather line at least one side to hold the wood as jaws are tightened.
Nice work J. I would drill the holes for the mounting screws a bit deeper, then plug the holes with dowels and trim flush, to prevent the holes from transferring to the work while under pressure.
Covering the inside jaw with leather or crubber will also give you a bit more protection and grip when positioning.
Thanks!
The screw heads are countersunk and should be deep enough to avoid marring the work. I want to keep the screw heads "available" in case they need to be tightened due to humidity changes or, at some point, removed. It's hard to see but the chop attached to the vise has Crubber on it.
Any would work, personally I'd go with the white oak for strength.
It can always to dyed for contrast.
Since it's a leg vise the strength and stiffness WILL matter, this will not be backed up by cast iron. How far down your pivot fulcrum is will determine how stiff your chop will need to be. I would probably go with a stiff wood like ash or beech. I'm not a fan of leg vises, but every freak gets to fly his own flag!
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