Comments

1. 
   Jurgen01 | Feb 09, 2015 05:03pm | #1

   Terrific workbench!
   Overall dimensions?
   How do you like the Benchcraft leg vise setup?

2. 
   Jurgen01 | Feb 09, 2015 05:05pm | #2

   BTW
   White oak. Must weigh a ton. I love it!

3. 
   Shedshopmike | Apr 02, 2015 12:18am | #3

   Now that I've been using the leg vise for a few projects, I have to say that I love it. No guide bars in the way, no racking, very fast to adjust. The screw is so smooth that it can go from all the way open to closed with one spin. Rock solid gripping with leather faces, without applying barely any torque to the screw.
   Also the mass on the thick top really does make a difference if you do a lot of handplaning, chopping, etc. like I do. This bench won't move, I can just barely move one end at a time to go from against the wall to away. Being able to use all 4 sides of a bench has changed a lot of things for me, all for the better. A narrow thick top is the way to go.
   LN tail vise- I'm not as excited about this as I thought I'd be. It is very well made as expected. What wasn't expected is how slow the screw is. I was already used to that due to my previous self-made wagon vise. Having the front open to the bench is great & that clamping is rock solid. Clamping with dogs is rock solid & this vise does not raise up. Building the dog block is extensive but not technically challenging. I am concerned about the top of the dog block. They designed it to leave a strip of wood approx. 1/4" thick at the top so it mates with the top of your bench. Over time with flattening your bench this strip is going to get thinner & might become an issue one day. If your bench is not built very flat to begin with & you install this vise & then have to flatten your bench you would be accelerating that issue. You definitely have to decide up front during your bench construction if you are going to use this vise.

4. 
   Jurgen01 | Apr 15, 2015 03:57pm | #4

   I hear what you are saying and it is consistent with comments of others who have used the Benchcrafted leg vise. I am glad to hear it has worked well for you.

   I also get what you have said about the tail vise.It is a top-quality item but it is slow to move in and out. Almost all tail vises of this traditional design share this feature, as far as I can tell. For all of that, this type of tail vise is still beautiful and very useful, as you pointed out.

   In retrospect, would it be possible to lower the tail vise mounting bar and thereby increase the thickness of the top of the tail vise by a commensurate amount? Maybe a 1/4" or so?

   Please understand, this is a question, not a recommendation. Your bench is one of the nicest I have ever seen and I wouldn't change a thing.

   Great work!

5. 
   Shedshopmike | Apr 29, 2015 03:14pm | #5

   You probably could add some thickness to the vise chop. The bottom metal "glide" that mounts to the chop at the very bottom of the chop. There is nothing that mounts to the bottom of the bench to prevent that. The glides cinch up to the metal bracket that is recessed into the bench side. I honestly didn't give it that much thought. Hopefully it won't be something I have to worry about in my lifetime! I wonder what Lie Nielsen would say about it.

6. 
   user-315780 | Jun 06, 2015 03:24pm | #6

   I seen a lot of benches. The bench shown here could be use in an 18-wheeler garage. Certainly finely constructed. However, is there ever too much presence? My old beach still has a heart beat and will support an incredible amount of work. I am thinking about a Shwartz's 18th century beast.