A question about tail vices on a work bench

[PaulArthur]

Hi everyone. I'm part way through construction of a split-roubo type bench in my cellar. I'm planning to have a leg vice on the front, but I'd like to have the ability to use bench dogs on the top for face planing, and I have an old 9 1/2" record vice that I want to put in at the tail of the bench. My question is relating to end caps - do I need an end cap for the laminated top, if I'm not having a wagon vice, but the vice I already have instead? Given that the vice will be bolted in to the bench top in four places, it'll spread the load adequately, won't it?

To some extent, with my first bench, I want to make things as simple as possible, and mucking around with big dovetails and end caps seems like it's a bit beyond me.

 

[dzj]

I think the 4 bolts would be sufficient.

 

[colinc]

Hi,

I too am finishing off a split Roubo and I have put a wagon vice on the right hand end so it needed the end cap. There are a few pics here: penultimate-workbench-t116989.html

If I were fitting a Record vice I think that I would simply use hex headed screws like these which I used to attach the top: TIMCO SOLO COACH SCREW HEX FLANGE HEAD YELLOW ZINC SLEEPER SCREWS TURBO COACH https://ebay.us/tCKUwV

Using the vice to hold things flat implies that you are not going to be winding the vice up really tightly anyway.

I made my own wagon vice and bought the leg vice hardware, so I still have my record vice and was thinking that I might mount it on the other side of the bench rather than have it lying around.

regards

Colin

 

[Eric The Viking]

Word to the wise: I'd coverthe bolt tops with something relatively soft, either wooden plugs or resin or something.

I've got holdfast collars in the surface of my bench and have got rather too close to reshaping chisels on a couple of occasions. Mine is due for a rework (sometime real soon now, allegedly), and I"m moving the collars to the front of the legs and apron, to use them for gripping tall things for planing, etc. I've got a couple of traditional holdfasts for the top, which don't need collars and thus won't risk my chisels!