Apron T-track clamp vise. Design and limitations?

[Croolis]

So I'm doing the Peter Millard-esque MFT workbench as per photo. He doesn't go into much detail on making the apron, unless it's on a video I've missed.

I will be attaching a board to the front as an apron. It's 20.5 x 144mm Redwood PSE from Wickes. I have two lengths of 600mm T-track (damn that stuff is expensive, £22 for that. Buying in bulk appears to be cheaper, or just buying router bit). I shall be installing the track by using (for the first time ever!) my plunge router with its parallel guide to route out the channel for it. It's been sitting gathering dust all winter in the cupboard.

I have a couple of quick action guide rail clamps from Axminster ('cos they were cheap). I'm going with this idea because it's cheap. I'm cheap.

So the idea is to clamp things to the apron using track clamps and T-track instead of a vise. I can image mostly doing things like sanding, light planing the edges of not too thick material. Drilling and routing thicker material doing things like dowels or mortise. Using hand saw cutting tenons. I'm not really envisioning myself doing hard put-your-back-into-it planing on great big wood, though I spose that could always happen. Being cheap, at that point I'd probably buy a proper vise because it would be cheaper than buying a power planer.

But I'm not there yet. Does anyone have any thoughts about how far down the apron the track should be? I have two lengths so I could have two tracks at different heights, or just one longer track. I know this might seem like an obvious or "just try it and see" question but I can't afford to burn any money on any mistakes at the minute, and I don't know what to envisage when it comes to the detail of use.

What do we think about the clamps? Should I invest in some screw style guide rail clamps instead of relying on the quick release ones I have?

Any other thoughts about doing this sort of method, making or using? When you watch a lot of YT channels it's all English workbenches with big ol' vises and leg vises and whatnot, but probably bad idea to put that sort of weight on my shed floor. I'm probably pushing my luck with what I've done already (effectively six 4x4 legs with 18mm MDF top. I need to add some stretchers to the table in the middle, I know).

Cheers.

 

[Sideways]

You could skip the T track altogether ?
Just fit a short apron and use any squeeze / quick release clamp to pinch the stock against that apron.

As I think about this, I don't see any real downside. You could grip very hard. Applying more force than would rip any T rack out the surface it's screwed / glued into.

And personally, I don't like screw handle guide rail clamps. I don't have the grip strength to make the most of them and wooden handle ones are especially naff. I use the bessey / axminster lever types, and all sorts of quick grip clamps from cheap lightweigh Irwins through Besseys, to the Bessey heavy duty versions which can really crush.

 

[ChaiLatte]

You could grip very hard. Applying more force than would rip any T track out the surface it's screwed / glued into.

I am not sure gripping force as such could rip the T-track out. After all, the piece being gripped is directly above and touching the T-track so the clamping is just squeezing the two together (draw a cross section).

Perhaps if the T-track were sunk into the surface, it would try to pull out, but with it flush, excess force would just deform and ruin the track rather than pull it bodily from the material.

If there were two parallel lengths of T-track, a "depth stop" could be used on the lower one (something to rest the item on so its top is the correct distance above the benchtop) leaving both hands free to do the clamping rather than trying to stop the item plummeting to the floor while manipulating the clamps.

The problem with clamps in that orientation is that the projecting shaft is at an unfortunate height to hurt you when you walk into it. In some respects, something like a hold-down, where the excess shaft goes in under the bench could be less painful.

 

[Eshmiel]

How thick are those aprons? Square section T-track needs to be attached with screws to the thing its in. If you're aprons are thinnish and you make the screw-in parts for the T-track even thinner, the screws and track are likely to pull out if you put any significant pressure on the clamps riding in the T-track.

Axminster sell some dovetail-shaped T-track. This is more secure because its not just some diddy screws holding the T-track to whatever its let into but also the thicker surrounding wood.

However, for attaching boards and other things to the front-side of a bench, the traditional methods (and there are many) are a far better solution than T-track. T-track is best used when you need a hold down or other device to operate in the middle of a large area, such as the centre of your bench top. It also needs to be secured with long screws in plenty of wood-meat (or use of the dovetail variety of T-track) if high clamping pressures need to be used.

 

[Cozzer]

Funnily enough, I came across this yesterday...I haven't a vice on my bench, so have been looking at various alternatives such as the crochet idea. As usual, space and expense have to be considered!

Methinks this is the "poor man's" version of Croolis' idea...

 

[Spectric]

So the idea is to clamp things to the apron using track clamps and T-track instead of a vise.

With this T track you need to clamp in such a way that you are not trying to pull the track out of the board, with the workpiece over the track and clamped it prevents this happening.

 

[Croolis]

I have just noticed on Peter's vids he is using the T track on the apron primarily as a mount for a support bracket for his track on its rail hinge, and also as a way to mount an extension surface to his MFT if he wants to cut bigger sheet material. It has the added bonus of being able to clamp material to it vertically like a vise but that's not its primary use.

Regards the T-track and material, it would be mounted in either a routed out slot or between some additional 20mm boards, but the screws holding it down would be going right through the 20mm board that it wold be mounted in and straight into the 2x4 stretcher behind it. So plenty of depth of material for the screws.

I think I'm going to do it anyway. Put two rails in, one higher, one below so I can have something for supporting the bottom of a workpiece. I reckon it'll be all right for light stuff, just don't abuse it. WIll let you know.

First 3 mins of Peter's vid shows what he's doing:

 

[Croolis]

Methinks this is the "poor man's" version of Croolis' idea...

Chunky boy version . Big rail clamps.