cowtown_eric
Established Member
just a little alert....you may wanna check that yer jaws are square to the top.
Fitting a woodworking vice to workbench
- Thread starter Wilson joinery
- Start date
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The front jaw (only the front, I think, but I've never checked) on a record-type is deliberately off square, so that it will be toed in slightly at the top for better grip as the vice is tightened.
The rear jaw isn't though, as I found out after several YEARS of wondering why I couldn't plane square to the face of a board.
Think it was the brains built in sense of 'level' that was the problem, no matter how much I focussed on taking even shavings, the board would always end up out of square.
Think it was the brains built in sense of 'level' that was the problem, no matter how much I focussed on taking even shavings, the board would always end up out of square.
OK agree with that, and that must have been annoying - definitely worth checking the rear jaw if it's not being buried in the apron (mine are).
Was that a problem with the vice or something off on the underside of the bench?
Was that a problem with the vice or something off on the underside of the bench?
Dunno, doubt it was the vice (Record 52) and tbh I didn't square it to the bench, which is backed up to a wall and probably not level, just shimmed and plumbed it.
My thinking being, if the workpiece is plumb in the vice, then I have no more excuses for not being able to plane square
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
My vices set in to the apron by a few mm and then thin ply stuck on - really handy to have the whole apron as effectively the rear jaw. Front jaw with piece of wood flush with bench top but metal jaws about 1/2" below bench top level to avoid hitting them with a saw.
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
The only thing going on with the vice is that it wasn't holding the workpiece plumb, I shimmed it so that it now does.
Try squaring the edge of a board to it's face, while the board is held at 45 degrees for an exaggerated version
Try squaring the edge of a board to it's face, while the board is held at 45 degrees for an exaggerated version
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
I Did say for an exaggerated version!!
Ok let's try this another way to explain what I'm on about
How would you put a leading edge on a door. With the door held in the V of a sawhorse, or a door saddle/block, or even a workmate, right? The door is on its long edge, held nice and plumb, and you're free to plane unhindered, giving it just enough of a cant to create a leading edge. Now put a block of 2x2 under one side of the sawhorse/saddle/workmate, the door is now tilting over, not so easy to plane a leading edge now ... is it?
This in effect is what my Record 52 was doing, the rear jaw wasn't plumb, and that was throwing off my noggins sense of level.
Nothing whatsoever to do with marking a square edge and planing to it, and your a better man than me if you can maintain that angle along lets say, 6'?
Edit: Forget that last comment, I'm thinking of my own set-up. With completely free and unhindered workspace it most likely would be possible, but that's an enviable workspace that many of us just don't have.
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Jacob
What goes around comes around.
If it's bad enough to need marking you just follow the marks. If there's a twist they'll appear on one side and then the other.
But in any case I would have hung the door first, then if necessary marked it for fit and made adjustments. And/or adjustments with block plane and/or paring chisel after it's hung.
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