Home made threadless vice

[bridger]

The reason for a threadless vice is lighter weight. I want to make a work bench that quickly knocks down, using wedges. It would taken apart after every session or at least at the end of the day. The top would be a separate piece and I though having an extra lump of 10 to 20 kg of metal sticking out at one end of the top would making it awkward to handle, even though it would have the advantage of making the work bench heavier.

But I actually do have several metal vices; a Record 52 1/2, 52*, and also smaller one, can't remember the number off hand. So I'm just looking at other possiblities.

The idea of using a holdfast horizontally, against the leg or bench front of course is not a new one, you could add guide rails and a wooden cheek to make it more convenient to use, in effect you'd have a vice and the holdfast is just supply the clamping pressure.

Eg:

How about a vice that works like a F cramp? You would have slightly loose fitting rails that go into the bence and the final locking could be done with cam.

A wooden screw would be nice but from what I've seen they and the tool for making them are very expensive, I've got a large old and rusty C cramp that could provide a metal screw to try out for making a vice.


*I had to stuff the Record 52 1/2 and 52 together in a suitcase and bring them home on the bus, never again!

a wagon vise doesn't necessarily add any weight or (much) bulk to the bench top. it doesn't address your need for a face vise, but it could be a good feature for your portable bench.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Expanding a little on Bridger's comments, how about something like a dismountable Scandinavian-type bench? The face vice on these need not add too much weight, and replacing the normal tail vice with a wagon vice would give a very versatile bench-top indeed.

Something like a lighter, dismountable version of this - http://lumberjocks.com/projects/56298

Edit to add - here's a portable version, which could readily be adapted - http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread. ... -workbench

 

[JohnPW]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

How about a vice made with the back end of a bicycle? Not that I'm planning to make it, it's just something I saw in a book.

 

[GLFaria]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

How about a vice made with the back end of a bicycle? Not that I'm planning to make it, it's just something I saw in a book.

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:shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[AndyT]

John, what book is that with the bicycle vice design? I think I want to read the rest of it!

 

[SpinDoctor]

I agree with Cheshirechappie.

Although I find the old Popular Mechanics magazines a fascinating read, they are peppered with ideas that I'm sure were never more than drawings. For instance, here's another impractical home made vice from the same source and same period:

I really can't believe that standing on the foot pedal would grip well enough to be any use at all.

If you really want to avoid making or paying for something with a screw thread on, you could try a 'crochet' on the front and a simple stop (or thin wedged slot) on the top surface.

If built right, I could easily see it holding well. The leverage exerted in that drawing would be extremely high. You'd need some very robust timber and or steel parts and cable (not rope) to make it really effective. It's the original quick release vice. I actually see some real potential for it in a high component production line setting. I've grabbed a screen capture of it for future reference.

 

[JohnPW]

John, what book is that with the bicycle vice design? I think I want to read the rest of it!

"Wood and Woodworking Tools: A Handbook" (1989)
by E.G. Richards, Robert Plumptre, Stuart Wilson,

This handbook describes a range of hand tools and simple muscle-powered machinery appropriate to developing countries where abundant labour can offset the problems of limited funds or unreliable sources of energy for
mechanization.

The rest of the books covers the normal type hand tools. There's a chapter on timber conversion and storage.

It also has details on various human powered lathes, eg: