No need to spend money on a tail vice!

[AndyT]

Richard Maguire, of Maguire Workbenches has just posted a really interesting video on how to hold wood down on the surface of the bench, without buying an expensive and fiddly tail vice.

Do have a look at it when you have five minutes free:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNrof3cd1cA

It may have been written about before (he certainly does not claim it's a new technique) but I can't recall seeing it shown so clearly or convincingly. Have a look and see what you think - I'm off to saw a notch in a bit of suitable wood!

 

[Peter Sefton]

Richard is a very talented traditional woodworker with some great ideas, I am very pleased he will be at my Open Day next month showing off his benches and hand techniques, he has lots of knowlege to share and is very willing to do so.

Peter

 

[No skills]

Very handy.

 

[custard]

That was great! Thanks for the link.

 

[marcus]

He makes some good stuff, wish I could justify one of those wagon vises....

 

[Nick Gibbs]

Great technique. I share Richard's frustration with end vices, and have made my own version of his wagon vice. However, I don't understand why both Richard's version and the Veritas Inset Vice you can just see in the clip don't have removable handles. That's what I've done with mine, and it means you can cut boards to length off the right-hand end of the bench.

Cheers

Nick

 

[Tim_H]

Thank you, really simple but very effective technique.

 

[G S Haydon]

Great post and very interesting as British Bench is my next project.

 

[bugbear]

Richard Maguire, of Maguire Workbenches has just posted a really interesting video on how to hold wood down on the surface of the bench, without buying an expensive and fiddly tail vice.

Do have a look at it when you have five minutes free:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNrof3cd1cA

It may have been written about before (he certainly does not claim it's a new technique) but I can't recall seeing it shown so clearly or convincingly. Have a look and see what you think - I'm off to saw a notch in a bit of suitable wood!

Interesting - I like the way the "vise" self tightens.

BugBear

 

[Jacob]

If you don't have the various bench add ons then it's pretty normal to improvise in this way without giving it a thought. You don't even need the hold-down - a sash/G clamp and any old bit of board will do it just the same.

Improvisations can be more efficient than bought or elaborately made alternatives - here's my adjustable deadman:

Supporting a heavy stair string:

Adjusted to a lower position:

Adjusted higher:

Please feel free to copy it. Donations by paypal accepted! :lol:

 

[Jacob]

One of the other many alternatives to a tail vice is the sash cramp in the vice - as shown on this page by P Sellers. It works really well - I've tried it many times. Depending on how it is mounted you may need a bit of packing in the vice, to clear the cramp mechanism.
In fact there are so many easy alternatives you begin to wonder why anybody bothers with such a fussy contraption!

 

[Nick Gibbs]

In fact there are so many easy alternatives you begin to wonder why anybody bothers with such a fussy contraption!

I agree. Never understood it. Just gets in the way of many other uses of the 'open' end of the bench in small workshops. I can't be alone in only having good access to the right-hand end of the bench. Last thing I want is some silly handle and mechanism getting in the way. I've tried numerous times to like a tail vice, and have always removed it within a few weeks.