Talk of new benches has got me wondering

[boggy]

It is always the practice to mount the face vice on the left of the bench, but why?
When I made my bench, I mounted the vice on the right with the vice jaws outside the edge of the bench surface so you can saw through wood in one operation.
It also means that the main work area is in natural light as it is close to the shed door.

 

[Terrytpot]

I can appreciate the advantages of a leg vice but not specifically of a wooden threaded one unless you have a “hang up” over the use of metal or feel the need to make every single part of your bench. Granted stuff like the “Benchcrafted” hardware is a tad pricey but if funds permitted going down that route I feel that would have all the advantages of either style and fewer of the negatives. Here’s a review of the set on a rather nice bench:

 

[Jacob]

I can appreciate the advantages of a leg vice but not specifically of a wooden threaded one unless you have a “hang up” over the use of metal or feel the need to make every single part of your bench. Granted stuff like the “Benchcrafted” hardware is a tad pricey but if funds permitted going down that route I feel that would have all the advantages of either style and fewer of the negatives. Here’s a review of the set on a rather nice bench:

I can't see any advantage at all in a leg vice. He doesn't show any advantage in his vid.
Should be cheap though - basically a big screw with a handle, easy to fix.
I doubt that smooth movement would stay so perfect after a few years of use. The quick release on a Record seems to last forever though, and is very effective.

 

[Pineapple]

purely related to the hand tool woodworking (I can see the QR vise being better than a leg vise for someone doing heavy work elsewhere), there are a lot of operations when you're breaking wood down with hand tools only (especially the frame saw, but really resawing anything) where you'll appreciate the ability of a leg vise to get a long death grip on a board and prevent it from rotating.

Most of the rest of the time, a good wood screw is quick (you have about 2 threads per inch - I wouldn't favor something like a 6 tooth acme screw) and has nice touch on lock up (it has "stick" when tightened wood to wood and tight is a huge range of tension). It's only a little slow if you were to do something like use it for random thin and wide things one after another.

Out of laziness, I put a QR vise on the end of my bench with leg vise on front. I prefer the leg vise - especially on anything irregular shaped where getting the QR vise to recognize that I'm trying to release can be a pain. You can probably find a good vintage QR vise there inexpensively, though, and a 2 1/2" wooden screw and garter here is generally not cheap (figure $200-$250).

The leg vise has a pretty strong level of indifference to slightly tapered items (like tool handle blanks, etc), btw, which makes it much nicer to use than the QR vise that I have on the end - again, a general PITA when it sort of has tension on something but isn't totally tight or loose.

Regarding Price - Have you considered using a
Yost Tools, 18" Vise Screw, Model Y18SS Leg Vise

 

[Pineapple]

Sorry about the Font Size above - it was a Copy & Paste error !

 

[Cabinetman]

I can appreciate the advantages of a leg vice but not specifically of a wooden threaded one unless you have a “hang up” over the use of metal or feel the need to make every single part of your bench. Granted stuff like the “Benchcrafted” hardware is a tad pricey but if funds permitted going down that route I feel that would have all the advantages of either style and fewer of the negatives. Here’s a review of the set on a rather nice bench:

Thanks Terry, certainly does look very nice but at $409 I don’t know if I could stretch my innate value for money to that!
Another thing that concerns me is that they all stick some sort of material on to make the vice grip better, crubber or suede, I’ve never ever needed to do that with a normal vice which makes me think it’s not gripping well enough on its own?

 

[Cabinetman]

Regarding Price - Have you considered using a
Yost Tools, 18" Vise Screw, Model Y18SS Leg Vise

Hi thanks yes, it would do the job I’m sure but just not quite as nice as the other one.
Thanks everyone but I think I’ve decided, I’ll stick with the record which I already have of course!

 

[baldkev]

You definitely need 2
On a serious note, i picked up a big parkinson qr vice ( was a touch rusty etc ) gave it a blast with a wire wheel in a drill, replaced the timber jaw cheeks etc, looks ace now. I then came across a record qr going cheap so i grabbed it, going to mount that on the same side as the parkinson, but at the far left, so i can securely clamp longer bits with the 2 vices.... and if you want the same effect as a leg vice, build out a timber leg inline with the face of your rear jaw cheek and just use a clamp?

To be honest though, my 'bench' was knock up dead fast out of cls, so isnt heavy duty in any way, but in my defence I was trying to get stuff done on limited time..... and my container is properly unlevel i laid a could of cls on the floor, stood legs up where i wanted them, marked the positions on the rails, turned on a laser level to mark them, cut them, fixed them, spun the rails over and bosh! Level bench.... just not very bench_like

 

[Orraloon]

There are low cost ways of doing a vice like this guy does.
Easy DIY Roubo Leg Vise build - YouTube
I have also seen conventional front vices done with a scaffold screw.
Regards
John

 

[kinverkid]

There are low cost ways of doing a vice like this guy does.
Easy DIY Roubo Leg Vise build - YouTube
I have also seen conventional front vices done with a scaffold screw.
Regards
John

That was the video that inspired my DIY leg vice. If I remember right it cost me £12 for the levelling screw. I used a cast iron pipe 'T' to attach it to the handle which, if I bought it would probably only cost another £5-£6. I'm happy with it and have the satisfaction of making it myself. If I already had something like the Record vice then maybe I wouldn't have bothered. But, I didn't so I did make it and it's fine five years later.

 

[Woodchip Wilbur]

It is always the practice to mount the face vice on the left of the bench, but why?
When I made my bench, I mounted the vice on the right with the vice jaws outside the edge of the bench surface so you can saw through wood in one operation.
It also means that the main work area is in natural light as it is close to the shed door.

Every bench I have made has the vice (standard Record quick release) on the right. But, then, I am left handed. Working at a standard right-handed bench has seemed awkward for me ever since school days (where the school workshop was equipped with a couple of benches for left-handers - so I got to experience both).

 

[rob1693]

I'm building a trad English workbench paul sellers style I've made do with with what I've got for too long but with timber prices what they are for **** fast grown timber decided to see what I could find for free or cheap leg assembleys 80 year old door frames ripped out of an house I'm working on bench top 8 x 3 roof joist found in a skip yielded a 14 x 2 3/4" just need some aprons now

 

[rob1693]

Looks like I got censored I didn't write dung lol

 

[Cabinetman]

I'm building a trad English workbench paul sellers style I've made do with with what I've got for too long but with timber prices what they are for dung fast grown timber decided to see what I could find for free or cheap leg assembleys 80 year old door frames ripped out of an house I'm working on bench top 8 x 3 roof joist found in a skip yielded a 14 x 2 3/4" just need some aprons now

Looks like it’s going to be a good sturdy bench, I do agree on doing what you can with what you’ve got

 

[rob1693]

Just need to have a good clean up now also yielded lots lof shavings and scraped paint that will wait till tomorrow found some recycled 8 x1 on Facebook marketplace in Sheffield 2.1 meter lengths £4 pound a length picking up tomorrow that will make aprons and well total cost of bench £20 plus glue

 

[Jake]

Trad plug from me for the only thing better than a 53 in my view: two of them, twinscrew style:

Twin-screw record vice | Woodwork UK Forum (proboards.com)

 

[rob1693]

My £l6 aprons thankfully the one below doesn't have the twist that the one in the vise had which was very pleasant to hand plane not but you gain knowledge doing I was hoping to get the well out my material too but had to cut a lot of bad wood to waste but that's you get for £4 a board

 

[Cabinetman]

So I’m resurrecting this thread, The question I should have asked and it didn’t was for all the people out there with a freestanding bench – in the middle of the room so you can walk/work all the way round it, how does that affect/improve your work? Do you nearly always work on one side? Do you wish you had a wall mounted bench?
Or is it the bees knees?
Timber has been bought, it’s all 2” Ash, but just had a twinge- am I doing the right thing? After Pete's? suggestion I will be having a record qr on one corner and a leg vice on the diagonal one, no well split top with a planing stick

 

[Jacob]

So I’m resurrecting this thread, The question I should have asked and it didn’t was for all the people out there with a freestanding bench – in the middle of the room so you can walk/work all the way round it, how does that affect/improve your work? Do you nearly always work on one side? Do you wish you had a wall mounted bench?
Or is it the bees knees?
Timber has been bought, it’s all 2” Ash, but just had a twinge- am I doing the right thing? After Pete's? suggestion I will be having a record qr on one corner and a leg vice on the diagonal one, no well split top with a planing stick

You can only work on one side at a time so only one side is needed. Handy to be able to walk around to the other side so wall mounted is less good, but OK if unavoidable.
A well is extremely useful which is why it is so widely used - in fact the UK standard pattern more or less.
No point in a leg vice if you already have a Record. You can only work on one vice at a time so only one is needed and the Record and similar are superior to any leg vice (unless you are hammering away on a metal leg vice like a blacksmith.
So called "planing stick" is just a pointless idea somebody dropped into a mag article in the absence of anything interesting to say and is best ignored. You achieve the same effect with a well by dropping in blocks, clamping on a batten etc.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/bench-small-is-beautiful.143502/

 

[Ttrees]

The benefits what instantly comes to mind for me,
Having the angle poise lamp easily adjustable on the far end, without clutter, etc
I've got mine as easily movable as on Cosman's nice bench, similar height too which is important if intending to use them well.
For me, the lamp is as much a tool as the plane or whatever.

Space for larger projects without a wall in the way, and being able to work from the other side of the bench, i.e shoulder plane on long components.
Clamps on the far end also, often used.

I sometimes use the bench for clamping a plank for outfeeds on the saws.

Don't wish to be facing the wall, sounds like you could do with a pal in there, perhaps @clogs could sort ya out there!...
I think that's generally more pleasant really.

The tools I use easily reachable behind me at hand, as well as for sharpening, which has its own table.

Likely plenty more things, which don't come to mind,
but most of those might likely be for myself personally, so perhaps nit-picking there.
i.e a floating top, retractable casters,easily shimming the bench level for longer work.

Tom