Using a vice without cutting the bench

[Gebbly]

Hi All,
I'm still fairly new to woodworking, my tools are a few hand-me-downs from my grandfather and father and some bits I have managed to pick up from car boot sales. My worktop at the moment is an old Black&Decker WorkMatehttp://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/black-and-decker-workmate-wm536-835189.

When sawing a piece of timber like a fence post I clamp it in the bench with the timbers marked cut line just to the right of the bench edge (I'm right handed) stand with the bench in front of me and cut.

Looking at peoples discussions of benches and vice placements, if I were to try similar on one of the nice workbenches I've seen (asuming a vice placement on the face side to the left) I would clamp the timber in the vice with the cut line to the right of the vice, stand in front of the vice and start cutting but after getting about halfway through a piece of timber the front of the saw blade beyond the timber would start cutting into the workbench. What is the technique to avoid this?
Do you cut part way down and then rotate the timber?
Do you place the timber with the cut line to the left of the vice and stand off to the left of the vice and indeed workbench? (If this is the case if I ever had a workbench and a shed I would need to remember to leave a lot of space to the left of the workbench for pieces to stick out.
Do you angle the timber in the wood so it slopes up at an angle so that where I cut would be wholly above the workbench?

Sorry if its a complete beginners question but, well, I'm a complete beginner

 

[Jamesc]

Hi Gebbly,

Have a look at bench hooks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBYG6OGGqcU

On a workmate you can use the plastic pegs for a similar purpose

James

 

[ED65]

What is the technique to avoid this?

Well one way would be to do any sawing like this on sawhorses and not at the bench.

Another way would be not to worry about sawing into the front edge of the bench too much. Are you a fan of Paul Sellers? If you look you'll notice there are significant scratches at the right of the vice on any of his benches and in one image of his main bench (which I was going to post but can't locate ATM) it shows it had developed a proper gouge there.

 

[bugbear]

Short version - the front mounted face vise on a normal woodwork bench is not used (or useful) for cross cutting!

BugBear

 

[Gebbly]

"Have a look at bench hooks"
So THATS what that block of wood is! I found one years ago in my grandads old shed and put it aside as I couldn't see what is was for. Brilliant, I'll have to see if I can find it again.
Thanks James.

ED65, I've used saw horses in the past for similar work. I just assumed that the workbench/vise setup was for all jobs I stand corrected. Thank you. I do like the Paul Sellers materials especially for someone like me starting out seeing what is possible with just a few basic tools. I shall watch some of his videos more closely paying attention to his workbench. My grandads old bench had cut marks to the right of an old vise and I just figured they were accidents that I should avoid with a proper method of sawing.

Thanks Bugbear, I suppose much like the other tools I have, as my dad says "use the right tool for the job". I was picturing the workbench as the place to do all work. Its a bit of a mental adjustment to see the workbench as a tool among others rather than a location to work.

Taking all of this advice together I guess for heavy duty cross cuts I should use sawhorses, for lighter crosscutting I can use a bench hook and I will remember the vise is not for crosscutting at all.

Thanks all that makes things so much clearer.

 

[ED65]

Taking all of this advice together I guess for heavy duty cross cuts I should use sawhorses, for lighter crosscutting I can use a bench hook and I will remember the vise is not for crosscutting at all.

Good general plan, but do remember: your bench, your rules.

Re. bench hooks, they're absolutely the most brilliant bit of kit for the hand-tool worker. Best use of 5-10 minutes of your time to build one.

Carefully cut a few saw cuts in the back fence and you can use the same thing as a mitre block, it can also be used for comfortably planing smallish pieces and the flat area can be used for chopping to save wear and tear on your benchtop. Oh and did I mention if you take a little extra care to make the rear fence dead square to the edge you'll have a basic shooting board as well?

Can't imagine anything else that takes so little time and materials to make that's so useful.

 

[dynax]

i use mine to crosscut timber, i just have it at a slight angle and cut it, never had problems cutting out of square, in fact most times the cuts are better,

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

I crosscut in the vice all the time. Sometimes I do catch the edge of the bench, my solution is just to not care. It helps if the front face of the vice is proud rather than flush to the apron ( as in helps not to catch the bench rather than helps not to care).
Paddy

 

[jlawford]

Such a minor point really, but I've found it useful to have piece of wood the same thickness as the bench hook available. This means you can support longer pieces of timber further down the bench, instead of having to apply loads of downwards pressure to keep a longer piece flat.

In fact, two identical bench hooks would be even better!

 

[bugbear]

Such a minor point really, but I've found it useful to have piece of wood the same thickness as the bench hook available. This means you can support longer pieces of timber further down the bench, instead of having to apply loads of downwards pressure to keep a longer piece flat.

In fact, two identical bench hooks would be even better!

I have a second "bench hook", which is only an inch wide, for the reasons you describe.

BugBear

 

[MarkDennehy]

Also, if it's a new bench, it helps a lot to give the wife and the five-year-old a metal hammer and ask them to give the bench a couple of whacks (maybe anywhere but the area immediately behind the front vice, 'cos that's handy to have flat-ish).

That way it's a dinged-up piece of crap when you start to use it and you won't mind the odd nick or gouge or nail or screw driven into it and you can use it with fewer winces


(and you get the wife and kid to do it so that it's dinged-up state isn't your fault )