Workbench Build aka Paul Sellers style

[thetyreman]

I've gone for an eclipse vice, it's a 9 inch one, similar to a record 52 1/2 E,

link here for anyone that's interested: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

they're actually cheaper than old vintage ones, and according to sellers just as good, https://paulsellers.com/2016/06/on-vises-part-i/

should arrive next week so I will find out.

 

[NickN]

Well impressed by your progress and the (almost) finished article, didn't take that long either.

That vice you ordered actually has one extra feature which could be very useful at times, the adjustable dog on the front jaw. I think certain vintage vices did have them (non-adjustable ones anyway) but it seems rare to find them, most are just plain jaw with or without quick release - my old Record 53A lacks the dog (and lacked a working QR when it came, but found a source for a new spring).

Please do let us know how you get on with that Eclipse vice, I may even go that route for my bench, maybe using a vintage one for the tail.

The big question: are you going for flush or protruding rear jaw? That argument is almost as provocative as the sharpening ones.

 

[thetyreman]

got the vice today already! first impressions are very good, it's extremely heavy and looks great, there's a few minor chips on the paint, the packing could have been better, tomorrow I will make the first steps to installing the beast, there's a lot of sorting and moving the old temporary workbench to make space for the new one.

 

[El Barto]

Just been through the thread, gotta say bravo for the work involved and the final outcome. You must be chuffed.

 

[thetyreman]

Just been through the thread, gotta say bravo for the work involved and the final outcome. You must be chuffed.

thankyou, yes I am very happy indeed, no more wonky bench or fustration every single time I do woodworking,

when the vice is fit I'll be even happier

 

[El Barto]

Just been through the thread, gotta say bravo for the work involved and the final outcome. You must be chuffed.

thankyou, yes I am very happy indeed, no more wonky bench or fustration every single time I do woodworking,

when the vice is fit I'll be even happier

Yeah I bet. I'm weighing up building the Sellers bench he shows on YouTube or the one in the book. Seeing yours has made the decision a bit more difficult now... (hammer)

 

[thetyreman]

a hole has been chipped out, it fits, but I needed to glue some oak peices I had together for the packing, amazingly it fit perfectly, just my luck.

I've realised it's definitely not as easy as I first thought, mostly because I've never done anything like this before and there's only one chance to get it right, imagine messing it up at this stage? I wouldn't be happy.

I had to degrease the vice as there was way too much on there, then I sprayed it with white lithium grease, it seemed to improve how smooth it opens and closes.

Tomorrow I'm priming the vice and painting it green, I have decided I don't like the blue.

The spare twisted apron I had has been used to put the vice on inbetween test fitting and chipping away, it's proved very useful in the end.

pics coming soon!

 

[thetyreman]

ok here's an update, the vice is currently drying, it looks so much better in green, I used hammerite dark green hammered paint, here's some pics, including a photo of the oak spacer. I will need to know, what size hole should I drill for M10 bolts? through the spacer into the benchtop bottom?

enjoy the pics!

 

[MrTeroo]

Here are the bolt dimensions

Nice neat hole you chopped

 

[thetyreman]

Here are the bolt dimensions

Nice neat hole you chopped

that will prove very useful, thanks.

 

[Wizard9999]

Completely agree, that looks so much better in green!

Terry

 

[El Barto]

+1 on the green

 

[thetyreman]

vice fully painted, almost dry, the metal beast shalt dry until the morrow,

then aye shalt be fitting it.

 

[thetyreman]

more pics

 

[thetyreman]

where do you people buy your coach screws from?

I was planning on installing it today, got some M10 coach screws and then some nuts and washers, amazingly the nuts don't even fit! not happy at all, not only that I found out the correct size is M12 not M10, I'll have to get a refund. The only M12 coach screws they did have were way too long, minimum 100mm, and I want M12 75mm long coach screws.

If I buy some online, where would you recommend getting good quality M12 coach screws, nuts and washers? I only need 2, and the nuts MUST fit for certain.

I've got the M6 coach screws for the jaws into the apron, but again the nuts don't bloody fit, so I can actually use the M6 coach screws and washers but not the nuts...

excuse the pun but it's driving me nuts, indeed one feels like a nutter for asking

 

[bugbear]

I've gone for an eclipse vice, it's a 9 inch one, similar to a record 52 1/2 E,

link here for anyone that's interested: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

they're actually cheaper than old vintage ones, and according to sellers just as good, https://paulsellers.com/2016/06/on-vises-part-i/

should arrive next week so I will find out.

Since you've actually got the vise, can you explain what Sellers is talking about here:

This vise is described as a 9” vise, but they go smaller and larger. Smaller ones can work well for children but for most adults the 9” will best take care of their needs. The larger version, the 10”, is also a good choice and what holds a lot holds a little. You might consider whether you have the upper body strength to handle the larger vise. Most men and women will have a weight to strength ratio capable of working the 9”. Going to the 10” may take more shoulder, upper arm and indeed finger-squeezing strength, but how you measure this is a matter of trying the vise somewhere. Not always possible and most companies will shy away from returns because of shipping costs. A 9” vise has always been large enough for me. Perhaps this is a good guide?

(confusing stuff in red)

Fitting the vise requires strength (although there are some tricks that help), but I've never found much strength required to operate one. A vise screw amplifies your strength, that's the entire point.

:?

BugBear

 

[MrTeroo]

where do you people buy your coach screws from?

I have bought from an eBay seller aptly called bolt-world

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M10-10mm-...hash=item1c64fb7b85:m:mtzwqm90BoekX2mz-vSW4bA

 

[thetyreman]

I've gone for an eclipse vice, it's a 9 inch one, similar to a record 52 1/2 E,

link here for anyone that's interested: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

they're actually cheaper than old vintage ones, and according to sellers just as good, https://paulsellers.com/2016/06/on-vises-part-i/

should arrive next week so I will find out.

Since you've actually got the vise, can you explain what Sellers is talking about here:

This vise is described as a 9” vise, but they go smaller and larger. Smaller ones can work well for children but for most adults the 9” will best take care of their needs. The larger version, the 10”, is also a good choice and what holds a lot holds a little. You might consider whether you have the upper body strength to handle the larger vise. Most men and women will have a weight to strength ratio capable of working the 9”. Going to the 10” may take more shoulder, upper arm and indeed finger-squeezing strength, but how you measure this is a matter of trying the vise somewhere. Not always possible and most companies will shy away from returns because of shipping costs. A 9” vise has always been large enough for me. Perhaps this is a good guide?

(confusing stuff in red)

Fitting the vise requires strength (although there are some tricks that help), but I've never found much strength required to operate one. A vise screw amplifies your strength, that's the entire point.

:?

BugBear

well I tried to find the 10" vice but it's not available in the UK, but it is available in the USA, I think he is just refering to fitting the vice itself.

 

[thetyreman]

I could do with some more (ad)vice

 

[Bm101]

Can't help with the nuts particularly fella. Ideally use a little local hardwareshop if you have access to a forkhandle shop. If not I'd not have a search on ebay. I've used a this mob http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M12-12mm-DIAM ... 74773076e5 a few times because they do small quantities at reasonable prices and I've been happy with the stuff that's turned up. But there's loads of suppliers on there of course. I've had good service, so have stuck with a couple of tried and tested sellers like this. You could use Chronos or one of the big boys. There's a sticky thread here of tried and tested suppliers. one-stop-reference-links-t67853.html


I painted my vice green too. :wink: I like the colour. Here it is in a weird love clinch with my workmate. *shudders