Fromey
Established Member
I can't believe it took me this long to work this out. Then again, having an epiphany is always nice.
I have a small shed, so had to have a small bench. I chose a Sjobergs Nordic Plus 1450 (now with the storage unit underneath). It's a bit more expensive than benches of the same design and dimensions, but the build quality is worth it. Great bench
The bench's weak point is the vice. Although it has two vices that you can mount on the front (both sides) and ends (both), giving the bench a lot of versatility, they use the design of a central screw flanked by two tubes that help guide the vice's travel, preventing it from spinning and helping limit racking. This coupled with a relatively shallow skirt means there isn't a huge amount of vice area for use. It does its job, but one has to be creative when holding large work.
Thus, for some time I have craved a Moxon vice and eyed up avariciously the Benchcrafted kit, and contemplated building my own. However, nothing eventuated because of expense and hassle.
Then my epiphany came when reading Wearing's "The essential woodworker" where he describes holding a table frame in the bench using a batten.
By mounting both vices on the front and then simply slipping a length of wood across both (so now running the full length of the front apron and parallel to it, I get a perfectly serviceable Moxon vice. Even a bendy piece of pine scrap is enough to clamp large pieces of work with complete security. I can't believe how effective it is.
My plan is to plane up a thicker and stiffer piece of scrap cherry I have lying around and put some notches in one edge so it will saddle over the vice rods. That will give me a stronger vice that clamps against the full depth of the front apron. If that works well, I may even glue some leather to the batten.
It's a simple idea that must be as old as the hills, but one I found easy to overlook. Perhaps others have also.
I have a small shed, so had to have a small bench. I chose a Sjobergs Nordic Plus 1450 (now with the storage unit underneath). It's a bit more expensive than benches of the same design and dimensions, but the build quality is worth it. Great bench
The bench's weak point is the vice. Although it has two vices that you can mount on the front (both sides) and ends (both), giving the bench a lot of versatility, they use the design of a central screw flanked by two tubes that help guide the vice's travel, preventing it from spinning and helping limit racking. This coupled with a relatively shallow skirt means there isn't a huge amount of vice area for use. It does its job, but one has to be creative when holding large work.
Thus, for some time I have craved a Moxon vice and eyed up avariciously the Benchcrafted kit, and contemplated building my own. However, nothing eventuated because of expense and hassle.
Then my epiphany came when reading Wearing's "The essential woodworker" where he describes holding a table frame in the bench using a batten.
By mounting both vices on the front and then simply slipping a length of wood across both (so now running the full length of the front apron and parallel to it, I get a perfectly serviceable Moxon vice. Even a bendy piece of pine scrap is enough to clamp large pieces of work with complete security. I can't believe how effective it is.
My plan is to plane up a thicker and stiffer piece of scrap cherry I have lying around and put some notches in one edge so it will saddle over the vice rods. That will give me a stronger vice that clamps against the full depth of the front apron. If that works well, I may even glue some leather to the batten.
It's a simple idea that must be as old as the hills, but one I found easy to overlook. Perhaps others have also.
