using two record 52's to make a twin screw vise?

[martin.h]

I'd like a twin screw vise to hold wide boards firmly on a bench (but not my main bench). Is it stupid to try to make one with 2 vintage record 52's and a chunky hard wood jaw between them? What could possibly go wrong?

Martin

 

[marcros]

somebody has done something similar on here. i cant remember who or exactly what, but worth searching. I think that they used a bicycle chain to link them.

 

[AndyT]

If I was going to do that, I'd keep it simple. If you fit both vices and make them share a front jaw, you will need to work both handles at the same time, which could be tricky if one of your hands was already holding the bit of wood you wanted to work on...However, if you just fit the two vices near each other, with their own jaws and a gap between, the complexity disappears.

If the wood you are working on is wide enough to bridge the gap, you clamp up on one side, then the other.

If it's a bit too narrow, just drop a suitable extra board across between the two of them - you'll have plenty of depth capacity with 52s.

In fact, I used to have an arrangement which was a bit like that, using two small table-top vices (the sort that fix with their own g-cramp) working on a bit of 2x4 underneath the bench, so they finished flush with the top. That had the advantage that I could adjust the gap to hold a wide board vertically or a long board horizontally.

The other really good way is to just fit one vice in the ordinary way, but make an add-on twin-screw vice like the magnificent one Douglas (Condesteeso) made for me - see here in this useful thread:

You could then use your spare 52 as an end vice.

 

[Jake]

I am the someone who did something with something like that.

Mine are 53s, and its not bicycle chain, but much more beefy industrial stuff on the same principle. It's really very simple but works amazingly well despite the slightly Heath Robinson appearance.
Details here: http://www.woodworkuk.co.uk/forum/viewt ... ice#p74651

 

[martin.h]

Thanks for the quick responses. It seems I do need to connect the 2 vices and your solution Jake looks really good. I've just quickly been through the thread but need more time to study it before going ahead. I love the idea of using what I have already got to make something better than the veritas for a lot less money.

 

[bugbear]

I am the someone who did something with something like that.

Mine are 53s, and its not bicycle chain, but much more beefy industrial stuff on the same principle.

Was this due to availability of parts?

I'd have thought any chain that can withstand the force of a cyclists legs would easily withstand the force of a woodworkers arms.

BugBear

 

[Dangermouse]

I am working along the same lines when I start to build my bench ( in the planning stage at the moment ), using two tail vice screws from Axminster. Nice and long so you can get a drawer in the vice, very strong and you can have a nice wooden jaw. Also more simple than two 52 or 3's. Attach the gear wheels just behind the handles, a bit of lathe work to modify and fit to the bench. Without guide rails you would be able to accomodate angled pieces of work and the chain will not come off as it is on the handles not the ends of the threaded bar. the front jaw keeps the chain tight.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/york-york-ta ... rc=froogle

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

I made up a dovetail vise with two #52 1/2s about 10 years ago. A board spanned between them as a chop ...

Later I simply threaded the skirt for an early version of the Moxon ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Jake]

Mine are 53s, and its not bicycle chain, but much more beefy industrial stuff on the same principle.

Was this due to availability of parts?

I'd have thought any chain that can withstand the force of a cyclists legs would easily withstand the force of a woodworkers arms.

Partly ease - the gears are solid and much easier to adapt. You just need to drill the hole down the center a bit larger to match the prong rather than having to come up with some sort of a spider arrangement for a bike gear. No real metalwork or metalwork tools required beyond a pillar drill.

But also for durability (and, OK, a tendency to over-engineer (or is that under-engineer) everything). Records are solid beasts and a bike chain would have seemed very mimsy and any chain stretch or jumping would have been a PITA.

 

[Jake]

I am working along the same lines when I start to build my bench ( in the planning stage at the moment ), using two tail vice screws from Axminster. Nice and long so you can get a drawer in the vice, very strong and you can have a nice wooden jaw. Also more simple than two 52 or 3's. Attach the gear wheels just behind the handles, a bit of lathe work to modify and fit to the bench. Without guide rails you would be able to accomodate angled pieces of work and the chain will not come off as it is on the handles not the ends of the threaded bar. the front jaw keeps the chain tight.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/york-york-ta ... rc=froogle

Nice if you want a skewing vice, but I'd rather have a non-skewing vice and use wedges or whatever for tapered or curved stuff. I went through a similar process thinking about front mounted gears until I realised the record prongs were accidentally made for the job. The chain hasn't ever come off mine, the bar at the back holding the yokes apart stops that. More elegant would be to replace the original two rear yokes with a single long steel bar drilled to suit, but I can't be bothered.

 

[bugbear]

Mine are 53s, and its not bicycle chain, but much more beefy industrial stuff on the same principle.

Was this due to availability of parts?

I'd have thought any chain that can withstand the force of a cyclists legs would easily withstand the force of a woodworkers arms.

Partly ease - the gears are solid and much easier to adapt. You just need to drill the hole down the center a bit larger to match the prong rather than having to come up with some sort of a spider arrangement for a bike gear. No real metalwork or metalwork tools required beyond a pillar drill.

But also for durability (and, OK, a tendency to over-engineer (or is that under-engineer) everything). Records are solid beasts and a bike chain would have seemed very mimsy and any chain stretch or jumping would have been a PITA.

Thanks - makes perfect sense.

Pretty much what I suspected, but this forum has a bad history where assumptions and consequent heated misunderstanding are concerned... :-(

BugBear

 

[martin.h]

Thanks for all this, I'll work on it, probably emulating Jake's ideas
Martin