[MasterSplinter]

Need to build a new bench. My last one was converted to hold the lathe. I plan to use hold fast and dog holds. I'm not crazy about leg vise since I made one for the old bench. Didn't like how it held the wood. Not very secure.

What do you guys think would be the route to go? Pros and cons

 

[JMartel]

How did you make the leg vice last time? The leg vice has the most holding power out of any type by design.

 

[MasterSplinter]

How did you make the leg vice last time? The leg vice has the most holding power out of any type by design.

Probably not very well . Lol. I had a large threaded rod with handle and nut type I got on eBay. Used a dowel at the base with holes to space out for preasure

 

[Gilgaron]

I used this screw and a flat piece of oak for the parallel guide with a 3/8 steel rod per Schwarz's blue bench book for my leg vise of 2" laminated ash and it can clamp hard enough to damage the workpiece if there is crap stuck to the ash jaw.

If the threaded rod you used wasn't acme thread I believe that it is more prone to loosening its grip as you wiggle the work piece sawing, planing, etc. I believe that is why acme is preferred for DIY moxon vises, CNC, etc.

 

[JMartel]

If the leg vice is done properly, you should be able to stand on one end of a board with it being held in the vice and it won't move.

Use a Lee Valley tail vice screw next time. They are only $30.

 

[MasterSplinter]

Not a bad price. My problem could have been that I used pine 2x6 .

 

[JMartel]

Not a bad price. My problem could have been that I used pine 2x6 .

Yeah, you will get flex with that. Personally, I would use a hardwood and make it at least 2-2.5" thick. I have 2 pieces of 6/4 oak glued together and about 10" wide for my vice.

 

[Gilgaron]

Agreed re hardwood. My apron (and the rest of the bench) is SYP, but the vise jaw is ash with an oak parallel guide. These species were recommended in the book. He did not recommend maple for the parallel guide, as I recall, but it should work for the jaw. Hickory would probably be good too if ash is hard to get where you are.

You can see what mine looks like here.

 

[Wrangler02]

The chop of my leg vice is laminated from 2 pieces of full one inch red oak. I have considered laminating a third layer to reduce the deflection of the chop. However, holding power is not an issue.

 

[amckenzie4]

I'm also using 2x6 for my leg vise chop, and it holds OK but flexes like crazy. Sooner or later I'll rebuild it in hardwood, at which point I imagine it will be a lot more useful.

I'm also using a screw I bought at WoodCraft; it's 1 1/4", and acme threaded. It works great, but it was a lot more expensive than the tail vise screw JMartel suggested.

 

[MasterSplinter]

Yea. I bought mine on eBay and I overpaid. Not happy about that