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Crisscross, David Barron, and Danish Oil walk into a bar...

24K views 20 replies 12 participants last post by  Johnny7 
#1 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
 

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#2 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
That is one beautiful and massive sturdy bench!* Just how thick is it? Are the cutting board type ends really necessary for flatness or simply for excellent flat endgrain covers? What means did you use to flatten it so perfectly? I see no dog holes either square nor round. And, those dove tailed-mortised leg joints are superb. The deadman will serve you well. Suppose ya call it a Franken Roubo? I chose to build the 21st Centry bench and find the split top useful, but the trays do catch lots of dust and plane shavings; but can be dumped in the trash easily. Thanks for your reply.
 

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#3 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
I guess I'll have to favorite this one in case I wanna upgrade….
 

Attachments

#4 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
Thanks Russell. The top is 3.5" thick. I added the breadboard ends for a more finished look. I used a router sled to flatten the top. There are round dog holes 1.5" from the front. Kinda hard to see but they're there.
 

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#5 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
Thanks!
 

Attachments

#6 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
Before David enters the bar… :)

Andy, how heavy are the chop and Crisscross hardware? How much vertical load does it give to the screw?
 

Attachments

#7 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
A beautiful bench and the leg vise looks very good too and no fussing with the criss cross in place. Good call!
 

Attachments

#8 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
Yuri, the chop and crisscross do NOT bear on the screw. The crisscross actually holds the chop "up." The garter is then placed on the screw and then mounted to the chop. So the only stress on the screw is tightening the chop.

Wood Floor Table Wood stain Hardwood


This is a photo I took when I was fitting everything together. On the left is the front piece of what will become the leg. On the right is what will become the chop. You can see the mounting pins that the crisscross arms "hang" on. There is no screw in place yet and the only thing holding the piece of wood in place is the tendency of the crisscross to close itself.

I don't know if you saw this in the Workbench Smackdown thread or not. But this blog shows how to make your own St. Andrew's Cross or Crisscross. With your skills I'm sure this would be a piece of cake. Here Benchcrafted's Crisscross is only $99.00 so it may not make sense for us to make our own. But I doubt if Benchcrafted products are being sold in Russia so it might be of interest to you.

Hope that answers your question.
 

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#9 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
Andy, it surely does, thank you. I'm pretty happy at the moment with chain-driven leg vise, but it's good to have an option for the future.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
You have really done it here!
Best thoughts,
Mads
 

Attachments

#11 ·
The Crisscross

In case you're stopping here without seeing the project post, here's my bench.
Table Wood Workbench Wood stain Hardwood


Benchcrafted's Crisscross has been covered before I'm sure but I've only seen one posting about it by Jusfine. So I thought I'd cover a couple of points about it. First, the reasons I went with the Crisscross was I wanted a pinless leg vise to avoid bending over. I know there are other devices that work as well, but this one just suited my eye.
Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Creative arts


For me,the most critical step in the Crisscross install are the holes that must be drilled through the leg and vise chop for the 3/8" mounting pins. The Crisscross' arms hang on these pins. (For more detailed description and pics visit Benchcrafted's instructions here.) Since these pins will set the vice chop's orientation to the bench it is imperative that the holes be straight both horizontally and vertically. I have to admit that drilling a hole straight through 9" of cherry intimidated me. Ultimately it turned out not to be as much of an issue as I feared it would.

I marked where the exit point of the hole should be before I drilled and here is the result.
Wood Sleeve Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


It's off about 1/32 of an inch. It turns out that there is enough play between the Crisscross and the wooden screw that it is not an issue. The vise chop is off about 1/32 as well.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Beige


It may be hard to see with the suede on the chop, but there is a very small gap at one end when the chop first comes into contact with the bench. But because there is some play the issue goes away immediately as the vise is tightened just the slightest. I mention all this because while I wouldn't want to be off much more, there is some give in the situation.

A leg vise comes into the bench at a slight angle. When the vise is closed there is a small gap between the bottom of the chop and the bench leg.
Wood Wood stain Door Hardwood Plywood


What determines this gap is a steel plate in the bottom of the mortises. The bottom part of the arms ride against this steel plate.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Plank


To increase the gap you can add sheets of paper behind the steel plate(s). To reduce the gap you can recess the plate(s) in the mortise. I recessed the plates maybe a 1/32 of an inch. After I did this I noticed that in addition to reducing the gap, it significantly increased the strength of the vise's "grip." I'm guessing that comes from more surface area of the chop coming into contact with the board being clamped.

If you are going to install a Crisscross I would recommend you read Jusfine's blog post about it. Both of these issues are covered and with more pictures.

The leg vise is great and the Crisscross is working flawlessly.

Next up, David Barron.
What a beautiful bench and that cherry really pops. I put a two-wood screw vice on my bench using cherry. If I build another bench, I will build a leg vise most likely just like yours.

Wood Building Hardwood Table Plywood
 

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#12 ·
Mortise and Dovetail Tenon ala David Barron

Typically in a bench top slab the mortises are either sawn and/or chiseled out of a laminated slab. I used another approach. In the following photos you can see more easily that the mortises are "constructed" by, in my case, laminating 1" boards together that were first cut to create a mortise.

Here's a closer look at the wedge and dovetail tenons on my bench.

This photo shows the tenons before the legs were laminated together.
Wood Rectangle Publication Wood stain Hardwood


After glue up.
Wood Gas Hardwood Shipping box Machine


This photo is taken from behind a leg and shows the mortise for the wedged tenon.
Wood Audio equipment Pet supply Gas Hardwood


And after completion.
Table Wood Bench Flooring Floor


In this top view photo you can see the lines of the three rows of 1" boards.
Rectangle Wood Grey Beige Flooring


I wish I could take credit for this approach, but I borrowed it from David Barron's Blog post dated August 26, 2013. (You will have to scroll through other posts to get to the August 26th posting.)

There are some challenges to this approach but the way I see it mistakes are easier to recover from with this approach. Well, that's what I've heard anyway. ;-)

Next up, our man Danish Oil.
 

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#13 ·
Mortise and Dovetail Tenon ala David Barron

Typically in a bench top slab the mortises are either sawn and/or chiseled out of a laminated slab. I used another approach. In the following photos you can see more easily that the mortises are "constructed" by, in my case, laminating 1" boards together that were first cut to create a mortise.

Here's a closer look at the wedge and dovetail tenons on my bench.

This photo shows the tenons before the legs were laminated together.
Wood Rectangle Publication Wood stain Hardwood


After glue up.
Wood Gas Hardwood Shipping box Machine


This photo is taken from behind a leg and shows the mortise for the wedged tenon.
Wood Audio equipment Pet supply Gas Hardwood


And after completion.
Table Wood Bench Flooring Floor


In this top view photo you can see the lines of the three rows of 1" boards.
Rectangle Wood Grey Beige Flooring


I wish I could take credit for this approach, but I borrowed it from David Barron's Blog post dated August 26, 2013. (You will have to scroll through other posts to get to the August 26th posting.)

There are some challenges to this approach but the way I see it mistakes are easier to recover from with this approach. Well, that's what I've heard anyway. ;-)

Next up, our man Danish Oil.
Great pictorial. Very clearly explained. Thanks.
 

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#17 ·
It's all done but the finishing

I always do a test board using the finishes I'm considering for a project. This is the maple sample board for the bench build.

Rectangle Wood Flooring Wood stain Plank


The left section has two coats of Danish Oil. The middle is two coats of BLO. It is noticeable in the first two sections the effect of the oil on the maple's appearance. The wood took on a dirty and somewhat blotchy appearance that I did not care for.

Remember that the grain that is so striking in the first two sections also runs thru the right section.

For that reason I wanted to "smooth" it out with Sealcoat. The right section has one coat of Sealcoat shellac (1 lb. cut) followed by a light sanding and then two applications of BLO. However, after this test I wasn't convinced much, if any, of the oil was working its way into the wood. So I decided to see how it would look if was more aggressive in sanding the Sealcoat.

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Tints and shades Electric blue


The top section here is just Sealcoat. The bottom section also has Sealcoat but I was more aggressive in sanding it down. I then applied two coats of Danish Oil to the bottom section. I don't know if it shows up on your screen, but the bottom section is slightly darker then the top section and also the right section of the first photo. That told me that the oil was definitely getting into the wood better but not too much.

Another reason for the test board is I wanted to feel how slick the different finishes were. The right section in the first photo (sealcoat, lightly sanded, 2 coats of BLO) had a slicker feel that the rest did. This was the section where the Sealcoat was only lightly sanded. In the final test section I sanded more of the Sealcoat away to mirror the final test section.

Satisfied, I applied it to the bench.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Natural material Plank

Table Wood Bench Flooring Floor
 

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#18 ·
It's all done but the finishing

I always do a test board using the finishes I'm considering for a project. This is the maple sample board for the bench build.

Rectangle Wood Flooring Wood stain Plank


The left section has two coats of Danish Oil. The middle is two coats of BLO. It is noticeable in the first two sections the effect of the oil on the maple's appearance. The wood took on a dirty and somewhat blotchy appearance that I did not care for.

Remember that the grain that is so striking in the first two sections also runs thru the right section.

For that reason I wanted to "smooth" it out with Sealcoat. The right section has one coat of Sealcoat shellac (1 lb. cut) followed by a light sanding and then two applications of BLO. However, after this test I wasn't convinced much, if any, of the oil was working its way into the wood. So I decided to see how it would look if was more aggressive in sanding the Sealcoat.

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Tints and shades Electric blue


The top section here is just Sealcoat. The bottom section also has Sealcoat but I was more aggressive in sanding it down. I then applied two coats of Danish Oil to the bottom section. I don't know if it shows up on your screen, but the bottom section is slightly darker then the top section and also the right section of the first photo. That told me that the oil was definitely getting into the wood better but not too much.

Another reason for the test board is I wanted to feel how slick the different finishes were. The right section in the first photo (sealcoat, lightly sanded, 2 coats of BLO) had a slicker feel that the rest did. This was the section where the Sealcoat was only lightly sanded. In the final test section I sanded more of the Sealcoat away to mirror the final test section.

Satisfied, I applied it to the bench.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Natural material Plank

Table Wood Bench Flooring Floor
I'm like you in that I always test out my finishing regime on some scrap before I apply it to my project. It is soooo worth doing. You've ended up with a bench to be really proud of. Great job!
 

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