Jim (Boatman53) has come up with a new/old way to keep the leg vise parallel without the need for a pin. Disclosure: There is no monetary or financial benefit on my part. Also, this is not a review or endorsement. I plan on doing a objective review once I use it for some time. If you have questions that you would like to ask Jim directly you can email him at
chainlegvise@gmail.com.
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Before permanent installation into the chop, I went ahead and made the notch on the parallel guide. It turns out that the screw was a little long but that is because I cut may “decorative” bevel without planning ahead. Regardless, It filed down easily.
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Before dis-assembly, I marked the bottom of the big screw nut plus threw an 1/8” in for safety. 1/2” below that is the centerline for all the boring. I transferred this line to the front of the leg and chop.
Next, I took apart the BenchCrafted version. First to do this “retro-fit” but also shave the pencil marks and “road grime” from the chop and leg.
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First, the bronze grommet gets a 1” counter bore. After that I drilled a 5/8” hole through the chop….......
and leg.
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In the above picture you can see the layout for the mortise version of the chain drive leg vise. There is also a surface mount bracket version that would obviously be easier if this was a true retro-fit. A 1/4” straight router bit keep the mortise bottom square to the surface. To me this is important because this will define the axis of rotation for the sprocket. If I were more skilled then a mortise chisel could execute this chore adequately.
At first it is tad tight but with a little paring it fits nicely.
2 retaining screws keep the axle in the mortise. These are not critical as the resultant vector is down and into the leg.
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Jim provides a 3/8” spacer to help alignment of the lower bracket. The holes are marked with brad point bit.
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That is about it. The leg vise is re-assembled.
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The front roller bracket is still used with this system. Actually, looking at that picture, I need to adjust the wheel up a smidge. The back roller bracket is removed as you can see the tapped holes under the chain.
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Conclusions:
- I wish I had taken a picture of the kit components before install
- there is no decline in the over all smoothness of the vice
- I do not need a pin anymore
- the parallelism is easily adjusted by the nut on the parallel guide
-Some (bertha) will object to the two-tone :^)
-I had to try the crushed can trick. Just had to. I even shot a cheesy video but it is too awful to post.
-You may ask why I went through the trouble of making the BenchCrafted version first. Well, in all fairness, I didn’t know if the chain drive leg vise would work. If it didn’t, then I could go right back to the BC version before assembly. But that is not going to happen.
Now, I am up to date and current on these blog posts. Damn, this a bit of work.
Thanks!!
-- I hate being bipolar. It's awesome! :^ ) ^:
31 comments so far
Brandon
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3968 posts in 1149 days
#1 posted 337 days ago
Great post, Scott. Let’s see the cheesy video!
Also, I want one of these mechanisms . . . badly.
-- "hold fast to that which is good"
Mosquito
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2942 posts in 490 days
#2 posted 337 days ago
How well does it work when you’re closing it? I see how the chain drive would open it nicely, but not as much with closing. Or does it really just stop the bottom from pulling in once the top is clamping something?
It looks really great, and I want one…
-- Mos - Twin Cities, MN -- Stanley #45 Evangelist - www.youtube.com/MosquitoMods
Brit
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4297 posts in 1041 days
#3 posted 337 days ago
Very interesting Scott. Nice install and thanks for the detailed pics. Congrats to Jim too.
-- Andy -- Old Chinese proverb say: If you think something can't be done, don't interrupt man who is doing it.
Don W
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10218 posts in 765 days
#4 posted 337 days ago
do you have to ware a sailors cap to navigate it? I’ve got to let this sink in. To much technology top fast. I’ve got brain freeze.
Beautiful execution.
-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)
lysdexic
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3468 posts in 821 days
#5 posted 337 days ago
Chris,
I guess I should quit calling it a chain “drive.” The chain does not drive anything but it is slaved to the postion of the chop which driven by the screw. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if the vise is going in or out. The chain foillows along and keeps the chop parallel.
The overall action may be a slight bit more jerky than with two rollers but you can clamp any object of any size without racking and without a pin. Cool.
-- I hate being bipolar. It's awesome! :^ ) ^:
Mauricio
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5270 posts in 1349 days
#6 posted 337 days ago
Damn thats sexy!
-- Mauricio - Woodstock, GA - "Confusion is the Womb of Learning, with utter conviction being it's Tomb" Prof. T.O. Nitsch
Smitty_Cabinetshop
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6598 posts in 816 days
#7 posted 337 days ago
I think my stretcher locations might prevent me from using this… Must check…
-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive
Mosquito
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2942 posts in 490 days
#8 posted 337 days ago
I knew it didn’t actively push or pull the bottom, I was just curious if it would go slack when you moved it in or not (from the bottom of the leg vise not moving with the top right away)
-- Mos - Twin Cities, MN -- Stanley #45 Evangelist - www.youtube.com/MosquitoMods
Don W
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10218 posts in 765 days
#9 posted 337 days ago
so the holes are drilled in case your change your mind?
I hate it when it goes slack, (ok, just can’t write the rest)
-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)
sb194
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163 posts in 1216 days
#10 posted 337 days ago
That is very cool. Still can’t wait to see the completed bench.
lysdexic
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3468 posts in 821 days
#11 posted 337 days ago
Chris, I don’t mean to insult you at all. I just realized i was using some misleading verbage.
Regardless, the chain may “bounce” with slack momentarily as you change directions from out to in.
-- I hate being bipolar. It's awesome! :^ ) ^:
lysdexic
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3468 posts in 821 days
#12 posted 337 days ago
Don, exactly. I had every intention to build per the BC plan. There is no better time to execute that plan than now. Like I said – I didn’t know if the chain leg vise would work. As a bonus, it demonstrates how one can retro-fit a bench.
-- I hate being bipolar. It's awesome! :^ ) ^:
ShaneA
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4013 posts in 796 days
#13 posted 337 days ago
Looking good Scott, I like the lever cap shape you gave it. Kinda stinks about the rusting aspect. There should be metal polishes out there that should slow or stop that, no?
lysdexic
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3468 posts in 821 days
#14 posted 337 days ago
Shane – I don’t know if it is the environment or if I exude some caustic film from every pore.
-- I hate being bipolar. It's awesome! :^ ) ^:
Boatman53
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444 posts in 394 days
#15 posted 337 days ago
Nice job Scott. Smitty you may be able to use the stretcher to hold one side of the sprocket. That is what I did on my bench that was planed around this chain device. I put the beam low and the stretcher holds one side of the sprocket. Post a photo of that area when you get a chance and I’ll see what can be done.
-- Jim, Long Island, NY Ancorayachtservice.com home of the chain leg vise
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