| Project by Don Kondra | posted 1181 days ago | 2309 views | 7 times favorited | 11 comments |  |
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Greetings,
A recently completed project, a friend had just completed a wing ding workbench in beech and wanted handles for his two vises to match.
Darnell brought out an off cut from the wood he used for his hand dovetailed drawers and while we were discussing what he wanted done he gently kidded me about how I had simply screwed a wood knob on the ends of my vice handle oh so many years ago :)
By the time I got around to the project he had also discovered the brass accents on the Lie Nielsen store bought handle :)
The original concept had a speed knob mounted slightly forward of the end knob with a visible nut. Darnell had provided me with a store bought beech knob. As I started on this project I felt the location was just awkward and decided to mount the knob directly on the end cap. I used a insert nut on the end cap and a bolt through the ebony speed knob, there are ebony accents on the bench and I wanted to make handles that would complement the bench.
I never did get around to special ordering the brass washers and decided to turn them myself. I sandwiched 1 1/2” bar stock between 1/8” baltic birch with double sided tape and after drilling a 3/8” hole, rough cut the circles on the scroll saw, then turned them to finish diameter.
Missing from the photo are the rubber O-rings that go in front of the brass, they provide a cushion/sound dampening effect as the handle slides to the end of it’s travel. The finish so far is one coat of Watch natural oil.
The end caps are meant to be glued onto the center rod with 3/8” dowels, in hindsight maybe I should have used insert nuts and rod for these too. That way they could be disassembled to change the O-ring’s if necessary.
Hopefully at some point, Darnell will post pic’s of his bench. It is Wing Ding :)
Cheers, Don
-- Don Kondra - Furniture Designer/Maker
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11 comments so far
CreekWoodworker
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408 posts in 1495 days
#1 posted 1181 days ago
Nice vice handles. I really like the idea to add a speed knob.
-- Mike ...Success is often the result of taking a misstep in the right direction
woodworm
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14105 posts in 1788 days
#2 posted 1181 days ago
Very nice, much much nicer than I bought ones.
-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.
jm82435
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1217 posts in 1939 days
#3 posted 1181 days ago
Beautiful; those brass accents really dress them up as well as being functional. And I like the speed knob ideas too.
-- A thing of beauty is a joy forever...
WistysWoodWorkingWonders
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#4 posted 1180 days ago
those are very nice… I’ll take two please… :) Oh, and a bench to use them on… lol
-- New Project = New Tool... it's just the way it is, don't fight it... :)
mancave
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114 posts in 1261 days
#5 posted 1180 days ago
I’m with wisty
bigike
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#6 posted 1180 days ago
great work the speed handle is a very good idea
-- Ike, Big Daddies Woodshop, http://www.icombadaniels@yahoo.com
kbiniowa
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42 posts in 762 days
#7 posted 742 days ago
Don:
I read your comment on my workbench post.
You are right! The handles are one thing that I am missing.
These look great!
Keith
-- Keith - Iowa
Don Kondra
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96 posts in 2083 days
#8 posted 742 days ago
Keith,
That was Ike that linked to my handles, glad you like them :)
Cheers, Don
-- Don Kondra - Furniture Designer/Maker
Woodbridge
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1623 posts in 615 days
#9 posted 589 days ago
Don, I just recently completed a new benchtop for my rolling shop cabinet and added two vices. I plan to turn the handles from some maple branches cut from the tree in our yard. Thanks for this post.
-- Peter, Woodbridge, Ontario
balidoug
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333 posts in 676 days
#10 posted 463 days ago
1. With handles like that I think I’d be afraid to use the vice! 2. Ok, here’s my stupid question: You say “he gently kidded me about how I had simply screwed a wood knob on the ends of my vice handle” which is exactly the arrangement I have. How SHOULD they be attached?
-- From such crooked wood as that which man is made of, nothing straight can be fashioned. Immanuel Kant
Don Kondra
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96 posts in 2083 days
#11 posted 463 days ago
It’s simply a matter of aesthetics :)
With a round mortice on the knob and a tenon on the handle (glued) there is no need for a screw.
Having said that mine has been “screwed on” for a number of years, he, he…
Cheers, Don
-- Don Kondra - Furniture Designer/Maker
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