# Leather and Wood Vises (Another Workbench Question)



## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

I just finished installing a tail vise on my workbench. I actually used the Lee Valley front vise for this. I've heard some discussion, don't recall where, of people attaching leather to their wood vises in order to improve grip. Is it worth it? Who's done this? Is the leather applied just to the outside jaw or both? What type of leather is best?


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I think it's more a way to prevent marring than to increase grip. I've seen hard 1/8 thick smooth leather used. The kind of stuff you'd make a strop out of. If there's a Tandy Leather or similar in your area, you might be able to buy a whole bag of offcuts. In Knoxville, they'd sell me a BIG bag for $10.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

Yup, a Tandy is just down the street-I have some left over stropping leather that I purchased from them. Bertha, do you have one installed on your vise?


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

common brandon, stop teasing us and lets see some pictures!


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

Despite the lack of interest in the topic, I went with some leather I had on hand and attached it to the outer jaw of my tail vise. It works pretty well.

Mauricio, pics will be posted when I'm done. Be patient. ;-) All I have left to do is the dog holes. Waiting on a router bit for that one.


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## lysdexic (Mar 21, 2011)

Last I checked 3/4" up spiral router bits ain't cheap. If you don't need it after you are done I'd probably buy it from you.

I am with Mauricio - where the pics?

Furthermore- I quite enjoy your workbench questions as I have got to get mine done before spring.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

Scott, I'm glad these questions are useful to you. I hope to write a few detailed blogs after I post the pics. Soon, I promise. Regarding the bit, I did not want to spend the money on a carbide one since I'll probably only be using it for the workbench. Instead, I purchased a HSS for only $15 from MLCS.

http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bt_solid.html#spiral_hss_anchor

They even have free shipping.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

Did you look on ebay. I've purchased some really sweet Bosch all carbide spiral bits for really cheap (like $15) on ebay.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

What you should have done is go old school O.G. style and get a vintage brace and bit to make those holes.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

Actually, I wasn't against the idea, but a friend who built a workbench said the one thing he wished he did better was getting the dog holes perfectly perpendicular to the surface. He's the one that suggested using the router to do this. I was just going to use a forstner bit.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

Did you see how RG did it? It looks like he made a guide block/whole and then used his brace and bit to guide it perfectly perpendicular.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

Can you find the post, I'd be interested in seeing it. But tomorrow-it's late.


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## mochoa (Oct 9, 2009)

I'm in Austin today so I'm an hour behind. Working, but need to go to sleep. Cant stop farting around on lumberjocks.

Here is the post but on second thought maybe that's not what he is doing.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/45051


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

Okay Scott and Mauricio, I posted a few glimpses of my bench in my chisel rack project. That's all you get for now--a few glimpses.  http://lumberjocks.com/projects/59280


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Brandon, I don't have them on my vise but my vise isn't very impressive. I've just got two jaws made of 4/4 maple.


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