# Wagon vise hardware



## MNWOODWORKER

I was wondering what wagon vise hardware you used and the results, not interested in Benchcrafted though. It sure looks nice but not in the budget right now. Thank you for any insight you have.


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## Stormy

I'm building my bench right now and I have decided to use a Veritas Wonder Pup. I think it may be simpler that a wagon vise and can be moved to any dog hole to use as needed. This makes it much more versital than a fixed vise.


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## PurpLev

I used a ~$40 vise screw for the hardware. the benchcraft is nice, but I couldn't spend 4x the amount I spent on the entire workbench for just 1 vice hardware, and I'm glad I didn't

http://lumberjocks.com/PurpLev/blog/17919



Yes, I supped it up with a $8 handwheel from Grizzle, but that was just an extra and not necessity and still conservative on the expense side of things.


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## MNWOODWORKER

Stormy, that was my original idea as well but not being able to plane narrow stock easily is a deal breaker for me,thanks for your input.
PurpLev, that is pretty much exactly what I have planned. Where did you buy it, The color looks like the one on Lee Valley.


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## PurpLev

yes, I got mine from Leevalley, they are always reasonably pricing products, CS is most excellent, cant go wrong with them.


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## MNWOODWORKER

That's the one I was thinking, thanks.


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## Tedstor

I've seen more than a few wagon vises made from these. About $20 from Highland Woodworking. But the Lee Valley screw that Purplelev cited is probably a bit nicer.


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## mileskimball

I agree about the spendiness of the BC hardware. It's pretty, but I'm not building a workbench to look at. So I'm using a Shop Fox bench screw (about $30) both for the wagon vise and a leg vise on my bench.

I built something similar around 1990 when I was a really poor grad student, using 1" threaded rod and a dog block made of a chunk of walnut from a tree we had to take down in the back yard. I just made the block with "ears" that fit into dados in the vise slot - all with a hand saw, a plane, a brace and bit, and one 3/4" chisel, since I had no money for anything else. It worked pretty well for years, even with a very humid environment (a cellar in Kentucky). It did have a tendency to ride up a bit as you tightened the vise. I just got used to giving the dogs a little tap after tightening to make sure the workpiece was fully seated to the workbench top.

This time I'm building to much the same plan, except I intend to use angle iron to create a channel for the "ears," now also made of angle iron. In other words, a short piece of angle will be bolted to either side of the block in a shallow dado, and four longer pieces will be attached to the front and back of the vise slot (two on each side of the block) to in effect create a lining for the dados. Hard to describe, easier to see, I hope!



















One downside to this approach is that it makes the vise slot pretty wide (3") because the dog block has to accommodate both the dog hole and the screw. But I'm not comfortable with setting the screw further into the bench, so as to make the slot narrower - I figure it's better to keep the force of the screw as close to directly behind the dog as possible. If you're using high-tolerance machined parts like BC, I suppose having the dog hole an inch or two away from the screw is ok. But with this cheaper model, it would probably make the block rack counter-clockwise.

Anyway, total investment so far: 2 bench screws, $60; one 6' piece of 3/4" angle iron, $8; a little block of walnut, free from the scrap pile of my hardwood supplier.

I'd appreciate any suggestions!

Miles


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## mileskimball

BTW, I really like PurpLev's idea of adding a Grizzly handwheel - I just was looking at my catalog, and I think I'll invest another $8 in the project!

Miles


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## Sylvain

have a look here :

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/wMyers/art/moravianBench/moravianBench-11.asp
http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/wMyers/art/moravianBench/moravianBench-12.asp


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## mileskimball

Very cool, Sylvain. Beyond my welding expertise (which is 0), but very cool!


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## Tedstor

I like this particular design due to its simplicity:

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/workbenches/schwarz-workbenches/wagon-vise-version-4-0


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## mileskimball

Yes, that's very much like my old bench, with the nut attached to the bench rather than to the block. The only downside is that the screw protrudes more from the bench as you loosen it. The upside is that the pressure is directly behind the dog hole, rather than offset.

Looking at Schwarz's bench with the tracks on the bottom sent me back to Sketchup: 









In this iteration the upper guide (3/4" angle) is screwed in a rabbet on the bench; the middle guide (also 3/4" angle) is screwed in a rabbet on the dog block; and the whole assembly is held up with 2" flat bar steel screwed to the bench.

This approach also allows for easier disassembly than my previous idea: just pull out the screw, take off the flat bars, and the dog block would just fall out.


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## Tedstor

What stops the wood block from lifting out of the slot as it tightens against the workpiece?
The Schwartz design prevents the block from both sagging and rising. It appears your latest design only addresses sagging. 
*to edit* nevermind. I just now realized the yellow part was the bench.


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## MNWOODWORKER

I bought mine from Lee Valley and am half done so time wil tell. Having the screw attach to block and thread out of the bench would be easier but having a foot of rod sticking out the side of my bench causing me to loose space as well as putting a bullseye right on my hip didn't intrigue me. Mine is offset and loosely the same idea as PurpLev (but I am stealing the hand wheel idea) this was always my plan but wasn't sure of the best hardware. In a couple weeks I hope to be far enough as to have the wagon vise working, I will let you know. Thanks so much for all the ideas, communitive thinking is always great!


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## JGM0658

Have you seen Paul's (Shipwright) wagon vise? Can't get any cheaper (or better) than that ;-)


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## MNWOODWORKER

Yep i have seen the and it is a great idea, my only reason for not going that way is if I am planing thin stock the wedge height would get in the way or drive me crazy swapping out shims to get it to work. You are right as the price is great-$10 and so is the simplicity of the design, but I spent $37 and went a different route, not saying its a better route just suits me better.


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## mileskimball

That shipwright vise is ingenious in its simplicity! 
But for a little more $ I'll take my wedge wrapped around a cylinder.


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## JGM0658

Sure I understand. Just an observation though, you should not be planning thin stock held down by a wagon or tail vise, try and use only a planing stop. Best of luck on your bench.


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