# Shoulder vise or cast iron face vice



## Watercolor (Aug 27, 2013)

I have a roubo and have been having problems face planing boards. Right now I have a leg vice and a dig moxon. I tried clamping with the moxon between my dogs on my bench and it forces the work piece up. Long story short, I was thinking of making a shoulder vice on the end of my bench (short side) and was wondering if I could clamp between dogs with it or would I encounter the same problem? Or is a cast iron vise like a jorg 401012 in order to accomplish this. If so can I extended the wood fence and use it to clamp vertically for dovetailing?

Trying to save money with the shoulder vise but if it's not going to work then no need.

Thanks


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

It sounds like fixing your issue is going to be the cheapest and easiest route unless you just don't like the Moxon and want to replace it with something else anyway.

From what you've said, you most likely have 1 of 2 problems. The first is that the chop on your Moxon isn't holding it's vertical position. It's probably either slop in the hardware or the chop is too thin or too soft and is flexing. If the vise is solid and isn't flexing, it could be your dogs. Either they're sloppy in the holes or the face is angled out which lets the work ride up. I make my dogs with the faces angled in 2 degrees to avoid that very problem.

Without knowing the specifics of how you constructed your Moxon vise or your dogs, I can't really offer any specific advice. I'm certain that a face vise like the Jorgenson will clamp with dogs just fine. Unless of course the issue is with the dogs to begin with. I've never seen a shoulder vise set up to work with dogs. I don't think it would work well since there are no parallel guides though. If you opt for the face vise, you can extend the chop for dovetailing duty, but you'll have to use some type of anti-racking device or spacers depending on how far you extend it.


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## Watercolor (Aug 27, 2013)

The moxon was diy. It's embedded on the end of my bench so it doesn't operate like a normal moxon. Works great for clamping all the way through but not for the dogs… Guess I gotta ante up and buy the jorg vice or an end vice kit.

I use round aluminum dogs and my holes are slightly canted toward the vice end so it's gotta be the slop in the moxon. Was just wondering if the shoulder vise would work but not that I step back and think about it I can understand why it wouldn't.

Thanks

Got any recommendations on a cheaper cast vice… Eclipse, rockler, etc???


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

> Got any recommendations on a cheaper cast vice… Eclipse, rockler, etc???
> 
> - Watercolor


Not on that type of face vise. I use this vise as my end vise with a 24" chop. It works well for dogs and for clamping boards for end grain work. Just have to use spacers to prevent racking when using it for dogs. It's pretty well made and can't be beat for the $ IMHO.


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