Jeff Greef Woodworking

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12 oz. Trim Hammer

Titebond Glue
Available in different sizes.

3" Roller

Jeff Greef Woodworking
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Page 2, Wooden Vises
Go back to Page 1.

Make the end cap out of two pieces as shown in the drawings. Cut a groove along the inside edge of the outer piece, to fit a tongue on the edge of the bench top itself. Make this tongue along the bench top edge with a router and a straight flute bit. Clamp a fence to the top to guide the router and limit its cut. Bore a hole in the end cap on the drill press for the screw to fit. Take extra care that this hole is bored at 90o. Tap the hole for threads as in photo 8.

Laminate together pieces for the front bench section, as described in the project in this site on making a Traditional Workbench. However, this front section differs from the other bench slabs in several respects, it is much thicker, not as wide, and has the fixed jaw with its finger joint. Bore holes into the layers for threaded rods that will hold all the top sections together, as described in the Traditional Workbench project on this site.

Photo 4- Laminate together a front section for the bench, incorporating within this section slots for bench dogs. Nail the short parts between slots in place during the glue up to hold them steady while clamped.

Incorporate into these laminations bench dog slots by spacing short pieces closely together as in photo 4. Ensure that the pieces are uniformly spaced by making a spacer that you place between them as they are located on the lamination. Nail down each section in its proper location during the glue up, then proceed with gluing and clamping the remainder of the pieces.

Photo 5- Fit the tail vise to the bench top with the all the top pieces bolted together, and the whole top placed upside down. Check that the guide bar slides easily in its notch in the end cap.

Glue the front of the moving jaw to the inside moving jaw, taking care to align the two dados for the dog slot. Join the front bench section to the other sections with a dozen dowels as discussed above, then bolt together all the bench top sections and turn them upside down. Fix the end cap onto the end with short threaded rod sections as in photo 5. Put the tail vise in place as shown in that photo.

Photo 6- Install the screw in the vise, check that the jaws slide easily as the screw is turned, and install keepers as shown to hold the vise in place.

The tail vise is held in place by two keepers on the guide bar, as well as by the screw itself. Install the screw and keepers as shown in photo 6. Cut tongues on the ends of the top and bottom plates at the table saw, and slide them into place within their dadoes on the moving and rear jaws. Hold the plates in place with one small screw at each end, which comes from the top or bottom of the jaw and contacts the plate tenon within its groove.

Mount the bench top onto the leg assembly with the right top rail just to the left of the fixed jaw. Let the guide bar come close to the front edge of the front right post. You will have to cut off about 3/4" from the bottom of the front end of the top rail to make way for the guide rail, as shown in the drawing.

FRONT VISE

Porter Cable 1-3/4 HP Lever Release 690 Router
The PC 690 line routers are standard woodshop workhorses.

Bessey Power Grip Clamps

Photo 7- Cut slots for front vise guides on the bottom of the front section of the bench. Use a straight bit in the router, guide the cut with a fence clamped to the piece upon which the router base rubs.

For routers, click here.

After the tail vise, a front vise is very simple. Remove the front bench top section, and cut grooves in the bottom of it for guides with a router and straight flute bit. Clamp a fence to the underside of the work to guide the router during the cut. Rub the router base against the edge of the fence as shown in photo 7. Bore a hole for the screw, and tap it as in photo 8. Join the guides to the jaw with mortise and tenon joints, much as you joined the guide bar for the tail vise. When the guides are in place, screw a keeper over them to hold them in place.

Photo 8- Cut internal threads for the screw in the front section of the bench top.

Resources For Building Wooden Vises

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