Comments on: Joseph Moxon's Double-screw Vise

By: Badger

Badger — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:15:03 +0000

I actually just did this as well. I had picked up an old bookpress at a tool show to salvage the screws from. I hadn’t gotten to it, and I saw this.

You can check out the picture here:
http://www.badgerwoodworks.com/2010/06/twin-screw-vise/

It worked great, I just dropped it on the bench, grabbed a couple clamps and voila! a twin screw vise.

I love it. Since I only have a cheesy MDF workbench that came with the house, this is a perfect solution to my problem of being able to hold stuff.

Badger

By: rick

rick — Sat, 29 May 2010 03:24:39 +0000

Just wondering if there would be any advantage to adding a slight bow to the face of the front jaw when the screws (pressure points) are 24 inches or more apart? Like wood cauls for clamping over long surfaces.

By: Steve Wirt

Steve Wirt — Fri, 28 May 2010 18:49:29 +0000

I like the double screw vise Chris, it looks great. But it would be a monster in terms of taking up space in my small shop. For me I’ll have to make due (and get the same effect) with a pair of handscrews and pair of F-clamps.
http://www.timberframe-tools.com/tools/twin-screw-face-vise/

By: rel1946

rel1946 — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:52:29 +0000

I was wondering about what a garter was also, so I googled it and got this from the http://www.BigWoodVice.com/faq/ site. Hope this helps.

I also have an old B&D workmate and use it alot. I would not get rid of it for anything.

Bob Lewis

What is a "Garter" and "Garter Groove"? What does it do?

A garter simply engages the "chop" or front jaw of the vise with the screw -so that it makes the jaw travel outward with the screw when opening the vise (the hub of the vise screw moves the jaw inward, and applies the clamping load – not the garter).
A "Garter Groove" is the circular groove on the vise screw that engages the garter to the screw.
However, you must limit the racking of the vise jaw when a garter is used – or you can break the vise screw (this is the same on metal vises as well) or possibly the garter.
I have decided to standardize on using at 3/8" garter on all screws – unless someone really objects or specifies that they do not want it.
I locate the new standard garter groove to engage the approximate middle of a 2 inch thick vise chop (or jaw).
I standardize the Outer Diameter of the Garter Groove area – so that the end consumer can drill a 1-5/8" hole (a common forstner bit size) in their 3/8" thick garter material – cut it in half at the center of the hole – and you have a garter!

By: Tim Williams

Tim Williams — Wed, 26 May 2010 22:15:24 +0000

A great alternative to building a dedicated bench for joinery, kudos!!!

By: www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawk1e53W1JQl1vN-_Njultg3o_DReBDHlLE

www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawk1e53W1JQl1vN-_Njultg3o_DReBDHlLE — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:54:31 +0000

I know this is blasphemy to true galoots, but the thought occured to me that it would not be difficult to build one of these using some sort of metal threaded mechanism. You could easily use some sort of common threadd rod, but acme threads would be best. I imagine that a veneer press screw could easily be adapted for something like this.

By: Gary Roberts

Gary Roberts — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:08:06 +0000

Jim… I too have one of the original Workmates. It seems to get more use than my old Ulmia bench at times. I wouldn’t give it up for the world. I wonder if Moxon or Felibien owned one?

By: Joe Lyddon

Joe Lyddon — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:53:05 +0000

Chris,

Very interesting! Thank you!

"The rear jaw is 2-3/8" x 6" x 34-1/2" and is tapped for the two wooden screws."

What did you use to Tap the threads?
Hard Maple used?

By: Jim Staurd

Jim Staurd — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:45:05 +0000

Hey guys,
Interesting post Chris. Maybe Ron Hickman was channeling your dead Euro-dudes when he ‘invented’ the Workmate, but it looks like it would do all the stuff these gigantor double screw thingies would. I just need to find a way to attach one to my bench
Incidentally, I have one of the original, cast aluminum ‘H-frame’ workmate monstrosities that is almost as versatile as my pattern makers vise.
Sorry for not being around much but duty calls…
-J

By: Bill Melidones

Bill Melidones — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:39:56 +0000

Chris,

I went to google and looked at André Fibien’s
"Principes de l’architecture, de la sculpture, de la peinture, &c.". Wow, wish I could read it. Looksas though there’s a lot of George Walker’s subject matter in there. For those of us who can’t read french, any chance of Lost Art Press re-publishing this in english?

How about Moxon’s "Mechanick Exercises"?