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One of the regulars at the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking is building a workbench using Richard Maguire hardware from the United Kingdom. During my visit there, I had the chance to inspect the hardware straight from the box.

I got to play with three pieces of bench hardware, all of which were very nice.

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The Maguire Single Wooden Screw is similar in quality to the high-quality screws being made in the United States now. The Maguire screw is in beech that has been soaked in linseed oil. The hub is fancier than the ones made in the United States, and the turning is crisp. The screw, of course, moves smoothly and quickly as it should.

The only nit I’ll pick with the screw is in the handle. The caps on the handle are glued on by the user. I have yet to find any that will hold this way. The only solution that really works (in my experience) has been the threaded caps from Lake Erie Toolworks.

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The Maguire Wagon Vice, as you can see, has some similarities to the Benchcrafted tail vise. But it also has some significant differences. The metal carrier for the dog block moves back and forth on round rails instead of square slots. In looking at the installation instructions for the Maguire, I think this assembly makes it easier to install – though I won’t know for sure until I try it myself.

The handle is a nice bronze-color crank. The center pin has nicely peened hammer marks. A nice touch.

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The most fascinating piece of hardware is the Maguire Pinless Leg Vice, which is quite a bit of precision engineering. This hardware replaces the parallel guide in a leg vise. The post is piston fit into a long shaft embedded in the leg. (The shaft is amazingly embedded with bearings.) When the chop of the leg vise encounters your work, it automatically locks the shaft in place. Very clever. Check out the video on the Maguire website.

All in all, the hardware is very well made and impressive all around.

—   Christopher Schwarz

I’ve written about traditional workbenches on this blog continuously since 2005. You can read, well, everything by starting here.

If you want it boiled down a bit, try my first book “Workbenches: From Design & Theory to Construction & Use.” I’m also quite prod of the DVD “Build an 18th-century Workbench.”


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Showing 3 comments
  • Dinger

    Hey Chris,

    There was a recent post about using this system here:
    http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/articles/roubo-workbench-leg-vise-alternative-linear-bearings/

    It uses a linear bearing that so impresses you which can easily be obtained from MSC or McMaster-Carr here:
    http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRIT2?PMAKA=35528314&PMPXNO=1875558&cm_re=ItemDetail-_-ResultListing-_-SearchResults

    The post says he angled the linear bearing approximately 1 degree I’m assuming to give some extra clamping power? Did the installation instructions for the Maguire indicate that or is it strictly parallel? Installation of this vise seems quite simple compared to some others — They sure would make Roubo jealous!

  • kpinvt

    Ages ago at the catalog store that Garrett-Wade had in downtown Manhattan they had on display European benches with large white plastic screws in the bench vises. I wish I could remember the name of the manufacturer. I haven’t seen any since I started paying attention to woodworking again a year ago. Maybe that says something.

  • skiroy56

    Chris
    What is the run time of your Build an 18th-century Workbench DVD? Also in the trailer what is the make of the wagon vise you have installed?

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