This is the 3rd part of a 3 part series.
To read Part 1, CLICK HERE
To read Part 2, CLICK HERE
Yay!!! My new Leg Vise is complete. I added two coats of finish and the suede pad and that boy is ready to work.
Suede and Finish
If you have been following my installation, there is a Part 1 and a Part 2 and this is the last one. To review, I picked out the hardware I needed after using the Flow Chart in Part 1 and then had to adapt the vise to the skinny legs of my bench. Using some old pieces of lumber from the shop (who else would have a thick piece of air dried walnut just lying around?) I made the pieces I needed and then cut the mortises into them for the criss cross piece. I added the hardware and the wheel and it works like a champ.
Suede and Finish Redux
Funny, I almost missed the suede in the box. I thought it was just packing material and I almost threw it away. I cut it to fit and glued it to the face of the vise and the side of the tool tray and it looks good.
I don’t mind telling you, I am so proud of this thing. It is actually fairly easy to install — once you have done it. I read the directions from Benchcrafted’s web site many times because they can be a little bit confusing. If I were to do it again, I bet I could do it in less than a day.
In fact, to really appreciate this leg vise, look at this very short video. No drooling!
CLICK HERE to find out more information on the Benchcrafted Leg Vise and to purchase your own.
I would like to know what advantage this vise gives you over the other two?
I don’t know if you can have too many places to clamp. That bench is a “European” style bench to a Tage Frid design in one of his woodworking books. It has a vise on one end to clamp two ways, a shoulder vise on the other end, and bench dogs to clamp long stuff. I added another vertical clamp which screws down into the top of the bench. I find myself using the leg vise because it is so quick and available. I don’t have to dig out the dogs, I don’t have to turn the crank to open the end vise or the shoulder vise. That round wheel is just marvelous and so quick. Plus the leg vise opens to about 15 inches, I suppose, so I can clamp bigger stuff like bowls in it if I want. And the thing that works really well is to be able to put a long board on edge in the vise, with support on the far end, if I want to plane an edge for instance. It has really turned into my go-to vise on the bench. Give it a try, I think you will like it.